Another trip with the wrong car

Another trip to France with work, again tantalisingly close enough to the Pyranees to imagine just how good it would be to get the Elise down here again. This it was closer than usual being based out of &&&& right in the foot hills, surprisingly working with a guy who owned a Morgan and unsurprisingly sporting a twirly moustache. Anyway the stead for this week was a fiat panda with the aircon option firmly unchecked, seriously I had not realised you could still buy cars without aircon.. Anyway a mighty panda it was, still no rear engined twingo but maybe next time.

So after day one I got the chance to run the col du &&&& in said panda and it delivered the kind if laughs that only a small underpowered narrow wheeled French or Italian hire car can muster. Delicious amounts of tyre squeal were coupled with a moderate amount of grip and predictability from a chassis you could take liberties with if you were feeling stupid, or on an empty col. Fortunately my work colleague and passenger has become accustomed to my driving and was reasonably happy with our progress, only squeaking when we got a bit of air on the way up and having crested  the summit when I slotted reverse, pulled a J-turn in order to do the descent, this time in the rain that had started falling as we neared the top.

Day 2 meant a fast cross country run from the site to Carcassonne on the &&&&&. I say fast, the panda does not really do fast, however what it does do is fun and despite having to let a Leon through who was also "on it" we had a fun time wringing out the petrol engine which was surprising fun after so long in diesels.

No sat on airfrancs to Charles de Gualles with renewed desire to get the Elise back on the road and back to the mountains. The maths on 45p per mile fro. Edinburgh to the Pyranees is interesting..