Station Port Gallice, the end of an era.
Meet Christian, the owner of Station Port Gallice.
I know Christian because I have been taking my car to his garage for the last 6 years. Located in Port Gallice with a view of the sea and a beach to his right I can’t think of a more idyllic spot to have a Garage.
The first time I left my car with him I remember walking home from his Garage. Never before had I dropped off my car with a mechanic and then had such a beautiful walk home. My walk back took me along the sea front and past the plage des Ondes.. The views were literally breathtaking and I remember feeling very lucky to live here and also to have been introduced to Christian who is the nicest mechanic I have ever met.
Although he constantly seems literally swamped with work he always has a smile for you and is happy to help if you have any problems. He once came to my aid when I had a puncture outside the Hotel Belles Rives. I called him asking for help and he came straight away to find me and to change my tyre all free of charge. It’s these little things which, for me, make the people here and being a part of this community so special.
Of course I gave him a bottle of quality red wine as a thank you.
Christians story is unfortunately tinged with sadness but there is a happy ending and I know that he will find a happier life beyond his work when he embarks on his new chapter at the end of this year.
Christian was born in Lyon. The first time he came to JLP was in 1978 to work and he instantly fell in Love it. After that he worked in St Tropez for just under 4 years before coming here to Cap d’Antibes.
How many year have you been a mechanic?
I have been a mechanic since 1971 so for 46 years. I began work when I was 14 years old, at that time after you finished school you went straight to work. After a year of training I was offered the chance of an apprentiship in a garage.
Why did you choose this line of work?
No particular reason really, I had to choose something so I chose this.
How long have you had your garage here in Port Gallice?
I have been here for 31 years. I took over the lease on the 1st march 1986
What was here before you opened?
It was already a garage before. The garage here has existed since the 1st January 1968. This was when the first ever lease was issued for this space. It was actually originally an Esso garage. Then when the previous owners left it remained closed for two years until I took it over .
What do you love about your job?
Being a mechanic in this location is something very unique and special. I am very lucky because in Cap d’Antibes there are many old cars from many old collections and therefore I get to work on many prestige cars. This is very rare in my line of work to have so many customers who own classic cars. Believe me I get to work on many many beautiful cars and I mean really, really beautiful cars. This is what I love most about my job here. If I were based in town I would never get to repair and service such a large range of rare and classic cars. In fact they make up a large amount of my work so I am spoiled in this respect.
Is there anything you don’t like about your job?
Yes of course. My problem is that I don’t like things not being done properly. I am a perfectionist and unfortunately sometimes things aren’t as perfect as I would like them to be. This can be frustrating as I hate to fail, when I do something I always want to do it successfully.
Your favourite car?
My favourite car is the Ferrari. I love Ferraris, new ones, old ones, all Ferraris. I don’t really know why maybe it’s the colour, the design but for me they are the most beautiful cars in the world. They have always been my favourite make of car.
Personally I just have a Renault Espace from 1993 and a little Renault Cleo from 2004. These are fine for me. I don’t think I will ever manage to own a luxury car but if one day I could I would definitely buy myself a Ferrari.
What do you love about the Cap?
Everything. Something I love is that when I have a probem with one of the cars in for repair, I take a tour around the cap at 30km per hour. I do this almost every morning, in the summer, in the winter, in the rain, in all weathers. Cap d’Antibes never gets boring for me. When I am testing the cars If it’s a basic problem with the car I drive around the Cap on the coast road but if it’s something a bit more special I drive through the small streets here where it’s quieter and I can hear the engine and listen out for problems. It’s an incredibly beautiful place in which to do my job. I am verylucky.
Sometimes, when I have a little time, I take a walk through the small streets here. For me Cap d’Antibes feels a little bit like my garden.
I have clients who are extremely wealthy and who have a huge amount of money and even they tell me that my garage is the most beautiful garage in the world. You can bring your car to me without any stress. It’s easy to park here and then you can either go to the beach or take a walk along the coast. Where else can you do that while having your car repaired.
I see my collegues in their little garages down little streets in the town and know that I am very fortunate to have this spot here. Of course some days it’s not so easy, for example in the winter when it’s raining or windy, but days like these are quickly forgotten because for most of the year it is so beautiful here.
What do you do when you are not working?
The problem is that I spend 95% of my time working. Since I lost Nadine, my wife, three years ago I have had to do everything myself.
Nadine used to do everything in the office and I spent 100% of my time with the cars. In fact I never stepped foot into the office, not even to do and invoice. So three years ago I had to learn everything from scratch. You can’t make any mistakes with your paperwork as it’s a very important part of a business so admin now takes up 45% of my time. I finish work in the garage at about 4-4.30pm and then I do paper work sometimes until midnight. It’s very difficult for me, the admin side of things.
Since my wife passed away I have no hobbies and no social life. I don’t do anything except work.
You see I had two choices when Nadine died. I could either have stopped working and gone into a depression or throw myself completely into my work until I retire. I chose to work because it’s in my character to carry on and it also helped, and still does, take my mind off of how much I miss her.
Now I have decided that I want to stop working at the end of the year so I am working towards that goal.
In any case the lease is coming to an end, it runs out on the 31st of December, so I think I will stop here at the beginning of October. I could possibly have had the lease extended but I don’t want to work anymore. I am nearing retirement age and I have spent most of my life here working. Now I want to see if there is another life out there for me. I also have three sons so I plan to spend more time with them and the rest of the family.
I will have a little symbolic closing at midnight on the 31st of December when I will come here to lock the doors for one last time.
When is your favourite time of the year?
The springtime, especially May.
What are your plans for the future? Do you have any ideas?
Oh Yes I have many. I will stay in Antibes until the end of the year just to close up and also to help the transition to new garages for my existing clients. At the beginning of October I will stop work and then spend the next 3 months emptying my garage.
I have many long term clients here, and some of them are old now so I can’t just leave them and disappear straight away. To them I am a little bit like a family doctor who they have known and trusted for many many years so I will be here for them if they need me until the beginning of 2018. I have some good contacts who I can refer people to.
After that I plan to go hiking. I will be walking the Route of Santiago de Compostela. It’s a pilgrimage of maybe 1500km on foot through the Pyrenese into Spain. I think it will take me around 3 months. 3 months of being by myself, walking, seeing no one, just me and my thoughts. I am looking forward to that very much.
Who knows what awaits me after that.
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