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The 2CV Alaska Challenge

Ten Tall Tales About 2CV's


Tall Tale No.7
The Loveduck

Jose Oostveen, a plucky Dutch girl who works in a London bookstore, has a secret life: every morning after her righteous boyfriend, George, leaves for work, Jose goes online to talk to the real love of her life, LN251, a man she thinks she’s never met. What Jose didn’t know is that her cyber Cyrano is also the dashingly handsome fellow she’s seen driving around town in a Citroen 2CV, the fellow who one day almost ran her over at a pedestrian crossing.

These things only came to light after Jose had arranged a date with LN251. They met in a bistro in Peckham. It was Christmas Eve 1998 and over candlelight and doner kebabs Jose discovered that LN251 was none other than Rob Godfrey, adventurer, poet, novelist, soldier of fortune, philosopher and someone with the crazy idea of driving a Citroen 2CV to arctic Alaska.

In the weeks ahead there followed a series of extremely hilarious misunderstandings, involving breakfast at a famous jewellery store, some stuff with a tiger cub, Moroccan transit papers, and a rusty boat on an African river, until finally Rob gave Jose an ultimatum: the ship sailed for America on Sunday afternoon; if Jose wanted to come to Alaska she would have to meet Rob on Waterloo Bridge at lunchtime.

On the Sunday, Rob waited on Waterloo Bridge for more than an hour, but there was still no sign of Jose. Feeling very sad, Rob climbed into his 2CV to drive to the docks, alone. The sun was setting over Waterloo Bridge. The 2CV’s engine fired into life. Rob let out a loud sigh and glanced up at Waterloo Station. His heart gave a leap, for there was Jose, running towards him. She was dripping with expensive jewellery, she had a tiger cub on a lead, a rusty anchor was hanging around her neck, she had her Moroccan transit papers in her hand. A 30 piece orchestra, that just happened to be on Waterloo Bridge that day, started playing sentimental music as Jose fell into Rob’s arms.


At the very last minute, Jose had made up her mind to give up her job, her boyfriend George, her apartment and her friends to go with Rob in a 2CV to Alaska, where she hoped to find a good psychiatrist; and as with all sweetly sentimental romances, once they get to Alaska no doubt they’ll get married; or there again, they might strangle each other...


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These Tall Tales originally appeared on The 2CV Alaska Challenge web site and remain the copyright of Rob Godfrey.