The 403 Peugeot

I was born in nineteen sixty-eight.

My father was a diesel mechanic.

My mother was a housewife with three young children, of whom I was the eldest.

I remember, we weren't rolling in gold far from it.

We were driving a second-hand Peugeot 403.

We went on vacation to the mountains even in summer because my father couldn't stand nudism or scantily dressed women at all.

This made him aggressive towards our mother who could do nothing about it.

I remember, we often went to the Massif Central even for a weekend or to the Pyrenees for the summer holidays.

The landscapes were truly magnificent.

The five of us slept in the car before my father was able to invest in a canvas trailer.

It was a little more spacious but far from warmer.

I remember these superb torrents of pure water and the gigantic dams that we visited.

The mountains were so beautiful, I closed my eyes after looking at them for a long time to take them with me a little.

When I was eight years old, our parents even took us to Portugal, always with the old 403 Peugeot which held up well, it must be said.

The markets were very colorful with varied and very appetizing fruits and vegetables.

What struck us were these women who carried large jugs which seemed heavy on their shoulders or their heads.

There were also many carts pulled by donkeys or mules.

We felt like we were arriving in another era.

Another time, we even went to Italy, still in a 403 Peugeot with my parents.

We stayed in northern Italy.

I think my father had a mechanical problem with our car, so my parents preferred to return to France.

Really, in the old days, even with a small worker's salary, we managed it.

We always ate our fill.

And we had simple hobbies.

Playing football in a schoolyard like we did with our little neighbors.

Or spend the afternoon knitting or crocheting or sewing to dress our dolls.

Board games also had a big place, especially card games, or checkers and we took great pleasure in having fun together, all together and not at a distance like nowadays.

Here are some memories from my childhood.

My father left his 403 Peugeot very late, in the 1980s.

She was part of his life for a long time.

It was a good car, although outdated, but my father was very happy with it.

She was a good driver.

A good road car, the 403 Peugeot!!!!