At least: the summer vacation time. Happy pensionado's are already busy with fall, Christmas and spring vacations. When the last vacation was discussed - Northern France, the French Ardennes - the question of "the opposing party" was: "But not in such an old car?" Not all our acquaintances are classic connoisseurs.
But of course it was
Because why wouldn't you go on holiday with a classic car? The only time we let that jump was about the pennies. Because driving to Croatia with full sized Buick LeSabre would really cost too much gas.
Our favorite holiday destination?
That stretches between England and France. France usually wins. The BXsen that my Lief has been driving since she got her driver's license, feels most at ease there. We speak the language well - and that really makes the difference in France - and we like wine. All those summers in France went with very few problems. A broken gas pump was replaced in the Vosges in a village garage near Plombières by an electrically working one.
The advantage in the whole story is of course that your classic set off on a healthy journey. From the rally and ride world we all too often hear about breakdowns due to what is in fact nothing less than overdue maintenance. The men of the sweeping team are often unnecessarily busy with it.
Carefully check the car before the holiday trip or have it done
Where it often goes wrong? The brakes and the cooling are often more heavily loaded on holiday trips than during a round trip around the Loosdrecht lakes. The cooling system must therefore be in order and it is very smart not only to look at the brake pads or brake shoes, but also to pay extra attention to the brake hoses. See if the ignition is correct. Check the carbon brushes. Take a set of contacts and a capacitor along with a liter of oil and coolant. And check how it is with the spare wheel. Check the tire pressure. Fill the windscreen washer reservoir and do not fill E10 gasoline.
In this way we have been doing well for years
When you go on holiday with a classic car you can just miss the air conditioning. But then you simply fall back on the 'arko' system of the past: All Windows Can Open. The wind through your hair is nice. And on the secondary roads - which are by far preferable to highways - the wind noise remains quite acceptable. What extra oil consumption and the disappearance of a hint of coolant? That is normal with classics. Just as it was once normal to check the fluid level (and the lighting) for every daily ride. And if you can do it during a vacation to meet new people and have pleasant conversations? Then a classic is an excellent social lubricant.
In addition, we have often experienced that friendly French villagers always know a few forgotten classic cars. And if you approach such an address with your new knowledge? Before you know it, you are red wine. Many French people have little to nothing with classic cars and old buildings. But they are genuinely interested in aliens
A: That is.
B: No traders are and
C: Who try to speak their language reasonably well.
But for the record, take a list with car-technical terms and the names of the various car parts of the holiday classic. Because all technology is fallible.
Hurray, Sunday I leave again for a holiday to France! Two weeks of wild camping on my own in my duckling. Front and rear seats out, only a driver's seat in and a bed on the right. One gas burner and some rudimentary bells and whistles to meet the basic needs. Furthermore, a few spare parts and some tools. Should not be more. Every night find somewhere quiet in nature. Have a wine and watch what flies, crawled, slid or hopped. Rhythm of the daylight. You take a shower by swimming in a lake or else just not at all. Wonderful, top holiday!
But Dolf!
Quote John Cleese: Dolf. You never seem to stop amazing me… ..
You also speak: Von many Sprachen un peu!
Joke !!
Ah Afredo, in the early days of Het Toerisme, many compatriots thought that they also understood Dutch across the border ... As long as you spoke it loud enough
Dolf!
A healthy dose of humor is certainly not strange to both of us.
Greetings !
C, est la tone qui fait la musique.
Andre, Nick, Pascal and Henk. Totally agree with you.
This in response to the various comments and remarks on the French, so called chauvinist, somewhat nationalistic character traits. Who does well, meets well.
If you are interested in the population, try to speak the language, no matter how rudimentary, and try to communicate with them, well then you have everyone's cooperation.
Dolf! Thanks again for your so nice and informative article.
Best regards,
Alfredo.
With our 70 year-old Renault Juva4 on vacation a little deeper in France with boring approach routes it seemed unattainable but oh so nice. We made our dreams come true and take the car on the trailer behind the daily car, the Juva already covered a few thousand kilometers in this way simmering through the campaign of various departments, recommended!
Funny that all reactions are about France and the French, not about classics and going on vacation with them. Since 3 years we have been going on camping holidays with the children and we use our Riley from 1947 to (literally) pull the cart.
And what Dolf says, you often have a chat with which you often learn something new. Sometimes annoying for the children, "Daddy, why does everyone look at us / our car?" "Don't talk about cars again!" 😀
But the fact is, if you go on holiday with a classic, then the journey there is also vacation. Jakkeren can't go, so you relax in the car.
There is an essential difference between the Frenchman and the Parisian, even if there are differences between the Dutchman and Amsterdammer.
The average Frenchman is friendly and certainly when trouble is done to speak to him in his language.
For the Amsterdammer, the rest of the Netherlands is also 'the region' .. not interesting enough to mention it by name.
The stories of nose-raising French people are often from Paris.
That's for sure! And the comparison between Paris and that other metropolis Amsterdam is funny
Incidentally, it is also nonsense that 'French' have nothing to do with classic cars. The number of specialists, magazines, meetings in France, etc. Prove the contrary in any case.
The Frenchman and interested in a stranger? Do not make me laugh. If there is a country with chauvinistic features, it is France.
With more than 45 years of experience, I know more than enough situations, stories and anecdotes to be able to conclude that the average Frenchman is just a normal person to talk to. All that negative fuss about 'those French' by intrinsically cranky people is so bland. Get a life.
Get a life. There is not a word of French (smiley)