thedailychannel.com — adventure

Hike to Gordes

Following on the successful first ascent of Gordes, I acquired a companion for the second expedition. To save time we took a hiker's road which became a gravel path after a half kilometre. We passed a tennis court!

After that, a spring at the Inn Moliere, a giant lavendar fdield all abuzz, a rural bed and breakfdast, beautiful floral iron window-bars, a steep hill, and a questionable outdoor appurtenance, which later turned out to be, we think, a fire hydrant of modern professional-use-only design.

We struggled upward without complaint although Joe often had to remove stones from his sandals and found the top of Gordes.

Nadine's workers had begun to unpack their fruit. Joe had been looking forward to a citron pressé, but none was to be found. Second & excellent choice was a pomegranate but we didn't know the word and none were in evidence. Quel surprise!

A sojourn down a back alley which advertised "Boulangerie 20 m" turned up a baker filling rack after rack with new bread. He came around the front of his small shop, opened the blinds and opened ten minutes early. Joe had ice cream and picked out a mini-baguett which we shared on the way back. "Did you see that movie poster?" he said in awe? It advertised a film by Marcel Pagnol!" Whew!

We also discovered that our whole hike, almost, had been along the red-and-white blazed ??? trail invented by the Ministry of Transport to channel hikers away from main roads and which has cut pedestrian fatalities tremendously.

Next: off to Roussillon, ochre pigment central... ..

July 1, 2001