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After leaving La Grave, we drove toward Chamonix to spend a few days there. The weather was beautiful, and the summer crowds had mostly gone home. Day one We enjoyed a few picnic walks, and one of our favourites was the route from Les Bois up to Montenvers, with a picnic stop along the way. The path is steep, but the stunning views make it worth the effort. There’s a buvette on the way, and, of course, several lovely spots for a picnic with a view of the Dru. We made our way up through the wooded path and eventually reached...

We have always wanted to stay at La Grave. So passing through late in the afternoon on the way back from Provence, the light was low with wonderful warm shadows over the town and surrounding villages, it was just too tempting. There are two campsites either end of the town. Both had good reviews. We drove down to the first one. The little reception office was bursting with colourful geranium hanging baskets and hanging baskets and the view up to the mountains above was breathtaking. We checked in. We had a huge choice of pitches. The site is green and grassy...

Our next stop after Cassis was the Gorges du Verdon. We’d heard great things about it, but had never visited ourselves. I’d been following the adventures of Early Retirement Wanderlust during their time in Chamonix, and when I saw they were staying near the Gorges du Verdon, I asked them for a campsite recommendation. They were based in the nearby town of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and suggested a lovely, quiet spot called Camping St Jean. After setting up our pitch, we headed off on foot to explore the town. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is a beautiful village set dramatically between two limestone cliffs at the gateway...

Early September in Cassis, South of France, was wonderful. Four nights camping in our van at a busy but well-kept campsite, Camping Les Cigales, soaking in the warm Mediterranean vibe. Cassis is a small coast town in Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, about 12 miles east of Marseille. Cassis is famous for its dramatic calanques. Breathtaking rocky inlets with turquoise waters. We were able to walk straight from the campsite, via a bit of a loop around the town, but it wasn't difficult. The hikes on the other hand were quite exhausting, especially in the heat. The mosquitoes seemed to enjoy our first...

We wanted to find a campsite where we were we could easily explore the city of Aix. CityKamp is just on the outskirts. It's a peaceful spot (apart from a slight road noise, to be expected so close to the city). It's possible to hire bikes to explore, but because we had Basil with us we used the bus. After we pitched our van we went for an explore of the campsite. The toilet and showers had recently been refurbed and were immaculate. The pool was inviting, but it was late in the day, so we settled for a sunset...