An Unexpected Surprise

After what seemed like a remarkably quick 1000 miles, filled with minor mishaps, this little panda forgetting all his socks, stop one to get a map which we forgot to buy due to lack of sleep and need of coffee, so a quick second stop to grab a map and were back underway, what could go wrong? 

Well who knew Pete’s car had acrobatic windscreen wipers! 

That’s right the passenger side wiper decided to dismount from our little house, I would have scored it a high nine for style and execution if it hadn’t been for the 70 mile an hour landing, not clean by any means, and the car that probably hit it, well really ruined the flow. So a little dicing with danger on the side of the French roads to patch up the sharp edge left behind, bit of excitement never goes amiss in the mornings after thirty hours awake, that was now grinding a hole in the windscreen, like they say if you cant duck it fuck it. Now this seemed to be a good quick fix to get us somewhere a little less remote and maybe on to our destination, but after a quick consultation with the rest of the team we decided that with the predicted snow, maybe two wipers were really better than one after all.

So as the some of the party got their heads down for a well needed sleep it was down to Ben and I to make a plan, find a garage, try figure out how to say windscreen wiper in French, and get it sorted so we could get some more continental miles under those wheels, and carry in this expedition to Chaminox. 

This is where our unexpected surprise came in, a quick pit stop in Reims, we thought this might be a nightmare but to our upmost pleasure we quickly came across a quaint typically French looking garage, pulling up to see a spanking new and shiny mustang nestled amongst the dust, grime, bric a brac, and history of this quirky little garage. I quickly jumped out, and was greeted by a beaming smile and soft bonjour from a lovely soft spoken lady.

In my pigeon French and with a little help from our new friend we established the problem, and she set her, I presume husband, to work. During this conversation we soon established that they were climbers, and huge fans of Chaminox themselves, with a fine picture of the mountain herself pride of place behind the reception desk. We were invited to take a look around and have a little explore whilst Mr Garage beavered away at the wiper challenge. 

We were a little shocked but also delighted to see a climbing wall built in to their garage, and we soon found out that this was for their own training, and also a friend of theirs who manufactured climbing holds out of the workshop. I think it was meant to be, some god of tooling and climbing offering us a guiding hand and encouraging us to share stories with these kindred spirits. 

Camera in hand I soon began to shoot I couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this! Asking politely I soon was shooting an interview, and a few cuts to throw together a little film a later point, feeling inspired and refreshed it was great to be out the car and doing what I love, getting creative, amazing and surprising location, a story just begging to be told. In the end after a little mix up about which side was the drivers, due to a little continental difference, he had butchered one of the old motors and created us a temporary fix. Sometimes life throws you a curve ball, like and acrobatic windscreen wiper, and instead of getting stuck in a panic and flap, you’re treated to one of life’s little moments that make you stop take it in, and remember why you love being on the road so much. Onwards and upwards in aspirations and altitude.