The area around the Pont de Diable was a destination in itself with picnicking, sunbathing, swimming, and boating being popular. It was accessible by free shuttles, which also went to St. Guilhem le Désert and even to a nearby cave, la Grotte de Clamouse, that I passed along the way.
There was a scary section along a somewhat busy departmental road, then a parallel trail following the gorge which had at least one trail-marking glitch, but no serious problems. Several people even stopped briefly, parking their cars awkwardly for a minute or two along the way on the narrow road, or hung out of their car windows, trying to capture photos of the gorge.
Arriving early at my destination, I had lunch, left my pack at the restaurant where I had eaten, and explored the town. The waitress there was most accommodating. I had to kill time until 4 pm when the Accueil spirituel Carmel St. Joseph opened its doors to pilgrim walkers.
I was pleased to visit historic Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, which today is listed as one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France ( The "most beautiful villages of France"). Because of its geographic isolation, the current town's namesake, Saint Guilhem, established the monastery of Gellone there in 804 AD. Saint-Guilhem, the former William of Gellone, sometimes called William of Orange, was the second Duke of Toulouse. In 806, William retired to Gellone as a monk and eventually died there. He was later canonized a saint in 1066 AD by Pope Alexander II. Somehow a part of the cloister of the monastery was later moved to The Cloisters museum in New York City!
At any rate, at 6 pm this place, completely overrun with tourists just hours before, suddenly became very quiet.
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise, give thanks to him and praise his name." Psalm 100:4
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