Fifth stage
Cheylard-L’Évêque - La Bastide-Puylaurent
20kms (33,422 steps)
Forecast : 18o and clear skies ( but in fact, misty fog until lunchtime then sunny and 21o)
Breakfast included
Bowls of coffee, French toast, donkey biscuits and ponti- a sweet moist cake with plums
Today we enjoyed the trail. Mainly in pine forests. Lovely autumnal colours.
Some minor colour along the way, many varieties of mushrooms and toadstools and some interesting pine cones.
Mid-morning we walked through this gorgeous recreation (picnic) area and pond, so we had a snack and enjoyed ‘the serenity’.
After a climb to the top of the ridge, we made a steep descent of 300m on narrow rocky paths (not slippery or perilous as on day 2) down to Luc. The chateau has seen better days. There was an interesting account from Stevenson’s diary.
At the bottom of the path, entering Luc, we found a place to have coffee and a cold drink. The manager of the gite was very friendly and brought out some homemade lemon cake as well for us to sample.
Our picnic lunch provided by the hotel.
We walked down through Luc. The manor house in the distance was more impressive than the chateau ruins.
From here it was only 5 kms to Le Bastide, our destination tonight. This entailed some orienteering, following instructions over stiles, under railway bridges, following a path above a railway line. We were a little nervous about this section as a lady stopped by us in her car in Luc.
She intimated that there was a problem near Rogleton with the trail. Her opening statement was that she spoke excellent English and then proceeded to speak in rapid French. She made us repeat some place names , which we obediently did, but we couldn’t understand any of her instructions. Thankfully our guidebook had everything under control.
Our first view of Le Bastide
We were too early to get into our hotel so had a refreshing drink. Shame the French aren’t into sangria - trying to find a French substitute.
There are only two choices for accommodation in Le Bastide. Both look very similar. Not a lot of character. We have a double room with a bathroom - but not a loo! Not looking forward to my midnight dash down a corridor.
Dinner included.
Vegetable soup
Pork sausage and potatoes
Cheese platter or blueberry tart
We are feeling very buoyant after the last few days with the reasonable track and cool weather. No injuries or discomfit, which makes the whole experience so pleasurable!
M&M
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