Friday, October 25, 2024
End: Volvic
Kilometers: 20.0
Total: 113.6
It was an abnormally warm night. Possibly caused by the thick moss underneath us, and the tree cover above. We didn’t have to wait long before everyone was packed up and ready to go.
I think everyone was ready to finish the hike. It had been a good experience, but Alex had a big blister, my shoes were done, and Miriam had been a little sick for a day or two.
Soon into our morning walk, we came across the Enchanted Forest, a series of very well-done wood carvings. I had previously thought we could camp here, but it would have been too far (and no moss!).
We made a slight mistake and had to backtrack to find our way at an intersection. We existed the forest and walked through a hamlet, on our way to the familiar cow fields.
Stopping for lunch, Daniel and I kicked the foam ball brought by Timothy while the other finished their meal.
The rest of the day was walking among the fields and pastures, until we got close to Volvic. We had a great view of Riom and Volvic from above, and we stopped briefly at the Notre Dame de la Garde statue.
We hiked the last kilometer together, descending down to the Parc de la Source, where we started our loop six days prior. We took a few pictures before the children ran off to play.
Our hike was complete! It had been enjoyable to do this with our friends, and I was thankful that nine people had hiked the trail which I had picked.
Eric, Timothy, and I got pizza and snacks for the night, then hiked them back up to the park from Volvic. We set up our tents in the same spot as had been done the night before we began our hike, and prepared to go into Riom the next day.
It would be another day before we traveled home, giving us a little more time to enjoy each other’s company before returning to our home lives.
