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On Sunday 14th August, the inaugural Broughtons Grand Tour began at
9.00am with Chris and Louise Morgan crossing the start line at
Stoke Park Club in Buckinghamshire, in car number one. And so began
five days of touring through some of the most beautiful scenery in
France before reaching the final destination of the Hotel de Paris,
Monte Carlo.
An early start was the order of the day and whilst we enjoyed
breakfast, the cars were prepared with ‘LONDON – MONTE CARLO’ rally
stickers and checked for the five days ahead. Then 32 cars, two 4x4s
and one technical support vehicle set
 off in convoy for
Eurotunnel. Going through the tunnel was quick and efficient and
within half an hour we had arrived in Calais. We drove towards Rouen
and stopped off at an old disused railway station and stock yard to
solve our first clue: ‘I am a trailer, it’s black and white, what
colour am I?’. After puzzling for 20 minutes or so, we continued on
into the afternoon and arrived just south west of Paris, after a
long day, at the stunning Chateau d’Esclimont near Chartres. After
checking in, we all met for a Mumm Champagne reception in a setting
overlooking the beautiful gardens. We sat down for a fabulous six
course dinner and as we got to know our fellow competitors,
reflected on our first day of the GT:05.
Monday 15th August
With maps, instructions and clue sheets in hand we sped off to find
and solve the first clue of the day: ‘This clue hinges on the
stationary red and whites. How many Golden Gun toting villains are
hiding here, 007?’ We continued on into the more remote French
countryside, surrounded by miles of vineyards. With the stunning
scenery and open roads, for many of us this was what the Grand Tour
was all about. Lunch today was in the very picturesque village of
Chablis. After a tour around Domaine Laroche with its historic wine
press and shop, we were treated to a fabulous lunch whilst sampling
some of their fine wines. We then travelled on into the afternoon
towards Dijon for our second evening’s accommodation at Chateau de
Gilly, where all 32 motor cars parked in a line outside the front of
the Chateau. A fantastic sight in the evening’s setting sun.
 Tuesday 16th August
After breakfast in the beautiful high-arched ceiling restaurant, we
were soon on the road in the direction of Lyon, driving through the
Beaujolais region to find the extremely pretty Chateau de Pizay.
This chateau, which dates back to the 12th Century, is surrounded by
130 acres of vineyards and 75 acres of oak forest. Lunch was served
within a tree-lined garden with the sun streaming through the
branches and leaves. A beautiful setting! Back on the road we
stopped off for clues en route towards Chateau de Faverges, our stop
for this evening.
Wednesday 17th August
Everyone was keen to get on the road this morning, as today we were
crossing the Alps. We left the chateau in glorious sunshine and
drove through some of the most amazing scenery on winding roads
which led us high up into the mountains. Some of the roads called
for close concentration as they were, at times, extremely narrow
with sheer cliffs plunging down to mountain streams below. We passed
through some incredible tunnels carved out of the rock, which looked
remarkable in the sunshine. Wednesday night was spent at Chateau de
Taulane, another 18th Century Chateau surrounded by beautiful
gardens, a golf course and woodlands. As we sipped cocktails on the
terrace, we took the opportunity to view some of the photographs
taken of the tour so far. Then it was time for dinner and a hardened
few lasted well into the early hours of Thursday morning.
Thursday 18th August
Breakfast was eaten watching the rain, but it had cleared by the
time we got on the road. Thursday’s lunch destination was Le Mas
d’Artigny, high up in the hills above Vence, with stunning views of
the Mediterranean in the distance. Following a fabulous lunch and a
walk around the gardens of the hotel, everyone was eager to set off
down to Monte Carlo. We had a little battle with the afternoon
traffic, but soon arrived at the fabulous Hotel de Paris, parking in
Casino Square itself. Some of us spent an hour or two in the very
elaborately decorated bar before the Gala Dinner later that evening.
 A warm summer’s
evening on the Cote Jardin Terrace was the setting for our champagne
reception and superb five-course dinner. Whilst enjoying our main
course of rack of lamb, the most incredible firework display took
place across the harbour. It was the finals of the annual
International Firework Competition between France, Spain and Monaco
– truly spectacular. After dinner it was time for the prize-giving.
At the end of the five days it was a great pleasure for Robert
Foster (Managing Director of Broughtons) to announce the winners of
the inaugural Broughtons GT – Chris & Carol Krzak and presented them
with the GT trophy. Second place was awarded to Jack Hamilton and
Jamie Jamieson, and in 3rd place were Denis Bowden and Gill Graham.
For some it was time to walk across the square to try their luck in
the famous Monte Carlo casino. A fantastic evening was had by all
and again, it went on into the early hours, ending up at the Hotel
de Paris for drinks and fond reflections of the past week.
 Friday 19th August
A few tired faces made it to breakfast whilst many took a walk
around the harbour enjoying the glorious sunshine. It was then time
to say warm-hearted farewells to many new-found friends as we headed
our separate ways. Several chose to stay on in Monte Carlo for a few
more days whilst others were back on the road to other areas of
France before making their way home.
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