http://californiawithkids.com/tag/pump/ After breakfast, we headed across Provence to the Gorges du Verdun, or the Grand Canyon of Europe, one of the most spectacular natural phenomena of France. Mike, at the helm, did a great job navigating its mountainous path and its hairpin turns with narrow roads, barely two cars wide, with its sheer drop offs. Passing by Lac de Ste-Croix, we continued our treacherous path with fabulous views. We stopped at Gerous-les-Bains for lunch, a picturesque town with wonderful flower displays. Geroux is known for its thermal waters and baths which were built by the Romans in the 1st century. The plats du jour were pork chop or calf’s liver, we made our selections and enjoyed our meal. We followed the tortuous, but scenic route, along the north edge of the gorges to Castellane where we split off and headed, on a much wider road, toward Digne-les-Bains.
http://smragan.com/2006/11/ Perched high on a peak above Castellane, was a church, named Notre-Dame-du-Roc, built in 1703, reached by a strenuous 30-minute walk from the town. Castellane is one of the main entrance points into the Gorges, known for its river activities like rafting, hiking, and climbing along the Verdun River. At Castellane, we stopped for postcards, a quick break, and baguettes and dessert for dinner.
Digne-les-Bains is the capital of the region and has been a spa town since Roman times. We picked up the high speed road and headed back to St Sifert, past Les Penitants des Mees, a rock formation of a series of columns, more than 300 feet high and over one mile long. Legend has it that the rock formation is a procession of monks who were banished by St Donat since they had developed a fancy for Moorish beauties. We arrived back at our gite in St Siffert after dark for the first time, vowing never to do that again, since the approach to the gite is uphill through steep, narrow passages and parking is somewaht difficult. Just after we arrived, the sprinkles started.
Over a dinner of cold cuts, pate, fruit, bread and wine, we vowed that tomorrow would be a less intense drive. The sprinkles evolved to showers, then full-blown thunderstorms, all night long.
Powered by Qumana
