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REFUGE DU COL D’ALLOS

We start the day with bacon sandwiches cooked in the apartment and sit on the balcony looking out towards the Refuge du Col d’Allos where we will be spending the day with the car.

  • Altitude height at Col d’Allos
  • View of the Refuge in 1949

During the 1949 Rally, some of the Alpine rally drivers stayed at this Hotel and today we drive up with the little blue car to see the view and recreate Betty Haig’s stopping point.

  • Checking out the menu
  • View of the refuge from above
Doug recreating Betty’s viewpoint

We take a video of the car and plenty of photos with everyone having a turn at the wheel. It is very cold up here so we retreat to the restaurant to warm up. Hot chocolate and drinks appear and we watch as the owner prepares the lunchtime menu. The smell of soup makes us hungry (see recipe), so we order several bowls and feel thoroughly warmed up enough to venture back outside. After more photos, we drive back down to our hotel, ready for another evening at the little restaurant in the village. This will be our last night together for a while, as the boys are heading off to Cortina and the Stelvio pass to carry out some time trials with the little car.

Last night at the little restaurant

We choose a lamb dish tonight, with beetroot, rocket and goats cheese – delicious (see recipe on next blog). We have some lovely wine and fresh crusty home made bread, followed by creme brûlée’s and chocolate mousse. We will miss this little place. Tonight the weather is kinder and we walk back up the mountain and finish with a nightcap in the apartment.

We will head off to Macon and Beaune tomorrow and carry out our own tests on local red wine and food.

  • Photo at the Refuge du Col d’Allos
  • Bye Bye Allos
Betty’s team putting the car on to the original van and Doug and the boys push the little blue car on board the bespoke coach that Doug has made specifically to carry the MGTC all around Europe. Au revoir

We leave the Alpes and take the long winding road down towards Macon. We have booked an apartment near to the town so that we can try out the restaurants and wonderful wines from this region.

  • Photo by the river in Macon

This is my version of the delicious and warming soup we ate up in the mountains.

MAGGIE’S MOUNTAIN SOUP

200gm ham hock meat – shredded

420gm tin of white beans (cannelloni or haricot)

1 Litre of chicken stock

Half small green pointed spring cabbage sliced finely

300gm new potatoes

2 thick slices of bread, toasted and cut into cubes

50gm cheese grated (we had comté but cheddar is also good)

Salt and pepper

Cook the potatoes for 20 mins and drain. Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the potatoes, meat and the beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Finally, add the cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat, serve in large bowls and add cubes of toasted bread with the cheese sprinkled on top.

Bon Appetit

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