The nightmare

The nightmare

We landed in Marseille from Malta at 10 to 10 last night to be met by Taxi Union pickets in the taxi area. Our transport had been blocked as in cancelled by them. They told us to rent a car! As many of you will have read, there is a national taxi strike in France right now.

When we finally got the small rental after waiting in line for 90 mins, we could not fit 5 of us in the hire car plus all our bags. So I was left behind in the car car park when Vince departed on journey #1 at 11:20,  to our hotel about 4 miles on the other side of La Ciotat. He got lost on the way there and again on the way back, and did not reach me till 3AM. 

I was still standing in the car park, pacing up and down (with all my bags on a trolley) - to keep warm, fill in time and stay awake! We then got lost for 2 hours trying to drive through Marseille, taking 3 hours from the airport to our hotel, arriving completely wrecked just after 6AM.

Had 3 hours sleep and then it was off to registration, meetings and the street parade of athletes through La Ciotat. The WFF Universe competition is all day tomorrow. This may well be my last covering of events in France. I do not recall a worse nightmare in my filming career.

This is the superbly conditioned and sculptured torso of Bikini Fitness Model from Malta, Sabrina Grima. She is also extremely beautiful but I did not want to give you visual overload! Sabrina lifts no weights! All exercise is done with bodyweight only, doing plyometrics and training twice a day for this competition. She also mentioned that she inherited wonderful genetics from her parents. That helps, along with hard work, and this combination is what makes a champion.

In my extra photo I have included a typical view of La Ciotat. Maybe some of my UK blip friends have been there?