Flies on us!

Climbed up nearly 4000' from woodworking town of Ceillac followed by swarm of flies. No breeze, kept moving. Finally reached the col and they have dissipated. Now that's one fast way to get up the mountain! Each mountain pass from Briancon south got longer in its approach and steeper for the last several days. Calves feeling it. Continue to have extraordinary meals from duck a la orange to coq au vin with frites. Crossed the dividing line from Hautes Alps to Maritime Alps. Fewer cows, more sheep. Drier - a few lizards on the trail and bright green grasshoppers. Soup has shifted to broth-based from cream-based, a welcome change for digestion. Dropped into Larche: a small town completely destroyed by German and Italian forces during WWII and subsequently rebuilt. Still trying to figure out its strategic significance amidst desolate peaks. The only structure not destroyed was the war memorial from WWI. High above town we walked by two fort ruins bwtn 8-9000'. Entered Mercantour NP with turquoise lakes and a high rocky col (Pas de Cavales) with views to the next couple of days ahead. Arrived hot and exhausted at the welcoming Gite de Boiseyas, set on a hillside, with a karma straight out of Nepal. Enjoyed a
vegetarian dinner with a Swiss couple and a large family hiking group from Lyon. Went to bed early in a charming antique but dilapidated stone and wood house.

In the 8 days since our rest in Briancon, our daily walks have centered around the ascent of at least one pass with elevation gains ranging from 3300' to 4000'. In most cases trail conditions have been good though the descents can be rocky and slippery making it slow going. The challenge is to not get distracted by the tantalizing views. Distances between huts this past week have made for full days of walking with little time or energy left for anything but a shower, dinner and some route planning before bed. Thankfully the weather couldn't be better with sunshine every day. All in all our momentum has been steady although today we decided to pack it in early and maybe take a rest day tomorrow to give our bodies a chance to rest. There is still plenty of walking left in the trip and we don't want to hit the wall until we splash down in the Med.
So far we have not met a single American since we've been in France; and fairly limited English is spoken.