9/5 Refuge Longon to St Dalmas

I admit I hadn't studied this day too closely - no big mountain passes to cross, how hard could it be? As it turns out with 16+ miles to cover - quite hard!
An additional factor was my poor sleep overnight. While there were plentiful blankets, the place was cold - even more so when someone opened the door for fresh air overnight.
The morning looked grey but on closer examination there were breaks in the clouds. So after more buttery hot chocolate we set out. There were some donkeys here that followed us as escourts until we began to go downhill. The drop was sudden and steep along a cascading stream gushing down its water smoothed channel. The rock was a deep vermillion slate split so fine as to appear like velvet in places. Immediately back into Larche forest the descent moderates as a long traverse interrupted by a small grouping of stone cabins utilizing the same red rock. It was here thatTammy ahead went off route amidst the braid of lanes and so in hustling to catch up we.became separated and an angst filled 20 minutes was resolved by backtracking and good old fashioned hollering.
Hands joined we continued now gravel road then on path cutting road switchbacks to reach the village of Roure. You could imagine a more picturesque place of old stone buildings clinging to the hillside. There is even a lodging here where we stopped after 2.5 hours for a quick hot chocolate. The rooftops of a larger town St Sauveur sur Tinee were visible just directly below. The trail from town aggressively switchbacks down to it and we reached it in about an hour. We quickly found a patisserie, bought lunch supplies and in the square just outside got down to some food along with a shared bottle of peach ice tea.
Refreshed, we started back up the other side of the valley to the town of Rimplas. We charged up the road and reached the town in an hour and fifteen minutes. Here I didn't realize there was another down segment and turning the corner the heat came up, the vegetation became arid and our spirits dropped as we realized we had a good ways yet to go. Still, we cranked the distance out first down to a stream crossing on a narrow barely visible arched bridge almost hidden by the vegetation. Then up a aggressively on
a stone paved surface of impressive vintage. Up out of the valley, fruit laden orchards are passed and we paused a moment for blackberry snacks. Later some other walkers showed us ripe mirrebelle which we ate as we walked. We reached St Dalmas very tired a popped into the Proxi grocery for supplies. At checkout a man ahead is us overheard our conversation and asked if we were Americans staying at the Grand Chalet - which we were. It turns out he was our proprietor, and asked if we wanted a lift - it was 1 km by trail or 2 km by car. It was a no brainer - we were suddenly done for the day at our comfortable lodging where others from the previous nights refuge arrived as well. Fabulous food here, wifi, - they even machined our laundry!!! A great ending to a long tough day.