Drama

Meadow Brown, Maniola jurtina - head on See more detail here.

I went out in the combi today, ostensibly to photograph Bee Eaters.

So, I topped up with oil - very important for a 40 year old car - but I think I overfilled it. You see there is a quite long gooseneck into the filler for the oil, I dipped the oil, it was just below max, but I don't think I allowed for the oil still coming down the gooseneck.

Si I arrived at the motorway exit where a guy was faffing around, so I overtook him, he then started accelerating *tw*t* then the power started fading as I passed him - he refused to let me get into the inside lane and he undertook me - I struggled to the motorway exit and the combi just died in front of the péage barrier.

Now, I have friends who think the world is peopled by ar*seholes - I don't share this belief, I think that generally people act with the best intentions when they can - naïve maybe, but I prefer to think that way.

So, there was I at the péage barrier with a dead combi - I waved people away from my line as I went to speak to the people on the other side of the speaker (this was an automatic péage) - the woman answered and said that she was in Bordeaux (300km away oop norf), but she'll see if she can get someone to push me into the carpark.

When the combi ground to a halt it let a huge billow of smoke - it looked like it was coal-fired ... oooh, dear I thought to myself ...

I then saw a guy approaching, who had seen that I was in trouble and had parked up in the car park - "jump in" he said, "I'll give you a push.

He pushed me into the carpark - I thanked him and we chatted for a while - he was a combi fan ...

I decided to wait an hour and let the combi cool right down then if nothing happens, I'll call the rescue wagon - I had a fridge with cold water and chocolate, to help me ruminate the cost of being towed away back home - 50km away, the insurance only coughs up 180€
I then started calculating the cost of a new engine, searching for a cliff to throw myself off in the flat Lauragais plains.

Anyway after an hour I gave it another go - a Spanish couple then came over and asked me if I needed help - offering their jumper cables on their car so that I didn't run the combi battery flat trying to start it.

The combi coughed and spluttered then let out a stream of smoke like a blue red arrow aircraft - the Spanish guy then came thumbs up and wished me a safe journey - brilliant.

So, on the way back to Toulouse, I just felt that every Kilometer travelled was a kilometer won - I didn't expect to get back home, but I did ... it was smoking away as I changed down the gearbox, but we made it.

Tomorrow I will investigate - I think, and I hope, it was just too much oil ... Time will tell, as Bob Marley would say ...

They will never read this, and I will probably never see these two helpful people again - but thanks guys :))

Hope your Saturn's day was a good one!