The long drive south is finally over and we’re in the process of settling into our summer alpine residence, enjoying the new views and hopefully a few days of relaxation. It was a wet journey for the first few hours past Paris, but eventually things brightened up, and slowly but surely, the kilometres ticked by.

Over the years we’ve broken the journey up by sleeping in the van in lay-bys or service stations, then gradually upgraded to roadside travel motels. This year, Clare found us something even better – a quirky old circus caravan in a village just off the motorway! Here we could luxuriate with a private place to cook and eat, a stroll around a quiet village to stretch the legs and a comfy bed to pass out in.

The following day had a shorter drive time, but a more taxing one as the three lane toll roads gave way to winding alpine passes. We stopped at La Grave, for a scenic picnic as the clouds broke away to reveal the glaciers above.

The effects of the recent bad weather that had caused landslides and flooding in the area could still be felt as we crossed the Col du Lautaret. A combination of road repairs and weekend holiday traffic meant a slow descent through the traffic lights on the far side. A brief stop in Briançon was long enough to re-fuel the car and do a quick sweep through the supermarket for some supplies to see us through the next few days. A little further south and with a couple of grippingly steep switchbacks we arrived at our ramshackled chalet!

From the outside, it looked pretty deserted and even the steps up to our apartment were covered with an overgrown buddleja. After a bit of double checking, we found a lock box at the top of the steps, with key as described. Thankfully inside, it’s a lot more modern – although next door seems to be a straw bed for farm animals.

We had the energy to carry up a couple of bags and cook ourselves some food before falling into bed. We slept uninterrupted for the next twelve hours!

Awaking to blue skies and new views is always exciting, and especially as we’ve got plenty of time here to enjoy it. A slow breakfast set us up for a walk around our new local village. It’s called Eygliers, and is a very quiet, sleepy alpine village. There’s a church and a collection of aging chalets and farmsteads, but just a kilometre or so away is a famous fort – Fort Dauphin. It seemed like the perfect place for an introductory walk to see the local area, so that’s where we’ve explored today on foot from the house.

The views from up here are pretty good. Lots of alpine peaks and big snowy ones slightly further north. My first visit to this region was in the summer of 1998 and I’ve retuned at least three or four times in various seasons since. However, the views here are completely new and we’re looking forward to getting to know the place.