Drôme Walkabout

Wednesday, 17 July 2024

Eric, me (Meenhard), Jean Claude, Murielle, Lise

Eric, Lise and Jean Claude live in the area. Lise brought a very good paper map. On previous walkabouts, I've usually been the guide. This time, Jean-Claude and Lise are doing it.

There are often magnificent buildings in this area, like the one in the background.

I love little paths like this through the forest.

Sometimes, the forest feels like a home.

Thursday

We slept near the river south of the village Bourdeaux (not Bordeaux 😉).

In the morning, there is a market in Bourdeaux. We buy apricots, other fruit, vegetables and nuts.

In the afternoon, a flock of large birds flies off close below us. You can recognise two of them in this photo if you click on the photo, zoom in and take a closer look on the left side over the meadow. They are griffon vultures.

We soon discover a dead sheep in a clearing - a treat for the vultures. We wait for them to come back, but soon give up and move on.

Friday

Sleepling place near the village Vesc. The purple spot at the bottom left looks like a lake, but is actually a field of lavender.

Watch video on youtube:

We hike by lavender fields

We walk past a lavender field. Imagine the intense scent of lavender!

It's warm. Murielle knows best how to cool off in the water. And it almost seems as if she emerges from the water as a ghost 👻

Watch video on youtube:

Bathing in the river

Soon we come to a river ("Lez") with even more bathing fun.

I have less stamina when bathing.

We spend several hours at the river and finally all go into the water again.

I usually hike barefoot, the first two days completely. However, I mostly walk on grass verges...

...because the stones on the path rub against the cornea of the foot and make it more sensitive, as it cannot grow back as quickly.

Saturday

We slept on the "Col de Dieu-Grâce". Let's take a closer look at the signs in the background...

...We are on the GR9, GR429 and the European long-distance hiking trail E4.

Here we try out a small path. It leads us back onto the E4. There we meet Arthur, a 22-year-old hiker who has already been travelling the long-distance trail for two months and has set himself the target of another four months, across the entire Pyrenees to Irun on the Atlantic.

The transition from the forest to the clearing feels like the exit of a large cathedral.

Forest paths take us to Eric's house, where Jean-Claude also lives in the summer. The house can be seen in the background. We end our walkabout there.