Day 5: Saint-Émilion rest day, 9 June 2023Photos: gerardbrown.co.ukOn the only rest day of the rally we woke to low cloud,cooler temperatures and bursts of heavy rain. No doubtthe vines loved it as much as the vegetation of theAustralian bush but, for the rest of us who’d become usedto wall to wall blue skies, this was a bit of a shock. Despitethe boules piste in the grounds, for at least half the daywe were pretty much confined to indoor games.There was still work to be done though and thecomplimentary umbrellas from the hotel were put togood use throughout the morning keeping the rain off thesweep crews as they fixed and fettled their way throughthe downpour. Adrian Hodgson and David Gainer’sChrysler Lancer had enjoyed a spot of late night weldingfor a snapped exhaust bracket. This morning the crewwere attending to the rest of their so called “courtesy car”.Josef and Heidi Dillier’s Jaguar had its front wheels offand was receiving attention from Charlie Neale and RussSmith. The brakes were feeling spongy, so the entire systemwas bled and, as a precaution, a new master cylinderordered. It turned out to be the day for adjusting brakes,with Gavin and Diana Henderson’s Frazer Nash-BMW havingsimilar treatment from Jack Amies wielding his spanner.Jack found himself in the thick it, tackling the clutch slavecylinder of David and Jo Roberts’ Jaguar whilst Andy Inskipgave Robert Collinge’s Mustang a good going over.The rest of the crews busied themselves with swappingtyres, cleaning windscreens and checking fluids beforethey packed the tools away and went in search of somedry clothes. With the cars taken care of and the laundrysafely delivered, a trip into nearby Saint-Émilion, aWorld Heritage Site, to sample some of the local produceappealed to many of the crews. For dinner there wasplenty of choice, the Gironde is well known for its foodand bistronomique experiences among the vineyards.www.rallytheglobe.com
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