Hiking in the Alps, strolling in Saint-Tropez
On a bright Sunday afternoon in the summer, we drive out of our driveway into the south of France in a holiday mood. We split the drive south over two days and for our first stop we follow a tip from a friend. We stop in Épernay, Reims region. The town is located in the heart of the Champagne region and we visit the small, cozy champagne house Lahaye Berthelot. A sympathetic champagne farmer lives at this beautiful location who presents his champagnes to us in an authentic setting with heart and soul. We find our first overnight stay France Passion style and enjoy a delicious glass of champagne at sunset, the perfect start to our holiday.
The next day we want to cover a lot of kilometers and we drive all the way to Mâcon, where we spend the night at the transit campsite. We do some shopping in the Auchan nearby and while the children splash in the pool, we make a large pot of Bolognaise sauce on our gas barbecue. We freeze the leftovers, knowing that they will come in handy on this trip.
And then, to my great joy, we finally drive into the Alps. First stop is Camping du Sierroz on the beautiful Lac du Bourget in Aix-les-Bains. After an attempted voyage of discovery with our raincoats in the rain, we decide to have a pleasant evening in the camper. We settle into the warmth and play board games with the children until they go to sleep. Then we watch another video with the soft tapping of the rain on the camper in the background.
We travel deeper into the Alps and settle for two nights at the Les 4 Montagnes campsite near the village of Autrans. The weather clears up and we immediately put on our walking shoes. Via Wikiloc we choose a walk of 8 km with quite a bit of elevation gain nearby. The walk takes us along beautiful paths and dense forests and we enjoy the breathtaking view over the mountains. We can cover the last part of the way back on a toboggan run, much to the delight of the children, woohoo!
In Autrans we also visit a petting zoo, La Ferme des Marmottes, highly recommended for families with young children. They have a lot of farm animals there and the children can help milk the cows and feed the calves. At the end of the visit we can taste a glass of home-milked milk, cheers! And to stay in theme, we enjoy a delicious hamburger on our gas barbecue in the evening :)
After breathing in the mountain air, it's time for a bit of culture again: Avignon. We have reserved a spot at the Bagatelle Le Pavillon Bleu campsite. Very nice campsite in an oasis of green on the edge of the Rhône with a beautiful view of the city. The campsite provides everything we need within walking distance of the center. We explore the beautiful city with our bicycles and enjoy the sun on a terrace. We will of course also visit the Palais des Papes, one of the largest Gothic buildings in Europe from the 14th century. To our great joy, we can also see the light show that evening.
From Avignon we drive through beautiful Provence to Cotignac. The small town is beautifully situated against the rock walls that tower up to 80 meters high above us. It is a very special location with carved rock houses, really worth a visit. We spend the night in a beautiful spot in nature at Camping Municipal Les Pouverels. As true French people, we play a game of Petanque with a glass of Ricard. In the evening there turns out to be a small performance by Dutch musicians. A wonderful summer evening.
Our last stop on this trip is Camping Sandaya Riviera d'Azur in Fréjus. A 5-star campsite and above all a children's paradise where we will enjoy the beautiful weather and everything the region has to offer in the last days. It is nice for both the children and us to stay in one place for a while and really rest. I like to explore the area on foot or with my MTB, Melissa likes to enjoy the peace and quiet with a good book and the children have fun with the entertainment at the campsite. We also spend a day at one of the many beautiful beaches on the Mediterranean.
On another day we will discover Saint-Tropez. From the campsite we can cycle to the port, where we take the boat to the city of Beau Monde. The crossing by boat is quite an adventure in itself, but also a unique, beautiful and efficient way to arrive in Saint-Tropez. The city is visited by around 5 million people every year and we knew that: it is very busy. But we are amazed and Henri counts 10 Ferraris and about 30 Porches that day!
On the last evening we enjoy the delicious cuisine at the campsite and the children's disco... and then it is time to return home.
Pictures - Jan Fernagut
