18.04.2010 St Geniez to La Motte du Caire - 19km

A tough day, one of the toughest, too many metres over too short a distance, with ravines, cliff edges and every other anti-equestrian difficulty thrown in, but Nellie hangs in there and so do we, but only because there doesn't seem to be any other alternative. The signs indicate that the route is also suitable for horses – though I suspect they must have run out of space to add the parenthesis (if they are called Pegasus). Nevertheless, our flying equivalent has a go and survives somehow, though Paul often has to carry the packs. In the evening when we arrive at the perfect gite equestre (abundant food and space for horses and humans) we are all tired, stiff and keen to find an excuse to hang on for another day. Who cares if the trip takes a month longer? As long as we can find someone to look after the cats at home it doesn't matter, and today, the 19th, after a lunch in the sun, nothing else seems to matter. Nellie has had another 10 minutes in the river, her legs are not perfect, but better, and we have benefited from the break in more ways than just physical. We have agreed that time is not of the essence, that the guides we are following are desperately inaccurate and need some rationalisation by GPS-devotees like ourselves, and the journey is the goal, rather than the goal … if you see what I mean … I'll stop right there!

Accommodation - rating: excellent/PR - excellent facilties for horses, 14 euros a night. La Bâtie Neuve, 04250 - LA MOTTE DU CAIRE 04 92 68 36 51 labatieneuve@wanadoo.fr