Samantha's photo album

2014 has been an exceptional year for the sunshine in October (and the amount of water received before!).
Fluke, it is precisely through this beautiful weather that we can finally go on vacation.
Now you know our traditional route: "down" to the Cantal (it goes up!), a trip through the Corrèze via Puy Mary, with a poorly signalized deviation that led us to Puy Violent (dead end!), and made us late while the weather was threatening and Thierry had left clothes on the line!
Then a stay at Christophe's in the south, and return with a new stop in the Cantal house.
This year, we traveled with the Saxo, because of (among other things) the toolbox in the trunk.

During our go stay in Auvergne, Thierry could take part to picking potatoes with the neighbours. It did him good to stir a little his carcass, numbed cause of the hours spent in front of the computer (or TV)!
Here the machine, hanging behind the tractor, which automatically digs the potatoes, only remains to bend down to pick them up.

And here we are, arrived at Christophe's. I will still spend three weeks locked in the trailer. Under the pretext that he tinkers and has all the time his hands dirty, Thierry won't find the opportunity to take me out a little! He could have made a little effort! Even my new deck chair will never be unfolded, well worth it to bring it!
But he installed us a TV, so he could spend his evenings with me (his brother's family goes to bed early, they have a job, they) .We watched our favorite shows (NCIS, Castle, Murdoch mysteries) .
"Le plus grand cabaret du monde" (circus and cabaret): I hate those contortionists who can bend in all directions while my arms and legs are all stiff!

Around Christophe's house, there are 2CV everywhere! The white one, the two brothers went to pick it at Grasse shortly after our arrival, the blue is there since longer. Both are theoretically here "for parts". There are three others, two vans, and the yellow one on which Thierry came to work. And also, of course, in the garage the three "brand new" ones.
Behind, it's our palace. The curious assembly at the left of the caravan is the TV antenna, at the end of a board and protected by a plastic bag, the whole taped to the handle of the mower!

Well, I'm in the caravan, and once Christophe is free, the guys mend the 2CV!
Therefore follows the report on the work:

"The Tof" is a nurse; even for mechanics he uses work clothes, only the instruments change.
The chassis of this car is broken (under the engine). It must be replaced, and Christophe found another one in perfect condition, that he cleaned and painted.

And here's the body separated of its chassis. Note the four chairs and cleats as a lifting system. A resourcefulness which allowed to be only two to do the job!

And the chassis stored in the garden, the front fenders and hood are repositioned to protect the engine while waiting for the continuation of the intervention.

In the following days, removal of the suspension and the fuel tank (by Thierry while Christophe is at work), servicing and transfer of motor and gearbox, and missing elements of the suspension, on the new chassis.

Slipping of the new chassis under the body...

And only remains to replace the screws.

There will still be a lot of operations: electricity, mechanical, brake bleeding. With the (almost) end of reassembly the time comes for us to leave. Christophe wrote since that the technical inspection was passed successfully, remains the car registration and "the yellow" will leave for a few months to a friend in Brittany.

During our stay, Thierry also serviced three sewing machines, for the sisters-in-law.
And he brings back two other ones in the trunk, found by his brother at the dump.

And we are again in the Cantal. Here, as soon as you're over a height, you can see the "chaîne des Puys":

There, it is along the road for a last ride before heading back to Normandy.
Sunday, October 26: nice weather!

Our drive goes through the Bès gorges (you know, where there is a small hydroelectric plant we photographed in May 2011). In the opposite direction from the last time the road is even more impressive. But the dizziness does not show on picture.

Then we'll pass close Alleuze castle. It's sunday, there are a lot of people and Thierry wants only me on his pictures, so we won't stop nearby.

Here, it is a little closer but hunters (yuck!) come behind Thierry. And he "digitally erased" a clown in one of the windows (normally, access to the inside is dangerous and forbidden).

Monday 27: voilà, it's over. One last stop on the start to photograph the sea of clouds invading the Truyère valley this morning.

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