8-9.07.2006 A daytrip on the European Race tracks:
Well this is a weee bit later than hoped for as the events took place way back on the 8th and 9th of July 2006 but only now (today being the 18th of same month) am I considering writing the below. Ho ho ho ho and a bottle of rum, for those to 'mum' to follow the 'hot-rod'run. Just doNOT work out the speed limits adhered to (or not as the case may be).So, saturday morning, very early in the morning !!! like 02:24 am did we rev the engine and depart for Dover. Arriving safe and sound (and not aware of any flash cameras going off) after 59 miles at 03:15 (or so our log keeper wrote down) at Eastern Docks in Dover, to be greeted by "Mr.St. well it is good to see you" Hmm, the girls and I were a bit miffed as I had not yet got out the reference booking number, but the car registration number had sufficed (the effects of modern technology, I ask you - what? ) Still by 03:45 we were loading onto the Norfolkline ferry heading for Dunkirque. After a bit of a snooze, clock forward by 1 hour, we ended up missing breakfast as the kitchen/canteen had closed 30 minutes before arrival time.
Still we amused ourselves a bit by imitating lil'D's grin when he says 'yes' - this has to be seen to be understood, so just consider it as an inside job.07:30 European time then (06:30 UK Time for those not converted yet, but I will not repeat this) we departed the "Rue du petit Denna" otherwise known as the harbour. Reason we noted the name down is so that we could use the "TomTom" on the way back (didn't work as the road name did not exist at the time the "TomTom" or GPS Navigator had been loaded, as we found out the next day). Staying on the "TomTom" subject, the girls advised me NOT to change the voice to a female one as "Dad, you will be guaranteed to get lost". Ok, I carried on driving a bit, so as Rufus could wake up some and get used to the 'wrong side' of the motorway. But by 08:35 (EU Time, from now on) after some 86 miles, we approached Brussels, having skirted Gent, and I thought of taking advantage of cheaper petrol on the continent. Surprise, surprise a Shell petrol station appeared too around 43 km before Brussels on the A10.With a full tank, Rufus let her hair down and made her first (quite good) attempt on the European motorways. In fact she drove so well, several male drivers did a double take when she 'shot past'. Approaching Aachen for example, there was this one coloured guy with french number plates who edged nearer, then back away and eventually overtook only to have a closer look through his rear view mirror at this 'crazy' young driver. ((As an aside, I do believe she learned a few tricks from her old man *wink, wink*. No further dramatics occured, the TomTom worked fine and by 11:13 and another 182 miles, we actually reached our final destination "Caecilienhoehe" in Bad Godesberg...
Quickly checked in, a couple of phone calls here and there, and we ended up driving back to Villip (with me driving this time) to have a bbq lunch at Bine & Gerd (one of my many cousins). Also met up with Babs, me lil' big sis who had come down from Schwerin the night before with her two kids. We stayed there chatting about this, that and most of the other (including feudel swinging - whatever that may have been, probably a confusion betwix engl. and german on mopping up spilled drinks or dusting) till around four when we returned back to the hotel to have a short rest and get ready for the party.
PARTY TIME: hmmm what party? Actually we had done this journey 'cos Peter & Lisa (Peter is another cousin) were celebrating their wedding (having gotten married after about 35 years on the modnay) as well as both their 50th birthdays. The food was good, the music a life keyboard player with a sense of humour (brought life results from the German-Portugese World Cup 3rd place game, which Germany won btw) and some entertainment including the presentation of a unique cook-book with recipes from friends and family for the newly weds, and a weird action game (in which I had to play a wheel of a horse & cart and run around the pretend cart every time got mentioned - made room for some more pudding in the process, so not bad). Also managed to chat very briefly to my direct cousins, but hardly to the next generation ie their kids who were also already in the early twenties, and probably had no idea who these strange people from England were... ... ...
But by one thirty am I think the girls and I were beat and quietly retired to our rooms. The follwoing morning we heard that the last gust departed around five in the morning. Who ever said the Germans don't know how to celebrate ? ...snore snore snore snore snore snore snore snore snore snore snorewell that is how the night went, despite the warm night. Breakfast, ah the joy of an empty stomach, was around nine. Weeee and we were the first guests (nearly) to appear. Cousin P. had reserved the whole hotel for his guests, nto bad, still it only had about 12 rooms so ... Anyway, I was at the breakfast side of things. German buffet style, I managed to get some scrambled eggs and bacon in, as well as toast and jam and toast and jam, or was it nutella ?Checked out by ten, said farewell, and yes you must visit (P&L have promised to do so next year ...) and off we headed. Rufus in the driving seat (all the way I hasten to add for the whole day including detours later on). Past Villip to deliver some wedding cake and off on the motorway by 11:30. As I was the log keeper the follwoing is going to be very technical:12:00 onto the A4 at Kreuz Kerpen, past Micahel Schumacher's go-kart race course. Some three porsche's and a fats bmw overtook us but ... we met up with them at a 12:20 5 Minute petrol stop, yet another Shell station by Aachen. Well having done now some 396 miles in total, the engine could do with some more 'food' too (251 miles since the previous mentioned petrol stop) although only 29 litres were taken on board.12:35 we crossed the Belgium-German frontier, not that there is one really visible, except for the blue sign. At 13:05 we left Liege behind us, continuously following the "TomTom" advise. Unfortunately the machine is not linked up with the police and travel system. So we noticed an unmarked small car following us for quite some time AFTER we had overtaken it. It looked like a policewoman checking up on vehicles, because after about 20 minutes she followed another car before leaving the motorway. By 13:40 with 44203 miles on the clock we hit the Brussles ring road, following signs to the airport and beyond. Fortunately it was fairly easy as the european number of the road did not change, being the E40. Ten minutes round and westward, another 15 minutes and 37 miles, the Gent/Antwerpen crossing was passed. So by 14:30 with 22degC outside Oostende came in sight and the turnoff to Dunkirk at Jabbekke. 14:50 the Belgium/French border was crossed (44300 miles)and the outside temperature started dropping. By 15:!0 the car ferry at Dunkirk was reached, only to be told that they were all fully booked and we would have to wait till our booked boat at 19:00 cam ein. GRRRRR.
Being flexible and a former scout (be prepared!) got Rufus to head to Calais. Maybe the Carrefour was open and we could do oen final petrol stop. But, it started raining, the Carrefour was shut and so was the petrol station! Only the McD was open, but we didn't stop there. Donw to the old Hoverspeed port - also shut and looked very much deserted (wonder if we can stay there overnight at the end of the month...) Onto the car-ferry terminal (it was now 15:30 ish) and (weeee) managed to book a P&O Crossing for just €105 in toto. And !! at 16:30 with 44346 miles on the clock, we managed to board the delayed 17:00 crossing which left at 17:45. Whilst waiting to board the ferry we were thinking on how to catch the World Cup Final between France and Italy (which btw France lost in penalties), the follwoing short conversation could have been overheard in the car:"Daddy, we can listen to the football as I found a channel""Oh good. What channel is it?""I don't know, M something""Oh dear mumble mumble mumble"Still the correct channel was located (M1053 for the football and M648 for the Wimbledon final, just in case you were interested)Dover was reached without much ado after 90 minutes, and by 18:30 we were through customs and passport checks (none in fact) and heading home along the A20. Home was reached by 19:25 with 44406 miles on the clock, to find that the whole family was back too - RJSt. had been to hospital to have arm put in plaster as she had broken (complex) her wrist whilst falling badly at a birthday party and playing hockey.
Still we amused ourselves a bit by imitating lil'D's grin when he says 'yes' - this has to be seen to be understood, so just consider it as an inside job.07:30 European time then (06:30 UK Time for those not converted yet, but I will not repeat this) we departed the "Rue du petit Denna" otherwise known as the harbour. Reason we noted the name down is so that we could use the "TomTom" on the way back (didn't work as the road name did not exist at the time the "TomTom" or GPS Navigator had been loaded, as we found out the next day). Staying on the "TomTom" subject, the girls advised me NOT to change the voice to a female one as "Dad, you will be guaranteed to get lost". Ok, I carried on driving a bit, so as Rufus could wake up some and get used to the 'wrong side' of the motorway. But by 08:35 (EU Time, from now on) after some 86 miles, we approached Brussels, having skirted Gent, and I thought of taking advantage of cheaper petrol on the continent. Surprise, surprise a Shell petrol station appeared too around 43 km before Brussels on the A10.With a full tank, Rufus let her hair down and made her first (quite good) attempt on the European motorways. In fact she drove so well, several male drivers did a double take when she 'shot past'. Approaching Aachen for example, there was this one coloured guy with french number plates who edged nearer, then back away and eventually overtook only to have a closer look through his rear view mirror at this 'crazy' young driver. ((As an aside, I do believe she learned a few tricks from her old man *wink, wink*. No further dramatics occured, the TomTom worked fine and by 11:13 and another 182 miles, we actually reached our final destination "Caecilienhoehe" in Bad Godesberg...
Quickly checked in, a couple of phone calls here and there, and we ended up driving back to Villip (with me driving this time) to have a bbq lunch at Bine & Gerd (one of my many cousins). Also met up with Babs, me lil' big sis who had come down from Schwerin the night before with her two kids. We stayed there chatting about this, that and most of the other (including feudel swinging - whatever that may have been, probably a confusion betwix engl. and german on mopping up spilled drinks or dusting) till around four when we returned back to the hotel to have a short rest and get ready for the party.
PARTY TIME: hmmm what party? Actually we had done this journey 'cos Peter & Lisa (Peter is another cousin) were celebrating their wedding (having gotten married after about 35 years on the modnay) as well as both their 50th birthdays. The food was good, the music a life keyboard player with a sense of humour (brought life results from the German-Portugese World Cup 3rd place game, which Germany won btw) and some entertainment including the presentation of a unique cook-book with recipes from friends and family for the newly weds, and a weird action game (in which I had to play a wheel of a horse & cart and run around the pretend cart every time got mentioned - made room for some more pudding in the process, so not bad). Also managed to chat very briefly to my direct cousins, but hardly to the next generation ie their kids who were also already in the early twenties, and probably had no idea who these strange people from England were... ... ...
But by one thirty am I think the girls and I were beat and quietly retired to our rooms. The follwoing morning we heard that the last gust departed around five in the morning. Who ever said the Germans don't know how to celebrate ? ...snore snore snore snore snore snore snore snore snore snore snorewell that is how the night went, despite the warm night. Breakfast, ah the joy of an empty stomach, was around nine. Weeee and we were the first guests (nearly) to appear. Cousin P. had reserved the whole hotel for his guests, nto bad, still it only had about 12 rooms so ... Anyway, I was at the breakfast side of things. German buffet style, I managed to get some scrambled eggs and bacon in, as well as toast and jam and toast and jam, or was it nutella ?Checked out by ten, said farewell, and yes you must visit (P&L have promised to do so next year ...) and off we headed. Rufus in the driving seat (all the way I hasten to add for the whole day including detours later on). Past Villip to deliver some wedding cake and off on the motorway by 11:30. As I was the log keeper the follwoing is going to be very technical:12:00 onto the A4 at Kreuz Kerpen, past Micahel Schumacher's go-kart race course. Some three porsche's and a fats bmw overtook us but ... we met up with them at a 12:20 5 Minute petrol stop, yet another Shell station by Aachen. Well having done now some 396 miles in total, the engine could do with some more 'food' too (251 miles since the previous mentioned petrol stop) although only 29 litres were taken on board.12:35 we crossed the Belgium-German frontier, not that there is one really visible, except for the blue sign. At 13:05 we left Liege behind us, continuously following the "TomTom" advise. Unfortunately the machine is not linked up with the police and travel system. So we noticed an unmarked small car following us for quite some time AFTER we had overtaken it. It looked like a policewoman checking up on vehicles, because after about 20 minutes she followed another car before leaving the motorway. By 13:40 with 44203 miles on the clock we hit the Brussles ring road, following signs to the airport and beyond. Fortunately it was fairly easy as the european number of the road did not change, being the E40. Ten minutes round and westward, another 15 minutes and 37 miles, the Gent/Antwerpen crossing was passed. So by 14:30 with 22degC outside Oostende came in sight and the turnoff to Dunkirk at Jabbekke. 14:50 the Belgium/French border was crossed (44300 miles)and the outside temperature started dropping. By 15:!0 the car ferry at Dunkirk was reached, only to be told that they were all fully booked and we would have to wait till our booked boat at 19:00 cam ein. GRRRRR.
Being flexible and a former scout (be prepared!) got Rufus to head to Calais. Maybe the Carrefour was open and we could do oen final petrol stop. But, it started raining, the Carrefour was shut and so was the petrol station! Only the McD was open, but we didn't stop there. Donw to the old Hoverspeed port - also shut and looked very much deserted (wonder if we can stay there overnight at the end of the month...) Onto the car-ferry terminal (it was now 15:30 ish) and (weeee) managed to book a P&O Crossing for just €105 in toto. And !! at 16:30 with 44346 miles on the clock, we managed to board the delayed 17:00 crossing which left at 17:45. Whilst waiting to board the ferry we were thinking on how to catch the World Cup Final between France and Italy (which btw France lost in penalties), the follwoing short conversation could have been overheard in the car:"Daddy, we can listen to the football as I found a channel""Oh good. What channel is it?""I don't know, M something""Oh dear mumble mumble mumble"Still the correct channel was located (M1053 for the football and M648 for the Wimbledon final, just in case you were interested)Dover was reached without much ado after 90 minutes, and by 18:30 we were through customs and passport checks (none in fact) and heading home along the A20. Home was reached by 19:25 with 44406 miles on the clock, to find that the whole family was back too - RJSt. had been to hospital to have arm put in plaster as she had broken (complex) her wrist whilst falling badly at a birthday party and playing hockey.
posted by Daddy_Stony at 13:43
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