Lovely birdsong from 05:30 and sunny from the start. Grete says there is a market in town so they go for a look and return with a few things before we set off towards France.

It starts as a gentle ride along the valley with wooded mountains around us but it's deceptive and we are climbing all the time. Soon we are in the mountains proper, with milky meltwater streams tumbling over rocky riverbeds. There are flower meadows, green pastures and alpine chalets. We stop for photos and a convoy off classic cars rumbles past.

Into Col de Madellane the road steepens and we start the sequence of hairpins, over twenty of them, climbing 1500 feet, with armco barriers that have obviously been used on ocassion! Snow sits on the high peaks and waterfalls tumble hundreds of feet down sheer rock faces, finishing in deep blue lakes.

In one area we have to slow for a marmot basking on the road then we see 4 more scampering away over the short grass. Patches of snow and ice cling to the banks.

We stop at the border at 6500 feet and look back through the col, it is a picture perfect alpine scene straight out of The Italian Job and too wonderful for words to describe. The temperature has dropped to 17C, but the chill breeze from the peaks makes it feel colder.

A few yards on, we cross the border into France and begin our descent through Col de Larche There are no mesmerising hairpins but there are big rock outcrops and steep drops. It also becomes much more heavily forested. By the time we've dropped 1500 feet the temperature rises 6 degrees and by the time we reach our destination it's up to 26C.

We top up with diesel but cannot get LPG, then drive up to a hillside aire looking over the town of Barcelonnette with the mountains rising around it. Lunch is a mushroom flan from this mornings market then there are a few rumbles of thunder.

Not getting LPG might be a poblem as our gauge is at the bottom but Grete believes the other aire has electricity. We drive down and find no actual hook ups, but manage to plug into one of the two charging sockets on the service point. The longer we can run the fridge, the better.

Mid afternoon we wander into town. Barcelonnette has a number of grand houses built by migrant entrepenuers who made their fortunes in Mexico before returning. Architects were commissioned to outdo the other villas and it all became a bit 'Essex man' with shutters and staircases and grand doorways, but interesting for all that. Even in death this oneupmanship continued. The cemetary is filled with huge tombs of grand design, marble and sandstone carved by the finest stonemasons from Cuneo.

The town centre is compact and attractive with five storey terraces painted in bright colours. The main square is surrounded by bars so we stop for a drink in the baking sunshine. We have a laugh with the waiter. Forgetting for a moment that we're now in France, per favor and grazie get confused with s'il vous plait and merci and we explain we've been in Italy for six weeks.

On the way back we do some shopping then pass a number of participants in 'Raid Hannibal', a trekking and cycling challenge. When we get back to the air it is nearly full and the next field is full of tents for the 'Raiders'.

Chicken and asparagus risotto for dinner.