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Day 2 done. Perfect start to the day with breaky in a picturesque spot. The locals love the cars everywhere we go. It’s been hot, currently 33 degrees. 330 odd miles of fast D roads today. Great fun 😎 just arrived at the F1 hotel in Dole not far from the Swiss border for the night. Shower and off for food somewhere! few snaps of today

At last, the weather and my location have coincided with a First-Thursday-of-the-Month, and I got out with some of the Shropshire and Mid-Wales team for a run out from Criggion to Lake Vrnwy (photos) and over the Berwyn mountains to Lake Bala. And back again, 'cos we could. 120 miles of excellent weather and almost no traffic.... just a few sheep. ETA... thanks for being the Guiding Shepherd, @Nic Chase (NICO) - Shropshire & Mid-Wales AO; great run... must do it again some time soon.

End of day 1. Correction there are seven of us now. (Seven sevens..) What a great start. No delays at the tunnel. Weathers been hot! Few silly teething issues with a couple of the cars but noting that couldn’t be sorted quickly without causing any delays. (Leaky hose etc) 80 odd miles done this afternoon. Currently staying at the Ibis in a nice little town called Douai. Good parking available. Nice French beer. En suite room for a shower etc. We found a nice little restaurant for some grub. Looking forward to munching some miles on day 2. (350 ish miles tomorrow)

I’d treat the Reims reports as a friendly warning from the locals to respect the monument it has become, to the drivers we have lost, and to be careful what videos we post to social media rather than just amongst our mates. Its an amazing place to visit, with only a very small part (room) deliberately barricaded off, as a mark of respect for les Pilotes. Somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for years, a real bucket list item on our trip, for me.

Plan for day 3 Early 6 am start. 260 miles and into Italy 🇮🇹 . Hopefully we will hit the first few mountain passes and get a taster of what’s to come for the rest of the week. We are camping tomorrow on a campsite at the base of Mont Blonc.

Car washed, I’m showered and finally raising a glass to my great ‘playmates’ @Greenstreak-Andy D @Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman & @Stu Faulkner you’ve all been great company and we’ve had an epic trip. Can we do it all again tomorrow ? 🤠

We’re back on uk roads 🥱

Had a really great evening at the Clock Warehouse! Big thanks to @Garry Bunn - Derby & Notts AO for organising and making us newbies to the meeting so welcome 👍

Ready to float home

Stelvio is next level. Perfect for a Westfield.

Finally home

More fuel

Last out on track, but I soon caught everyone up, just watch me stuff that Porsche

The other great myth this sort of situation brings out in spades is the double-whammy of 20/20 hindsight coupled with the fallacy that “things would have been better under a xxxxx government”. The latter point is an absolute and total failure of any kind of reasoning, yet seems to be trotted out ad nauseam by all sides, as well as being believed by many. Whilst a person is more than welcome to believe ‘things’ would have been better, there is simply no way to know that. By definition, it is unknowable. Well, unless one has access to a time machine and the entire multiverse of course. My opinion, overall, Boris didn’t do too bad a job given the way the world went in the past few years. There were a few times during the worst days of Covid where I wondered what kind of person would stay in the role of P.M. I’d have cut and run. And yes, I am well aware that my opinion is of no interest nor value to anyone else, but it's mine and I’m entitled to it. Other opinions are available.

Finally onboard

What really makes me chuckle is the implication that politicians of any other stripe than tory are 100% pure, cleaner than driven snow, above reproach etc etc. I don’t trust a single politician of any persuasion. Never give power to someone that seeks it.

All packed and ready for the alpine passes

Boris should be forever remembered for saving the country from Corbyn. Anything he did after that pales into insignificance. Who now?

Couldn’t agree more, only problem is once experienced it tends to ‘raise the bar’ on other runs / passes, that don’t just quite measure up in the same way. Totally epic trip. Andy

We've not found a permanent solution yet, but we've managed to patch it and hopefully it'll last long enough for the proper solution to be implemented. Do please report any issues here if you come across something odd (forum related, there's not much I can do about the world).

Love it! 👌

Flying the flag on Stelvio!

Yes, it should have been from Düsseldorf to Innsbruck, but unfortunately due to engineering on the line, it was only running as far as Munich, so we had to drive the rest.

We have to get you to your target, and beyond hopefully. Going to accidentally on purpose bump this topic just to keep it up there....

Little update all, now on £245 and mainly thanks to the members on this forum. Thanks again everyone.

Epic trip gents, really enjoyed the pics and especially Bagpuss TV. Nice one! Would need to get some UK miles under my belt (without overheating! 🤣) before braving something that big! Maybe one day, would love to do the Stelvio Pass 👍👍

Have a great day on Sunday, let's hope it cleanses your mind. I can show you where the 'hide' button is if you need to make this advert disappear 😉

Are you using comms between cars? Watsapp live location is a pretty good tool as well if your not already using it. Fair play for going with 7 cars, we had fun at times with just 4 cars in the major cities.

Hmmm - I knew I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to sell it, but I have someone coming round tomorrow morning to have a look. Ahead of this, I spent this afternoon working from home cleaning the Westfield and it has polished up rather nicely - I'm even less sure now. Perhaps a nice blat into Shopshire and mid-Wales on Sunday will cure me of these unforgivable thoughts....

Now Sold, and off to live in Newquay, now to start on the MegaBusa, perhaps I'll just enjoy it for the Summer, then do the work ?

Guess who’s not had brown sauce leaving home😄

And another one

Found a squad of Swiss MG owners heading to the UK. I think we’ve had the better deal.

I don’t think the country was ever in any real danger of being led by Corbyn. I’m certain that even Teresa May would have defeated Corbyn. Corbyn pretty much defeated Corbyn, and rightly so. Let’s not give Boris that much credit.

Pegasus Bridge Museum

Todays the day the cars all packed. A nice English breaky, then time to say goodbye to the pup and understanding other half and we will be off. The weather ahead for the week looks great. The car (touch wood) is running well. I can’t wait to experience the twisty Alps passes and tick a few bucket list items off! I will of course share the route as we go but we are roughly off down through France, down to the Alps and then diving in and out of France, Italy (Dolomites) and Switzerland and a bit of Austria before looping back round home via Germany, Belgium etc. Estimated 2400 miles trip. Day 1 plan. Setting off at lunchtime and meeting the other guys at Ashford this afternoon (they have some miles to munch this side of the pond, Iam lucky it’s just down the road for me) then we’re off to the Euro tunnel from Folkestone to Calais and then a short 80 odd mile drive this evening to the first stop Douai, France. Looking forward to a 🍺 this eve.

Thanks for taking the time to post, it's been an interesting read. Have a good trip home.

Blimey, that went quick didn't it !!!. Well at least it sounds like you had a blast ( in both senses of the word) and a load of memories. Have a great last day and hope the ferry is a smooth one 👍

Morale is starting to dip as we’re heading home 😱 great meal

You’re not the first to notice @Stu Faulkner branded beer

Isn’t this a conflict of interest?

circa 280km covered today. Mixture of dual carriageway, slower villages and empty country roads. Even found some ‘rude’ sun flowers. At our 3rd and final hotel in France. Ordered 4 large cold beers on arrival (what else is there🥱). They managed two pints before the barrel ran dry and the two members of staff couldn’t change it, so two of us got small Bottles of Europop. 1hr drive in the morning should have us at the first war museum.

I think my shorts may run home on their own 😱

quick edit

🤣 Now ya tell me 🤣, could have saved 2 quid there .

From one of my 1st favourite bands to one of my current ones....

I am actually going to spend some time doing the bl**** cup holders tonight!! 😂 all this technology and you guys want cup holders!!

Got ‘007’ our hotel Bar man well trained (nearly as well as Alistair Smiler Jones has @Gail Jones - Shows & Events Coordinatortrained 👍🏼). @Paul Aspden (MoFast) has anyone asked you to make a beer glass holder yet ?

Back at the hotel after a quick run round the village with our Hotel Receptionist 👏