Club members (L-R) Dean Anderson, John and Jane Caldwell, Lise Schmidt, and Jack and Erlinda Shotton. (left)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2017
RECAP AND PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BARONE
Reporting on our impromptu ‘color drive’, Dean Anderson (DS21), Jack and Erlinda Shotton (DS21), John and Jane Caldwell (2CV Charleston), Herb Grika (2CV, Barone’s white one) and Michael Barone and Lise Schmidt (2CV Dolly) enjoyed spectacularly fine sunny weather last Sunday, perfect for an afternoon drive in the countrywith at least one 2CV top rolled all the way back. Most of the group gathered first at the Shotton’s home in south Minneapolis, and then caravanned out to Prior Lake to meet up with our newest Citroen Club members, the Caldwells (who purchased Desmond Whitney’s car, at a good price, too!).
John had been having a bit of trouble with the “new” car running rough, not idling, etc. It turned out that the idle-jet had come out of the carburetor, though fortunately it had dropped down onto the pan below the engine and was retrieved). Jack waved his magic wrench and screw-driver over the scene and all was put in good order quickly.
We then headed down to New Prague on country roads, and in New Prague we pulled into a parking lot to decide on our next destination. There we encountered a family from the Czech Republic/Slovenia who now live in Edina and recognized our cars from their life in Europe, but they had never seen any Citroëns in the States…and certainly not five all in one place. While the adults tried out the comfy back seat of Jack’s beautifully restored DS21 (the Jack Zimmerschied ‘memorial’ car), Barone gave the couple’s teenaged son a manual-transmission lesson in Dolly as they drove around the near neighborhoodthe kid at the wheel and who knows whether we might entice them all to join us for some future gathering.
Suzette’s Restaurant in Jordan, MN is going to require a return visit! (right)
Though Herb had to return to Minneapolis to connect with a prior engagement, the remaining crew then headed to Sponsel’s Orchard for an afternoon refreshment (ciders are ‘in’, in case you haven’t noticed), and then north to Jordan and Suzette’s Restaurant www.suzettesrestaurantmn.com. I think Chris Caille had recommended this place (European-infused cooking, run by a Cambodian family and a Swiss-trained chef), and I’ve been thinking about making this a destination for a ‘drive’ for about 20 years. Well, we finally made it, the food was excellent, and we can recommend a return visit! Our young hostess told us that she’d been working at the restaurant since age three, originally folding napkins!
It was a super fine day…and we’re sorry that more of the Citroën Club were not available to respond to a last-minute alert and participate.
Learn more about the Citroen Club of MN at CitroenMN.com