24-31.07.2006 Vattenfall Cyclassics (Part 1 of 3)
Well at long last here are some of the memories of that eventful, annual, event (grinch at the double wording there, don't).
Having hired, as awlays a nice long, over 7 metre long in fact, 6 berthed camper-van, including a agrage to accomodate 4 bikes, and having had it delivered (for a change) on teh sunday afternoon - good thing too as the owner brought it and scraped the rear trailer support (yep, it also had a small Clio attached, what a convoy) going up the drive. But we weren't scheduled to depart till monday afternoon as our ferry from Dover had been booked for around 18:30. So had plenty of time to load the van, and for lil' David to go brrrmm brrmm in the driver seat. But by 15:30 we were set - we being myself (the donkey always names itself first, a German saying), Rufus, Bex, Debs, and Jessie. Well, almost set. As one does, when one hits the road (gently now) through ones mind goes the check list "Have we got everything, tooth brush, towels, check, kids, check, food check (not quite as we discovered later on), Ha shopping list, not check. So Bex ran back whislt I checked and discovered it shortly, fortunately Bex had not gone too far and I managed to shout her back, not that she was slow just I was quick in locating the list. A very important list, as it contained all the things 'the boss' wanted bringing back. Finally on the road and no further comments to make really. Worth mentioning thoughw as the "Flood Sign" on the M20, and Kent is in a draught with hose-pipe ban ... ... ... And also the van's motor was really good, well what does one expect from a Mercedes (?) so that we reached dover in literally 70 Minutes. After checking in and parking, we wandered over to Burger King for a small bite, and very critical comparison on how BK works behind the counters (cleanliness, people wise ect) compared to McDeees. Also, on board the P&O Ferry "The Pride of Burgundy" no dramatic events occured, except w eturned our clocks forward by one whole hour - talk about time flying by.
Having arrived in Calais though it was time to make use of the cheap petrol and fill the van up with diesel. Only, where was the petrol cap? PANIK!!! But after several phone calls (good thing we have 'handy's' now) it was located hidden behind some cladding behind the passenger door. As it was still 'early' only being 21:30 (European time, note) it was decided to head up and on, in through Belgium, past Jabbeke by Oostende, round to Antwerpen clearing the ring road there in five minutes (record time) and then out to Eindhoven, finding our regular stop near Turnhout for the night by midnight. Whilst I was driving the girls watched the dvd "Madagascar" so as not to get toooooo bored.
The following morning, being a tuesday, we discovered that we had left behind the tea and cornflakes for breakfast. (Not sure if the tuesday had anything to do with it though). It was a good thing the petrol station close by also had a small super market where the girls bougth som ebutter for the roles we had along. And by 08:40 we were "off on the road again", through Holland in 35 Minutes and into Germany by 09:30, through the Ruhrgebiet and onto the A1. A toilet stop around 11:20 in the Tecklenburger Wald, and a diesel stop in Sittensen, rolling into the Autohof there on the last drops by 13:30, replenishing the 80 litre tank. So in good spirits and recognition of the area we trundled into Ohlendorf by 14:00, to be received with two flagpoles outside our residence for the week, one flying the Union Jack, and the other the German National flag. The day was rounded off in the evening with Jessie, Claudia, Bex, Holger and I doing a short 20 km bike ride. (Distance is all relative - misquote Einstein).
Having hired, as awlays a nice long, over 7 metre long in fact, 6 berthed camper-van, including a agrage to accomodate 4 bikes, and having had it delivered (for a change) on teh sunday afternoon - good thing too as the owner brought it and scraped the rear trailer support (yep, it also had a small Clio attached, what a convoy) going up the drive. But we weren't scheduled to depart till monday afternoon as our ferry from Dover had been booked for around 18:30. So had plenty of time to load the van, and for lil' David to go brrrmm brrmm in the driver seat. But by 15:30 we were set - we being myself (the donkey always names itself first, a German saying), Rufus, Bex, Debs, and Jessie. Well, almost set. As one does, when one hits the road (gently now) through ones mind goes the check list "Have we got everything, tooth brush, towels, check, kids, check, food check (not quite as we discovered later on), Ha shopping list, not check. So Bex ran back whislt I checked and discovered it shortly, fortunately Bex had not gone too far and I managed to shout her back, not that she was slow just I was quick in locating the list. A very important list, as it contained all the things 'the boss' wanted bringing back. Finally on the road and no further comments to make really. Worth mentioning thoughw as the "Flood Sign" on the M20, and Kent is in a draught with hose-pipe ban ... ... ... And also the van's motor was really good, well what does one expect from a Mercedes (?) so that we reached dover in literally 70 Minutes. After checking in and parking, we wandered over to Burger King for a small bite, and very critical comparison on how BK works behind the counters (cleanliness, people wise ect) compared to McDeees. Also, on board the P&O Ferry "The Pride of Burgundy" no dramatic events occured, except w eturned our clocks forward by one whole hour - talk about time flying by.
Having arrived in Calais though it was time to make use of the cheap petrol and fill the van up with diesel. Only, where was the petrol cap? PANIK!!! But after several phone calls (good thing we have 'handy's' now) it was located hidden behind some cladding behind the passenger door. As it was still 'early' only being 21:30 (European time, note) it was decided to head up and on, in through Belgium, past Jabbeke by Oostende, round to Antwerpen clearing the ring road there in five minutes (record time) and then out to Eindhoven, finding our regular stop near Turnhout for the night by midnight. Whilst I was driving the girls watched the dvd "Madagascar" so as not to get toooooo bored.
The following morning, being a tuesday, we discovered that we had left behind the tea and cornflakes for breakfast. (Not sure if the tuesday had anything to do with it though). It was a good thing the petrol station close by also had a small super market where the girls bougth som ebutter for the roles we had along. And by 08:40 we were "off on the road again", through Holland in 35 Minutes and into Germany by 09:30, through the Ruhrgebiet and onto the A1. A toilet stop around 11:20 in the Tecklenburger Wald, and a diesel stop in Sittensen, rolling into the Autohof there on the last drops by 13:30, replenishing the 80 litre tank. So in good spirits and recognition of the area we trundled into Ohlendorf by 14:00, to be received with two flagpoles outside our residence for the week, one flying the Union Jack, and the other the German National flag. The day was rounded off in the evening with Jessie, Claudia, Bex, Holger and I doing a short 20 km bike ride. (Distance is all relative - misquote Einstein).
posted by Daddy_Stony at 09:57
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