France Voila travel and French tourism, canal cruisers, boating on the canal du Midi

By Dawn Eleanor Ramsay (many thanks to Mark Rimmer)

It's a warm September Sunday. As we approach the ancient French town of Angouleme, the autumn sun shines on the stone of the ramparts of the old town as we climb the steep hill. Nearing the marketplace we search for a parking spot, not easy this close to the cordoned-off streets. Most spaces are taken by a plethora of classic and exotic cars... names such as Lamborghini & Bentley sitting next to Triumph and Simca, Plymouth and A.C. all polished to perfection.

"There, up that ramp by the entrance to the market- can you back up?"
He looked, "yup!"
Being a nervous passenger, I looked too. "There is someone be…. "BUMP" behind you!" What an arrival! Luckily, both cars were fine, it took only a heavily accented, "Je suis idiot"- the classic "I’m an idiot" style apology on the part of my brave driver to extricate us from the scene. We made the tour around the square- and the spot was still there! Good Luck! We were off to the races in good time.

Already, the cafés were packed, my favorites at the corner of the square: “Le Chat Noir” and “Blues Café” out of the question for finding a table. Tables there were mostly filled with men in racing outfits, smelling slightly of fuel, finishing their beers! We walked past the Hôtel de Ville and as the smell of hot engines grew stronger, found a seat at the tourist café at the corner. We were in the sun and the sound of both rapid French over loud speakers and revving engines compensated for slow service in ambience.

It is the racing that we have come to experience, as here you do much more than just watch! This all was part of the 24ème Circuit des Remparts (Ramparts Historic Car Race), hosted by Angouleme, the biggest city in the Charente. A fabulous mix of French hospitality and international racing! Twenty Euros (gallantly paid by my brave English friend) bought an " all area access " pass and soon we were admitted past security to the Pits. The historic cars from around the world were presented with the ease and sense of history that only the French could pull off. There were sports & racing cars from the early 1900's to present day being prepared for their race. Most were worth thousands, a few over a million. Most are privately owned, their owners from all over the world sharing a common bond - racing on one of the few remaining street circuits in the world!

As an American, I am new to all this. To me, it looked like a re-enactment of a 50’s movie! I had dressed in my chicest outfit and cool demure- looking forward to a day of glamorous car racing. I walked amongst the automobiles as they waited their turn at the starting line. I spoke with racers, seated in their aged and fragile machines. I admired the craggy look of the drivers, helmets in hand, or already on as they lined up in 2 straight lines while the previous race finished.

At the noise of the highly-tuned engines starting and the echos off the buildings from the loudspeakers announcing the next race, the crowd in the Pits moved to one of the temporary stands. Everyone eager to see a dozen Bugattis, stripped of elegant mud guards & spare wheels, being driven hard in competition. These historic cars and drivers were there for the fun of it all. The tense anticipation of most racing events caused by the pressure to win large prizes for sponsors was replaced by a genuine excitement to race well-loved cars and perhaps the search for attention!

In the Pits, it is possible to see the racers return- cars hot & ticking, the smell of hot oil competing with the smell of cooking coming from street stands and pavement cafes. Listening to the crowd would give you little clue as to your location. The event attracts fans from all over Europe. However the backdrop of the event, the atmosphere and attitudes are uniquely French.

As I wandered through the cars, many drivers were pleasantly enjoying being admired. None too youthful, most drivers seemed thrilled to be behind the wheel, with admirers circulating amongst them. All were eager to share the moment, and I enjoyed the random comments about how the time in the pits was the best part of the day- thanks to the women milling about the cars. At slightly over 30 and still single, I am always willing to accept an appreciative comment!

All too soon the weekend's events are over and it’s time to leave. Soon the crash barriers and stands will be taken down. The historic cars, in most cases, will be driven many hundreds of miles to wherever they call home. As we drive away from town to the French countryside under a reddening sun we pass three 1920's Bentley Tourers on a last leisurely evening run - hard to believe that a few hours earlier these big cars were sliding sideways inches from formidable stone walls.

How easy it has been to become a fan of the sport- pleasant exchanges with interesting drivers, beautiful cars that are obviously the result of great care, attention and hard work, plus revving engines and high speeds on crooked streets. For those of you who are already devotees of historic cars, racing or both, I am assured you will “ooh and ahh” over the list of participants boasting full classes of Aston Martins, Bugattis, and Frazer Nash. Mixed classes based on engine size too, my favorite being the late 50’s and early 60’s autos like the Lotus 7, Porsche, and Austin Healy.

The history of the Angouleme race is also interesting. The 1st race was held in 1939 with 10 participants, I imagine that crowd control was unnecessary! I like to imagine an unsuspecting grandmotherly type stepping out to the boulangerie and being surprised with a Bugatti racing toward her full tilt! (Sick sense of humor, I guess!).

The second race wasn’t until 1947 due to WWII. That race was attended by Eugène Martin who later transformed the Frazer Nash to a racing car and René Bonnet who helped create the Citroen front-wheel drive. There were other breaks in the continuity of the rampart races, 1951 when the F1 rules and a new organization called halt on the races until 1955 and then again from 1955 until 1978. In 1983 the race was finally brought back to life as a venue for historic cars. It has taken place each year since, with the exception of 1989, and now holds the distinction of being the last race of its’ type with only Monaco and Pau as contemporaries offering high-speed, French, city street racing.

I was told that my companion dreamt that night that in his garage stood a large, powerful car, it was September 1939 and tomorrow it was Saturday.....race day. I guess my outfit wasn’t that glamorous after all!