Utelle (821m) is an old fortified (against Saracen raiders) hilltop village. It was once prosperous thanks to the salt trade, being at the crossroads of the old mule trails linking the Vesubie valleys. According to Provence Web the village has 70 inhabitants in winter and 300 in summer.
I had just about used all my water as I arrived in the village to find that no restaurants/cafes were open, nor was the village store. I asked some ladies sat on the chapel steps if they could direct me to the gite d'etape and they told me that the telephone number was on the door of the village store opposite. As I walked towards the store I saw a chap with a large rucksack and he shouted that if I wanted the gite the owner was just walking down the street. Lady Luck was certainly with me; I called the owner back, a very nice woman who also owned the village store, so I booked into the gite and bought some supplies at the store, including a large bottle of Grimbergen beer which I very much felt I had earned.
The gite looked like an old municipal building that had been converted. It had a kitchen/dining area on the ground floor with a 12 [bunk] bed room, toilet and shower upstairs. It was clean and very well presented. There were just two of us in the place. The person who had pointed me to the owner was a German chap from the Black Forest. He had bought two tins of Heineken beer one of which he shared with me. It was a very convivial evening; we cooked our respective meals in the kitchen and chatted for a couple of hours. I had the last of my mash-potato with Abondance cheese and saucisson and Bonne Maman's jam tarts, a real feast! Not forgetting the Grimbergen too!
DAY TWENTY-SEVEN - 21 July
Utelle - Aspremont
The gite had a filter coffee machine so fresh ground coffee was served for breakfast to accompany cheese, saucisson and the last of my jam tarts!
I walked from the gite feeling much better after a good night’s rest and ready to face another day; the penultimate one!
From the Place de la Republique it was a short walk passed village houses, down stone steps and over a footbridge to join a forested path. I passed the Chapelle St Antoine which dates from 1686. After about an hour I reached a further chapel Cros d'Utelle (330m) and then Pont du Cros (180m) in the Gorges de Vesubie, just about the lowest (in height) point on the GR5.
From the bridge it was then a steady climb through forest until I arrived at a quarry. I passed the Canal de Vesubie, constructed in 1880 to bring water to Nice. Near the quarry I came upon a stream and was able to resupply with water, using the Katadyn BeFree filter. From there to the town of Levens (550m). There was supposed to be a restaurant/shop on the route but it was closed. I walked on very hot roads through the town descending steps to follow a further road through housing. I was beginning to overheat again and noticed in passing a closed petrol station that it had a cold drinks machine outside. Fortunately, I had €3 in coin and so enjoyed a cold can of Coca-Cola and another of Orangina.
I continued to negotiate Levens via road and paths which ran behind houses until eventually I took a path which led through forest and emerged at Sainte Claire (520m). The heat was becoming debilitating and I began to have to stop much more to rest. It became a mental struggle to put my rucksack on and start walking again. As I neared the outskirts of Ste Claire there were a number of houses with swimming pools that appeared unoccupied. I was so tempted to drop my rucksack, climb the fence and just dive into a pool!
From the village it was a road walk before turning left onto a wide track. A footpath then went off to the right with warnings about loose boulder conglomerate, advising that if in doubt stay on the track which meets the path further on. The track was like a furness so I opted for the path which went into forest and thus shade.
I climbed to Rocca Partida (564m) and then made an error. I mistook a path to the left as the route and descended to a track junction, turning right. After a few hundred metres I realised that I had dropped down too early. I couldn't face the climb back up to the path and so after consulting the map continued along the track. The track ran parallel with the GR5 to a small commune, La Rohiere, and then to Aspremont.
I arrived in La Rohiere feeling at the point of collapse but knew it was only 50 minutes to Aspremont, which I felt I could manage. I walked along the road and came across what I assumed were roadworks with 'Access Interdit'. I climbed around the barriers and went further along the road only to find that a bridge across a ravine was under repair; in fact, there was no bridge and it was impossible to get to the other side. It was the final straw.
I recalled seeing a sign for a gite d'etape and thought I would see if I could stay the night as I was in no state to go any further.
Now, I am going to recount the full story as it really shows the kindness extended to me:
I went down the track to the gite and up some external stairs to the main house on the first floor. The door was open and so I shouted and Charlie answered. I asked if it was possible to stay and he said not. He invited me in and offered some cold, bottled water which I readily accepted. After a short while Charlotte, Charlie's wife, came up the stairs and sat with us. Charlie explained what I had asked and Charlotte, almost immediately, said I could stay. I asked how much it would be and she replied, 'Nothing'. We sat at the table and chatted some more and then they both took me down the stairs to a gite on the ground floor. It had a kitchen, bed, toilet and shower. I think it was used by their family when they visited as it had many of their things within. They asked if I would like to eat with them and of course I said, 'yes please'.
I had a shower and changed out of my sweaty clothing into something a little less smelly and went out into the garden. It was full of flowers which they were both watering. I took the watering can from Charlotte and helped. Charlie was watering an adjacent allotment which had tomato, courgette, cucumber, squash and olive trees and I helped him water. From there we went to an outhouse with chickens and collected eggs.
Back to the house and at the table dinner was prepared; fresh tomato, cucumber, green beans, garlic and home pressed olive oil. We had Ricard whilst cutting the legumes and then with dinner a rose wine. Cheese and a desert wine followed.
Natalie and George were staying in the gite next to the one I was using. They were on holiday from Paris, a very friendly couple in their 50's. They had made a tiramisu desert which after we had finished diner they brought up and shared with us, along with limoncello. We chatted and when I next realised it was 11:30pm.
Charlie and Charlotte are both in their 80's. They run the gite, maintain a beautiful house, garden and allotment as well as their chickens. Charlie still worked as a taxi driver! Charlie's parents fled Italy to France when Mussolini came to power.