Collobrieres
Collobrieres had been recommended to us by our friends Chris and Cat, AKA Florry the Lorry. Cat is half French and spent a lot of time in France over the years.
We drove through the town and arrived at the park up quite late. We were tired so we didn’t go anywhere. The following day we realised that we were at least half an hour’s walk away from the town and it was far too hot to walk anywhere so we made the decision to leave. It was a shame as it looked a really lovely place.
We drove through the town when we left and there were lots of lovely cafe’s and a food market, it was bustling and very French. Sadly there was nowhere for us to stop and look round either. We would definitely like to come back another time when cooler.
We decided to head into the mountains to a lake, we thought that would hopefully be a bit cooler and a nice alternative to The Lakes in Italy as we had previously decided not to do the Italian Lakes based on the time of year.
On the way we did a quick lunch stop at Lac de Sainte-Croix Alpes-de-Haute in Provence. The views were amazing but we couldn’t get down to the lake and it was 40 degrees Celsius !
Lac de Serre-Ponçon
After lunch we headed to Lac de Serre-Ponçon.
Lac de Serre-Ponçon is located in the French Alps so we were hoping it would be a little cooler . It is one of Europe’s largest artificial lakes, created by damming the Durance River and the Ubaye River. Completed in 1961, this impressive reservoir spans 28.2 square kilometers and holds up to 1.27 billion cubic meters of water, playing a crucial role in flood control, hydroelectric power generation, and irrigation.
The lake and the park up were just perfect. After temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius it was now a far more manageable 26-30 degrees Celsius or thereabouts . The water was a striking blue with a backdrop of mountains.
There were a few other vans parked up and it was a very chilled laid back vibe. You had to walk down to the lake, it was only a few minutes and it was also possible to sit down on the small beach there. On many occasions I was there on my own. It was so lovely and peaceful and I’m sure very different to the crowds we would have found at The Italian Lakes at that time of year.
As well as swimming it is also possible to do boating, fishing, paddleboarding windsurfing and other water sports.
The surrounding area also offers numerous hiking and cycling trails, with stunning panoramic views.
After 2 nights we decided to move on, we could easily have stayed a bit longer but once again we were aware of time.
Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet
Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet, is in the Isère department of southeastern France, another man-made reservoir created by the damming of the Drac River in 1962. Covering an area of approximately 6.6 square kilometers, this lake is renowned for its stunning turquoise waters just like Lac de Serre-Ponçon
One of the lake’s most unique features is its two Himalayan-style suspension footbridges, Passerelle de l’Ebron and Passerelle du Drac. These bridges, suspended high above the water, offer breathtaking views and connect several hiking and biking trails around the lake, making them very popular. They were also probably the main reason for coming to this lake.
Sadly when we arrived it was raining. There were no free park ups so we opted to stay at an aire that was €18 a night . In the morning it was still raining! We opted to move on instead of looking for the bridges. Such a shame but also an excuse to come back another time.
Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet is also considered to be one of the best places in Europe for kite surfing, sailing and wind surfing due to to its favourable wind conditions. The lake’s clear, clean waters are perfect for swimming, kayaking, and paddleboarding as well.
The surrounding area is rich in natural beauty, with trails leading through forests and up mountains, providing panoramic vistas of the lake and the Alps. The local villages offer charming accommodations and eateries, adding to the allure of this picturesque destination. Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet is a perfect blend of adventure, relaxation, and scenery making it a must-visit spot in the French Alps.
On Route to Bruniquelle
We arranged to meet up with our friends Chris and Cat as they were travelling through France on their way back to Menorca. On the way to meet them around the area of Bruniquelle we stopped of at Orange to meet another fellow vanlifer, in fact another Jo and her husband John.
We met and chatted in the car park. It was a lovely stop off to meet them both.
We moved on a bit further and that night we stayed at a free aire about an hour from Montpelier. In the morning we headed to meet our friends Chris and Cat.
Lac de Gruyère, near Bruniquel
By the time we arrived Chris and Cat had already found a nice park up by a lake. We decided to stay the night as it worked really well for all of us including Rolo their dog who loves all water and swimming!
We opted to have our own food instead of driving into Bruniquelle for pizza.
It was really chilled and Cat cooked us all a lovely authentic Spanish omelette.
As you can see we also got to swim in the lake the following morning and Chris got out his drone and got some great shots of us and the vans.
We really enjoyed our time together and were sad when it was time to move on after our swim.
Bruniquel
We said our goodbyes and went to have a look at Bruniquel.
Bruniquel was also a place that Chris and Cat recommended we visited.
Bruniquel is a village situated 25 kilometres east of Montaubanin the Midi-Pyrénées. It is in a steep hilly location next to the Aveyron River in beautiful wooded countryside.
It’s a very picturesque village, you can enter through the medieval gateways and explore the cobbled streets .
There are two castles in Bruniquel , Chateau Vieux (Old Castle) and Chateau Jeune (Young Castle). They date back to 12th and 15th Centuries.
We only stayed a couple of hours, enough to have a roam around and take some photos.
We left Bruniquel and headed towards Limoges where we were meeting our friends at the beginning of September .
We found a free aire to stay that night at Cahors. In the morning we had a look round before leaving and heading to a vineyard at Bergerac for the night.
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Our Life on the Road 
What beautiful places you visited, and so nice to catch up with friends met along the way. I guess this is one of the problems when travelling in a van, the inability to stop in some places and certainly in towns where there is nowhere to park.
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Yes it happens but it’s easier now we have the smaller van . Some places though just aren’t very van friendly
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