September 2013 - Extraordinary Places

“Yeah, he doesn’t do very much,” boomed Bruno, the mountain sized mechanic, as he threw an accusing thumb over his shoulder in my direction. It seemed a little bit harsh to me.

I had only arrived at the garage with our neighbour – also Bruno – and Charlie Charleston about an hour earlier. The yard was full of old cars and motor parts and was dusty and shadeless, so after sixty minutes of French-translated car banter and discussion about 2CVs, I had grabbed the chance to step backward into the gloom of the workshop to avoid the relentless glare and heat from the sun. Thankfully, I quickly realized that the thumbs’ accusatory trajectory was passing me by and as I turned to follow it, came face to face with a shameless, but still disinterested, horse.

A horse inside

Not so much of a work horse

He was barely a few metres away from me and so completely still and silent, the single cheval had melded into the darkness, watching impassively as big Bruno went about his business on our deux chevaux. Apparently he is a regular attendee, but clearly not much of a team player. It was a pretty unconventional garage in other ways. As an ex- mechanic I was really looking forward to getting a look underneath Charlie, when they put him up on the ramps. In this part of France, for ramps read forklift truck! Safety stands are for sissies.

Charlie and the forklift

Up, up and away

No sissies here!

The next surprise was the bill. For an hour and a half of work, including giving Charlie a full once-over, changing a tyre and a couple of other things – 10 euros. Yes, TEN euros!

The two Brunos

Big Bruno also worked on him a second time a few days later, replacing the steering rack assembly, the control arm and king pin for the princely sum of 150 euros for parts and labour. With Bruno from El Castell still on hand to translate, we also got the stories from his father of his trips across the Sahara desert in a Peugeot 504, which he did five times – taking European 504’s to sell at African markets.

Charlie looking a little slimmer and slightly surprised

Shopping for spares

A good look at the engine

We found similar generosity in Spain a few weeks ago, and luck. Which is something of an understatement when it comes to losing brakes on a long descent down a narrow, winding mountain road, where every corner is a hairpin bend with no safety rails. Pont del Comte sits at 1800 metres and we were coming down the hill, having proudly conquered the summit earlier in the day.

Geoff and Charlie up the mountain before the descent

Now 2CVs are real workhorses (unlike the one in Bruno’s garage), but there are some quirks that you have to learn. Firstly, their old design doesn’t work with some modern inventions – like synthetics. So, no synthetic engine oil or brake fluid. No problem until you drive it hard on a hot day and the brake fluid starts to boil and the brakes start to fail. It started with needing just a couple of pumps on the pedal to get a response, then three pumps, four pumps till after a few kilometers I was tapping my foot faster than a fiddler at a hillbilly hoe-down. So, as we hit the town of St Lorenc de Morunys, pumping away at the less-than-ideally responsive brake pedal, we rolled passed a garage with a sunshine yellow 2CV sitting outside. Surely, a sign! I don’t speak French, but I was able to communicate with the mechanic with lots of pointing, hand gestures and my best mime of driving a car with no brakes. When you don’t know the language, just keep smiling and making an ass of yourself. I thought the brake fluid was contaminated and asked if he could flush the system. The mechanic was great, he stopped what he was doing to work on our car.

Breathing space from boiling brakes

Two plates of tapas, and a couple of hours later we were on our way again, with cheery waves from the owners and offers to come visit any time! Two hours labour, new brake fluid and adjusting the rear brakes, total cost a ridiculously low thirty euros! Cheap bills and cheery service seem to be the norm when you drive a 2CV. The next day we dropped by the Citroen garage in Solsona to ask about getting repairs for a hole in the exhaust we have had for a while. Sure, bring it in tomorrow morning. We had bought some new exhaust parts when we were in Alcaniz , so as well as welding the hole, they also fitted the new section. Again – a pretty cheap bill, friendly, fast service and we were on our way again. Charlie Charleston has been in good hands right from the start. I confess to a slight bias, but from the ever-generous Johan in Amsterdam , even though he looks a little crazy here:

Johan is a good guy really!

to those we met just passing through….. mechanics are bloody great people.

Gleaming aluminum curves, disco balls, a blue Chevrolet Biscayne, a London bus, pink flamingoes, and a former clown – well, we are certainly going to fit right in here! “Here” is The Belrepayre Airstream and Retro Trailer Park – the only Airstream retro campsite in Europe and what a joy it is!

Airstreams as far as you can see

Nestled down a one-car-wide unpaved road high in the hills in the Aude region of France, about 60 kms from Carcassonne just getting there is a lovely experience to start with. A gorgeous drive through rolling, lush countryside, medieval villages and endless sunflower fields finally takes you up on to the hillside, where the park is perched, surrounded by fields, a small wood and a glorious view across the valleys and right back to the Pyrenees.

The Pyrenees in the background

Al Fresco dining

Views over the valley right from your porch

There are fifteen Airstreams, each different models, each imported from America and lovingly restored, before rediscovering their retro roots on the hill. Each is decorated in keeping with its heritage. Ours was a 1953 Airstream Silver Streak – in its own private spot, surrounded by bamboo (real – not 1950s wallpaper), fronted with a splendid Astro-turf lawn, purple sun loungers and a view over the valley.

Our Airstream garden by day

Mail box included

Our Airstream garden by night – groovy!

Inside, a metallic green interior offset the wooden floors, steel tubular heater, a cherry red enamel cooker, and our very comfortable crochet-covered bed.

daytime in the Silver Streak

Geoff sorting the sounds on the wireless

Our lovely big crochet-covered bed

An all-American classic of design, that became, and still is a cultural icon, the different Airstreams at Belrepayre bask in glorious sunshine, history and more than a little eccentricity.

Pink Flamingoes

It’s a serious business – really!

All the way from the good ol’ USofA

The park is run by Perry – a Englishman who for many years was a circus clown and clearly still likes a good laugh – and his French wife Coline – who shares his love of performing, humour and Airstreams. There is a large, lovely old manor house on the site that would be the pride and envy of many, but the couple prefers to live in their Airstream. Their son lives in an old London bus.

Perry on the decks

Coline in the kitchen

Double decker home

The Office

The general store

Of an evening, campers move down to the enormously impressive Apollo Lounge – a huge Airstream, rescued from a life more ordinary as a diner car underneath the Eiffel Tower, now appropriately housed under a “Big Top” tent.

Glamour nights

Orange and purple retro seating clamours for attention alongside the lava lamps, disco balls, purple carpet and bar stools.

The kitchen next to the Big Top and Apollo Lounge

Retro seating

While Perry spins some groovy sounds on the turntable, Coline conjures up delicious organic food in the kitchen Airstream (1946 model). People arriving in vintage cars get a discount and guests are encouraged to dress retro, but we left our hot pants and bell bottoms in Amsterdam, so lucked out there. The park is home to other vintage vehicles in various states of “vintageness”. The blue Chevrolet Biscayne had seen many better days, but it still took Geoff right back to his earliest camping days when Mum, Dad, four kids and the dog would pile into their maroon and white Biscayne (- with maroon carpet so plush wildebeest could have been hiding in it – so he says) and drive across the Nullabor desert.

You can get a double bed mattress in the boot

When I was a kid we went on holiday in this

Never too old to join the fun

Perry and Coline told us that they never really intended to make the park a big thing. They thought it would be fine to just have some visitors every now and then, mainly finding it by word of mouth. Even the trailers themselves are often tucked away almost out of sight in leafy nooks around the camp.

In their own little hideaways

If you go down to the woods..

But guys, the gig is up! Cool Camping and Trip Advisor rave about the place and rightly so. Coline told us they are also branching out into textiles and generously gave us a wonderful Airstream cushion for the car.

Coline’s cushion settles down with Charlie

We had a lovely couple of days at the Airstream park – if you can – go there, and don’t forget your bell bottoms.

Aspirational towing!

Monthly Archives: September 2013

Boiling brakes, a forklift truck, a deux chevaux and a horse

Trailer Park Triumph