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The Trip

by Pete Giles

Still Monday the 4^th

The Bugatti's where all restored though not to mint condition, the Rolls and Bentley section were sat on flat tyres and looking a bit tired.

After about 3 hours the boredom set in, as there was so much of the same thing so we had a snack in the restaurant and set of to find a site for the night.

Feeling even more adventurous we set of for the Swiss border but we came across a big problem we had just about sorted the French but German NO WAY we got very lost, we asked a chap in a Merc if he could tell us where to camp all he was interested in was buying the car but as it was a hell of a long way home I said no thanks. On finding the camp it was a bit of a let down it was like colditz the first thing they wanted was the passports in case we went without paying the gates would be closed at 10 so if you did not get back tough you where out, there was not enough grass on site to pitch a tent so we decided that we would go back to France.

Not far away we found a nice lay-by so we set the tent in the rain and the water was coming through like it was split so the seats where put back in the car and that's where we slept.

About 3 in the morning a huge lorry came through the lay-by with horn blaring, as he did not stop we assume he did it on purpose.

Tuesday 5^th April

Not raining for a change but very misty so we headed for Mulhouse and got lost we eventually found the motorway to Belfort I do not like motor ways but they where very quiet so it was ok, we paid the 8 francs and set off to quick for the attendant to register the payment and so with shouts of crazy English and alarm bells ringing in our ears we where away.

At Lure we missed the Toutes Directions so we went into the town, a nice place.

We then drove for a steady 10 hours and decided to go to Chaumont, it was around here we saw a Railway station called Tanlay it looked just like something out of the war films very old fashioned and electric cables everywhere from its own electric supply station.

As the day went on the weather got worse with wind and snow so as we had passed Auxerre we decided to stop in St Sauveur, this was the first camp that was open and it had hot showers, a shop and some grass to pitch a tent. We had a cook up drank to much wine and slept well.

Wednesday 6^th April

We set of about 10:30 nice weather but the rain was not far away, On reaching Brier we found all the roads in the village had been dug up so we could not get to the museum as we had hoped.

I have been back and it was a nice place with lots of old cars all unrestored and fitted into an old bakery.

We then called in at the very small village of Bouloire to get some bread and bacon this is where we say a Spar shop I know they started on the continent but it was like a piece of home to us the roads in the village where so narrow that you had to lean against the wall if a lorry came by.

Pressing on we had a look at some of the smaller villages until we decided to find the camp for the night following a sign we found a large field with four out door showers COLD!! And about a million flies no thanks so we left. As we where driving the light s went out the bonnet had cut one off the wires, that fixed we asked in a local farm if he knew of a camp site, he said it was about 20 miles away but we could stay in the field next door if we wanted we stayed despite the hoof prints.

Thursday 7^th April

We had an enjoyable drive to Morlaix with the roof open and the windows down and the sun shining on us stopping in Orleans and Rennes on the way, we decide to find the Euro market and get some wine a passing lorry driver took pity on us and lead us to it, the wine we bought was like paint stripper.

We then headed back to Roscoff to see if we could get a ferry that night instead of waiting until Friday it turned out we should be on that night anyway as there where no sailings on Friday.

Roscoff was closed so we drove to the end of the pier and finished some wine and bread we had.

On the ferry we found it to be the same crew they where amazed we had got there let alone back again, the car was put between 2 lorries as the crew had decided it might be valuable. The crossing was very rough and as this was a stand in boat it was a lot smaller than the usual one. We thought we would have a shower but it was almost impossible to stand up so we sat it the café watching the tables rise and fall as the boat bent when the waves went by. Most if the return trip was spent talking to a priest who had travelled Europe on his bike.

Back in Plymouth the customs would not believe that we had done 1340 miles in six days in that old car. These days a lot of people do that sort of mileage but in 1983 it was not the case especially as the roads where pretty awful then.

I hope you have enjoyed this story it is impossible to remember all the things we did, and the film I bought at the museum was not loaded in the camera so I have no return photos, to top it of the car was written of 2 weeks later when a drunk driver hit me in the back.

The car is now almost rebuilt but as a 2 seater as the body was beyond repair.

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