Arles to Maussane les Alpilles, 22.7km
Arles is such a wonderful old city, with labyrinth-like streets, unexpected open areas with bustling cafes and restaurants, and fantastic roman ruins. But outside of the old core you feel that for many residents – and there seems to be a significant contingent of immigrants – it’s a daily grind to get buy. Departing any larger town or city is often along roads and through areas that don’t feature in the tourist brochures, and today was no exception. Fortunately I came across a bakery that not only had coffee, but also outside tables. As my Airbnb for the night had a 3pm check-in and it was only 20km or so away I had time to kill, so a leisurely coffee and croissant for breakfast gave me a good PMA for the day ahead (positive mental attitude in case you are wondering!)
There were some inevitable sections of road, with the first one leading to the Abbey of Montmajour. While only a portion of it remains – the rest mostly destroyed during the French Revolution, it still commands an impressive position on the rock that rises out of the Rhone delta.
After all that historic excitement, the trail meandered – seemingly at random – over rolling hills, dipping into charming villages where the residents seem to have nothing better to do than sit at idyllic outdoor cafes. Welcome to Provence! The area is known as Les Alpilles, or little Alps, and it’s famed (to those in the know) for its quaint villages with idyllic outdoor cafes. And hiking, which is why I’m here. Not that the cafes aren’t tempting!
2saunter 