Sunday.  We got up around 6:00 a.m. so we could be at least a little coherent when we met Nathalie and Yves for the 10k hike.  We had to first walk about a mile to meet them at a public hall on Jean-Magnon Avenue.  We were familiar with the area because that is the street we take to the Super U.  It was dark when we set out (definitely Fall-like) and very few people were up and around.  Two cars did stop us on the way to ask where the marche started.  David was able to direct them in French.  

We arrived about 10 minutes before we were to meet Nathalie and Yves so we bought our tickets (3 euros a piece) so we would be ready to go when they arrived.  So many people showed up to walk that we couldn't believe it.  Later on Yves told us there were about 250 people hiking!  We had a ball!  David and Yves hiked together and practiced their French and English with each other and David took some pictures.  Nathalie and I talked a blue streak, in fact, twice we missed a turn and someone had to holler for us to come back and go the right route!  The route was amazing and very carefully laid out.  We walked on some streets in residential areas and then through farm lands, vineyards, paths, etc.   Here is the route on paper below; it may be hard to make out, but our route is the green line.

At about the halfway point, we stopped for breakfast.  You would not believe the spread they had set up for the hikers!!!  David did not take pictures of the tables because we thought it might be rude, but they had a charcoal grill set up grilling pork riblettes to put on baguettes for sandwiches, pate sandwiches, platters of cheese, three kinds of cake, chocolate, dried dates and apricots, water and orange drink, wine and Bernache.  Bernache is grape juice made at the beginning of the fermentation process.  It is only available mid-September to mid-November.  Yves told me it was only one or two percent alcohol but Nathalie said the Bernache there was 11 or 12%!!!  I didn't have any but the hikers who did enjoyed the rest of the hike very much!  

   
After we all ate a ton of food, we headed out again to finish the hike.  David took some more pictures.  The beautiful duck was in a woman's back yard -- hope he won't be dinner!  Part of the walk was along the back side of the zoo so we got a few shots of the ostriches.

The last part of the hike was through a beautiful vineyard.  Nathalie picked some grapes for she and David to eat and David said they were very sweet!

The hike was wonderful and we are so happy we joined Nathalie and Yves.  After the hike they invited us to their home.  Once again we thought it would be rude to take photos but we sure would have liked to!!!  Their home is lovely and part of it is built into a cave and the rest of the house is built on top of the cave.  Apparently, back in the day, the stone removed from the cliff side was used to build local churches, chateaus, and buildings in the old town.  We have never seen anything like it and it is warm and cozy and beautiful.  The kitchen, dining room, study, music room and a bathroom are built inside the cave.  We cannot even imagine how hard it was to design it, build it and run plumbing and electricity!!!  Above the cave is a wonderful living area with a wood stove, two bedrooms for Nathalie's daughters on the second floor and Nathalie and Yves' bedroom on the third floor.  Nathalie made us tea and we visited in the music room with beautiful music playing.  The acoustics in the music room built into the cave were outstanding!  After our tea Yves kindly drove us home.  I don't think I had any gas in my tank to walk back to our apartment!!!

We lazed around all afternoon.  I blogged and watched Netflix and David read a history magazine in French!  He said he really just looked at the pictures like he did as a kid before he learned how to read.  We had a Coke Light and look what David got.  We did not buy it on purpose -- the Coke Light comes in a shrink-wrapped pack of four so you cannot pick out the names you want.

The day ended with cocktail hour and pasta for dinner.  We were too tired to have dessert (!) and went to bed around 10:30.