DAY 13: Thursday June 14th - Savines Le Lac to Chateauroux les Alps:
Walk: 19k, 6hrs: Blue Skies,10°C to 18°C
Accommodation: Relais des Ecrins Chateauroux les Alps
View from our window, mountains, lake, bridge, camper vans
Walking to Embrun on the main highway beside the lake
Intersport - a European Rebel store. We buy our gas canister and my new Saloman shoes
Out with the old - goodbye shoes
Today was such a good day - it went even better than planned. Mostly roads as we had decided to make it an easy day after yesterday, and besides, we have shopping to do - a gas canister and new shoes for me.
We awake at 7am to ring Bonnie on FaceTime - well done Bonnie - she had just completed her degree with a double major in psychology and counselling. Then we ring Clancy to see how he went in his law exams, and to see Chester on video - it's good to know he’s being well looked after by Jackie and Clancy. Breakfast is simple but delicious – hot tea with fresh bread, jam and butter. More good news, our hosts have booked our next two days at Pallon - a refuge that used to be an old church called Ancien Presbytere de Pallon, and also they tried to book a Chambre d'hôte in Prelles - but it's full - so we’ll need to book in at Briancon - that will be another 27k day unless we find somewhere else inbetween.
We pack, take a photo of the lake, bridge and carpark filled with camper vans and leave at 8.45am down the main highway to Embrun. The road is busy, but there's a safe shoulder. And soon the path is atop a levee built to keep dam water out of low lying Embrun. After 2 hrs and 9k we’re at the Intersport.
We leave our packs at the counter, Ian gets a new gas bottle - they only have a 250g can, not 100g. I look for walking shoes - my view is that shoes have to fit from day one - I don't believe sales talk - if they're too tight they'll stretch, if they're too big, they’ll shrink. My current shoes are Keen and I love them - never had blisters. I also like Merrell as they are American and usually a wider fit. I try umpteen pairs on and settle for Saloman's, a brand I bought on our first Mont Blanc trip after my Nikes wore out. Even better, these ones are red and black - my favourite colours. We also need tips for our trekking poles - our existing ones had worn through the rubbers. We leave Intersport with a gas can, shoes, and pole tips and I spy a picnic table - time to test the new gas can. Ian sets up the Jet Boil while I visit the Intermarche next door to buy stuff for the next few days when there's no villages and Pallon doesn't do meals.
Ian suggests I try out the new shoes walking to the supermarket - I had planned to wear them on and off during the day to make sure they were OK but I bite the bullet and wear them to the shop. I buy the usual dried ham, bullock's heart tomatoes, cheese and fresh bread - and a small cos lettuce. Back at the table, we have our coffee and finish off the piece of steak rescued from last night. Then it's time to do the deed and chuck away my old shoes, unless I want to carry an extra 1kg for ever. I save the shoe laces - I like the red colour and they might be useful, then walk to the large bin and say goodbye to my Keen shoes.
We head straight up the N74 busy highway towards Chateauroux Les Alpes - there's no other way from here. It's not so bad, but quite warm now and my new shoes are fine so far. We're well and truly in the Alps now with snow capped mountains so close and villages perched high above. We stop for a cup of tea about 1.30pm - too early for lunch, as we’ve just had a hunk of steak with coffee for morning tea. It's relaxing sitting on the ground amongst this spectacular scenery.
We leave but just 20 meters around the corner, we see a picnic table with a view – damn! Twenty minutes later, we're in town looking for Relais dec Ecrins - it's closed, so we use their beer garden to have a very late lunch at 3pm - a wonderful day, 19k and 6hrs including one and a half hours shopping, with unbelievable scenery in perfect sunshine.
In with the new - love the colour!!
30 minutes later, the owner peers over the balcony and we are shown up to our room. Basic bed but with a shower and toilet - a One Star Hotel but it’s It's good to be somewhere, anywhere, early and rested. I spend 2hrs doing diary in the lounge of the hotel, then we walk down the road for a beer and wine. Then back to the Relais des Ecrins for a mediocre meal. I have cold fennel in some kind of sauce for entree, stewed lamb with rice for mains and white cheese for dessert. Ian has cold soup, quiche and stewed apples and apricots. We're off to bed early. It's been a good day - new shoes and no blisters (yet), a new gas bottle, a shorter easy day, blue skies and the alps all around - what more could we want
This is all picture post card country
Between Embrun and Chateauroux