Roycing around

Having spent many a weekend when growing up in the back seat of a classic car on the winding country roads of England’s green and pleasant land, when Dad mentioned he was off to spend a long weekend doing just this around the picturesque landscape of northern France, I jumped at the chance of being able to turn back time and join him on the 21^st Fougere Rally.

We left Wally (our not so appropriate Clio!) safely tucked up in a Portsmouth car park and met our ride for the trip at the harbour – a 1934 Rolls Royce – nicknamed the ‘Chocolate Rolls’

#ChocolateRolls

With a host of classic cards turning up one after the other to join the ferry queue, we got a sneak preview of just some of the 150 or so classic cars we would be joining two days later in Giverny (the start of the rally). We soon got chatting to our fellow rally members and Chris and I very quickly realised we would need to learn some ‘car lingo’ to be in with a chance of keeping up on the trip! So we spent the rest of the time waiting to board memorising the ‘key facts’ of our Chocolate Rolls!

Fact #1: Body of the car is a Brougham de Ville style

As we were starting to feel more confident about ‘fitting in’ we spotted a group of enthusiasts crowded around a 1946 Jaguar Saloon so headed over to find out what all the fuss was about. What we weren’t expecting was to find out a lorry had shunted into the back of the car leaving quite a mark! Having already come to terms with the impact they’d realised that their luggage was well and truly wedged from the dent inside their boot, so armed with Dad’s toolbox we helped them rescue their pyjamas before settling down for a nights rest on board the ferry.

Awaking in the port of Le Havre with a full day to enjoy before the rally, we set off on a meandering route through the beautiful thatched roofed villages and quaint towns of northern France enjoying delicious macarons, cosy French cafes and stunning views over the Rhine on route to our destination – a family run bed and breakfast Chateaux Madeleine not far from the start of the rally.

  Exploring

Chateaux Madeleine

#DadBomb

Then the real adventure was about to begin! After a delicious continental breakfast we drove the remaining 8 km to the picturesque village Giverny and the home Claude Monet. Following the stream of vehicles arriving to join the start of the rally we parked up, signed in, picked up our badges and attached our ‘Fougere Rally’ plaque to the front bumper – we were officially in!

The 21st Fougere Rally

Fact #2: Coachwork was completed by Park Ward

Starting with a fabulous visit to Monet’s house and garden – a floral wonder!  I can’t even begin to explain how breathtakingly beautiful his gardens were – a maze of colour and sweet scents leading to the subject of this most famous works - the water lilies, got us excited for the further French delights we would be experiencing over the next few days.

Monet's garden 

After lunch in a local restaurant, Chris and I were introduced to the Road Book – km by km written instructions for all the routes we were to take over the next few days of touring up to and around the harbour town of Honfleur. We very soon found out as all the cars said goodbye to Giverny and headed off in procession on the first route just how quickly we needed to learn how to read these instructions and not rely on the Road Book reader of the car in front!  Doing a turn in the road in a Rolls Royce takes a little more than 3 manoeuvres!

 Country roads

Fact #3: It has a 3.6 litre engine

Having mastered the book (but not necessarily the trust of our chauffeur yet!), we spent the afternoon following the prepared route through pretty villages and tree-lined roads heading north to our base for the rally, Honfleur. Stopping off at the Abbaye du Bec-Hellouin on the way.

Pretty village of Bec-Hellouin

Arriving into Honfleur we found our way to the Campanile Hotel by chance (of all the instructions this one wasn’t in the road book!) parked up (across two spaces!) and put the Chocolate Rolls to bed – a routine of washing, drying and covering up we’d perfected by the end of the trip! Collected by a coach we headed to dinner at the Grand Grenier à Sel, a spectacular old salt barn where we were met and kindly invited to join the table of our soon to become good friends and owners of the unfortunate (or fortunate whichever way you look at it!) Jaguar – Jack and Lillian and their friends.

We all slept well that night after three courses and plenty of wine! And the drinking was set to continue as we continued our tour on some of the Route du Cidre to Beuvron en Auge well known for its Calvados!

Cider anyone?

Beuvron-en-Auge was given the label of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The most beautiful villages of France), and it certainly held up to this name – helped by the warm welcome from the Mayor and even more warming cider and calvados tastings! It was the perfect setting to see and more importantly hear one of the more spectacular cars on the rally – a 1938/46 racing Rover – who’s engine deafened as it roared on a small circuit of the village.

The Beuvron-en-Auge circuit 

We then processed in line down the tree-lined drive of Le Manoir de Sens (our lunch venue) and accompanied by a jazz band we enjoyed another chance to peruse the array of cars on the rally. From the quirky 1909 Hupmobile Runabout, miniature sized Austin, sleek Aston Martin, artistic Delage, grand Phantom II to the ‘modern’ 1961 Chevrolet (to name but a few!).

Hubmobile, Austin, Aston Martin
Delage, Rolls Royce, Chevrolet

With more than satisfied stomachs we headed on to the traditional Jardins du Pays d’Auge containing typical Pays d’Auge Normany architecture amongst its themed gardens, before continuing our winding route back to Honfleur.

Peek-a-boo

After another wonderful evening at the Grand Grenier à Sel with friends, the penultimate day of our tour was to be spent enjoying the town of Honfleur itself.

The picturesque port of Honfleur

We explored the picturesque port and through the cobbled back streets in the morning, and then gathered for the highlight of the rally – the annual procession of all the cars attending where the Deputy Mayor and organising team (APPF) were to choose the prize winners to be announced at the final dinner that evening.

It's only a bit of water!

Sadly this was the day that the weather decided to turn on us and we sat in true British style in a muddy car park under an umbrella as each car processed through and President of the APPF Patrick reeled off from memory in French the history of each car. We waited our turn; they’d kept the Rolls Royce’s until the end, but just as we were about to go and dry out before the prize giving dinner there was a little knock on the window and the Deputy Mayor in her glamourous red coat was standing soaked and shivering from head to toe in hope of a lift closer to home! She was thrilled when we said we’d happily drop her to her door, and she couldn’t wait to see the face of her husband as she pulled up in our Chocolate Rolls! The things you have to do as Deputy Mayor!

Deputy Mayor and President Patrick

Fact #4: Previous owner Lady Evelyn St George had an affair with painter William Orpen whilst he was painting her portrait (scandle!)

The prize winning dinner was again in the now familiar Grand Grenier à Sel and having spent the evenings and lunches with ‘Jaguar Jack’ and co. we were well acquainted and it felt like just another supper with friends from years past – we would be sad to part ways tomorrow.

Our last supper

After a four course feast and various toasts to those involved in the unbelievable feat of organising an event like this, the prizes were announced one by one. The most important (in my eyes) The Ladies Vote! Having debated with myself over the last few days on my choice, I was pleased to hear that the elegant two toned Bentley – which I’d voted for – won!

The Ladies Choice

And after all the prizes had been announced there was one last little ‘extra’ prize for a special car from the Deputy Mayor…a delicious box of macaroons to the “kind family” in the Chocolate Rolls who’d rescued her from a walk home in the rain!

A good deed rewarded

Fact #5: It is the only one of its kind!

The sun was shining again when we awoke on the final day of the rally. Having packed up and battled it out for who was riding up front, we set off on our final tour through the seaside resort Deauville to the final instruction in the Road Book – the Pressoir de Tourgéville, where we had a go at making our own butter from cream before enjoying our freshly homemade spread with our lunch.

Butter wouldn't melt 

We said our goodbyes and headed off with a map this time on our own ‘off the cuff’ route through the twists and turns of the side roads that we’d not yet explored, enjoying the last views of this beautiful region before we’d come full circle and back to Le Havre for our ferry home.