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Tuesday, Oct 9th, 2007
After a satisfyingly immobile rest day in Castellane we started late today because I had to handle some business. After buying lunch (I have become very fond of having a piece of Quiche Lorraine) we set off around 10:15 through mist down the deepening Gorge du Verdon. However the sun soon burned its way through and we were able to see the landscape in all its glory: VERY IMPRESSIVE. Already. And it only really gets spectacular tomorrow.
It was a short hike, about 4.5 hours, and it seems as if one of the consequences of this is to leave Russell with too much creative energy. As we were walking down to Rougon towards the end of the hike he suddenly motors by me following, apparently, a stick he was holding in an outstretched hand. "Follow the stick", he kept intoning, "Follow the stick."
For those who know Russell well enough, which for the purposes of this reminiscence is a group that is probably limited to his immediate family, there was no practical or conceptual difference to the invisible dog he used to have dragging him around when he was 12. Looks like he has had more than just a metabolic reset....
Rougon, the village where we are staying for the night is tiny, charming, medieval, and superbly positioned high over the Verdon River with a view into the narrow part of the gorge to the West. Very nice. Even better: their restaurant is open for the night so we will get dinner!
Oh, and for those who have let me know that they are concerned by my accounts of a countryside teeming with hunters: we saw and heard none today. Apparently they are much more active on the weekend, so we should be ok for another few days at least.
