When Harry Met.... A Year in Provence

[Ian_Fearn]

There seemed to be a bit of interest in my last Panda adventure (http://autoshite.com/topic/32490-pandas-to-pandino-2018/) so i'll give it another go. This one is a bit more 'Wish You Were Here' though with PRACTICAL HOLIDAY ADVICE, hope you enjoy.

 

 

 

A few weeks back, somebody on here posted a link to the Harrys Garage Youtube channel. I immediately took to Harry. Sure, he’s a millionaire but he struck me as the kind of chap you could meet in the street, get on with really well and have no idea as to his financial status. Initially, I watched the Rolls-Royce to the Arctic Circle, something we did about 10 years ago in a knackered old VW.

Then I watched the episode where he takes his Countach down the Route Napoleon. Well I was hooked, I had to go and drive it.

Whilst researching the Route, it occurred to me that we’d be passing through Provence where one of my favourite all time TV shows came from, A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle. This show polarises opinion but as a youngster it was my first exposure to the ‘escapism’ type lifestyles I’ve grown to envy throughout my life. I also found out Peter Mayle died earlier this year so we decided to go and explore those little Luberon villages mentioned in the book.

The wife was in agreement so we booked a ferry for later that week, did a last minute oil change on our long distance cruiser of choice and set off.

 

 

Day 1: Derby to Arcis Sur Aube (760Km)

 

Left home at 5am to get a 10:00 ferry thinking traffic would be easy. WRONG, usual backing up around the Luton area on the M1 and a generally congested M25. Just made it to Dover to make a fairly relaxed 40min check-in.

We took the Dover to Dunkirk route with DFDS. It’s a 2 hour crossing so gives you chance to get a decent meal and get your head down for an hour.

Dunkirk terminal is a barren wasteland and the initial trip south is fairly boring but quick blast down the toll route to the first night accommodation. Never underestimate the cost of the toll routes, we spent about 50euros each way, but be aware, getting south from Calais or Dunkirk is tiresome and incredibly slow off the motorways. The B&B was very typical French fair. Old fashioned but with good service, shared kitchen, fair price and a great breakfast of local croissants and bread/jam.

The roads of France have changed since my first visits 12 years ago. No longer are the roads full of BXs, 2cvs and Renault 4s. These days the Dacia is clearly the vehicle of choice, even the Gendarmerie vehicles are Dusters.

 

Day 2: Arcus Sur Aube to La Salle En Beaumont (562Km)

 

Our accommodation in La Salle en Beaumont had stunning views over the mountains and was about as highbrow as I could ever expect to stay. They had a 1980s Mercedes SL430 in the garage.

 

Day 3: La Salle En Beaumont to Digne Les Bains (141Km)

 

This turned into one of those stunning drives never mentioned on Trip Advisor. We headed out towards Aix Les Bains with views over to the Mont Blanc area and then down through Alpe d’Huez, a popular skiing resort for those without the cash for Val D’Isère.  For an hour we trundled through the mountains roads following a beautifully restored French registered 2cv. It was early morning with the sun rising over the dusky mountains with morning dew covering the fields.

 

According to most popular guides, Digne Les Bains is the start of the Route Napoléon, the N85, that’s actually noteworthy but I saw street signs for the Route back at Gap. Harry Metcalfe (Harrys Garage) recommends taking the D900B east towards Saint Vincent Les Fort and then taking the D900 down to Digne. 

We had a bit of extra time so carried along the D900B to Barcellonette and then took the D908 south through the mountain villages of Allos and Colmars. These villiages are true alpine villages, really setup for Skiing but stunning in the late summer and beautifully quiet.  This D908 isn’t a road for spinning your V12 round to the redline but it’s fantastic for relaxing with your little 1000FIRE.

The D908 actually takes you about the 1/3^rd of the way along the N85 so if you want to do the full N85 Route Napolean you need to head back north to Digne Les Bains. Digne is one of these natural spa towns so it has its fair share of decent restaurants and elderly people hoping the healing powers of the water will make them feel 21 again.

Tonight the accommodation was far more in keeping with my normal expectations. A 2^nd floor bedsit type place with views over a petrol station on a main road, what do you expect for £40? At least it had secure parking for Juju.

 

Day 4: Digne Les Bains to Reillanne (314Km)

 

So this was why I’d already driven 1000 miles, the opportunity to drive the route Napoléon took with thoughts of overthrowing Louis the 18^th. It’s a great route, a genuinely fantastic road with a combination of challenging driving that you can take at the pace you want (it really wasn’t busy) and soak up the stunning scenery. From Digne to Castellane (half way point) its more tight and twisty and then from Castellane down to Grasse its long sweeping bends with plenty of overtaking opportunites to get past slower cars. Which, of course being France, a british driven Lotus would be going slower than a local in a C4 Picasso.

Castellane is only really worth mentioning because it has an outstanding private Citroen museum and 2 petrol stations, both of which are card only and were both broken when we were there. Also, the first of 2 occasions where I left the fuel filler cap on the roof and drove off only to hear it clatter to the floor and send the wife dashing off to stop any random Dacia running it over.

The Citroen museum was absolutely BRILLIANT. It wasn't a planned visit, my wife just saw a sign so we went it. I expected it to be a dark dingy place devoid of people but it was amazingly busy. The visitors book showed the previous entry to be a couple also from Derby! Small world. The DS in the yellow ring is apparently the oldest DS in existence. I was impressed, also with all the descriptions in English given i'm only capable of speaking IGNORANCE in any foreign country.

For me, Grasse is the end of the road. It’s here you need to make a decision to change into your designer gear and head to Cannes or Antibes to your yacht or change direction.

I turned West through the spectacular Gorge Du Verdon. Really must re-visit this area with more time.

 

Day 5: Reillanne to Saint Andiol (76km)

 

The amazing thing about road trips of this kind is the roads you find when you’re not expecting it. Today was no exception. Reillanne is the beginning of the Luberon mountains, the inspiration for the book (and TV series) A Year in Provence, written by Peter Mayle. It was also featured in Peter’s book and film A Good Year starring Russell Crowe.

The little Panda made it to the top of Mont Veneux (1800m) on a 30+degC day.

People had warned me about the Provence villages but whatever quiet charm they had in the early 90’s has been well and truly destroyed by 20 years of coach tours. Inevitably, most menus are now available in Madarin should you need it.

 

Day 6: Saint Andiol to Lamalou Les Bains (230Km)

 

This was supposed to be a quick early morning drive past Montpellier into the Languedoc region. Inevitably, as always seems to be the case in France, the journey took a couple of hours longer than expected and by the time we arrived at our accommodation for the week, the mosquitos were out in force and my legs took a hammering.  

 

Day 6-12: Lamalou Les Bains

 

Nothing overly exciting for car fans here except spotting a W plate Saab 900 convertible. We spent a week hiking in the mountains stopping in one of these ‘off-grid’ places. In other words, the owners didn’t want to pay to connect to the grid so stuck a couple of car batteries in a shed with a solar panel on the roof. It ran the lights and charged the phones but laughed in the face of my wifes hairdryer.

 

Day 13: Lamalou Les Bain to Cintray (780km)

 

We’d met a guy at the Pandino Panda show earlier in the year. He’s got a place in northern France and invited us to stay so it’d be rude not to. We hit the motorway pretty hard but took in the fabulous Millau Viaduct. At 8:30 am it was so quiet.

 

Day 14: Cintray to Giverny to Cintray (140Km)

 

Our new Panda friend is an ex Oxford scholar and took it upon himself to try and educate his thick Derby guests with a trip to the house and gardens where Claude Monet lived and worked. I’m no art critic and I think impressionism is just somebody that can’t paint but can talk a bloody good talk but its an amazing place. The town is Giverny, home to the famous fragrance I’m too tight to buy the wife.

 

Day 15: Cintray to Derby (692Km)

 

Ahhhh, back to the beauty and serenity of Derby.

 

In all we have done 2800 miles. The Panda never missed a beat but the cheapo Monroe shocks I fitted earlier this year are clonking over speed bumps so I’ll take a deep breath and get some Bilsteins fitted over the winter. Again, amazingly comfortable and perfectly happy buzzing along at motorway speeds or hammering round hairpin bends. 

 

 

 

[Guest Hooli]

Route Napoleon isn't bad, I prefer route des grande Alpes in the same area though.

[Carlosfandango]

Wow!

Great road trip, cool car and excellent write up man.

 

CFD

[DSdriver]

Well told, you have brought back memories, I haven't done that for years, blimey over forty! We used a 1600 Celica with the nipper in the back. 

Things I remember

Thunder and lightning as we drove up l'Alpe d'Huez and an electricity pylon the top of which was level with the road being struck by lightning just as we were passing - scary

Climbing up the Citadel at Sisteron, following my wife who was wearing a dress that kept getting caught in updrafts

My fore-arms aching from not having power steering on the hairpin bends.

Having to stay at the station hotel in Nice because everywhere else was fully booked in August.

[RobT]

What a superb road trip. After watching Harry's videos the Route Napoléon is something I also want to do, so thanks for the tips.

 

The Citroen museum looks mega, so that's a definite stop off!

[Ghosty]

Ooh, looks like something I'd love to do in time. Recently my eyes have been opened to what a wonderful place France is.

 

Citroen museum looks wonderful.

 

Wonderful write up!

[lesapandre]

Pedant alert...I think the perfume is Givenchy - the French fashion house based in Paris? 

 

Sounds a fantastic trip - I find the French love old cars as much as we do. Citroen Mus looks great I must go!

[Rod/b]

I went to that Citroen museum on the way to Nice. It was shut.

[DSdriver]

I went to Belgium on a Monday - it was shut

[dollywobbler]

Lovely. As with Croatia, we didn't see the best of France really on our way back from Romania (bar Chamonix). This reminds me there really are some spectacular bits. Desire for a roadtrip is strong.

[Guest Hooli]

I went to that Citroen museum on the way to Nice. It was shut.

 

I went to france, it was shut.

[Spottedlaurel]

Great read and photos.

 

This year we stayed in the Luberon for a week, furthest south we've been since 1996. I was a little bit further west than your route, in Lioux, but we must have crossed paths when we then headed to Montgenevre and back up northwards on the journey home. We did Mont Ventoux as well.