Longon 28th June

Tuesday 28th June: Blue skies and cool to warm, 16°C to 22°C

Roure to Longon: 12k walk: 9.30am to 1.30pm, 4hrs

Ian and Jenny waiting for Graham

Today was a most fantastic day walking just 12k from Roure up 800 metres to the Refuge Longon, a vacherie (dairy farm) set in the middle of the Longon Plateau, smack bang in the middle of the Mercantour park at about 2000 metres . The vacherie has 2 large rooms set aside as a refuge that holds about 40 people and we are the only ones here.

Our day started at 6am with a shower and a trip downstairs to use the WiFi which was only accessible near the office. The problem was they'd shut the door to the lounge to keep their bar wines and spirits safe, so I had to sit on the cold steps and balance a computer on my lap. But at least the WiFi was fast and reliable. Breakfast is in our room at 8pm (some of arrive much later!!). I have rice crackers and peanut paste and Ian, Graham and Jenny have left over muesli and powdered milk. There's no hurry as it's only a 12k day.

WW2 "morts" 6 Bertrands, 4 Mallets

Pretty gardens of Roure

Mercantour National Park

Mercantour National Park

Mercantour National Park

Coffee at the ladies loo

Through the meadows of Rougios

Signs of where we're going to

Bridge over steep gorge

Mercantour National Park

Lunch at Longon

Hidden valley, Plateau of Longon

I slip downstairs to pay the bill - 4 meals at a One Star Michelin restaurant with 5 beers and a bottle of wine plus the cost of the overnight at the auberge - almost 400 Euro or $700 AUD - our most expensive night yet but it was fabulous. Tonight is a basic refuge, so it all averages out. We also buy large loaf of mountain bread for lunch today from the auberge.

At 9.30am, we start to walk up through the pretty village of Roure. I stop to look at the 194-1918 war memorial at the church. Everywhere we go, these small villages of several hundred people list the names of 20 to 30 "enfants morts pour la patrie" - young ones who died for their country. Its sad when you see on most memorials, so many members from the same family. This one listing 21 people, were 6 Bertrands and 4 Mallets.

Its steep as we follow the road then a track to the Foret de la Fracha where the forest road mostly follows a contour all the way to Rougios, collection of a few mountain huts set in a meadow, with two streams running through - our only water for the day. It's 11.15 and a good time to stop for a cup of tea. It's a choice of sitting under a pine tree that's obviously the ladies loo - many bits of white tissue with a rock on top - or under another pine tree with several cos plops. The former smells better.

Across the meadow and the track climbs steeply. I'm wondering how the cows, goats, sheep etc climbed this rocky path to their summer pasture but clearly they did judging by by the droppings on the path. The views back down the valley are spectacular and deep down is the main valley road between St Sauveur and Isola, which we can see winding its way around the River Tinee.

Ian stops to wait for Jenny and I go ahead. I'm excited to see this Longon Plateau after reading about it and seeing pictures of it all year. At 1.30pm there's a clearing above me and soon the path runs into a beautiful green hidden valley, with sheep grazing, protected by 2 barking mountain dogs. A good spot for lunch as the refuge must be only a few hundred metres away long the high valley. The mountain bread is delicously nutty and goes well with our left over/left over cheese and 2 tomatoes we've carried from St Dalmas.

It's cool in the shade with a mountain breeze. Time to move on to the Refuge which is only 2 minutes around the small hill. And the Refuge/Vacherie comes into view, set in this even more spectacular hidden valley. It's peak hour with about 30 day trippers having lunch on the trestles set up outside. Sandrine, our host comes out to show us to our beds - at this stage there's just the 4 of us in a whole dorm to ourselves, with a sit down toilet and would you believe - a hot shower. After arranging our beds - mattresses on the floor - with the sleeping sheet liner we brought from Merveilles, and blankets from the shelves, we all have a hot shower - hot, not just luke warm. This place is amazing and I love it - fantastic location, better than basic refuge, wonderful happy host and dinner yet to come.

It's cool sitting out on the picnic tables sorting photos from the day and writing up a blog. Graham snores away the afternoon after one beer. At 5pm, it's time to have a wine with some cheese we've bought from Sandrine. It's really nice cheese