Le Bouchet St Nicolas  —  Pradelles.                                                                                                   The French are keen on an early start from the gites. Self service breakfast was well under way when we emerged from our dorm at 7am. Some extra fruit found its way into the rucksack for later. We felt we were the last away from the village as we trudged across the fertile plateau on gravel tracks. There was a chance meeting with a hunter and his mornings bag. A coffee stop in Landos  was taken and surprisingly most of the other walkers marched straight through, so we were now officially last. This grande  randonnee walking can become very competitive. Old lanes ran near a magnificent disused railway viaduct. Cresting a ridge views south opened up over lac Naussac and tbe Lozere hills. The rest of the day was a bit of a  route march to be honest, enlivened by kites flying overhead and the sight of a small snake crossing our path.

We were safely in our room when the late afternoon thunderstorm hit. Pradelles was a fascinating old town.