We take a look back at our driving holiday to the south of France in 1965 and compare it to the same trip in 2009. The distance from Calais to Nice is about 1228 KM,mbt scarpe, or 767 miles according to my 2009 Michelin Map.
Once upon a time, many, many years ago in the summer of 1965, I set off with three other 18 year old lads on what then amounted to the motoring holiday of a lifetime, an adventure which most 18 year olds would laugh at nowadays but which was then something quite intrepid.
In fact, motoring down to the south of France in a tiny little Hillman Imp was looked upon as being pretty much akin to going down the Amazon in a dugout canoe with only paddles for propulsion, but for those who dont go back that far, the early 1960s were times before package holidays took off,http://mbtscarpe002.webs.com/, literally I mean, and people tended to take holidays in seaside resort B&Bs here in the UK.
Of course we could entitle this article “Vive la difference” because it is so much different now, in so many ways. The distance remains the same of course but thats about all, so allow me to transport you back in time to the summer of 1965 when we four lads had just finished our “A” levels and were intent on having a fun holiday before starting university in the Autumn.
We had somehow managed to “persuade” my mother to lend us her cherished and nearly new Hillman Imp for a few weeks, though in reality we basically sucked up to her shamelessly until she finally caved in and gave us her blessing after having made certain that her little car was insured up to the hilt, of course.
The Hillman Imp,mbt vendita, which was introduced to compete with the Mini isnt made anymore, but it was a nice little car with an 875 cc rear mounted engine and the luggage space (what there was of it) at the front. It was designed to seat 4 smallish people for short journeys rather than 4 strapping six foot lads with tents and copious amounts of other luggage, some of which was left behind for the return trip.
In those days we were all based in Bakewell, in the heart of Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park, but we will cut to the chase, save to say that our trip to Dover, about 245 miles was thankfully without incident, and we made it to the port in one piece.
The ferry crossing from Dover to Calais had been gruesome by any standards,http://mbtprezzi.webs.com/, and looking back, that may have been one very good reason why very few Brits took their cars to France,http://mbtvendita.webs.com/! I remember it was crowded and full of people being ill all over the place, and it was sometime during that journey which made me wish that sea sickness was a terminal illness! We discussed it later and all came to the conclusion that it was far worse than being on the fairground Waltzer after consuming 3 large hot dogs and copious amounts of beer, and as I write I can still feel the motion of that dreadful boat coming back to haunt me.
Calais, when we finally arrived, was but a smallish town 45 years ago, and we were staying in an hotel for the first night courtesy of my dear old dad, bless him. Now it large and sprawling and is the busiest passenger port in Europe.