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Wednesday, Oct 10th, 2007
Well, les Gorges du Verdon and the Sentier Martel lived up to their reputation: a wonderful hike. We started late because the baker in Rougon overslept and bread wasn't ready until 9:40. Then Russell couldn't find his camera (eventually he went back to the Gite and retrieved it from his bedside table). So we didn't really set off until around 10... which was just as well since the fog didn't dissipate until around 10:15.
We went down past Point Sublime into the gorge -- a mere 10m or so wide at the point of entry. From there the trail went up and down stairs and ladders, through tunnels (the longest of which was over 1km), at times right next to the river, at times far above it, for about 12km until the climb out to the Chalet de la Maline where we were to spend the night.
Unlike the past several days, we saw, as expected, many other hikers -- the trail is one of the more famous in Europe -- but it didn't feel crowded. The terrain is extremely rugged: after seeing it one understands why the gorge was first explored in the 20th century.
The Chalet de la Maline is one of the least well sound-insulated buildings I have ever come across: sitting in our bunkroom I can hear every word being said in the dining room below, or the rooms on either side for that matter. Furthermore, both the building and its gardienne are somewhat quirky, the former having, for example, 6 showers, 14 wash-basins (plus a wash-basin in each 8 person bunkroom), but just 2 toilets... for 80 beds... while the latter gave Russell his first "Doreen Whitehead" moment on this trip.
Those who have read my account of our hike across England on the Coast-to-Coast trail (see c2c.eurohiker.net) will recognize the name Doreen Whitehead as belonging to one of the true dragons of our times. Brigite, the gardienne, does not come close to attaining Doreen's terrifying rigidity, but she has her moments.
Such as when we arrived and she asked if we would like some split-pea soup (which we did), and then when Sally requested hot chocolate along with the soup (the day had ended a little cool) Brigite made a pained face and explained that, since soup and hot chocolate so didn't go together, Sally could have either one or the other now, then the other or the one in an hour or so if she still wished, but not both at the same time. Sally, perhaps because of her years in the military, quickly recognized the futility of protest and opted for soup :-).
At dinner, which was quite nice and all home-made, she forbade Russell to salt his meat before cooking it on the mini-barbecue on our table -- no, no, she said, afterwards -- the salt afterwards. Russell, having not been in the military, restrained himself only with difficulty, and was heard to mutter after she left that if she was going to make him cook his own dinner she ought to let him cook it as he wished!
