So there it was, my 23^rd Le Mans over and done.  As usual, my recollection of the journey to the Hotel Continental at Cancale is a complete blur, I fell asleep before we had left Le Mans town and only woke up again as we neared Cancale, one of my favourite places for post-Le Mans rest and revival!  Allon and I soon settled into our room and I called home at 6.17 pm, so I guess we must have arrived there some time around 5.30, thus proving that there had been absolutely no need at all to leave the circuit any earlier. 

Despite the sleep in the car, I was still seriously cream-crackered and decided to have a nice long bath and a nap before dinner, instead of going out to look for refreshment in the sea front bars. As regular readers will know, I've stayed in this hotel many times since that first visit in 1989 and the food remains just as marvellous as it was nearly 20 years ago, despite the fact that it has changed hands recently.  If you’re looking for a very picturesque stopping-off point before or after Le Mans and you enjoy your seafood, you should give it a try http://www.hotel-cancale.com – and tell the hotelier that Aysedasi sent you! 

We had a typically terrific meal in great atmosphere.  I was, as usual, lured by the fois gras and enjoyed some excellent St. Jacques.  I no longer remember what entertained me, dessert-wise….  But we had a great way to finish the meal.  Before we left Le Cheval Blanc that morning, Madame gave us a very old bottle of calvados which, if I remember the tale even vaguely correctly, had actually been made by one of her relatives many years before.  Our host at the Hotel Continental agreed that we should open and sample our bottle at the end of our meal. 

Now I well remember the days early in my Le Mans experiences in the 80’s when we routinely stayed at St. Symphorien des Monts and ate at M. Le Bigot’s restaurant, Le Rotisserie Normande in Buais.  Monsieur was in the habit of presenting ancient bottles of calvados to Ian.  One year, on our return to his house after Le Mans, we decided to open one of these bottles – only to find that it was completely undrinkable!  I think Ian’s wife Carol was in the habit of using the stuff for cooking! 

So I was a bit wary of this very dark coloured liquid as it was poured for me, but when I tasted it – wow!  It was some seriously powerful firewater, but also seriously good!  I couldn’t help but notice the knowing nod of the head from our host as he tried it – he knew it was good too!  But good though it was, the calvados effectively signalled the end of the evening for me – I was well and truly finished and headed off to bed while some of the others headed off in search of the Cancale nightlife. 

I woke up reasonably refreshed on Monday, assisted by the Hotel Continental’s excellent breakfast followed by a walk out in the sunshine (why does the sun always shine the day after the race?!!). 

We said our farewells to picturesque Cancale midmorning and headed along the coast.  I remained a complete dead loss as each time I settled into the comfortable seats at the back of John’s Range Rover I just couldn’t stop myself from falling asleep.  For some reason my lack of sleep recovery time turned out to be much longer than usual this year. 

We stopped at Granville sur Mer for lunch but don’t ask me what I ate, I haven’t the foggiest idea beyond the fact that it was definitely fish! 

The Monday post-lunch routine was familiar enough as we drove on to Cherbourg for a leisurely visit to the hypermarket followed by the inevitable dash to the ferry terminal for the 4.30 ferry and a sunny but otherwise unremarkable journey back to Portsmouth.  After picking up my car, Allon and I headed back to my home in the New Forest and Allon collected his car and made his way home too. 

So, having now had time to reflect, what can I say about Le Mans 2008?  Well, it was undoubtedly a very good Le Mans and a very good trip.  If we had managed to avoid the rain, it would have elevated 2008 to the very exclusive list of ‘great’ trips we’ve had over the years.  But as to the race, what a corker!  So close to being one of the most spectacular races of all time.  Had it remained dry, I firmly believe that Peugeot could have won it by several laps.  If it had remained just a little drier, we could well have had a grandstand finish on our hands.  But all in all, the weekend was good on a number of levels, the race of course, plus the company – it was great to have Allon on board, just to give him a taste of the ‘alternative’ approach to Le Mans – plus visits to some of my favourite places, with plenty of good food and wine.  Once again, I found the Le Mans ‘bug’ to be just as strong as ever, even after 23 years and 2009 will hopefully see me back at La Sarthe for my 24^th 24 hours…..

POST-SCRIPT

So that’s it?  Well, not quite.  You’ll remember I told of the fate that befell Jeremy and Brian in the former’s Aston Martin?  Well there was a nice twist to the conclusion of Le Mans for them.  (I had been hoping that one of them would provide me with the full details, but as they haven’t, I’ll give you my recollection of it – they can correct me in due course where I go wrong!).

When we left the two of them at Le Grand Lucé, it was on the understanding that nothing could be done to get them on their way that day.  But Ian was determined to try another avenue…..  It seemed a bit crazy that with Aston Martin racing at Le Mans with the competition version of the same car just half an hour down the road, perhaps we could ask if they could do anything to help?  I freely admit that I was pretty sceptical about the idea…..

We arrived back at the circuit that morning (one of the reasons we went back to the garage rouge instead of out to Arnage) and Ian and Martyn made their way down towards the hospitality area at the back of the pits. So the story goes, the two of them managed to stop one of the Aston tyre buggies as it headed to (or from) the pits.  The driver couldn’t help but managed to find someone who thought they might be able to.  It seemed that Aston Martin’s admirable (and thoroughly British!) response to Jeremy and Brian’s plight was that 'They couldn’t possibly leave an Aston owner stranded in France….’!

Back at the ranch (Le Cheval Blanc), the two of them were resigned to their fate.  A flatbed arrived to take the car away as a result of Jeremy’s earlier call, but as the DB9 was being winched on board, the Aston ‘cavalry’ arrived and insisted that the car be removed from the truck, much to the chagrin of the driver!  Jeremy was told that he would have to have both front wheels changed as they couldn’t possibly leave him with unmatched wheels and Jeremy had to ‘make do’ with the top spec alloys as that was all they had!  Plus the new tyres, of course…..

Aston Martin would arrange to have Jeremy’s repaired wheels couriered back to him in England.  When Jeremy asked the obvious question about what he should do with the new high-spec alloys he had just been given, he was told that they didn’t want them back, he could keep them!  So, in the space of a couple of hours, Jeremy had gone from being stranded in France with Brian, without a car, to not only having his DB9 fixed, courtesy of Aston Martin, but acquiring two top of the range alloy wheels (plus tyres) – for nothing! 

What can I say except you lucky b****r!  I really think Lexus should enter Le Mans next year.  If I take my IS200 to Le Mans perhaps I might get the new bumper and wing I need……..