The Italian Job Part 13

At Belfort, we strike lucky again. In the solitary square that wasn’t blasted during the famous siege of 1870 we find top floor rooms in a grand old hotel. As the sun sets over cold beers, we watch reactions to the 3 3-year-old classic. The waiter thinks we’re mad to drive an old car such a distance but most pause to admire Bertone’s masterpiece.

For day two our target is camp C&SC at Maison Blanche, Le Mans and, even using old routes mticmale, the long run across middle France should have us parked up by early evening. We marvel at Le Corbusier’s remarkable concrete wonder, the Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Haut that dominates the former mining town of Ronchamp. It’s heartening to see a DS parked up visiting this 1955 masterpiece.

The relaxed morning route to Langres and over the twisty D428 to Chatillon-sur-Seine is a dream drive. Great surface, rewarding corners, and no traffic are fun in any good car but the GTV is in its element.