hike day 5: l'estrade

one step at a time ever descending through rocks and creeks and mud. ahhhh, the pungent smells of the forest while a gentle mist hung above the earth as if conjured straight out of a witch's cauldron. then suddenly the path emerged out in the open before a sign boasting that saint-come-d'olt is one of france's loveliest towns. though the competition is stiff, i couldn't agree more. actually, this section of the trail - though rugged and demanding due to the constant mountain ascents/descents - has the most charming midieval villages. in fact, the other two larger towns (espalion and estaing) on today's trail were also straight out of a travel brochure. estaing's showpiece was the superb castle overlooking the river lot where ex president giscard d'estaing is said to summer. if the south of france is where i was looking for razzle and dazzle, it didn't take long for me to find it! then i ran into my gaspesie friends simon et guillaume...at the village bakery bien sur, refuleing. this was getting to be a habit!