and by eight o'clock we were across the road at the boulangerie/epicerie getting and packing supplies for our lunch, including some nice tomatoes. And then off. Uphill. And it was to be an up and down kind of a day.The first landmark we got to was the chapel dedicated to St.James
at Rochgude somewhat perilously dominating the view from across the valley. There was then a steep descent of 300m via roots and rocks down to Monistrol with a strategic modern bridge across the valley. We managed to spill the tomatoes on the way down but retrieved them fairly intact. The rural environment was rather blighted by the big electricity generator humming away in the valley. We stopped for a coffee and then promptly had a 500m climb back up the other side of the valley which was a bit steep. The subsequent stroll across the agricultural top was charming and we stopped to enjoy our picnic lunch in the sunny lee of a wall. Plenty of livestock in smallscale farming - cows, sheep, horses and donkeys with meadows filled with yellow dandelions as far as the horizon.
At Rognac we enjoyed a minor miracle - a nice housewife in a village house earned an extra Euro or two by offering drinks and 'myrtle tart' to those looking to rest their feet. We seized the opportunity. Then a gentle descent into Saugues, a charming small town of 2,000 people with a medieval centre around the massive Romanesque church. Interestingly the clock bells sound twice; the first set of rings is a sort of clearing of the throat to tell you the real set is coming to signal the time.
Our hotel (Le Terrasse **) was excellent, old but well maintained. After a cool beer or two on the eponymous front terrace we shopped for the morrow and saw the sights - principally the instructive War Memorial. This small town suffered the loss of 126 young men in the First World War. The number of times the same surname appears consecutively two or three times makes it difficult to carry on reading. The World War II losses were sub-categorized: 1939-40, 8 dead; four more died "in captivity". Civilian deaths "killed by Germans" 8, Resistence 4. Subsequently another 6 were remembered from the War of North Africa. A lot of pain for a small place.
Our hotel restaurant was trying hard bearing in mind the budget they were working to. There was a good soup followed by tasty chicken and a most impressive cheese trolley which included a tastebud blowing blend of Roquefort and Marc. And for the local pudding a surprisingly tasty sweet Lentil Tart.
The etymology of the optical 'lens' is from 'lentil' - because of the shape.
Before bed we signed the visitors' book. We hope to come again. A very satisfying day.
