The first impression of the site was a huge smile from the manager as we drove through the gates, and she drove out. Our pitch was huge, ringed with trees. This campsite has 73 pitches, 18 chalets, 7 mobile homes. It stretches up a mountain side, weaving through rocks and trees. Our pitch was at 750m. The views are indescribable. I walked one morning to the highest pitch to watch sunrise hit the white rocks of the mountains across the valley. What a feeling! We feel private in our pitch, yet this is a sociable campsite with strong focus on the central facilities: reception, restaurant, bar, free Wifi, swimming pool. Everyone here seems to be a good mood. The managers are warm, hard working, and dedicated. They organize lots of activities for the kids. Today: club this morning, darts in the afternoon, movie in the evening. It did take a few days to get used to the paths up and down. A lot of physical exercise. Luckily I found a place to hang my hammock, in the shade and with WiFI. When I asked the managers if I could do this, they were surprised. "Of course!" they said, and then wondered if they might create a hammock park above the pool. So different from some other campsites where there are rules against everything... What did I not like? There was no hot water, this afternoon. I told management, and they changed the gas bottles. I think that's it. Oh, and it's a bit empty. The weather has been mixed and that puts people off. Most evenings there's something on. I like that, and I like the musical evenings that sometimes last after midnight. It reminds me of camping when I was a kid. Songs around the fire. Live music late into the night is a Good Thing. Karaoke was fun. Let me talk about the region, High Provence... this is adventure land. Rock climbing, hill walks, abandoned mountain villages, long bike rides through the stunning landscape, hang gliding, gliding, horse riding,... you can do all these. I prefer to lie in my hammock under the plum trees and relax. This is a region steeped in history. It used to be border country and the scene of long wars. There are dozens of "villages perches" built like fortresses high in the hills, around 1000 AD. Some are still lived in. Some are abandoned and spooky. Visit the massive citadel of Sisteron and feel your mind blown. This valley was sculpted by glaciers and the geology is complex and strange. Whole mountain sides composed of crushed shale. Boulders like dragon's teeth. Ridges that run along entire mountain tops, looking like huge walls. Drive pretty much up any road and you'll find yourself lost in beautiful, impossible beauty. This is an area to explore slowly, with a camera, sketchpad, and friends. We drove to Marseilles (2 hours) to get a dip in the sea. We visited Cassis on the way. So lovely! It's all wine country. Such stunning views, even from the motorway. It reminded me of northern California. Still, I was happy to get back to my hammock up on the side of the mountain, overlooking the valley and the sunset. My biggest worry here was the weather. Maybe it's abnormal this year. The wind gusts hit 40-50km and I really felt my tent was going to collapse. It's held up. We're going to invest in a more solid tent. I want to come back next year, stay for longer, and prepare the kids for more adventure. We had no mosquitoes, even after rain. I got bitten once only, when we went to La Germanette, a huge fresh water pool and park, just south of the campsite. Lots of crickets and grasshoppers. Few flies, some ants. This made the evenings pleasant. Things to bring: hiking boots or solid shoes, electric heater for the nights, torches to find your way around at night. And of course, a hammock!…
We stayed here on a very large pitch (called "de luxe") with was approximately 12 x 6 meters! However, the toilets dirty and cleaned infrequently. The showers were often cold and the shower spray was so small it took ages to shower properly. Good: large pitches and good swimming pool for children (including a slide). Bad: dirty toilets, no seats, infrequent cleaning, cold water in shower and cold dish water. On Tuesday there was a surprise! Loud music until 24:00 hours and a lot of drunk people. Quite a surprise indeed. All in all, not a camping site to return to!
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