The drive from Cassis to Hyeres was spectacular. An hour of twisting, turning road clung to the edge of the cliff, with incredible views of Cassis and Les Calanques. David kept stopping the van to take photos as every corner revealed another more stunning vista. He wasn’t alone. There were cyclists and motorbikes and car drivers, all doing the same thing.

Arriving at a campsite just outside Hyeres, which was billed as an elegant, once fashionable beach resort in our guidebook, we found it had a very different feel from Cassis. When we asked if there were any spaces, the woman behind the desk just laughed, ‘Take your pick’.

There were only a handful of customers in the whole place. The shop was closed and so was the café. The site was due to close in a few days. We weren’t overly impressed with the place, but resolved to stay put, as we both had some work to catch up on and (for once)  WiFi was free with a good connection.

Hyeres itself was out of reach on foot but we walked to the marina. There were numerous chandleries and the marina was full to bursting, with a good many impressive yachts. Hyeres, we discovered, is a major centre for yachting, with a long association with the America’s Cup.