Hiking the GR6, GR5 & Tour du Mont Blanc 

DAY 8: Saturday June 9th - Bayons to Fombeton: 10k walk, 3hrs: beautiful blue skies, 15°C to 25°C

Today is a sort of a rest day.  We left Bayons, driven by our hosts Jacky and Kathy from the Chambre d'hôte Les 3 Pitchoens, and get dropped off at Sisteron, then walk to Fombetonwhere we meet up with Donna and Milton and co.

We have a sleep-in this morning til 7am, the hop on the WiFi and phone home to Will, Bonnie and Ian's mum and dad.  We dawdle out to breakfast - what a beautiful spread - fresh fruit and yoghurt, bread (rice crackers specially for me), coffee and a spread of different cheeses.  We do a tour of Jack and Kathy's garden - herbs, frays (strawberries), frombois (raspberries), and all kinds of lettuce, tomatoes and herbs.  We meet their 2 dogs in the chook pen at the back - really friendly - and the grave of Skye, their previous dog. Then it's time to leave.  Jacky has very kindly offered to drive us to Sisteron - about 30k. We had intended to catch the 7.30am bus but they wouldn't hear of it.  So we bundle into their Citroen and head off down the road.  

It's market day in Sisteron (second Saturday of the month), and the traffic is horrendous so we suggest (in our best French) being dropped at the bridge into Sisteron. We say good bye and walk through the markets to the Super U super market 1k down the road, hoping to buy lunch for Monday and Tuesday when we resume our walk.  We also need to buy more sunscreen and some superglue for my gappy shoes, and an emergency poncho of this plastic to replace the 1/2 kilo one I posted home.  We're also hoping to see the Gare Routiere (bus station) on the way. 

I shop, Ian minds the bags - but no poncho and it's forecast rain.  I have rain gear but it's nice to have a light coverall poncho.  Ian made a decision before we left Oz to take a small disposable poncho rather than bring the large Sea to Summit poncho - good decision.  Anyway, i come out of the shop with everything except a poncho so we ask the pharmacist from next door, where to buy a poncho (he speaks a little bit of English to match my even tinier little bit of French) and explains that there is an Intersport 5k up the road where we may get one.  We look at the map and discover it's half way to Fombeton, so we decide to give the bus a miss (there probably never was a bus anyway) and walk the 5k to the Intersport to check out a poncho, then walk the next 5k to Fombeton.

It's a beautiful day, a bit warm at 25°C, but we follow a minor road running parallel to the motorway and arrive at the Intersport at 1.30pm - it's closed til 2pm so we have lunch bought in Sisteron - bread ham and chefs and tomato.  There's also a much larger Super U next door so I check it out for a poncho - nope.  The Intersport opens and I check it out - nope.  We go back to the Super U to buy a few beers, wine and chips to carry with us as our IGN map is showing it's probably only 3k down the road to Fombeton.  

Loaded up, we set off and come across the sign, Moulin de Fombeton, take the turn and arrive at 4.30pm to find the cleaners still at the house and no one else.  They give us all the instructions in French and hand signals, I glue up my shoes and we have a cup of tea while waiting for Donna and Milton.  Not long after they arrive with Kathy and Michael.  Ian and Milton sit and have a beer, I fix up my shoes while Donna Kathy and Michael go to the Super U down the road to do some shopping.  They arrive back and not long after, David and Lisa, and Phill and Dianne arrive from Marseille.

Donna and co go shopping to the Super U 3k down the road and arrive back with a truck load of food.  Dinner is at 9pm out on the terrace - food fit for a king - chicken, roast potatoes and salad.  At 9.30pm the sun descends into the north western sky and shines directly on the Monges Mountains, lighting them up like a spotlight - it's so magnificent it's almost artificial.  The display lasts for 20 minutes becoming more intense, fading as the sun sets.  We go to bed at 11pm quite rested