Hiking in Lozère had already aroused such enthusiasm in the 19th century that Robert Stevenson, struck by a heartache at the dawn of his 30 years, chose in 1878 to explore the region.
No doubt the author of
Treasure Island
and
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
, Scottish by birth, was also attracted by the melancholy landscapes of the worn mountains of the region, which were not without recalling the Highlands of his childhood.
To read also: Cévennes of mountains in wonders
To accompany him on his journey, he offers himself a donkey, Modestine, with a strong character.
This equine as sulky and temperamental as Patrick, the donkey in Caroline Vignal's film in theaters this Wednesday, September 16, will be the perfect heroine of
Travel with a Donkey in the Cévennes
, which he publishes a year later to tell his story.
And what an epic!
The writer travels 220 kilometers through four departments.
Leaving Monastier-sur-Gazeille, in Haute-Loire, he reached Saint-Jean-du-Gard, in the Gard, in twelve days, after having crossed the Ardèche and Lozère, enriching the letters with a high verb and colored.
From this route, a trail was born, the GR70, and many initiatives such as the restoration at Pont-de-Montvert of the Auberge des Cévennes, on the left bank of the Tarn.
In this institution stayed Stevenson, who would have even had a sentimental adventure.
Opposite the hostel, signs indicate the entrance to the GR70, from where the writer started.
It weaves its way between old houses and gets lost in green loops in the heights.
"Everything conspired to give me wings,"
writes Stevenson in his book.
It seems that this is still the case today for the thousands of hikers engaged each year on its trail.
A flow that the announced success of the film should not dry up ...