Spa ‘22 trip

[Gary Taylor]

Day 1 and We’re here 659 miles from home in the N/E of Scotland down to Folkestone on the start of our mini trip away . We  started in the twilight chilly and fresh arrived in the twilight chilly and fresh and burnt in between 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Not the best day to pop down to the south coast with the extreme heat and certainly as such it took a few hours longer but the cars ran well with plenty of breaks for both cars and peoples. 
So we’re all sat with a cold one and the hollybobs start tomorrow with the Chunnel across to France then over to the cottage we’ve rented at Spa

[Gary Taylor]

Waiting to board Le shuttle 😃

[Gary Taylor]

We’re here 350km today in +40 deg meant plenty of stops …. Then … we arrived in the Ardennes , as beautiful as ever.
Sammy and Trina had got food at one of the service areas and we arrived at the cottage, wow!!!
Both cars ran well with some consideration to the heat and Sammy had a wee detour through part of Brussels, but safely here

[Gary Taylor]

And rounded off today with a cold beer , dip in the pool and a beautiful sunset

[Gary Taylor]

Oops going to be a weet one on track , up to a classic Ardenne storm , absolutely chucking it down !!
Better take a change of clothes for later on !
Hopefully we’re still on to run , it’ll be just like home lol, need to be there in 3 hours time forecast to pass by 11, still if it’s wet no need to worry about the temps !!!

 

[Gary Taylor]

First session done 👍
Eu rouge scare the hell out of you the first time through !
Accelerate from la source catch 5th, 4th as you enter eu rouge then blind into radillion !!!! But awesome
19 deg and Dry is a bonus 👍👍

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Fantastic! 

[Gary Taylor]

And just like that it’s over 🥲🥲
A fantastic day and what an experience  and to top it all off Sammy Taylor did her first ever track day at Spa in the westy , one very proud dad!!
It stayed dry to the last session when the heavens opened , at which point we called it a day ( also almost out of rear pads 😃 )
I’m not normally lost for words but maybe later, just to say Tommy did us proud 👍 ( those that know know)
A few pics from today and hopefully once home some decent video.
Would we come back? Planning it already lol.I

[Gary Taylor]

And some more ….

[Gary Taylor]

No ring tomorrow as we’re visiting friends and getting a set of rear pads lol

Just means there has to be a return trip lol

[Gary Taylor]

So a day behind , lol.

Yesterday we left Coo and headed to Dinant Citadal  and on to Lille.

The morning stint saw as to for fuel and supplies at the local patisserie in Trois Pont , on we pressed and I got into trouble from Sammy as the roads through the Ardennes were unbelievably smooth and twisty, after having a great time I pulled over and waited.

Together again we carried on at a more gentile rate until a motorbike taunted me and off we went enjoying more of the same as he turned off we waved and I pulled over eventually greeted by a shake of the head from Sammy and Trina.

arriving at the Citadel we had our alfresco snack of fresh Croissants , choc au pain and cakes lol

we explored the citadel, cathedral and hired a boat to cruise the river for an hour or so ( did my best captain pugwash impression lol ) then lunch on the riverside beckoned.

Then it was onto Lille where I Han an appointment at Autotechnic for some brake pads , later changed in the hotel car park.

Today we took the train into Paris did the main attractions tour and the Eiffel Tower, now on the train headed to Lille ( delayed 1 hr , c’est la vie )

Tomorrow it’s all go again as we head for Hampshire and Sammy to Carlisle.

[Gary Taylor]

So after getting ing back from Paris at around 2am Monday morning due to train delays, it was a short sleep before a dash to the tunnel, checked in and coffee , delayed 2 hours due to the volume of traffic.
At Folkestone we sorted cars out , had lunch and said goodbye to Sammy who was headed to Carlisle as we headed to spend a few days with family in Basingstoke, so a few days off for Tommy lol, before we head up to visit @Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup) and home Saturday so about another 600ish miles on our travels to go

[Gary Taylor]

So that’s us home and got coffee now ,
The wee fella did us proud, 2730 miles in 13 days, most of it was here to the eurotunnel and meandering our way back. With great amount of fun at Spa Francorchamps and some beautiful roads in the Ardennes.
A load of happy times and memories with Trina Shanks Humfleet Taylor and Sammy Taylor
Here’s to the next euro adventure 😃

[Richard (OldStager)]

Well done Gary 👍, glad you took a load of nice memories away with you. Makes my current mini trip look like a run around the block 😄

[Gary Taylor]

10 minutes ago, Richard (OldStager) said:

Well done Gary 👍, glad you took a load of nice memories away with you. Makes my current mini trip look like a run around the block 😄

Thanks Richard it was a brilliant family trip and not only that we met westy owners along the way.

It really doesn’t matter how far we travel it’s just great to see the cars being used and enjoyed