I'm giving this trip 5 stars because it was different from the two full distance Le Puy Caminos that I had done. Not as naturally beautiful and kind to the body as the Le Puy but still beautiful in the midst of its ruggedness and authenticity. Robert Louis Steventson made it sound a lot more romantic in his book and for that I hope to catch up with him one day on the other side, to discuss :-). On a personal level and even after having done a few difficult hikes, I found this one extremely challenging. I believe it is a combination of while being so very excited about doing it, not being quite mentally or physically prepared due to an unexplained severe skin condition which revealed itself inexplicably overnight, 4 months prior to leaving for the hike. This prevented me from doing any physical training during these 4 months. I do however want to return to do it again because I missed 4 days walking, at which time I took transport to the overnight stops on those particular days. I want to honour RLS, France and the Cevennes by returning and starting and completing it in full.
Loved the experience of completing the Tour du Mont Blanc. It was hard, sweaty work at times, but the views were a reward beyond belief. Took my breath away every day. NICOLE was a great guide and having done TMB 159 times really knew what she was talking about. Made great friends from all over the world. Best hike ever!
From the Chateaux in the Loire Valley to the fascinating Bayeux Tapestry in Normandy, & wine tasting in Burgundy, this is the ideal tour to see France. The highlights for me were the Tapestry & Mont St Michel. It was quite hot in July, as Europe was experiencing their "canicule" (heatwave) & also being the high season, there were people everywhere. But overall, it was a historical & fun tour.