April 19 Florac to Cassagnas (16 km 200 m)

We had a wet and grey start to the day. It stayed grey all day but the rain slackened off later. We needed some victuals, so spent time wandering around the centre of Florac. This a slightly shabby but quaint town centre, somehow very French. There are a number of souvenir shops, travel agents and the like. We were in tourist country again. We found a grocery and stocked up before taking the red and white route along a moderately busy road.

We walked in indian file on the left hand side of the road for a km south of the town and then turned left across an historic bridge, then left again to follow a minor road/track running parallel to the N106 road and the former route of the metre gauge railway line to Florac across the Mimente River.

In spite of the flowers

and being watched by two deer up in the woods above us, we managed to avoid stepping on an iridescent beetle on the path.

We dropped down to St Julien d'Arpoan, crossed the river and climbed to the track of the former railway line. One item we missed walking the Stevenson Route was somewhere to eat a picnic, especially on wet days. It was raining quite hard at this point, so we walked round the back of barn used by the local cheese making or egg cooperative and ate our lunch sitting in the entrance porch. Much to our embarrassment a delivery lorry turned up  and we had to pack up quickly. We walked along the old railway line to Espace Steveson. There is a serious difference between continental Europe and Great Britain, at least the Great Britain of recent years. This can be summed up in the words "Health and Safety". Neil is walking across a railway bridge in the photograph below with a tree high drop to the river below. There are neither railings nor warning notices. The French authorities assume that cyclists and walkers have enough sense of self preservation not to walk or cycle too near the edge.

We walked on to the Espace Stevenson a pension, restaurant and campsite based on the former railway station in Cassagnas.

We enjoyed a jolly meal with four other walkers: Mushroom tart, salad, home made sausage with herbs and swiss chard, potatoes gratin, chestnut brownie and fromage blanc with chestnut jam and a demi of red wine between the two of us. A good night!