Commentary: Eddie Noel
Photography: Peter Kinley
Peter and I attended the annual Brittany 2Cv rally in June in the village of Croisty near Pontivy
Our weekend trip started with a gentle drive from St Malo, via the new Decathlon just outside to buy a bike rack for Peter which did not fit inside his car so it was lobed in the back of my Mehari. Then on across central Brittany for a lunch stop of galettes and a small cup of local cidre.
We arrived at Croisty only to find out that despite paying on one cheque for both of us they only had Peter booked. A quick check of the paying in slips found our joint payment and I was entered into the rally. Peter was quite the celebrity with the organisers as we were the only no Brittany entrants and they were expecting him with open arms.
We returned to the camp site just before the clouds opened at which point I realised that I had left half of my tent in Jersey! Luckily Peter’s tent slept 3 so we got it set up just as the heavens came down on us.
Back to the Salle and we were welcomed to a galette dinner, and a glass or two, three of some vino.
It was raining hard and the local folk band huddled with us under a marquee and so the evening continued.
Our entrance fee was €28 each, for which we got our rally plate and goody bag complete with red triangle, pen, stickers, club de cassis catalogue etc. It also included our meal on Friday night, breakfasts Saturday and Sunday mornings and of course the grand dinner on the Saturday evening, along of course with the rally itself on the Saturday…bargain
Saturday the rain stopped so Peter and I decided to do the rally in my Mehari and leave his 2Cv behind. 90 k of tulip diagrams to guide us around the beautiful Brittany countryside route. What we did not realise it was that some 15 to 20 k was off road!
Great great fun, and the welcome from all the locals was outstanding.
They closed the roads around Croisty for the rally and 150 2cv’s parked up taking pride and place. Shop windows with cartoon paintings of 2cv’sand the whole village coming out to see the local dancers and enjoy an Apero. We also saw a 2cv bar driving around the village together with a car that can be completely dismantled and rebuilt within 15 minutes and driven off.
The return journey the heavens opened up again and soaked us just outside Dinard, OK for Peter but a challenge for me to stay dry in Noddy.
Overall a brilliant rally combined with fantastic hospitality.
We will be back next year near La Baule, come along and join us, you won’t be disappointed