SPECIFIC NEWS
FROM & ABOUT THE PATHS (GRs):


PROVENCE & COTE d'AZUR:

A THREE-DAY WALK ON THE GR 51 - Thought I'd drop you a quick line about the GR51, which I've just walked, in part, through the Esterel Forest.

Day 1 Theoule Sur Mer (S of Cannes) - Agay

The GR 51 route is still clearly marked and given comments I had read on the site I thought it feasible to reach Bagnols en Foret in one day from Cannes. Sadly, we reached the start of the trail late in the day (12.30) due to the appalling bus service out of Cannes—don't rely on it, buses are very infrequent. The walking is also pretty tough in places so this delayed us still further. Who said there were very few ups and downs! The scenery is the Esterel was however spectacular, especially with the mimosa in full bloom. A word of warning though—take plenty of food and water with you as there are no places to resupply en route. By 3.30 having set a good pace with few breaks we still found ourselves at a point that was signposted as 6nrs 20 mins from Mont Vinaigre, our proposed 1/2 way point for the day. It was decided to abandon Bagnols en Foret as the first night's stop. I had calculated the distance from Theoule as around 26 miles but due to the terrain it would be a very hard day, requiring an early start to complete Theoule-Bagnols. With the aid of the excellent IGN map (far superior to Didier Richard) we reached a parking point at Col Notre Dame and hitch-hiked down to Agay.

Day 2 Agay - Bagnols en Foret

Made a very early start from Agay conscious that we had to walk up again to reach the GR 51. Pretty hard road walking for several hours until we linked up with the GR51 again via Col de Belle Barbe and Col du Mistral. From here pressed on for Mt Vinaigre which we reached in time for lunch. This section of the 51 is simply beautiful - glorious vistas of forest in one direction and coastline in the other. DEcided to press on for Bagnols even though the distance looked great. We arrived there around 7.30 just as darkness fell. There is only one hotel in the village - Bernard l'Hermite run by an amiable Frenchman who speaks a little English and generously opened for us officially out-of-season. The village itself is quite lovely and, in late Feb, almost deserted. It's a good tme to trek though as weather was warm enough for shorts and T-shirts.

Day 3 Bagnols - Roquebrane Sur Argens

It had been a steep road climb up to Bagnols so it was a relief to leave the village from the opposite side to rejoin the GR51. This was ourr first tricky bit as we were faced with 3 possible paths. We chose the main one and rejoined the 51 at the top of the Bois du Defens. Warning! the trial here is very hard to follow due to construction work through the forest. We followed red and white flags tied on trees and walked hrough brush unsure if this was the right thing to do. Eventually, we reconnected with the 51 but lost it again north of La Bouverie where the trial seemed to go into a residential estate. Obviously, we missed a turning.

From here took bus then train to Marseille.

Fantastic hike though - highly recommended.

– Paul H., London, 3 March '02

THE GR 51 IN DECEMBER - As for a guide book on the GR 51, I have to confess that my preparations were minimal. That there is a train station in Nice factored largely in my decision to start there. I got the the 903 map out. Saw the GR 5 to the GR 52 to Menton path. Bought the IGN 100,000 green map and traced the route and figured out likely places to stay and started calling. Given the time frame (December) it was tough to find hotels that were open (fact was, I didn't find many.) Might be getting easier right now. I'll confess that since I was alone and we've stayed in so many little hotels, my standards would be found lacking by most sane travellers (or at least those that are adults anyway.) I had both the worst accomodations and the worst breakfasts that I've encountered in France in the Riviera . . . But this was because I was travelling in the absolute low season (3/3 hotels in LaTurbie were closed for example) and my wife wasn't with me. That my wife wasn't with me means that rather than find a cab and get to a reasonable and open hotel when I reached Levens, I slept in a hotel where the heat didn't work properly, and I ate dinner with the owners two little boys litterally playing trucks on my feet. But, as always, the people are great and I always have a better time when things are less than perfect. (I'd likely feel differently if I was coming for my single week off all year though. . . I'm here to collect stories as much as I am anything else.)

One word of caution, the GR 51 is not easy. ..I had some funny stuff happen to me while I was there, but it was not easy. One recommendation is to try to finish one day in La Turbie. Coming over the ridge near sundown and seeing the sun on La Trophee des Alpes is one of the more fantastic things I've seen while I've been on these walks. Ranks with walking through the vineyards in October as the leaves changed colors.

– John B., Nice and Seattle, 16 January '02

DAY WALKS FROM SOSPEL NEAR THE CÔTE d'AZUR - We followed another of your suggestions (in France on Foot - BLeF) and used Sospel as a centre for day walks, staying there six days before walking out to Menton on GR 52 and variants for the train home.

We found that 5-6 days based in Sospel was about right. We started from Sospel centre for each day's walk and hardly had to use the same path twice. Much more than six days though and you would be retracing your steps a lot unless you had a car, as there are not many public transport options that allow you to extend the walking range.

My two favourite walks were (a) climbing Mangiabo (1800+ m) via GR 52, which gives wonderful views both inland to the high mountains and out to the coast and Corsica, and (b) the walk down the Bevera valley to the Italian border (GR 510, I think) and back via local paths to the north of Sospel. This route took us past Piene Haute, which I thought was extraordinary—a village perched right on the spine of a narrow arete 1500 feet above the valley floor...

We saw several men with shotguns obviously hunting something, and there were two wild boar carcasses hanging in Piene Haute village square, but we had absolutely no problems, in fact we never even heard a shot. And the weather? Two very heavy rainstorms, one late in the day and one overnight, two days overcast, and the rest of the time unbroken sunshine. Temperatures around 20-24 Centigrade; which was actually a little on the warm side for me, being used to England!

(For Carole's lodging recommendations in Sospel, click here. - BLeF)

– Carole, England, 15 November '01

THE VAR AND THE GORGES DU VERDON - I've just run across a site, http://roland.grosso.free.fr/, that details walks in the Var and, in particular, the Gorges du Verdon. The descriptive information is in French or English and the pictures that accompany the text are very good.

– BLeF, 25 July '01

CAMPING IN PROVENCE - I have enjoyed perusing your website and have a few questions of my own regarding a hike I intend to make this fall in Provence.

What are the real opportunities for backcountry camping? Would a solo hiker or pair of hikers in a remote area practising leave-no-trace even be noticed? Who owns the land that the trails run through, and does that have a bearing on one's ability to spend the night out under the stars?

How bad are the bugs in the early fall (September ñ October), and what kinds of bugs are there?

Is there much hunting in the area in the early fall, and is blaze orange a safe bet for alerting hunters to the fact that one is not dinner?

Finally, is the backcountry camping nice enough to warrant the effort it will take to steer clear of the more established sleeping arrangements for part of the trip?

– Mason C., 26 May '01

– From BLeF - 99.5% of the land you'll be walking through is owned by firms, families or individuals—in other words it's private. French law allows camping anywhere above treeline but stipulates that only organized campgrounds are to be used below that level UNLESS permission is granted by a landowner to camp on his or her property. I don't camp in France while I walk, but I've heard from others that permission is often granted when it's asked for politely, but of course this would be hit or miss. Almost every village has an established campground (some very elaborate with showers and kitchens), either private or municipal, and of course you can always camp in these for free or, more likely, for a fee.

Unless you're planning to walk in the mountains, you'll really find very little of what you call "backcountry." France is much more crowded than, say, the US or Australia, and you'll find people using the land everywhere, even in those high mountains. Frankly, France is definitely not the best place to look for a wilderness experience. But, one way to look at it is that you're probably traveling there to experience the people and culture, not avoid them, so why not plunge in rather than opt out?. Something to think about.

WEBSITE ABOUT THE LUBERON - Today I found an excellent site, www.luberon-news.com/, that supplies perhaps more information than anyone can absorb. Everything is there: walking trails, culture, restaurants, hotels, tourist offices and much, much more. Anyone visiting this region should check out this site.

– BLeF, 13 January '01

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THE GR 4 IN WINTER - I've always been curious about hiking in late November/ early December—a time when its great to be away from my home state of Maine. So on November 29, I flew to Nice, bused to Grasse and hunkered down in the Hotel Napoleon ($30). The next morning, jet-lag be damned, I was on the GR4 heading north with my miner's head lamp switched on at 6AM. By 7:10 I could switch it off and continued to climb through the day-long fog. It was chilly, but not cold. I reached the first col about 11 AM and had to follow the trail very carefully in the fog as the topography was open and stony. I lost my way frequently and had to backtrack to previous positions.

About 5, in semi-darkness I limped into Gréolieres and again hunkered down. There is now a gîte d'étape in Gréolieres as well as the hotel. So far so good, I thought. It had been a great hiking day, basically dry and the view of the "pre-alpes" through the patchy fog was striking.

The second morning, I left the Hotel at 6 AM in a steady downpour, and headed up the steep cliffs to the north, hiking up to the col about 11 AM and beginning to question my wisdom. By then I was totally drenched and, when I stopped moving for snacks, found the cold quickly creeping into my bones. The afternoon, descending from Gréolieres les Nieges was worse: a very steep decline, torrential instant streams blasting across the trail, and the need to walk very carefully so as not to slip. By 3 PM, I arrived at Aglun, at the Auberge de Calendal, an extremely welcome refuge.

That evening, after the owner had fed me a luscious trout dinner, he sat down with me and my maps and gave it to me straight: "Sir," he said, "you are not being wise. If you have any immobilizing accident, you're as good as dead. Hiking alone, without a cell phone, in the off season, on a wet steep trail—we'd find your skeleton next spring." He advised me to follow back roads, having about one car an hour, which is exactly what I did, first to St. Auban, where I stayed in a gîte and then another day's hike brought me to Castellane, where I stayed in the Hotel de Verdun. These hikes were quite nice: I was alone, yet could expect a rescue if anything happened. I missed the wildness of the GR 4 and kept second-guessing myself, but always came back to the wisdom of the decision.

In Castellane I found that further thru-hiking was impossible: all gîtes and hotels until Moustier were closed until at least March. So I day hiked out of Castellane to the west on the GR 4 for a 6 hour return walk—a splendid trip—and then, giving up the GR 4 for the season, spent the rest of my holiday mountain-biking in the Esterel National Park between Cannes and Fréjus. I stayed in the youth hostel in Cannes, rented a mountain bike nearby ($12/day) and usually entered the park at La Rague, near Napoule. It wasn't the GR 4, but the weather was alot milder, there was good company on the trails, and it was fun for this life-time hiker to explore a sister-sport.

So my advice to December hikers, is definitely bring a friend and perhaps a cell phone. Make sure your boots are waterproof and very grippy. Wooly hat and mittens are a must. A rain poncho which covers the pack also very handy. An early start each morning thanks to a head-lamp gives you a chance to get lost and still arrive before dark. 1:50,000 maps, a guidebook—mine was Alan Castle's Hiking the French Gorges—and a good compass very important. And especially, be humble and carefully backtrack the minute you don't see those red and white blazes. That trail, which is composed of ancient "drailles" or sheep-herding tracks is usually the most efficient way to get on foot to your destination. Stay on the trail. Call ahead each evening to the next night's accomodation. Carry enough extra food and water for emergencies.

But along with these cautions, GO! Part of the fun of doing something is what you're not doing. I was avoiding the Christmas-crazies in dreary pre-snow Maine. I'd be tempted to go again, but perhaps in early November.

(By the way) I don't think the GR 5l is worth hiking. generally too built-up, although it has a great section in the Esterel National Park.

– Jory, Bangor, Maine, 20 December '00

WEBSITE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT WALKING IN PROVENCE - A website, www.provencebeyond.com/sports/hiking.html, was recently called to my attention. It contains a great deal of information about trails, towns, historical sites, etc. and is part of a much larger site covering all aspects of Provence and the Cote d'Azur. It's a must visit for anyone planning a walk in the area.

– BLeF, 2 December '00

SENTIER DES VILLAGES PERCHES - I heard somewhere of something called the 'sentier des villages perchés' in the Alpes Maritimes, maybe starting from Nice, which is supposed to be a great week's walk. But I haven't been able to find out anything about it, either on the net or from the French tourist office. Any info would be gratefully received. I wondered if it was part of the GR 51?

– J.L., 20 November '00

– Answer from Pierre L., Lyon, France, 13 December '00 - As concerns the "sentier des villages perchés" (query of 11/20), I am unsure whether it is or not GR 51. It might very well be the new GR 510, which is lacking on the now old IGN general map of GRs but well reported on the 1/100 000 IGN green series map: this goes through the Alpes-Maritimes at some 40 km from the sea (with strange curves on the west, to avoid the département of Var : subventions are a departmental matter...)

I have not walked it, but as far as I know Alpes-Maritimes by walking GR 4, 5 and 52 A, it seems a better alternative than GR 51: this is true mountain while GR 51 cannot avoid (especially near Nice) a more suburban flavor... On the other side, GR 51 is walkable all year long, while snow will be a problem on 510 in winter.

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HUNTING SEASON, WEATHER & ACCOMMODATIONS IN LATE SEPTEMBER ON THE GRs 4 & 6—SISTERON TO GRASSE—IN PROVENCE - ...we hiked the GR4 from Grasse to Manosque in May. (To see more about this May walk click here.)We sent a package back home from Entrevaux, but it was damaged in the mail and our film didn't make it. We have decided to retake our photos—actually, we liked the wilder part of the walk, from Grasse to Entrevaux, the best, so we want to repeat it, but from the opposite direction, with some new territory tacked on at the beginning...

Anyhow, J. suddenly thinks she can free herself up from work for a couple of weeks—the last week in September and the first in October. Our plan is to follow some alternative routes in the FFRP GR 4 guide La Haute Province par les Gorges du Verdon from Sisteron and Digne to Castellane to Entrevaux and then down to Grasse. I have three primary questions:

1. When is the French hunting season, and are we likely to get shot on this trip?

2. Does anybody know anything about the accomodations from Sisteron to Castellane? They appear to be infrequent but adequate.

3. Somewhere I read that September-October can be rainy season. Does anybody have any better views on the weather there at that time?

These are probably obscure questions. The main one—that is, possibly trip-threatening—and perhaps the least obscure, is about hunting season. I just read Village in the Vaucluse, where professor Wylie gives the impression that every frenchman in Provence spends his days hunting during the saison de chasse. Anyhow, I would appreciate any help I can get in preparation.

– M.R., 17 August '00

– After Trip Comment from M.R., 30 October, 2 November '00 - (This walk) was great, but more realistic than our last perfect-weather one. This time we had sunny days and rainy days, an unmakable leg where we had to resort to a taxi (the driver was nervous dropping us off along the highway before we undertook a little orienteering to catch the GR 6) and a last-ditch hitch-hike from Greolieres to Nice that turned out to be one of our most pleasant experiences (the people we meet continue to prove wrong the reputation that French people are unfriendly).

We ran into quite a few hunters, fortunately, all but one in bars, either recounting their exploits or planning their next day's activities. On Saturdays and Sundays we saw a few with their dogs and heard some shots—unnerving but comfortably distant. One Sunday when we were clambering up a trail in steep woods, we were startled by a hunter standing above a bend in the trail. They do not go in for neon orange—he was wearing olive knickers and jacket and had a flimsy-looking rifle in a sling over his shoulder. He smilingly motioned us to proceed, quietly.

Once we scared up an animal which ran off snorting. It did not seem as big as a sanglier (wild boar), but it probably was one, immature. There are large areas even along the trail that sanglier have dug up. With fewer hunters, they are apparently a growing problem.

Our favorite meal was at the Auberge in La Colle-Saint-Michel. We were the only guests. Besides our table, there was a huge L-shaped banquet table set for about 30 people. We thought perhaps they were expecting a tour bus. As we went through the preliminary courses, local people kept filing into the barroom next door. The main course was a stew. We asked what kind. Sanglier, prepared with a delicious, rich sauce. It turns out the table was set for the celebration of a successful hunt, and we were joining in enjoying the result. After we finished eating and the rest of the villagers—probably all 30 of the permanent population—finished their pastis, etc., we left and they moved into the dining rooom for their celebration. Our host and hostess were late for our agreed-on 8 AM breakfast the next morning. It turned out the sanglier celebration lasted until 4 AM. So, over all, we were more the beneficiaries of hunting than the victims of it.

(For more about restaurants and accommodations on M.R.'s trip, click here.)

On my 60th birthday, we hiked from Les Mujouls to Gréolieres-les-Neiges. It was too much for an old man—a lot of verticals. The next day we set off for Caussols, but got started a little late, were sore from the day before, a storm was coming on, and J. increasingly was referring to the day's plan as the Caussols death march. We decided to skip the last day of walking and head to Nice, to spend a day exploring museums and the interesting turn-of-the-century (the one before last) splendor.

At Gréolieres, about 3 hours from Gréolieres-les-Neiges, we checked into the bus. It had stopped running, we never found out if seasonally or permanently. There were no taxis. There was a tour bus in the parking lot. Perhaps we could get a ride south from them, but we couldn't find the tour in town. While waiting for them to return to the bus, we decided to try hitch-hiking. The wife of a country doctor who was going down to Nice to get her daughter from college gave us a ride all the way to the airport. She was very nice, drove like a madwoman, and pointed out the best sights along the way.

One of the beauties of France on foot is that there seemingly are always options. Admittedly it is rude to throw yourself at the mercy of the populace, but they often voluntarily go out of their way to help you, and some of the situations you get into turn out to be highlights of the trip.

– Earlier Comment from BLeF, 17 August '00 - The hunting will be open in late September. It certainly is disconcerting to run across hunters while you're walking. Weekends, when most of the organized hunts for big game take place, are the worst, but this type of hunting usually takes place in late October, November or December when the weather is colder. My strategy is to let hunters know that I am in the area by staying visible (bright colors) and even by shouting. Once I am seen and acknowledged, I exit as fast as possible.

The weather is a crap shoot. Some years it can be glorious and others less so.

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DAY WALKS IN THE LUBERON - We have rented a mas between Apt and Bonnieux for the first two weeks in October. On this visit, we would like to get to know the French in smaller towns rather than cities. We'll obviously be doing more than our share of sampling the food and wine of the region, but one of the main reasons for choosing the Luberon is to do some walking in the parks. With leads from your excellent site, I have ordered from Elstead Maps the IGN maps covering the park. Can you suggest any other resources that might help us in our enjoyment of the area in general and with suggested day hikes specifically?

– H.M., Sterling VA , 21 Aug '00

– From BLeF - The Luberon—and Bonnieux in particular—is a great area for day walks.

First, the walk to Cucuron for lunch is a good one. I've done it from Bonnieux having ferried over and left a car early in the morning in order to avoid the hike back up the hill after too much lunch. If you and friends wont have 2 cars, perhaps there's a bus from Cucuron to Apt? A taxi is another option.

The most spectacular of the ochre quarries is the one in Roussillon, but the walk there (now controlled with admission charged) is rather short. Do see it for its beauty, but then you might consider spending a day with picnic in the more extensive if less striking quarries south of Rustrel. Many good walks there.

The hike from Gordes out to the abbey at Senanque and then circuitously back is another one my wife and I have greatly enjoyed. Hikes around Opede-le-Vieux are also fascinating.

As for other resources, I suggest buying the FFRP topo-guide #PN01, Parc du Luberon, which details 24 shorter walks in the park. Even if you're not fluent in French the maps, suggestions and charts in these guides can help choose walks. To order see Maps & Guidebooks or my book, France on Foot. You should also be able to find this topo-guide in the bookstore in Apt after you arrive. That bookstore also sells, as I remember it, other, locally produced walking guidebooks that will help you find attractive trails.

– After-Trip Followup from H.M., 18 October '00 - We just got back from our trip. Unfortunately, wet weather curtailed our walks on the second week but we hastily repaired to appropriate restaurants for 3 hour lunches.

We picked up the FFRP topo-guide #PN04, Parc du Luberon, in English at the park headquarters in Apt and that contained some really great suggestions for walks. Unfortunately, the only one we walked on was the one starting just south of Buoux, passing through Sivergues, and returning via Buoux. It was a spectacular day and I thought the scenery was really special. There are so may trails that it was occasionally difficult to follow the signs. There are so many PR, GR and local trails in that area that I think you could walk for ever. We visited so many hill towns that they have become merged in my memory - Viens, Rustrel, Gargas, Gordes, Menerbes, Lacoste, Bonnieux, Saignon and Auribeau.

Click here for more from H.M. on the restaurants and markets of this region.

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GR 4 BETWEEN GRASSE & THE LUBERON - Does anyone have any information or suggestions about eating and accommodations on the GR 4 between Entrevaux and La Garde?

– M.R., 1 May '00

– Early Answer from BLeF, 1 May '00 - Looking up the route in my FFRP guidebook for the Grande Randonnee trail #4, I find only one place with rooms and meals between Entrevaux and La Garde, and that lies on the GR4 variante (alternate trail) in the village of Soleilhas.

Because traffic is fierce on the N202 highway, the guide recommends taking the train for the relatively short distance north from Entrevaux to Plan d'Entrevaux—the stop in Plan is facultatif (on demand) so you will have to ask the conductor and/or the station agent to have the train stop there to let you off. A bus might also be an option. (See just P.L. below for contrary advice.)

Setting out from Plan on foot you walk on the regular GR 4 for about 5 hours to Ubraye. There you take the variante of the GR 4 to the southwest for another 3 and 3/4 hours until you arrive at Soleilhas where you'll find a gîte d'étape, which serves food, and, according to the book, a hotel and a restaurant as well.

The variante GR 4 trail rejoins the main GR 4 after a 40 minute walk north from Soleilhas.

While walking in rugged terrain for 8+ hours to Soleilhas certainly can't be called an easy day, it sure beats the hell out the 11+ hours it would take to walk all the way to La Garde!

– Answer from P.L. in Lyon, 24 May '00 - I went walking there last week-end. I confirm there is absolutely no food or lodging on the main part of the GR, which is rather long. As concerns drinking, the spring near St Jean du Désert is a strong one, no risk to find it dry; no public point of water in Ubraye, but one in the hamlet of Le Touyet. Be careful, I saw no place to replenish flasks between Le Touyet and La Garde.

I met a pair of walkers who had slept in Soleilhas: clearly the gîte there is open.

The advice given by the FFRP to take a train between Le Plan and Entrevaux is reasonably ridiculous; the road was certainly not busy (at least a Saturday in May, and certainly less than the road to go out of Castellane heading for La Garde). And there are only four or five trains a day in each direction, which means waiting can be very long for less than two kilometers!

– After-Walk Report from M.R., 30 May '00 - We are back, after a great trip. I chickened out on the Entrevaux to La Garde leg, mostly because I was not yet quite in shape for the distance from Entrevaux to Soleilhas and was having some foot problems—the path from Grasse to Entrevaux contains a lot of coarse, rough gravel, and I bruised the sole of a foot, in spite of rather heavy-duty boots. I would recommend shoe inserts like "Superfeet" for additional protection.

Instead, we took a train from Entrevaux to Saint-André-les-Alpes and a bus to Castellane. This is a regular connection that took about 2 hours, and a pleasant break for us, if not quite as exciting as the walk would have been.

If we had walked from Entrevaux to LaGarde, the helpful proprietor at Aiglun had suggested cutting the distance by taking the train from Entrevaux to Annot and walking to Soleilhas from there, but looking at the map, I was not sure that there was enough advantage in terms of distance versus altitude to make waiting for the train worthwhile. The Lyon hiker is right that there is a somewhat limited train schedule and it also probably makes less sense to take the train than walk, since you should start toward Soleilhas early. The first train leaves at around 8AM. A British couple we met along the way found the hike from Entrevaux to Soleilhas long, but they and somebody else raved about the Soleilhas gîte and its food. I wish I had felt up to it.

Another consideration is that, despite beautiful countryside and wonderful weather, the GR 4 is virtually empty at this time of year. We saw not a single hiker—not even a day hiker—in our first six days of walking, until we reached the Gorges du Verdon area.

Therefore, it is imperative to call ahead to arrange accomodations and meals. The people at Caussols called for accomodations at Aiglun, which turned out to be too long a day for us, so we stayed at Gréolières and went to Aiglun the next day. When we arrived there, we received a scolding for not calling to cancel the previous night's reservation—we thought of it when we were at a restaurant outside Gréolières's public phone booth, but did not have the phone number at the time because my "guide book" was in the gîte. They had waited for us and even called the gendarmes to see if we had been reported in trouble. We felt terrible and did not make that mistake again. We quickly learned how to use the actually very simple French phonecard system.

The next night we went to Amirat. The gîte d'étape there is run by the mayor, who wanted the night off, so she had arranged for her brother to let us in and a lady who ran a restaurant in a neighboring town to bring in dinner, breakfast, and the next day's lunch. These are very small hamlets and villages perchées along this less traveled segment of the GR4, but there is a sort of network between places to stay and they really do take care of you.

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ANOTHER GR 4 WALK, WITH CHILDREN - We just returned from walking in the Vaucluse with our three children aged 9, 12, and 17 using Alan Castle's book, Walking the French Gorges as a guide.(a Cicerone Guide). We all carried 12- pound day packs, with sleep sheets and stayed in gîtes and one youth hostel. We found that hiking 6-9 miles was about right with our family, and expenses were very low, cooking in the gîtes, and packing lunch materials each day. We hiked a 5 day section of Alan's 26 day walk, ours being Manosque to Sault. Weather during the last week of February was superb, at least for our Maine-bred bodies. I would heartily recommend such a vacation to any fairly active family.

– Jory, Bangor, Maine, 5 April '00

MORE INFORMATION PERTAINING TO PROVENCE - MAPS, GUIDEBOOKS, EQUIPMENT & ACCOMMODATIONS - POSTED ELSEWHERE ON THIS SITE:

GR 4 - sleeps Grasse/Luberon
GR 4 - sleeps Nice to Castelane
GR 4 - Gorges du Verdon website
GRs 4, 6 - sleeps & restaurants
GR 6 - hotel in Rustrel
GR 6 - sleeps Forcalquier to Sisteron
GR 6 - sleeps in the Luberon
GR 51 - off-season sleeps
Aix-en-Provence - very good map store
Arles - St-Jacques trail from
Circuits Pedestre guidebooks
Gorges du Verdon - B&B
Lourmarin - B&B
Luberon markets, restaurants
Luberon park, English-language topo-guide to
Mas du Loup - blissful rest stop
Nice to Montpellier, maps, guidebooks
Sospel - sleeps & eats
Ventoux, - accommodations near


Alps & GR 5 ** Alsace, Lorraine & Champagne ** Burgundy ** Corsica ** Dordogne ** Jura ** Languedoc & Cevennes ** Loire ** Massif Central & Compestella Trail ** Normandy & Brittany ** Paris ** Provence & Cote d'Azur ** Pyrennees & Southwest


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e-mail your questions and comments to walk@franceonfoot.com

I can only meditate when I am walking. When I stop, I cease to think; my mind only works with my legs.
– Jean-Jaques Rousseau, Confessions