From Barcelona to Montpellier25.10.2008

Tags: France       Comments: 3

Driving out of Barcelona means getting lost. It wasn't easy at all, so I had to call my host Sergi in Girona many times that I won't make it till 10 pm, and not till 11, and not till 12. Finally he found me a few kilometers before Girona in the middle of a Police check. Half a dozen policeman were having a good time inspecting this machine, something they have never seen in their life. But luckilyk this time no paper was missing, so I could continue, with a flat flat battery. We didnt even try to drive to his home, we rather decided to wake up the "bombers", the fire fighters of Girona. They were happy to help, so we gut leave the solartaxi in the backyard and plugged it in. Then, with sergi and his friends, we were talking till late at night, I went to bed something around 3:40 am.

Yes, it si strange to find the new rhythm again. After three weeks of no driving, I had to get used again to this feeling: Sitting in a little car, fighting through crazy city traffic, and being surrounded by people all the time. It is also very funny to listening to the different radio channels in this world. Now, back in Europe, there are so many radio channels just talking and talking. Hey, I wanted to find music, but that was hard. So when I drove through the night, I kept myself busy and awake with finding radio stations with music.

The next day I had to wake up at 6:50 again, just to find out that the fuse had gone in the night. I was waiting a half an hour next to my car last night just to see that the fuse is not blowing off, so I was confident nothing will happen. But c'est la vi, just a few minutes later the fuse gave out and so the batteries weren't charged in the morning. Okay, we found another plug-in at the fire station and Sergi brought me to an internet cafe. Finally, after Lunch time, we made a little in in the old town of Girona. Little, narrow streets, not meant to be used by cars, nice churches and a river with nice bridges, this is Girona. 

Sergi escorted me all the way till Perpignan. We crossed the Pyrenees mountains and suddenly I found myself in France. In Perpignan, it was almost dark, I decided to ask the fire station for a safe parking. I had already parked here on our test drive in 2006, so it wasn't a big problem to get their help again. Not only for parking, I even got a room, and late in the evening they helped me to fix my charging cable. I went to bed without eating. Just tired and trying to get used to ths nomadic life.

The next day eary morning I left Perpignan in complete darkness and enjoyed one more sunrise over the Mediterranean Sea. I stopped in the city of Sete, where the deputy major found me in the harbour and invited me to show the car at a renewable energy expo that was just going on in his town. So I left the car there in the fortress and walked around in this very nice little tow.

Finally, Montpellier. This big city didnt make it easy at all to find my way to the "place de la comedy". Even finding the waybecame a real comedy, as I often ended up in parking garages with no way out, at least not for a solar car with a trailer. With a delay of half an hour I finally made it, and the Swiss Consul Mr. Aeschlimann and the people form the city as well as the press was waiting. It was a huge crowd in warm sunshine, it seems like the whole city was out there walking and shopping. 

 

 

 

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