There were high expectations after yesterday’s great stage. Today’s stage, the first of a couple of shorter stages, 22km, continues east, ending in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume and its Cathedral, which towers above the town and is clearly seen from the motorway. It was yet another day where the sun shined all morning and rain was scheduled for the afternoon.
My wife dropped me off in Puyloubier, where I had ended yesterdays stage. I walked through the village, followed by a mix of road and path walking towards Pourrières. I walked parallel with the last of the Sainte-Victoire mountains I had followed yesterday. I passed lots of vineyards, one of them with a flock of sheep being looked after by a dog, which immediately ran to the fence as soon as it saw me. The sheep were eating the grass between the rows of vines. Elsewhere I saw flowers growing between the vines.
I met my wife for a coffee in Pourrières, a village slightly elevated from the surrounding countryside, enabling views in all directions. The village seemed to be undergoing a transformation with lots houses around the central square being renovated. The village had a bust of French poet Germain Nouveau, who was born and dies in the village. From what I can read, he is largely unknown.
Just before Pourrières I entered the department of the Var, leaving Bouches de Rhône.
It was getting fairly sunny and hot as the day progressed, again on a mix of small roads and paths, mainly through forests. I crossed the Canal de Provence before climbing into a forest after Pourrières. At one point, I walked along a fairly long straight path. As I came closer to the end of the path I could see that there was a high fence. Luckily, there was a gate. However, the gate seamed to have sunk in relation to the fence, and it was therefore difficult to open the bolt that was holding the gate closed. It took me a few minutes to loosen the bolt and open the gate. There was a sign asking me to lock the gate again, but it was impossible to get the bolt back into the hole, and the gate just swung open if it wasn’t locked. I ended up collecting a few rocks to stop the gate from opening and put a twig in the hole. Hopefully it remained closed.
Ollières was a very small village, with a town hall, church and chateau and as all French towns and villages a commemoration of those that died during the wars. There were many large trucks driving through the village carrying rocks.
The weather changed as I walked towards Saint-Maximin. It was road walking through a fairly flat agricultural landscape with views towards the Cathedral. The rain started a few kilometers before I reached the town, heavy enough for me to take out my poncho and quicken my pace. The hotel we were staying was next to the motorway I was walking next to, so I quickened my pace, and I arrived before I was soaked.
After a shower, the rain had died down and walked into town, through the old town centre and to the Cathedral. There were a lot of people congregated outside the Cathedral as we arrived. There had been a service for a 15 year old rugby player, who had been concussed and then passed away whilst playing for the local team a couple of weeks earlier. We had an excellent dinner at La Fougassine – an alternative use of spices in the cooking.
All in all, a pretty anonymous day walking, but a memorable dinner. Looking forward, there should be a few dry days ahead, instead of the afternoon rain we have had for the past five days.