No hurry to stir ourselves this morning. Over breakfast we watch as other vans get ready to leave. Just up the road is a pay-to-use service point, but beside the aire mountain water cascades off a concrete avalanche shelter and a hosepipe has been rigged inside the flow. So after emptying for free on the service drains they take on fresh mountain spring water at no charge.

Late morning it's sunny and the mountains have lost their misty helmets, revealing many shades of green and grey in the peaks and hollows plus deep green blanket of fir trees. We wander along towards the village, the lake a still and smooth jade coloured mirror below us. A few Rowan trees are in full bloom, their berries stark red against the backdrop of dark firs.

In winter FabregeS is a busy ski resort but today it's quite sleepy. There is an outdoor-clothing and ski-wear shop, a cafe terrace and the billetieres, selling tickets for various activities, with only one kiosk open.

We pass through the carpark and do our own giant slalom through the splatters of cow dung on the track out to the viewpoint, although everywhere is a viewpoint really. As we approach, the clanging of bells warn that the cattle are munching on the banks, recharging themselves to build another Super-G later in the day.

The barrage/dam sits below us at the end of the lake with yesterday's roadway disappearing down the gorge. At the top of the road we pass directly under the cable cars, passing overhead almost within reach. Ali walks down to the billetieres, gets her €10.50 pass and is soon waving to Nick as she begins her flight up the Pic de la Sagette. Nick, while impressed by cable cars, prefers viewing them from the ground. The thought of riding in bubble cars on a washing line does not appeal.

Ali finds the ride exciting, until the last steep section to the summit where she alights with wobbly knees but soon gets down to taking pictures. At 1900 metres the views are breathtaking. The lake is but a small green teardrop, backed by the peaks of the Spanish border. Up here is the station for the Artouste narrow gauge railway which climbs a further hundred metres to Lac d'Artouste. The cable car system was modernised in 2016, replacing the bus like carriages with many more, smaller 6-seat cars.

Ali returns to base camp 1 and we go for coffee and cake. The waiter speaks perfect English and is a keen rugby fan, often visiting the UK to see Premiership matches. He even shows a phone selfie he took with Exeter star, Jack Nowell.

The light is changing fast, casting the mountain ranges as dark silhouettes. Mist is beginning to hang on their shoulders and the patches of blue sky are getting smaller and rarer. We walk down to the bridge for a look back down the length of the lake and get back to the van just as the rain starts to get heavy.

By the time we are settled back inside Mary*Lou, the now leaden skies let rip with a few rumbles of thunder.

Early evening the cattle come wandering, with bells clanking, along the the road to graze on the hedges opposite the motorhomes.