Day 6 Moustiers-Sainte-Marie to Riez

Recounting our 2002 journey, a 6 day walk from Saint-André-les-Alpes to Riez in Southern France...

Day 6
Sept 24, 2002

Our hotel Le Relais gave us again the best breakfast we a have had on this trip--yogurt, bananas, apricots, breads, toasts, jams, corn flakes, cheese, ham, croissants etc...no wonder we stayed two days!

After breakfast we bought items for a lunch and headed out of town at about 9:15.

Very soon we started a long gradual climb that led us up onto the vast Valensole Plateau, walking past lavender fields, no longer in bloom, as the sun blazed high in the sky.

A look back at Lac de Sainte-Croix and the mouth of the Verdon Gorge.  The high ridge is the one we followed from La Palud to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie two days before.

All in all in was a pretty ordinary day, unlike some of the previous days.  We stopped for coffee in the tiny village of Roumoules and then it was on to Riez, arriving in the late afternoon.  We found a hotel, The Claria and Dave and Dianne bathed and snoozed, while Cheryl and I checked out the town.  There are some remarkable Roman columns in a small park, the remains of a temple erected in the 1st century A.D.  The town has an attractive old town centre with narrow winding streets and pastel painted houses.


We bought some cheese and wine, which we enjoyed on our patio and then roused Dave and Dianne and took them down to admire the Roman columns.  We had an early dinner of pizza at the hotel next door and then it was early to bed.  We had to catch an early 6am bus in the morning to Aix-en-Provence and then train to Paris for our flight home.

This marked the end of another fun adventure exploring a small corner of Provence and we went home fulfilled from this trip, but looking forward to where the trail would lead us next time. 

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Recounting our 2002 journey, a 6 day walk from Saint-André-les-Alpes to Riez in Southern France... 

Moustiers circa 1800.  Attributed to Jean-Antoine Constantin

Rest Day in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
Sept 23, 2002

We decided that Moustiers-Sainte-Marie seemed like an interesting enough destination that we would spend an extra day here, rather than hurrying on our way this morning. The hotel said there would be no problem with having us stay over, so we stayed and explored the town, lingering over café au laits and tasting the gelato.

The extra day resulted in a newspaper article awhile later...

The Miracles of Moustiers

 By

 Sam Frederick

We are foot weary and far from our homeland when we arrive in Moustiers Sainte-Marie, a tiny village tucked up against the French Alps. Our feet are weary because, like pilgrims of old, we have walked some 16 kilometres to be here, hoofing our way along the edge of the French Alps, from the neighbouring village of La Palud.

Walking into the village, we are met with a labyrinth of narrow winding streets, lined with cafes and shops selling mainly souvenirs and crafts. 

Picturesque, vine covered buildings cling to the side of a ravine, begging to have their picture taken. The ravine, a natural cleft through the center of the village, is home to the river Maire, as it tumbles and cascades its way under bridges and walkways.

When we see the “gold star of Moustiers,” hanging suspended from a chain above the village, we know that we have arrived in a special place.

Extraordinary happenings during the middle ages had made Moustiers a popular pilgrimage destination. Miracles, attributed to the Virgin, had occurred here at an alarming rate – so much so, that in 1363 the bishop of nearby Riez sent an envoy to conduct an investigation. The most common miracles involved “suscitations,” whereby stillborn children were briefly resurrected for baptism. The municipal archive records 131 suscitations for the years 1669 – 1670 alone.
Perhaps it was with this in mind that we decided to approach Moustiers humbly – on foot.

We were staying in the neighbouring village of La Palud, a climbing mecca, for those wishing to test themselves on the nearby 450 meter limestone cliffs. Our walking route took us along the GR4, a popular hiking trail that follows a forested ridge between the two villages. We had booked a hotel in Moustiers for overnight, threw some food and clothes in a pack for the journey, and were off. At 16 kilometres, we estimated that it would take us six or seven hours – so we brought along a bottle of wine too, in case we were in need of a little suscitation ourselves, on the way!


Our ridge took us up along the edge of the French Alps, with the vast Valensole Plateau opening up before us.


Moustiers Sainte-Marie sits in the enviable position of being the gateway to both the French Alps to the east and the lavender fields to the west.

Above the Verdon River Gorge

As well, it sits at the gaping mouth of the Verdon River Gorge, the largest and most spectacular gorge system in Europe – often referred to as the French Grand Canyon.  (For my story on the Verdon River Gorge see here).


From Moustiers, in the summer, you can drive across the Plateau de Valensole and let the scents and sights of lavender fields pervade your senses, exploring towns, chateaus, and Roman ruins as you go.


To the west, the French Alps and the Verdon River Gorge beckon. A winding highway, complete with hairpin turns, snakes its way along both the north and south banks of the Verdon Gorge for 130 kilometres, with many spectacular viewpoints and points of interest.


White water rafting and kayaking, parasailing, hiking, and rock climbing are just some of the adventurous methods for exploring this natural wonder.


With all this going for it you would expect Moustiers to be a popular tourist destination – and it is! Traffic jams and crowds are the order of the day during the summer. The best time to visit is during the off-season.


Our hike took us along hillsides of grazing sheep and goats. Beautiful, turquoise-blue Lac de Sainte-Croix provided a scenic backdrop for a picnic lunch. Descending past giant limestone crags and hoodoos, we arrived in Moustiers at the end of a long day.


Like many villages in the south of France, Moustiers Sainte-Marie occupies a defensive position, huddled up against rocky cliffs and towering limestone minarets, daring anyone to attack it. Its dramatic setting looks like an artist’s fanciful impression of how and where a village should be: if it wasn’t already here, it would have been necessary to invent it.

Monks originally settled here in 432 A.D., living in caves high above the village. Here they built the first of the many chapels that have occupied the site over the years. The present chapel dates from the 12th century and can be reached by a winding cobblestone path from the village below.


From the open window of our hotel room, the view takes in the chapel, as well as a 12th century church across the courtyard form our hotel. The church has a 14th century bell tower and inside is an alter with a 5th century carved sarcophagus.


Most intriguing of all is the gold star of Moustiers that hangs above the village. The star is the symbol of a vow made by a crusading knight. Captured and imprisoned by the Saracens, during the Seventh Crusade in 1249, Blacas d’Aups made a vow to the Virgin, that should he ever see his family and homeland again, he would hang a chain and silver star above his village.


Blacas was eventually released from prison, and the knight, true to his vow, did hang a chain and silver star, suspended between two rocky peaks, above the village. The star has a history of its own. Stolen during the Wars of Religion in the 16th century, it was eventually replaced with a metal one. That one too, suffering the ravages of time, has been replaced along with the chain, several times -- most recently, in 1995, when the chain snapped during a storm and the star fell into the ravine below.

The Gold Star of Moustiers suspended over Moustiers

More than anything else, though, Moustiers is known for its glazed ceramics, referred to as faiences. It was here, in 1668, that a local potter, Pierre Clerissy, learned the secret glaze from an Italian monk and began producing wares of exceptional quality that caught the eye of Louis XIV.

Soon, the demand for Moustiers faience spread through the aristocracy and by the middle of the eighteenth century more than a dozen workshops were operating in the village.


The French and Industrial Revolutions changed all that, however. As Moustiers’ wealthy cliental faced the guillotine, the demand for faience gradually diminished – and with the advent of industrial manufacture it withered completely. The last traditional kiln closed down in 1874.


Marcel Provence revived the craft in 1926 using traditional methods. Today there are about twenty shops operating in the village, making reproductions of old faience, as well as new creations. The Musee de la Faience located in a medieval crypt in the heart of the village houses some 300 works from 1680 to the present.

The morning following our arrival we followed the cobblestone path, as so many have done before us, to the tiny chapel above the village. Here, above the red roofs of Moustiers, with the French Alps clustered at our backs and the vast Valensole Plateau spread out before us, it is easy to understand an imprisoned knight’s yearning. Like Blaucas, before us, we make a vow to return.

IF YOU GO

Moustiers Sainte-Marie can be reached from Nice or Marseilles by bus or car. Nice is the closest avenue of approach (150 km. approx. 2 ½ hours).

SPECIAL EVENTS

A pilgrimage to the chapel above the village for high mass takes place each year, on the weekend following Easter, with villagers dressed in 18th century costume. A daybreak mass is also celebrated on Sept. 8th, the day of the birth of the Virgin, with musicians playing fife and drum and leading a pre-dawn torchlight procession.

HOTELS

La Bastide de Moustiers


Le Relais

© 2004 Sam Frederick 

Originally published in the Vancouver Sun, May 2004

 

Day 5 La Palud to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie

Recounting our 2002 journey, a 6 day walk from Saint-André-les-Alpes to Riez in Southern France...
  
Day 5
Sept 22, 2002 

We were on our way shortly after breakfast consisting of yogurt and corn flakes, besides the usual bread and croissants.     

Leaving La Palud in the morning

We walked the kilometre into town to buy lunch and wine for the trail and shortly afterwards were on the trail (the GR4), climbing steadily out of town.  We continued climbing for the next few hours under a blazing sun, ascending from 2900 ft to 4800 ft.  We thought we left civilization behind us, but at one point came upon a flock of sheep and goats grazing peacefully.

We stopped for lunch at a spot with a wonderful view of Lac de St. Croix and the Valensol Plain stretching into the distance

Always time for a glass of wine

After lunch we began the steep descent passing rocky hoodoos and crags and eventually came out to the highway and then continued on in the scorching heat for another 3.5 km to the pilgrimage destination of Moustiers-Ste-Marie and our hotel at last.  We were drained as much from the heat of the day as from the distance we had covered.

Moustiers-Ste-Marie sits huddled against the mountains

Moustiers-Ste-Marie is well known for the miracles that occurred here in the middle ages, whereby stillborn children were briefly resurrected for baptism.  As well, the the town is known for the gold star that hangs suspended over a canyon wall above the city.  The star is the symbol of a vow made by a crusading knight.  Captured and imprisoned by the Saracens, during the Seventh Crusade in 1249, Blacas d’Aups made a vow to the Virgin, that should he ever see his family and homeland again, he would hang a chain and silver star above his village.

Blacas was eventually released from prison, and the knight, true to his vow, did hang a chain and silver star, suspended between two rocky peaks, above the village.  The star has fallen several times over the years, but always has been replaced.  Today a gold star hangs in its place.

The Gold Star of Moustiers suspended over a canyon

The town is split in two by a gushing river, and our hotel,  The Relais, sits adjacent to a waterfall.  From our room we can see the gold star shining in the sky, as well we can see the chapel in the grotto above.  
 

Room with a view

Le Relais Hotel

 Upon checking into our hotel the others retired to their rooms, while I went out to search for something to slake my thirst and have a quick look around the town.  The first thing I came upon was a gelato shop just about to close.  They made these amazing looking gelatos on a cone that looked like giant wide spread roses.  I couldn't resist and bought two for Cheryl and myself, and rushed back to the hotel before they could melt.  We'd never seen anything like it and it was just the thing we needed to resuscitate us both.  

Day 4 Point Sublime to La Maline along the Verdon River Gorge

Recounting our 2002 journey, a 6 day walk from Saint-André-les-Alpes to Riez in Southern France...

Day 4
Sept 21, 2002

The day started out with fog as we left our auberge and started the descent into the canyon. 

Vista after vista opened up, too beautiful to describe, so I took a lot of pictures.  As we descended to the floor of the gorge the fog gradually lifted and we were left with high cloud.





We were following the route known as the Sentier Martel.  The route weaves it's way along the canyon walls, following ledges, sometimes descending to the canyon floor and up again, climbing ladders, and passing through three of seven tunnels to add to the adventure.  These tunnels were originally excavated, as part of a project to dam up the Verdon River, but the work was interrupted by World War II and then abandoned.

 

The hotel had packed us a picnic lunch, and along with a bottle of wine, we enjoyed a break on the canyon floor, tempted by the inviting waters to cool ourselves off.

Afterwards, it was more ladders and ledges, with occasional rolling thunder overhead and the threat of rain.

At the end of the route was a last series of ladders and stairs from the floor of the canyon to La Maline and this was where the skies opened and the rain came down in a deluge.  We arrived at the climbers hut at the top where we slaked our thirst with fresh squeezed orange juice, and either beer or wine.
 We had timed the journey just right, for after our break a bus arrived that took us to La Palud, a short drive away, where we had hotel reservations.  La Palud is a "climber's town," full of young climbers here to experience the Gorge and we talked to some of them who staying at the campsite.

It had been a long day in the canyon and after an excellent dinner in the hotel restaurant we all slept well.

Day 3 Chasteuil to Point Sublime

Recounting our 2002 journey, a 6 day walk from Saint-André-les-Alpes to Riez in Southern France...


Day 3
Sept 20, 2002

In the morning after a breakfast of bread and assorted jams we were saying goodbye to our hosts, Nancy and Pascal when they announced that they were going on a short 3 day holiday and would be stopping by Rougon for lunch at the creperie and if we wanted they would transfer our packs there and lighten our load.  Our friends took them up on the offer, but Cheryl and I, being purists I suppose, felt the need to carry our packs for the whole way, and so we kept our packs and the four of us hit the trail. 

Along the way we ran into a group of Americans walking in the opposite direction who told us about the wonderful meals that they had been getting in La Palud at the Panoramic Hotel, which was good news to hear, because that is where we would be staying the next night.

Crossroads on the GR4

This was the hottest day so far with a brilliant blue sky, and more beautiful scenery and open spaces, as we walked past the occasional crumbling ruins of former habitations.  We had climbed from 2900 ft in Chasteuil to a highpoint of 4100 ft, before descending to Rougon, but for us the real high point of the day would be the creperie in Rougon!  We had heard tales of the mouth watering crepes from this tiny village  that were famous in the region . 

Our first view of the Verdon Gorge

Arriving at the overlook above Rougon we had our first glimpse of the majesty of the Verdon Canyon and were duly impressed!







Rougon sits huddled below a rocky promontory above the Verdon Canyon. 

Rougon sits huddled below a rocky promontory above the Verdon Canyon

Enjoying the best crepes in Rougon

The creperie in Rougon, the Creperie Le Mur D’Abeilles did not disappoint!  We sat on the patio, with a magnificent view of the gorge and gorged ourselves on these culinary delights.  I had the apple and cinnamon, and Cheryl had the raspberry crepes...and they were so good that she had to have a second one!

While enjoying our crepes Nancy and Pascal came in wearing our friend's packs and we chatted to them for a bit before saying goodbye once again.

 Our appetites sated we descended from Rougon to Point Sublime and checked into our hotel, the Auberge du Point Sublime, then went out to check the view from the point.  Before dinner we enjoyed a glass of wine on the terrace and chatted with a man from Manchester who would be hiking the gorge the next day.

All in all it had been a pretty relaxing type of day.  At dinner we chatted with a French couple who planned to bus down to La Maline the next day and hike back to Point Sublime.  So we would probably be running into them on the trail.

Day 2 Castellane to Chasteuil

Recounting our 2002 journey, a 6 day walk from Saint-André-les-Alpes to Riez in Southern France...

Day 2
Sept 19, 2002

There was no big hurry to leave this morning as we only had 10 km to Chasteuil, so we wandered around the village to start with, looking for somewhere else to find breakfast than our hotel.  We were hoping to find something else besides the usual croissants and baguettes, but had no luck so it was back to the hotel...for croissants and baguettes.  We shopped for some lunch items for a picnic on the way and then were ready to go.

With some wine for the trail Cheryl is ready to go

Ready to leave Castellane in the morning

Castellane sits in a valley, unlike many villages that occupy easily fortified hilltops.  But such was not always the case.  The clifftop in the background of the picture on the left depicts the Chapel Nôtre-Dame-du-Rock sitting on it's summit.  At one time a Roman fort occupied this spot, alonside the Roman settlement of Petra Castellana, but in the fourteenth century the inhabitants abandoned the rock and moved into the settlement below.

Castellane sits on the Route Napoleon, which follows the route Napoleon took on his march from Elba to Grenoble.  On April 3rd Napoleon arrived in Castellane and rode right through the center of town, where we are pictured.

Heading out of town on the GR4

We left Castellane in the late morning and followed the Gr4 out of the town and up a gradual incline.  In the valley below was the Verdon River.  The scenery today was much more spectacular that the previous day.  And because we had time we stopped for a leisurely picnic lunch, accompanied by a bottle of good Cote du Rhone wine.

Spectacular scenery on the way

Approaching Chasteuil

Chasteuil Chambres

et Table d'Hôtes 

Chasteuil Bed & Breakfast Inn

Chasteuil is only a small hamlet, comprised of only about 20 people when we were there.  We were greeted by Nancy and Pascal upon entering Chasteuil, who have wonderful restored home in this 16th century hamlet that they operate as a Bed and Breakfast Gite.   They only have five rooms and because we were a last minute booking the four of us would have to share a room with a double bed and two singles.  A coin toss, that I luckily won, decided who would get the double bed.

There was a pottery shop in Chateuil when we there, operated by a husband and wife, who also also served café au lait and some snacks.  We sat outside sipping our drinks and then went back in and admired the owner's collection of ancient rifles and pistols.  He brought down several and showed them to us.  Not far away, in a courtyard, a game of boules was being played. 

Meanwhile back at the Gite, we chatted with Nancy, who was putting up her hand made soap.  Nancy is originally from San Francisco and Pascal is a qualified stone mason, and they both have stories to tell. 

Afterwards Nancy and Pascal served us apertifs before dinner, our first taste of pastis, which would definitely have to be an acquired taste.  For dinner Pascal served, what was called a tomato soup, but was more like a rich stew than a soup and very delicious, accompanied by bread, of course.  The French have a love affair with bread, which has endured for centuries, and will no doubt endure for many more.  Following this was a plate of cheese, another French passion, and an apple pie for dessert, all accompanied by wine, of course.  There were 11 of us sitting around the table that night, including Pascal, and the conversation flowed from French to English and back again, and Pascal kept both the wine and the conversation flowing, interpreting where necessary between the 11 of us.  The candlelight flickered on the walls and outside a full moon rose over the hamlet.  It was a magical scene and I am sure only one of many that this room has seen.

Nancy and Pascal are still receiving travellers from around the world and judging from the reviews on TripAdvisor there are still a lot of satisfied visitors stopping by Chasteuil Chambres et Table d’Hôtes. 

Day 1 Saint André-les-Alpes to Castellane

In 2002 we went to Europe for our third walking holiday.  We mapped out a route from Saint André-les-Alpes to Riez, which looked like it would be an interesting route, featuring a hike through the Verdon River Gorge and a stopover in the pilgrimage destination of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie.  Much of the walk would be on the GR4 hiking route.

Day 1  
Sept 18, 2002

Lac de Castillon between Saint André-les-Alpes and Castellane

Travelling with our friends, Dave and Dianne, we took the TGV (high speed train) from Paris to Nice and then went to another train station a few blocks away and caught the Train des Pignes, the narrow gauge railroad that would take us to St. André.  The train travels through many tunnels at it climbs its way through mountain passes and along side rushing rivers.  It is a beautiful and scenic ride in itself and if time had allowed we would have stopped in the fortified village of Entrevaux.

We had booked accommodation the family run Le Clair Logis and our hostess, a dear lady, met us at the station in St. Andre and drove us to the Logis.  It had been a long day of travel and the next day would be a long day on the trail, so we retired to bed early after a very good meal.

The next morning we were up at 7 and met for a breakfast of croissants and baguettes accompanied by jam and, of course, café au lait.

Breakfast at Le Clair Logis

After breakfast we had a quick look around the town while we gathered our lunch supplies.  Saint André-les-Alpes is a popular destination not only for the hiking it has to offer, but for bothhang-gliding and paragliding, as well as fishing in Lac de Castillon.

Cheryl ready to go in the morning

Hiking out of St. Andre

Leaving Saint André-les-Alpes we ventured out of town following the well marked trail (this first part the route to Castellane was not on the GR4).  We very soon started climbing and in no time at all had splendid views of Lac de Castillon and the beautifully situated village of Saint-Julien-du-Verdon, huddled up on its shores.

The route was both interesting and challenging at times...

Refilling water bottles along the way

At the end of a long day we arrived in Castellane and booked into an adequate hotel, where we ate a mediocre meal.  We phoned ahead to Point Sublime see if we could get into the  Auberge du Point Sublime for the next day, but they were full (they only have 13 rooms), and they are the only place to stay, but we could get in there on the day after, so we booked that instead.  That means that we will have two short days to get there.  We found a little place on the way called Chastieul, only 10 km away, that had rooms for us, so that is where we will be headed tomorrow.