RB 182
So, a few months ago me and the g/f decided to think about holidays. Now she doesnt like to be in the same place for too long as she gets bored easily, and id already been on a lads holiday to Magaluf in June, so we decided something different was required. A few options were mentioned, then before i knew it she'd booked the Eurostar for Saturday 13th September!
We knew we wanted to do something big, and id heard alot about Barcelona so that seemed an obvious choice to include, but then it got even bigger with Milan being mentioned, along with Monaco!
We booked a cheap Premiere Classe hotel for the 1st saturday night and then looked forward to it!
The final week we still hadnt thought of a route, and everyone including family said we'd never make it to Barcelona, but that just spurred us on! Then, Thursday 10th September the Eurotunnel has a fire! I honestly didt think we'd make it, but a quick call to P&O on the friday sorted us out a ferry
Saturday 13th September we packed up and set off for Dover at 6am
Arriving at a service station near Dover, we had a lovely suprise with the appearance of the engine mangement light! I couldnt believe it, never has it come on before, but as im a mechanic i kind of guessed it was because of the decat, but i thought i may aswel use my RAC membership! The guy came, and comfirmed it was just a lamda sensor that was abit blagged and cleared it
We finally made it, past so many lorries parked patiently waiting, and waited to board. Saw a couple of Porsches and BMWs, all looking 'Ring prepped
We stayed in a place called Remes the 1st night, then decided to travel down to Dijon and onto Switzerland, or Geneva to be precise.
Also, the engine management light came on again - again i suspected due to the decat
Switzerland was freezing, and we felt abit stupid when we didnt even know they had their own currency - the Swiss Franc lol. Luckily they accepted Euros everywhere
Stayed in an interesting place...
The 3rd day, we did a marathon drive - France, into Swizerland then through the Mont Blanc tunnel behind some sort of old French Renault sports car and then down to Italy, few hours in Milan and then onto Nice!!
The views from Mont Blanc were unreal, the tunnel was expensive at 34€ and we were warned about the speed limit - if you speed, they fine you and you have to pay before you leave the other side!
Some in Milan, inc the Ferrari shop - so expensive!!
This was gonna be such a good photo, in Milan this Polo just parked in the middle of the junction, put her hazards on and got out to go shopping!!
The next day was Monaco. What can i say, fast cars, fast boats and gorgeous people!! I think Mercedes must've run out of AMG badges, they were all on cars in Monaco! Had to get one of me on the famous hairpin :rasp:
Next day, we set off for Barcelona - a long way!! Few pics of the journey, and one of a Renault on a trailer - anyone know what it is?!
Now Barcelona is an interesting place to drive...
And there were to Police cars and a recovery truck trying to wrok out how to get the jack under this Audi that was on the deck...
Then, after 3 nights in Barca, we set off for home. Now ever since we got to Barcelona the car had had a rattle. Now this gradually got worse, and by the time we set off on the 1000 miles jouney home, it was really bad, like vibrating through the subframe! But, i knew i had to get it home so we carried on, hoping and praying it'd be ok! You'll see in a few pics what it was!
Few random ones of the journey home, inc some water that got us suspicious as to where it came from lol!!
And now the reason for the rattle - spot whats missing!!
A few to finish it off, the MPG and the total miles covered in one week and one day!
All in all it was one memorable trip! France is a brilliant country to drive in. The drivers are courteous, the roads are smooth, and i saw only one traffic cop!! We had only one 5 minute traffic jam in our whole time in Europe - that was because a Golf was on its roof! If that'd been Britain, the road would've been closed for 10 hours with 31 'Traffic Officers' on the scene! Italy is chaos, and Barcelona is a nightmare!! Mopeds rule the roost, cars push their way through, and the g/f said id turned into one of them by the time we left - dont look just go!!
Our welcome back to Britain was a traffic jam in Dover due to roadworks.
Oh, and one more thing... My Clio only drove them wrong way up the road once in the whole time abroad, about 10 metres... and it was the 1st and last time the g/f drove!!
We knew we wanted to do something big, and id heard alot about Barcelona so that seemed an obvious choice to include, but then it got even bigger with Milan being mentioned, along with Monaco!
We booked a cheap Premiere Classe hotel for the 1st saturday night and then looked forward to it!
The final week we still hadnt thought of a route, and everyone including family said we'd never make it to Barcelona, but that just spurred us on! Then, Thursday 10th September the Eurotunnel has a fire! I honestly didt think we'd make it, but a quick call to P&O on the friday sorted us out a ferry
Saturday 13th September we packed up and set off for Dover at 6am
Arriving at a service station near Dover, we had a lovely suprise with the appearance of the engine mangement light! I couldnt believe it, never has it come on before, but as im a mechanic i kind of guessed it was because of the decat, but i thought i may aswel use my RAC membership! The guy came, and comfirmed it was just a lamda sensor that was abit blagged and cleared it
We finally made it, past so many lorries parked patiently waiting, and waited to board. Saw a couple of Porsches and BMWs, all looking 'Ring prepped
We stayed in a place called Remes the 1st night, then decided to travel down to Dijon and onto Switzerland, or Geneva to be precise.
Also, the engine management light came on again - again i suspected due to the decat
Switzerland was freezing, and we felt abit stupid when we didnt even know they had their own currency - the Swiss Franc lol. Luckily they accepted Euros everywhere
Stayed in an interesting place...
The 3rd day, we did a marathon drive - France, into Swizerland then through the Mont Blanc tunnel behind some sort of old French Renault sports car and then down to Italy, few hours in Milan and then onto Nice!!
The views from Mont Blanc were unreal, the tunnel was expensive at 34€ and we were warned about the speed limit - if you speed, they fine you and you have to pay before you leave the other side!
Some in Milan, inc the Ferrari shop - so expensive!!
This was gonna be such a good photo, in Milan this Polo just parked in the middle of the junction, put her hazards on and got out to go shopping!!
The next day was Monaco. What can i say, fast cars, fast boats and gorgeous people!! I think Mercedes must've run out of AMG badges, they were all on cars in Monaco! Had to get one of me on the famous hairpin :rasp:
Next day, we set off for Barcelona - a long way!! Few pics of the journey, and one of a Renault on a trailer - anyone know what it is?!
Now Barcelona is an interesting place to drive...
And there were to Police cars and a recovery truck trying to wrok out how to get the jack under this Audi that was on the deck...
Then, after 3 nights in Barca, we set off for home. Now ever since we got to Barcelona the car had had a rattle. Now this gradually got worse, and by the time we set off on the 1000 miles jouney home, it was really bad, like vibrating through the subframe! But, i knew i had to get it home so we carried on, hoping and praying it'd be ok! You'll see in a few pics what it was!
Few random ones of the journey home, inc some water that got us suspicious as to where it came from lol!!
And now the reason for the rattle - spot whats missing!!
A few to finish it off, the MPG and the total miles covered in one week and one day!
All in all it was one memorable trip! France is a brilliant country to drive in. The drivers are courteous, the roads are smooth, and i saw only one traffic cop!! We had only one 5 minute traffic jam in our whole time in Europe - that was because a Golf was on its roof! If that'd been Britain, the road would've been closed for 10 hours with 31 'Traffic Officers' on the scene! Italy is chaos, and Barcelona is a nightmare!! Mopeds rule the roost, cars push their way through, and the g/f said id turned into one of them by the time we left - dont look just go!!
Our welcome back to Britain was a traffic jam in Dover due to roadworks.
Oh, and one more thing... My Clio only drove them wrong way up the road once in the whole time abroad, about 10 metres... and it was the 1st and last time the g/f drove!!
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