Because You Always Want "S'more"...

You may have already figured this out, but the title of this post pretty much sums up how I feel about the Gorges du Verdon (yes, this was my 3rd trip there in as many months). 

It's hard to believe that July is coming to a close, but I wanted to share with everyone how I spent my first "French" 4th of July weekend: hiking, camping, and eating s'mores with some pretty awesome people.

Saturday, July 5th:

We set out from Aix and made our way to the Gorges du Verdon to hike the 15 kilometer (9.3 miles) "Sentier Martel" trail. 

Ready to hit the road! Photo credit: DjordjeVuckovic.

After arriving at the Gorges, we took some time to admire the views and then set out to strategize our transportation situation. Since the trail takes ~6 hours to hike one way, we planned ahead of time to drop one of the two cars at the finish line.

 Photo credit: DjordjeVuckovic.

After playing "musical cars" we finally made it onto the trail around noon. We had beautiful weather, and although it was hot and sunny, large portions of the trail were shaded.

Photo credit: Thiago Formentini.

An hour or so into the hike we stopped to have lunch by the water.

Photo credit: DjordjeVuckovic.

Photo credit: Thiago Formentini.

Continuing on, it came time to descend 252 stairs…Hope you're not afraid of heights! I'm still glad we heeded all the internet advice and didn't try to do the trail in the other direction…

Photo credi: Amalia Turner.

Also adding to the fun was the wildlife we saw on the trail, including deer and a fox. At least there were no wild panthers, right Amalia?

Photo credit: Thiago Formentini.

Toward the end of the trail we came to some tunnels. This was one of my favorite parts of the trail because of the cool air inside and also the chance to use my super-cool headlamp. 

Photo credit: DjordjeVuckovic.

Photo credit: Thiago Formentini.

Photo credit: DjordjeVuckovic.

And…after ~6 hours we completed the trail from "Chalet de la Maline" to "Point Sublime"! Then it was off to the campground to reward ourselves with a cook-out.

The sweet taste of victory. Photo credit: Thiago Formentini.

We found the campground, set up camp, and grilled sausages. Following the delicious food, we tried our hand at pétanque (a game similar to boules and serious business here in Provence).

Time for some pétanque. Photo credit: Amalia Turner.

And last, but not least…It wouldn't be a 4th of July without s'mores. Instead of trying to improvise, I managed to plan ahead this time and brought all the necessary "ingredients" back with me from the US. 

Photo credit: Amalia Turner. 

Turns out the s'mores are a big hit in France. If the science thing doesn't work out, maybe I can start a "S'mores" cart in town?

Sunday, July 6th:

We packed up in the morning to leave our mobile homes (yes, we really rough it when we camp) and do some more exploring for the day.

Photo credit: Thiago Formentini.

First on the list was breakfast and coffee in the town of Castellane.

Walking into downtown Castellane.

Photo credit: Thiago Formentini.

We found a pâtisserie with tables outside and enjoyed coffee, croissants, pain au chocolat, and quiche. Although…one of us was upset that it was Sunday and he couldn't find mayonnaise (I won't name names).

Photo credit: DjordjeVuckovic.

After our late breakfast, we then headed to Lac de Sainte Croix for some relaxation after all our hard work the day before.

Photo credit: Thiago Formentini.

Before heading out of town, we also made a stop in Moustiers Sainte-Marie, which was as lovely as ever. Sticking with the 4th of July weekend theme, we enjoyed some delicious burgers for dinner. And Thiago finally got his Sunday mayonnaise :) 

But…for me, the "cerise sur le gateau" (cherry on the cake, as the expression goes here) was the lavender! I've been waiting to see it in full bloom and finally got my wish.

Photo credit: Amalia Turner.

Even though it was an amazing weekend there was still one thing missing…the fireworks. But don't worry. 

La Fête Nationale (National Holiday) in France is July 14th so I only had to wait 10 extra days for my firework fix ;)

A+

Danielle