EAP in Normandy
The scene is set for this car event organized by the Emotion Auto Prestige car club and its branch in Normandy. Saturday morning, what a great idea to organize such a touristic rally to visit this beautiful french region!
The rendez-vous is set on the A13 highway at approximately 200 kilometer from Le Havre where the meeting takes place. 10 cars will then drive together towards Normandy and Le Havre harbor.
This time the event gathers together different car brands which is the essence of the EAP club. It’s actually something I like since the cars are going to dazzle our eyes with their beauty. Two hours later, we reach our meeting point location. It’s time to meet everybody. The leaders are already asking us to take our car and start our engines. 30 cars in a cavernous sound leave the harbor and start going up and down sometimes going along chalk cliffs, sometimes in the green pastures next to typical half-timbered farmhouses.
Maserati Mexico (1966-1973).V8 4,2l et 290ch. 305 copies.
I meet with some friends again, meet with new friends and so does my Ferrari which meets again with her sister!
When 2 Ferrari F355 berlinetta meet together. Georges' Ferrari on the right.
A few stops are scheduled here end there, time for us to take pictures, have a drink and a snack.
Very unusual stop as we reach the city of Allouville-Bellefosse. A 12 century old oak erects next to the church. This is the oldest oak in France. In the 17th century, an abbot created 2 chapels stacked up in the tree. A stair surrounding the tree make the path from on chapel to the other. The hollow of the oah has been reinforced to face time. One of the city resident shared with us quite proudly the history of the tree and its village. The man is also an honoured member of the acorn brotherhood.
Our group of Gentlemen Drivers make the most of this wonderland and of a coffee! The weather is quite nice. It is going to be worse in the afternoon with some raindrops.
But let’s make a tour of the car park…
Impossible to avoid the french standard bearer whenever we go: the citröen 2 CV
But also a car which quite soon will become a collector since quite seldom! Indeed most of the copies have been destroyed by their owners who seemed not to be very familiar with driving technics. I talk about the Subaru driven in France by the police highway patrol…
a normal visit
Our lunch took place in a very nice location, the château de Sassetot next to Fécamp.
C’est un château du pays de Caux, très XVIIIè siècle, classique à souhait. Ouvert sur un grand parc et situé en bordure du petit village de Sassetôt-le-Mauconduit, à 15 kms de Fécamp. Tant de charme discret séduit. Le temps de rêver d’une vie de château…et vous êtes exaucés, car la demeure s’est aujourd’hui transformée en hôtel. Accueillis dans les salons par « Sissi» ! Oui, Sissi. L’impératrice Elisabeth d’Autriche. Car, surprises, vous êtes ici chez elle. Dans le château où elle passa un été normand en 1875.
Le 31 juillet 1875, Sissi débarque d’un train spécial en gare de Fécamp. Avec l’Archiduchesse Marie Valérie, âgée de 7 ans, pour laquelle les médecins de la Cour de Vienne ont recommandé une cure d’air iodé sur les plages normandes.
That is where we stayed for a while for our passion cure. That is also where I take my last pictures. The location calls our cameras and we take the benefit of the latest sun shines of the day.
We go on and reach the Tancarville bridge where parisians are going to drive back to the capital. That was an intensive and well organized day. A warm thank to the EAP Normandy leaders for the hard work. That was just great!
