We are in Brittany. The sky is low and grey, the wind sharp off the Atlantic. The road here is narrow, lined with hedgerows and stone walls. We were only a few kilometers out of Morlaix when the steering pulled to the right. A flat tire.
I found a driveway just off the main road. It looked like the entrance to a farm or a private yard. I called a French chain that specializes in on-the-spot tire repair. They didn’t come to where we were parked. They asked for the tire size and gave us a quote: 1021 euros. That was for two new tires.
I called our insurance company in Portugal. They said they would call back with a referral. We waited.
A man came out of the house. He told us we couldn’t stay. I explained about the tire. He looked at the motorhome, then pointed across the street. “There’s a garage there. They can help you.”
I crossed the road. The sign read TMC Meka, Canisy. The mechanic there checked the tires. He shook his head. “The damage is worse than it looks. You need two new tires.” He fitted Michelin motorhome tires. The total was 400 euros.
We saved over six hundred euros because a neighbor wanted us to move.
The phone rang. It was the Portuguese insurance company. They said they could tow us to the nearest garage. We looked at the mechanic and laughed. We were already there.
The Jack does it again
A few days later, we parked in a small camping area near Saint-Goazec. The ground was uneven. We put down the Linnepe leveler. The front right arm had given us trouble before. It had been fixed twice. This time, it wouldn’t retract.
I got the jack and raised the motorhome just enough to free the arm. I locked it in place. Just then, a Finnish motorhome pulled in beside us. The driver got out, saw what we were doing, and came over. He knew the system. Together, we got it sorted.
A motorhome from Portugal and a motorhome from Finland. The extreme south and the extreme north of Europe, meeting in a small camping park in Brittany.
We see God in these moments. Not in a loud voice, but in a knock on the door. In a neighbor who points across the street. In a Finnish traveler who stops to help. In the small details that work out, just when you need them.