Two years ago I was on holiday in Normandy in France and there I happened to drive past a very small village, St.-Christophe-Le-Jajolet. This little village has a small church devoted to Sint Christoffel, the patron saint of travellers and, of course, motorists. Every last Sunday of July and first Sunday of October a lot of motorists meet there to have their cars blessed by the vicar. On a wall inside the church are many plaques on which people thank Saint Christopher for protecting them.

But the most wonderful part of the church is the outside wall that has been decorated with several exceptional paintings. The most beautiful is of course the one on which Saint Christopher blesses an antique racing car. I don’t know if it’s a well known make or an "artist’s impression". The radiator emblem is a shield on which again Saint Christopher has been depicted. Unfortunately the paint of this true work of art is starting to disintegrate slowly, despite a glass plate that has been bolted in front of the painting. The glass and the dampness are also the cause of the ugly spots on the photograph.












photo Rutger Booy

October 27, 2002