“This year, we have an English crew and a French crew,” lists Delphine Rouet, the manager of the Relais de Barbezieux. “It’s always very nice to talk with them. And we try to adapt, we know that they leave very early in the morning, come back late in the evening, come for a nap in the early afternoon.”
A Belgian gave them the virus
Jean-Michel and Monique Chabot, 75 and 70 years old, have been hosting crews for about twenty years in their home in Val-des-Vignes. “This is the third time we’ve hosted the pilot Nicolas Philippe and his teammate, a duo from Nantes,” explains Jean-Michel Chabot. “It’s helpful, and for us it’s great, it immerses us even more in the event. They tell us about their flights, and we see them getting ready, analyzing the weather, the forecasts, the routes on their computers, it’s interesting.”
Oriane Peronnaud even entrusts her entire house in Éraville to two crews. “And I stay with my grandmother, who lives very close to the organization’s headquarters. Since I’m also a volunteer, it’s practical.”
For many, this welcome every two years has created beautiful friendships. Dominique and Marie-Luce Allemand have also been making rooms available in their house in Plassac-Rouffiac for twenty years. “We first welcomed Hungarians, then Belgians. It was Gerrit Herman, who later became Belgian champion, who made my son Kevin and I fly for the first time. And that’s where we caught the bug.” Kevin Allemand is now a professional pilot and flight director for the European Cup. “For a few years now, we have been hosting Frédéric and Bernard, from Rocamadour, who in turn welcome us to the Rocamadour meeting. They have become friends, we always bring each other regional products, we exchange news between events.”
