After a couple of sunny days, I was back walking under grey clouds with occasional light rain. I also got my feet, shoes and socks soaked, but not by the rain.
As I left town, I passed a memorial with a narrow gauged train, leaving a mine – a reminder that bauxite, used in aluminum, was mined here until the 1980’s. I was soon back on the D17 road, as so many times before on this trip, heading towards Lorgues. I crossed the Argens river before moving onto a smaller road and track, a mix of forest and residential areas, all the way to Lorgues.
Lorgues seemed to be a larger town. Entering the town I experienced the first few drops of rain, but it blew over. I stopped for a coffee with my wife, before leaving her and heading east out of town.
I continued along small roads but was stopped in my tracks by a river running across and flooding the road. The Florieye River is dried out most of the year, but not currently. About 50m of road was covered by fairly fast running water – ankle deep. A car pulled up as I was thinking about what to do. Just as I was about to ask for a lift across, the driver just drove through the river and up the road on the other side. I balanced my way on some stones about a third of the way across, but eventually had no choice but to walk through the water and come out on the other side with very wet feet. Thankfully shoes, socks and feet dried fairly quickly.
I continued along a mixture of small back roads and dirt paths, primarily through forest and vineyards. It started to rain as I walked through an area of very nice houses and expensive cars, before crossing the D55 and walking through one vineyard after the other, including the back entrance to Chateau Font du Broc, whose cellars are supposed to be worth a visit.
I was nearing the hotel we were staying and walked past the Chapelle Sainte-Roseline. The chapel houses the relics of Sainte Roseline, a nun to whom numerous miracles are attributed. Her body is on display in a glass display case, as well as a beautiful mosaic created by Marc Chagall. It depicts the Meal of the Angels, one of the miracles attributed to Sainte-Roseline.
A 27km day, largely walking along roads and under grey clouds. The day ended on a high at the chapel and not least Chagal’s mosaic.