A Walk Around the Dentelles Mountains
By
Sam Frederick
It may sound like a
romantic notion: walking village to village, through the French countryside,
picnicking along the way in fields or orchards, strolling along the cobblestone
streets of picturesque villages, and spending the nights in charming, quaint
little hotels. Although it may sound
like a romantic dream, it is entirely do-able.
Four of us, two couples, had come to France practically on a lark. We had heard that you could walk the French
trail system – a network of trails and walkways (90,000 kilometre of them) that
extend all over France. Rather than
joining an organized tour group, we decided to try and find our own way.
After three wonderful days in Paris, we
boarded the TGV (high speed train) and hurtled down to Avignon in the south of
France.
A short distance from the train station
we found the bus depot and, as luck would have it, the bus to our destination
village was leaving in just ten minutes.
Clearly, some holidays seem to work better without too much planning.
We arrived in Vaison-la-Romaine eager to
begin. Our plan was to walk a
circumnavigation of the Dentelles Mountains.
The Dentelles de Montmiral, as they are known, are a system of jagged
rocky peaks that stretch like a vertebrae for 15 kilometres in the Northern Vaucluse
area of Provence. Along the way we would
visit the tiny villages that were strung around this range of delicate mountain
peaks, like beads on a necklace, each one tucked into a fold or contour of its
valleys and foothills.
We intended to take about five or six
days to complete the 50 kilometre circuit, booking our hotels as we went. We were travelling light – we had left our
suitcases behind in Paris, to be picked up on our return, and had trimmed our clothing
and toiletries down to the basics. We
would each be carrying about twenty pounds in our backpacks.
Upon arriving in Vaison-la-Romaine, we
visited the tourist bureau and picked up some pamphlets and a list of the
hotels we would be encountering on our walk.
Then, at a tobacconist, we picked up one of the blue IGN maps depicting
the trails in the area. At a scale of
1:25,000, these are very detailed and are available all over France. After checking in at our hotel, we set
out to explore the village.
Vaison, a former Celtic settlement, was
conquered by the Romans in the second century B.C. The population quickly sprang to 10,000,
following a further invasion of wealthy Romans who built luxurious villas, a
six-thousand seat theatre, baths, an aqueduct and a bridge that is still in use
today.
To read a history of almost any European
town is to read a history of who invaded and when. Vaison is no exception. The Romans were followed by both Barbarians
and Saracens. More recently, Vaison has
been invaded by wealthy Parisians, who, like the Romans before them, also built
luxurious villas and summer homes. As
well, they opened craft shops and art galleries. The Roman theatre has been substantially
restored, and a music and drama festival is held there each year in July and
August.
Visitors can take in the Roman ruins,
which include statues of Claudius and Hadrian, the remains of a Roman temple,
villas, mosaics and baths (including one with a six-seater latrine). Excavations are ongoing.
Like many of the
villages, there is also a medieval section built on a hillside and crowned with
the ruins of a twelfth century chateau.
A short hike afforded us excellent views of the town and the 1,908 meter high Mont
Ventoux shimmering in the distance.
The following morning we
crossed the Roman bridge and found the trail that would take us to the village
of Malaucene, with a stopover in the hamlet of Crestet for some lunch. And so the rhythm of our days began.
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| Castle ruins in Vaison-la-Romaine |
We were in different
world – a world of red-tile roofs and old country charm. History was around every corner, from the
crumbling ruins of bygone ages to villages built upon and added to. Time and culture were both at work here and
it was all coming to us one step at a time.
In Malaucene, with its
avenue of plane trees, we found men engaged in a game of boules in the late
afternoon. We rewarded ourselves from
the
labours of our
hike with wine and cheese at one of the local sidewalk cafes. There was still plenty of time before
dinner. In France, most restaurants
don’t open until 7:30 or 8p.m.
The next
morning was market day in the village, and it gave us an opportunity to buy
food and wine for a picnic lunch for later in the day. At the market, we encountered the waiter from
the restaurant of the previous evening.
He seemed genuinely glad to see us, and upon enquiring about our packs
and learning of our trek, he voiced his enthusiasm. Shaking our hands he wished us a “bon
voyage”. His enthusiasm may have been
tempered by the healthy tip we had given him the night before. Only later did we learn that in France, the
tip is almost always included in the price of the meal.
From
Malaucene we hiked to le Barroux, enjoying the clean country air and marveling
at the beauty of the scenery unfolding before us. We usually phoned ahead in the mornings to
book that night’s hotel. Often the hotel
would phone ahead and do the booking for us.
That way we could travel at our own pace, which was a leisurely one, and
it gave us the option of spending an extra day in any village, should we so
desire.
We had
started at the northern end of the Dentelles, and now at the southern end we
were definitely in wine country – the marked route led us literally through
vineyards and orchards.
As well
as having maps to follow, the route was also indicated by frequent signposts,
and the red and yellow trail markings had been painted on rocks, fences, and
sometimes the side of buildings.
A lesson
we learned: if the trail markings differ from the map, follow the markings – a
portion of the trail has probably been re-routed and the map not updated.
We
discovered this the hard way. By
adhering to the map religiously when it differed with the trail markings, we
found ourselves lost in the middle of a vineyard. When we appealed to an elderly gentleman
doing some pruning, he very shortly had us climbing over fences to get us back
on course. “You are not lost,” he kept
reassuring us. Indicating our village in
the distance, he wished us a “bon voyage”.
We
passed through Beaumes-deVenise, known for its sweet Muscat wine, and then
headed towards Gigondas and Seguret, sun bleached villages that seemed to be
carved right out of the tooth shaped peaks that harbored them.
These
villages and others around them, such as Vacqueras and Rasteau are home to the
Cotes-du-Rhone wines. Grapes have been
grown here since Greek and Roman times, but according to Wine Spectator
magazine, it is only in the last dozen years that the wines of the Rhone Valley
have truly come into their own. This
only came about by slashing yields and planting better quality grapes.
At a
shop in the village square of Gigondas, it is possible to sample free many of
the fine wines from the surrounding hillside vineyards. Now we were truly “winewalking” in the south
of France.
 |
| Approaching Seguret |
Travelling
on the western side of the Dentelles now, we approached the final village in our
circuit and discovered that we had truly saved the best for last. Seguret has the official designation of being
one of France’s “most beautiful villages.”
Perched on a cleft on the side of the Dentelle mountains, it blends
itself so successfully that some of its buildings actually use a face of the
mountain cliffs for an interior wall. It
is almost as if the mountain has grown a village. We entered the village, enchanted, following
the cobblestone streets ever higher to find our hotel, La Table du Comtat, at
the summit of the village. Some of its
rooms date from the sixteenth century.
The
sunset, viewed from the dining room windows, was spectacular, and combined with
the food, the wine, and the friendly service, made it a night to treasure.
Although
we had splurged a bit in Seguret, we found that a daily budget of around $100
per couple* was enough to ensure us clean, comfortable rooms and excellent
meals.
Where
our hotels also had restaurants, we usually ate our breakfasts and dinners
there. We found it convenient to use our
credit cards for hotel bills, and we used bank machines in the villages for
spending money.
Bidding
goodbye to Seguret, we hoisted our packs one last time and hit the trail for
the final hike. It was with a feeling of
elation and exhilaration that a few hours later we saw the familiar pinnacles
above Vaison-laRomaine come into view and knew that we had come full circle.
While it
is true that we had seen only a tiny corner of France, we had seen it in an
intimate way that few will ever do. We
had met its people and interacted with them in a novel and unexpected way.
For a
short while, we had become a part of its landscape.
*$100 per couple was calculated at 2000 prices. In 2012 the cost was near double that.
*$100 per couple was calculated at 2000 prices. In 2012 the cost was near double that.
IF YOU GO
Avignon
can be reached by train from Paris, Nice, and Marseilles. Vaison-la-Romaine is twenty-two miles
northeast of Avignon and can be reached by bus or taxi.
For
those who don’t wish to do their own planning, various tour operators offer
self guided tours of this and similar routes, arranging hotels, transfers, and
providing luggage transportation between villages. A travel agent can provide further details.
Booking
your rooms as you go, works best during the off season times, such as April and
May or September and October. August is
the busiest time in France and reservations will be required in advance.
TRAVELLING LIGHT
Try to
make do with two or three pairs of “convertible” pants that can zip off into
shorts, two or three wrinkle resistant short sleeved shirts, and one or two
long sleeved, a lightweight fleece top, and a waterproof-breathable jacket,
comfortable light hiking shoes, and a pair of sandals. Be prepared to wash your clothes as you go,
either in your room or use laundry services. Women may also like to take along
a wrinkle resistant, synthetic dress for special evenings.
FURTHER READING
France
On Foot, by Bruce LeFavour, Attis Press, Saint Helena, California, 1999. Not a lot of information on where to walk,
but more of a general guide on what to expect, tips on packing, clothes to
take, French customs, etc. Also worth
checking out is Bruce’s website: www.franceonfoot.com
© 2003 Sam Frederick
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