The Provence: il canyon du Verdon

Costa Brava
Moustiers Sainte Maire
Gorges de Verdon
Castellane
Barcelonnette
Chateau de Queyras
Col de Vars e d'Izoard

 

From Costa Brava to Moustiers Ste Marie

We start in the morning from the camp of Platja d'Aro (Costa Brava) to be at Avignon at noon to visit our garden favorite. Unfortunately we do not find anything because when inventory period dead-end season. After the usual stop at Carrefour for purchases of food, we continue to Cavallone. A Cadenet we have taken a wrong road and we spotted a florist, we bought 2 lagestroemie to be put in the garden (we are fortunate that around in a camper!). Arrive in Moustiers Ste Marie in the late afternoon, with fresh and un po 'di pioggia.
From the campsite on foot climb to the village perched on a cliff, lying on the bottom of a spectacular gorge. The village is crossed by a fresh mountain river, and blue. The village, famous for the decorated pottery, and, after the experience of brioche would say also for the excellent bakers, stems from a monastery. Between the two sides of the mountain have a taut rope with a metal star suspended above the village. Apparently, at that exact point, there has been an apparition. The country is perched, full of craft shops and knows a little 'of Provence, with lavender, scented soaps, cicadas and colors and some' mountain.

Canyon du Verdon, Castellane

The following day is devoted to visiting the canyon du Verdon.Al morning camp in the van arrives brioches for breakfast spectacular! Shortly after departure, where we cross the Verdon flows into Lake S.te Croix, stop for photos immediately after this bridge, Pont de Galetas. the way done with the campers is tough for the tortuosity of the road. The difficulty is the road to two lanes with no emergency lane and, u from the side and the other overlooking the rocky wall. It will be because I suffer from vertigo, but the path is ... exciting!
The climate is cool and the green path, with spectacular angles. We make several stops for photos and to admire the scenery in the most beautiful: Col d'illo, du Roc Maillet, merges, Boucles Les, Les Cavaliers, Tunnel de Fayet. All points straight where you can see, thanks to the structures created, almost in a vacuum curves and odd shapes of the canyon. The Pont d'Artuby is interesting but we could not stop it being taken over television. Les Balcons de la Mescla are perhaps one of the most beautiful.
Along this road you find lakes, river bends and overhanging rocks, and, as in almost all of France, the grassland of sport is much facilitated by organized structures. Then, can practice canoeing and all sports river with various difficulties, you can climb, throw parasailing, or simply engage in hiking with marked trails and facilities.
After completing this course, we head to Castellane, tourist town situated under a big rock which dominates and which was situated the ancient fortress city. Parking and visit the shops of the old town, but do not climb on the rock. In the country, many people see pears leaving for trekking and pilgrims heading to the ancient church on the rock. After that day's winding road, we decide to take us to Digne camping, follow the road that runs along the Lake of Castillon and visit the dam that creates the artificial lake, Barrage de Castillon, the lake is warm and many do the bathroom . A Digne not we stop to visit the city as it is very busy, tourist town, but also spa industry, and we want to get to the campsite, which is just outside Barcelonnette direction. The camp is almost empty.

Barcelonnette, Château de Queyras

The next morning we leave for Barcelonnette after Verdon, my father did not like to take the step of Cayolle or dell'Allos, as expected, so we have chosen the road to the valley, which is why we brought on Digne. The hills are low tackle the Col du Labouret (1240 m), the Col du Maure (1345), the Col St Jean (1333) and this opens up the valley of the lake of Serre-Ponçon, then turn the valley of 'Ubaye that leads us to Barcelonnette. Here we find the market (Wednesday) with wonderful products from the mountains of cheese slices, etc.. A Barcellonette are the famous Mexican villas, ie inhabitants emigrated to Mexico to seek fortune and then returned enriched. The villas are belline, somewhat 'nouveau style, somewhat' Mexican and a little 'French. In practice, especially for us Italians are villas 50s but do not deserve more than a stopover en route.
Barcelonnette left you start to climb in broad valleys between mountains to the Col du Vars (2109), at the end of the road gradient is very strong, we do several stops to take pictures of the valley and bends already traveled. On the other hand, we pass a small walk to stretch my legs overview legs in a path full of crickets. The descent is tough on brakes and curves but until Guillestre but for lovers of mountain landscapes are always very fascinating. Once the road take the valley of the Guil Queyras. The first 5km were terrible, with rocks protruding narrow and dark tunnels. Likely routes by car or motorbike may be less atrocious but campers were really close, lanes 1 and half were not in the middle row and, of course, without lane d ’ emergency. We make a stop at the first square where there is a point of information, a decision that is worth it to continue: fortunately we communicate that is following the path is as beautiful as the landscape that way. In fact we get to the bottom quickly downstream, abriese trip to the pretty village, we wanted to go to the viewpoint of Monviso, but in the end on the hour, we decide to give up, we return to Chateau-Ville-Vieille camping. Left the camper in a place, pending the opening of the reception, we walk to visit the Chateau du Queyras strong in pretty good position.
E 'possible from this country, hiking difficult at high altitude for several days. In the town center, near the tourist office are available all the information possible and imaginable with all the paths and the most interesting to watch.

Col d'Izoard

The next morning we are moving soon, we must not retrace more of the bad road begins valley, but we expect the Col d'Izoard. The road is quite steep but acceptable, even the width of the road is more comfortable. Stop at the first hill at 2100 m to photograph the spectacular Casse Désert. There are sharp rocks in a desert of sand along a ridge of mountains (see photo). The final part of the hill starts with a sudden close, monocorsia, fortunately short. The temperature is very low, we use maglioncini wool to get out and take pictures. The whole road is beautiful, is full of cyclists discover that once a year the road is closed at certain times in order to climb by bike. There are obviously serious athletes and a little 'more amateur Before reaching the hill is the monument to the two heroes of the Tour de France: Fausto Coppi and Louison Bobet, you reach the Col d'Izoard (2360) force us to stop, the day the event was today. After some trails and at the spectacular lookout! (see photo) You see different valleys, and despite the rain, then more insistent that I find is one of the most beautiful seen during the climb .. Given the stop forced them to take advantage of the lunch break. The highest point the organization has a beautiful banquet with fantastic cakes and homemade foods of any kind to cyclists. The situation is a little comedy: there are real athletes who have made the whole climb, which take pictures with the sign of the Col d'Izoard and there are other less tired cyclists who "crossed the finish line of the hill by physical a decidedly less athletic ... Then we address the beautiful descent to Briançon, and understand many things: the cyclists arrived with kids in the car a few kilometers (1.2, 3 km) from arrival, remove the bike from machine, they dressed all point and pretend that he had made the climb with his wife then that take pictures ...
From Briançon, very nice to visit (which we now view many times to pay a visit), we decide to go home for the usual Col Montgenèvre (1854), we find many works, with alternating one-way set of traffic lights. The descent to Oulx has been improved by the road works for the Olympics in Turin in 2006. Onto the highway we arrive home in late afternoon.