Day 27, Monday September 5
Bousieyas to Saint Étienne de Tinée
What a good day! Strong winds last night and this morning a clear blue sky.
Two cols today. An easy climb to the first, the higher one, then a long but easy and scenic descent to St Dalmas le Selvage where we stopped for coffee. We met several other hikers there and everyone was saying how good the hike was. An easy ascent to the second col and a short walk to St Étienne de Tinée, a lovely old village on the Tinèe river which flows to the Mediterranean. As soon as we came over the col de Colombière today the vegetation changed and the air had a different smell. Wild lavender on the hillside.
A basic room at the tired but friendly Hotel les Amis. Good dinner with Peter and Penny, two British hikers we’ve met; unfortunately they finish their week on the GR5 here.
Roy