Well it’s our final and sad day today in Barcelona. We were up a bit later this morning, partly because we didn’t have any driving to do, but mostly because all our heads were a bit fuzzy from last nights celebrations!!
After brekkie we decided to have a look round Barcelona, and take Curry Thunder out for a final spin.
First stop, the Nou Camp, second stop a big Cathedral, both were pretty spectacular, although the home of FC Barcelona does remind me a little of MK Dons stadium….
Traffic was quite heavy so we decided it was time to get to the scrap yard, as we left the Cathedral the heavens opened and the worst rain (actually the only real rain) we saw descended on Barcelona. The roads soon became like rivers but the thunder rolled on, never missing a beat.
We made it to the scrappy at 2 but it didn’t open till 3 so a quick check of the Tom Tom found us the nearest McDonalds, and after a quick Big Mac we took our chariot back to Hierros Saiz scrap yard. After a bit of queuing and chatting with some of the other Bangers, documents changed hands and Curry Thunder was officially laid to rest. Fortunately her new owners gave us 50 euros for her so that paid for the taxi to the airport and the first round in the bar J
Were all a bit sad to have had to let the car go really, it has been a joy to drive and I’d thoroughly recommend getting a Volvo for that type of journey. Testimony to that I the fact that there were at least 4 other Volvos in the rally, all slightly different but they all made it. Quality!
So were sat in the airport all exhausted but all with a sense of achievement!
Russ also managed to find a new breed of bird that seem to be resident in Barcelona, Monkey Birds…hmmm
All for now, I’ll do the last post tomorrow when I’m back in blighty!
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Monday, 14 September 2009
Barcelona!!!! part two...
Well we made it, Tempsford to Dover to Calais to Nantes to Biarritz and to on Barcelona in a car we bought for £200...superb.
Yesterday was a fantastic day, we drove through the Pyrenese out of France and into Spain. We chose to take the backroads and it was the right move as the motorways would have got us here in just over 4 hours, wheras our journey took 7 hours and the sights were amazing. It also meant that we didnt have to park as nlong in Barcelona as parking tarriffs are bloomin expensive.
The car has held together really well. We started to get a random judder when the car misses occasionally, and accelerating whilst turning left is not for the faint hearted. Turning right is smooooth...
Once in Barca we got checked into the hotel, and then straight out to meet the other bangers, or at least those that made it here. A good night was had by all...beer is definitely cheaper here than in France.
We didnt see any bangers at all during the day but most were at the bar so it was good to catch up and exchange tales.
All in all a great journey was had by all and our next challenge is to get the car scrapped, hopefully we'll get that done later, now though a bit of sightseeing is in order, look out Barcelona, here we come...
Mark.
Yesterday was a fantastic day, we drove through the Pyrenese out of France and into Spain. We chose to take the backroads and it was the right move as the motorways would have got us here in just over 4 hours, wheras our journey took 7 hours and the sights were amazing. It also meant that we didnt have to park as nlong in Barcelona as parking tarriffs are bloomin expensive.
The car has held together really well. We started to get a random judder when the car misses occasionally, and accelerating whilst turning left is not for the faint hearted. Turning right is smooooth...
Once in Barca we got checked into the hotel, and then straight out to meet the other bangers, or at least those that made it here. A good night was had by all...beer is definitely cheaper here than in France.
We didnt see any bangers at all during the day but most were at the bar so it was good to catch up and exchange tales.
All in all a great journey was had by all and our next challenge is to get the car scrapped, hopefully we'll get that done later, now though a bit of sightseeing is in order, look out Barcelona, here we come...
Mark.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Saturday, 12 September 2009
Day three...the day of sore heads...
Day two started well enough, the car seemed to heal itself overnight and most of the knocks and bangs had smoothed out to a constant drone.
We muissed the big off but caught up with a few bangers as we left Nantes, everyone seemed to be raring to go, one team, DILIGAF had reaked havok in the night and sabotaged a few cars. They also had a load of bangers (proper firework types) that they were bombing people with...funny guys, although Im not sure the locals were finding it as funny.
Then we were on our way through endless country, threw a few villages that broke the day up but mostly it was fields and roads, not very intresting.
We stopped at a supermaket to buy a more "french" lunch than mcDonalds. French bread, cheese ham and pate were the order of the day, with added crisps etc to make the meal complete. We stopped of at a truck stop to have our feast and it was a very senic lunch.
Afterwards we headed on to Bordeax where we encounterd a small convoy of a ratted out Golf and a hurst (which was dying ironicly) and we drove for a good few KM with them, we were joined later by some extremly mental scots in a mondeo...lunatics.
Then the big push into Biarritz, well Anglet which is where are hotel is where we met up with most of the other bangers.
After a shower and freshen up we hit the mean streets of Biarritz, and very nice it is too. Our taxi driver, who was driving a brand new merc and wearing armani and a rolex, did his best impression of an F1 driver to get us into town. After meeting with the rest of the teams we headed out looking for food, which was a challenge in itself for 4 English guys, although there is some debate about that...we eventually got a burger and some pomme frites and we carried on drinking. Sadly Taxi's are scarce in Biarritz so we didnt get back to the hotel till after 2.
Day three statrs with a sore head...
All for now.
We muissed the big off but caught up with a few bangers as we left Nantes, everyone seemed to be raring to go, one team, DILIGAF had reaked havok in the night and sabotaged a few cars. They also had a load of bangers (proper firework types) that they were bombing people with...funny guys, although Im not sure the locals were finding it as funny.
Then we were on our way through endless country, threw a few villages that broke the day up but mostly it was fields and roads, not very intresting.
We stopped at a supermaket to buy a more "french" lunch than mcDonalds. French bread, cheese ham and pate were the order of the day, with added crisps etc to make the meal complete. We stopped of at a truck stop to have our feast and it was a very senic lunch.
Afterwards we headed on to Bordeax where we encounterd a small convoy of a ratted out Golf and a hurst (which was dying ironicly) and we drove for a good few KM with them, we were joined later by some extremly mental scots in a mondeo...lunatics.
Then the big push into Biarritz, well Anglet which is where are hotel is where we met up with most of the other bangers.
After a shower and freshen up we hit the mean streets of Biarritz, and very nice it is too. Our taxi driver, who was driving a brand new merc and wearing armani and a rolex, did his best impression of an F1 driver to get us into town. After meeting with the rest of the teams we headed out looking for food, which was a challenge in itself for 4 English guys, although there is some debate about that...we eventually got a burger and some pomme frites and we carried on drinking. Sadly Taxi's are scarce in Biarritz so we didnt get back to the hotel till after 2.
Day three statrs with a sore head...
All for now.
Friday, 11 September 2009
Nantes....the land where the internet doesnt exist!!!
So we reached Nantes at about 6 o'clock after battling thru traffic from the outskirts into the town centre. Not too bad now were here but internet access seems to be pretty scarce, Im currently sat on the fire escape stairs which seems to be the only place I can get an IP address...hey ho, I guess France is not known for its technolgy. Had a meal in town and a few beers after meeting up with other banger teams in the hotel. Seems like most people made it here but we did see a few teams arrive as we ate at about 10.30 so god only knows where they have been or what happened to them. Im sure we'll find out tommorow when we line up for the off on our trek to Biarritz.
Car is doing well but the clutch is still in decline. Its OK whilst cruising but driving thru town is hell...
Enough for now I'm off to bed, after 4 hours driving and 8 hours in total on the road, im bushed. Will update again tommorow, as long as I can find some internet access somewhere.
Mark...
Car is doing well but the clutch is still in decline. Its OK whilst cruising but driving thru town is hell...
Enough for now I'm off to bed, after 4 hours driving and 8 hours in total on the road, im bushed. Will update again tommorow, as long as I can find some internet access somewhere.
Mark...
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