Day 1 - Dead & Buried car getting hot!!

After testing the water pistols we headed for Calais, got caught behind a fellow contestant at passport control, we went round them 10 minutes later they were running and back in the queue... the ferry crossing went quickly, Heath drove the car off the ferry managing to get the car nearly sideways due to wet conditions, arriving at Calais we headed for the Auchen Super Mache, then on to the Formula one hotel (I think we all decided we would never stay in one of these ever again...), due to previous Rallies they took all passports and told us too be quiet and orderly, we are struggling with this request.


We went for an evening meal at one of Cushions favourite restaurants and had a good meal washed down by a couple bottles of local red... then off to registration where we met a lot of other competitors, all propping up the bar at the Holiday Inn, all went horribly wrong when we forgot the planning meeting over a bottle of port...

Looking out the hotel window this morning, a little dark and overcast, the car park littered with Bangers, the restaurant was a buzz with like minded soles discussing strategies and swapping stories so far, met a team who had made it to within 20 miles of Dover in a old Mercedes estate they had to leave it on the side of the road due to overheating.... straight into a local Loot magazine they managed to buy a XR3i cabriolet and are praying for a good trip...

Off to the start, what a turn out approximately 200 cars, the realisation that some of the participants have spent days and days on preparation made our virginal attempt seem lightweight.... Ah next year we can be bigger, better.... the planning should start now..... check out some of the photo’s.

Stopping for lunch at Le Petit Pasteur at Chålons-En-Champagne we had a truly fantastic meal, this was true French cuisine that only delayed us 3 hours..., the in Spartacus’s dribble....Angelino took over driving, drove too fast and the engine started overheating, I’m back at the wheel nursing her back into shape..... we travel over the Alps tomorrow so we need to make sure the overheating is not a problem... we will buy a new overflow bottle cap to feel a little easier and watch the temp gauge which has been bouncing just above the N (nearly in the red) and below the M in NORM....

Cushions has been doing a great job with the photography, he may very soon be known as “5 snaps H”, unfortunately when the stickers were made the window ones spelt the name Cusions, hence the “H”...

Due to the lunch delay and the overheating we’ve turned into the sweep crew and with 2 hours to go till we reach our destination we have just past a Austin Maxi cruising at about 60 mph....
Looking forward to propping up the bar tonight a late night Port Planning meeting and tomorrow....

Angelino