Cars have always featured heavily in my life, or more to the point in the lives of the men in my life; my Father my brother my husband and son! So imagine an event brimming with exotic cars, historic cars, luxury cars, concourse ‘trailered’ cars ~by that I mean cars, which are trailered in to special events, whose engines rarely turn but sparkle beneath their bonnets like the well-cared for pristine ‘jewels’ that they are!!

And all these cars displayed in one of the most beautiful locations in California, arguably in the entire US and possibly in my opinion, in the words of Jeremy Clarkson ‘in the world’ ~ Carmel California.
An event full of beautiful people displaying their even more beautiful prized possessions……

Affluence spilling onto the pavement, sexy, glamorous and alluring……..even if you are not into cars it is a heady atmosphere.
For me however beyond the ‘glitter and gold’ what is more intoxicating is the shared passion and enthusiasm.

This is a passion that could be found at an entirely different venue, an equestrian event, an antiques show, an art museum but here the passion is for the automobile. Pure delight and avid interest whipped into a frenzy, when a group of people gather from all corners of the globe to froth and exude like a bubbling cocktail, their combined fervor becomes quite intoxicating.

And no one could be more enthused, eyes glowing, than my lovely son James, aided and abetted by his Dad!

How lucky am I to share in their pure unadulterated, joy and passion. In one year to have watched their delight at the Monaco F1 Grand Prix, ‘24 heures du Mans’, the Sonoma Raceway where James squealed round the corners in his Mazda Miata race car and now strolling the ever picturesque streets of Carmel.

A stunning backdrop for an amazing collection of simply stunning automobiles! An event peppered with all sorts of ‘car meets’ and excitement, including the music, margaritas and engine roars at the Baja Cantina car display near Carmel Valley.

James’ knowledge and passion secured him a job working at the auctioneers Bonhams. who had a splendid collection of automobile temptations.

A pre-auction display of automoblia magnificence, hoping to entice the most reluctant of notes from our wallets….

The eloquent authority of the auctioneer “do hurry up ladies and gentlemen, this car will sell to night………..and do I have 2 million? Ahhh yes, 2 million, sold over there, gentleman on the telephone!!!”
For us, our bank notes safely secure, once the hubbub had faded we were able to gasp once again at the simple but breathtaking beauty of the Carmel coastline.

A beauty that never fades or tires but always succeeds in captivating that part of my heart that didn’t get left behind on the cobblestones of France or within the enfolds of an English village………….the gift and joy of travel, lucky lucky me!
Download the Travel Guide Carmel-by-the-Sea, California ~ ideas where to stay, eat and play!