Day 1 – The Beginning of our fun and frolicks with Esta
Meet Esta the Estafette also know as Vintage Ice.
The day I saw her I knew I had to have her and this is where our story begins…….
Date is all set! The 1st March is the day we go to collect Esta. Filled with excitement we try to come up with a solution to get her all the way from the south of France to the Loire. Stu had a tow bar for the van so logical solution was to tow her back. We asked some friends to borrow their trailer and it was a yes, so all stations are go until “Oh no” the tow bar to small. “I know we can pack it out” says Stu!!!! So, we proceed to getting some metal and then realise that it’s not going to work. This came about with some encouragement from some friends of ours, who pointed out some things and it made perfect sense.
So next idea, drive her back …. “Oh no” is all I could think. I had gone from being excited to trepidatious….. Not knowing if the van would a) get back or b) is okay to drive that far? and many more questions were going through my head, so once again I am quietly keeping my emotions in check and going along with the plan, but all I really wanted to do was hyperventilate and hide.
01 March 2019
The day arrives and we are at the lovely Nicola’s house and Esta is there in all her glory. She is more beautiful than I remembered.
We say our goodbyes and off we jolly well for our little adventure through the mountains.
We make it to the petrol station and we are trying to figure out is it diesel or petrol ? Stu has a look, “petrol” he shouts, as he does a text message comes in “PETROL NOT DIESEL”, thanks Nicola, that came trough right at the moment we needed it.
We leave Nimes behind and are going past a beautiful lagoon with flamingoes enjoying the lovely sun, then we thought a photo shoot is now a must ! So where better to stop than in front of the tallest bridge in the world, Millau!!
Viaduc de Millau
So that night we decide to stop there and make a day of it the next day.
Day 2 arrives and I am brimming with confidence and really enjoying the drive. We start the drive through the mountains to Rodez and “Oh my god its so cold”, so, I turn the heater on and its even colder! We pull over and I get Stu’s packing blankets out and put on some gloves, “yay” warm, and of we go again.
The drive is lovely and the sights are amazing, then there was fog. Who asked for fog ? I certainly did not. An hour later and we have made Rodez and it is a welcome sight. Gillet juanes all cheering as we cross the various roundabouts, people taking pictures of Esta and people banging and flashing their lights, it was all good fun.
Mountains are just stunning!!!!!
This picture does not show how windy it really was!!!!!
The rest of day 2 will be coming next week, so stay tuned for more Fun and Frolics in Esta…. where there will be drama from the Douane and more exploits from our lovely gillets jaunes.
