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Day 12: Saint Martin de Brômes to Manosque (21km) Douze Jours en Provence.
The French, it seems to me, strike a happy balance between intimacy and reserve. Peter Mayle – Encore Provence I’d be lying if I tried to claim that this was the most interesting day’s walk or that Manosque was a fitting finale to this section of my walk across France. I reached Manosque by midday.…
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Day 11: Quinson to Saint Martin de Brômes (26 km) In praise of beer and burgers.
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. There can’t be good living where there is not good drinking. Benjamin Franklin – US President The previous evening’s pizza must have hit the spot. I slept like a log for almost 12 hours and woke up refreshed, ready for the day ahead.…
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Day 10: Vénascle to Quinson (45km) A long way for a pizza
Provence is a country to which I am always returning, next year, next week, any day now, as soon as I can get on a train. Elizabeth David – cook and writer Quinson is a quirky little place. The front doors of every house in the village had sprigs of yellow broom attached to them.…
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Day 9: La Palud sur Verdon to Vénascle (22km) The company of strangers.
I do desire we may become better strangers. William Shakespeare – As You Like It. It was a good thing I remembered to pack my earplugs. The chap in the bunk next to me who looked like a wild eyed 6th century Irish itinerant missionary, snored like a drain all night. Thankfully the chap in…
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Day 8:Rougon to La Palud sur Verdon (19km)
It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live. Emperor Marcus Aurelius They say be careful for what you wish for. In Castellane I had wished for company in the gites. In Rougon I got that in spades! There were 20 staying in the gite Le Mur…
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Day 7: Castellane to Rougon (18km) Entering the Canyon of Verdon.
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. John Donne – No Man is an Island As I was eating a pizza yesterday evening in the centre of Castellane I contemplated the fact that in a week’s time I would be back…
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Day 6: Soleilhas to Castellane (22 km). Gateway to the Gorges.
I rather would entreat thy company; To see the wonders of the world abroad, Than, living dully sluggardized at home, Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness. William Shakespeare – The Two Gentlemen of Verona I’m not sure I would recommend a large tin of cannelini beans unless you were in extremis. My nighr in…
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Day 5: Amirat to Soleilhas (30km) Good Samaritans
How far that little candle throws its beams. So shines a good deed in a naughty world. The Merchant of Venice – William Shakespeare Looking at my topoguide to thr GR4, it was going to be another long day crossing a number of 1,000m passes. If all went well, it should take me 12-13 hours…
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Day 4: Cipières to Amirat (30km) Tales of the Unexpected.
To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect Oscar Wilde In the gite at Cipières the evening before, I made an interesting discovery. The walking times between various stages of the GR4 as described in my Topoguide had so far proved uncannily accurate. This meant that my planned walk from Cipières to Entravaux would…
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Day 3: Roquefort-le-Pins to Cipieres (36km) Chalk and cheese
Who bravely dares, must sometimes risk a fall. Tobias Smollett At 3pm I left Grasse and embarked on the GR4. Five hours later I reached the Lavande gite at Cipières. You couldn’t imagine two more different places. Chalk and cheese! I spent the night at the Foyer Côte d’Azur a sort of religious retirement home…
Welcome to my blog! I’m Jonathan, a 60 year old Brit who is passionate about long distance walking.
In May 2024 I’m setting off from Land’s End to walk 1,200 miles, the length of Britain, to John O’Groats.
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Pilgrim's Progress - Long Distance Walks in Europe and the UK 