We arrived at our site late in the afternoon and were greeted by the in-laws that were already staying there. The site was basic, but functional and the location was great. We were surrounded by trees which offered us much needed shade from the warm sunshine during the day.

A short walk away was a park with numerous walks, hike and rides throughout it. On our first full day we decided to head out in to the heat to explore the surrounding hills, but made the error to set out at lunchtime… you know what they say about mad dogs and Englishmen! We were not our for long, but, using our technology, managed to loop our way back to the camp.

Mad dogs and Englishmen out in the midday sun, Beaurecueil, France

Later the afternoon I decided to get some exercise once the temperature had cooled a little. So I picked up my bike and headed for the hills. The trails were dusty and rocky but the climbs soon had my traversing the big hill behind our camp. The views from the top were fantastic. I headed on up in to the hills and stopped to take in the near 360 degree view from the summit. Sadly, I was running out of time, so had to turn tail and head back to the others. I took several seemingly random turns to ensure that I explored more of the area and kept away from other people. It was great fun. I stumbled across dried river beds, makeshift camp grounds and signs of the local wildlife - a great way to spend and hour or so in the great outdoors.

On one of the many trails near Beaurecueil, France

Day 2 consisted of visiting the local town of Aix-en-Provence. This town was a treat. Although it was very hot, the buildings offered us some shade and the light breeze kept us from completely melting. We strolled through the market, up the quiet streets and past numerous fountains.

Aix-en-Provence, France

Aix-en-Provence, France

That evening we collected our daughter and boyfriend from the regional airport. They were joining us for the next couple of legs of our journey, The French and Austrian Grand Prix.