Massive rain showers beat up our Nissan Navarra during the 600 km spin we took today to go to Col de Turini and back. On Col de Turini it was snowing hard. Luckily our Nissan is 4X4 and we had winter tires on, so the gendarmes allowed us to continue to the Col without chains. The Monte-Carlo in these winter conditions is the real thing : AWESOME !

Photo 1 : Luceram (last village on the way up)
Photo 7 : Our colleague from British television
Photo 8 : Will these guys win the 2014 edition of the Monte-Carlo. Keep checking Turbo Magazine website in the next hour !

Today the Monte-Carlo took us to the region of "les villages perchés". Turriers in photo 1, near our first ss today and Bellaffaire in photo nr 3 after ss8. 

We had some rain in the morning, some sunshine in the afternoon and lots of wonderful landscapes and villages all day long.

Security in Barcillonnette on ss9 in photo 7. Lots of respect for these guys !

The name "Bellaffaire" inspired me to a Ladies Special during the regroup in Digne-les-Bains on two co-driving ladies and one event hostess.

Enjoy. Signing off. Hoping to be able to go to Col de Turini tomorrow.

Yesterday's post today : no internet due to Neuville crash yesterday evening

Photo 1 - 3 : our little house in Sigonce, before we put in our luggage

Photo 4 : breakfast

Photo 5 & 6 : early morning start to ss3. SNOW SNOW SNOW on Col du Negron

I will add some car pictures of ss3 when I get home. Internet is still very slow.

Photo 7 : 7 km of 4x4 off-road to get to a splendid vantage point on ss5. It's a first for Joost :-)

Photo 8 : Awesome weather : RAINSHOWERS all day long. Photo gear soaking wet, clothes soaking wet, car soaking wet, gendarmes soaking wet. Speaking about gendarmes : nothing but respect. They were dropped at 5 am on this vantage point with no car, no shelter whatsoever and they were relieved from duty at 5 pm. 12-hour freezing cold water shower for these guys.

Photo 10 : Respect once more. Marc Duez realising a top 20 time in a (crazy) rear wheel driven Porsche.

Photo 11 : Joost enjoying himself

Today's headlines :

Chris made us some delicious sandwiches. Thx Chris. Unfortunately Joost ate all but two. 

Once we left the highway (photo 1 and 2) about 80 km out of Gap, we almost ran out of fuel. Panic ! Luckily we found a gas station in the village of "Mens" (photo 4). Left with just 3 liters of diesel in the tank, we just escaped at being stuck in the middle of nowhere. In photo 4 we discover Joost's new best friend : the lady of the gas station.

Notice the "Parking réservé aux motos" sign in front of Maison de Retraite in photo 5 ;-)

The weather forecast was spot on. As you can judge from the landscape photos we had no snow, no sun and plenty of rain showers.

At the accreditation centre, we had to put HUGE stickers on our Nissan Navarra.

More tomorrow ...

Packing my gear to head off to the Monte-Carlo Rally tomorrow morning at 6 am !