Vive la France!!

[Jamie]

Hi all,

Its school half term next week in my part of the world and, as my wife and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary yesterday, we've planned to take the kids off for a trip to France next week to celebrate.

Nothing particularly interesting about that I realise but I thought I'd share one aspect of the trip that may well pique your nostalgia gland...

So, we're taking the Eurotunnel train to Calais and driving down to Bordeaux to stay in a treehouse in the grounds of a Chateaux on a working vineyard, should be fantastic and I'm really looking forward to it. 
However, that's a long drive in one day so we are breaking up the trip by stopping off halfway down (ish) in a place called La Chartre-sur-le-Loir, just south of Le Man.

La Chartre is famous as the location of the 'Hotel de France', home of the John Wyer team (amongst others) back in the day, and we're staying in the historic hotel itself, which for someone like me is a kind of pilgrimage   

I can't wait for this as I've been to Le Chartre countless times on the Friday "rest day" during Le Mans week, just to relax, drink beer, eat cheese and look at the amazing cars that gather there during the build up to the race. Its a place very dear to me as it was the here that I have some of the fondest memories of my beloved Uncle before his tragic death in 2000, my Dad and I will always treasure this place for that.....

So much history here, I'm sure you all know it.......a couple of photos below:



Also going to drop into parts of the Rouen track as we're passing through, will stop and show the kids where Joan of Arc was imprisoned whilst we're there as well.

Should be a good trip......John are we going anywhere near you??

[Jamie]

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Can't get post image to attach photos so these small ones are all I can show 

[René]

That sounds wonderful Jamie! France is a beautiful country.
And adding a bit of racing flavour to a holiday trip is a golden recipe. I've been doing that for as long as I can remember.

Hey, and congrats with your 15th anniversary!

[charleselan]

First of all congratulations on your 15th Wedding Anniversary.

Secondly I hope you have a great time travelling through and experiencing some of what this beautiful country has to offer. It has suddenly turned very cold here in the past 24hours and the forecast has those conditions for the next few days. It was thought that there might even be some snow, but fortunately that has now been promised in the higher ground down south.

Bordeaux should be a somewhat milder than up here in the north so hopefully your tree house stay will be very enjoyable, especially for the kids.

You mention that you are having a look at Rouen and then travelling on down to La Chartre-sur-le-Loir, two great venues with so much motor sport history. My place is what you might say a dog leg to the west of that journey, approx half way; I am about an hour and a half each way from both places.

[chrisb]

Jaime, many congratulations my friend that is really nice to share and the trip sounds breathtaking, apart from the memory of having to hide in a tree once when I was young which put me off a bit I so like the idea of a treehouse that sounds brilliant, my memory less so, and that splendid part of France - which I so adore, those places tingle with history and beauty - have a wonderful time

John, we had thick snow falling this morning and temperatures plummeted to 0degrees, gosh I am so pleased with my new boiler,

[mikael]

Jamie, many congratulations!

And have a safe and enjoyable trip :-)

[charleselan]

Oct 27, 2018 11:11:32 GMT chrisb said:

John, we had thick snow falling this morning and temperatures plummeted to 0degrees, gosh I am so pleased with my new boiler,

Chris,

That isn't good; I heard on the UK news yesterday evening that the gritters were out preparing for snow, and it is still only October.

It is cold and raw with light rain about here in Lower Normandy, which comes as a bit of a shock after seeing mid twenties centigrade on Thursday afternoon!!

Good to have a new boiler and sounds as though it will be needed, have refrained from using the C/H so far, just the wood burning stove in the lounge as that is the coolest room in the house being part of a barn conversion which was done by a dipstick who had little idea of comfort values.

John

[robmarsh]

Congratulations Jamie, enjoy your holiday. I hope the weather stays fine for you. Isn't October a bit early for snow?

[Carl]

Congratulations Jamie! Have a wonderful time during your special trip to la belle France.

[Jamie]

Thanks all.

JOHN - pity, I don’t think I’ll have time for a detour, it would have been lovely to pop in 👍

[charleselan]

Oct 30, 2018 20:53:03 GMT Jamie said:

Thanks all.

JOHN - pity, I don’t think I’ll have time for a detour, it would have been lovely to pop in 👍

Jamie,

As you will see elsewhere I have had many internet problems over the past four/five days so replies have been impossible. Sorry you cannot make time on this occasion, you would have been warmly welcomed and your kids would have loved the alpacas I am certain. Maybe another time.

Great to hear that you have spent time in the Jean-Pierre Jaussaud room, a great little French driver who was one of the many from the French 1960's "academy Matra". I always liked him immensely and often wondered why he never made it to F1 when lesser countrymen did.

It is slightly warmer today, so enjoy your break.

JC