French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

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C7Steve
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French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by C7Steve » Tue Sep 01, 2015 9:03 pm

Frolic Frolic 2015 Diary

Week Two



Day 8 Thursday 20th August

Orange - Châteauneaf-du-Pape - Orange

The second rest day I had reserved for Kathy to do as she wanted. Yes, you guessed it, we went shopping. This was my first rest day even though we were one week into the holiday. We had a leisurely walk into town mid-morning and generally had a relaxing day.

This is a typical side street around the town centre.
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Market day.
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Kathy bought a small handbag and then we went and had brunch, which consisted of salad for Kathy and a pizza followed by a banana crepé with chocolate sauce for me.

We then walked to the stunning Roman Amphitheater which holds around 10,000 people and is still used today for operas, plays, and music concerts.
More information here http://www.theatre-antique.com/en/disco ... tre-orange

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Orange tourist train.
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Roundabout.
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After the mid-day heat we went back to the hotel for a snooze.

Some of the boys were doing their own sightseeing.
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Spotted Simon filling up.
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Later we drove the short distance south to Châteauneuf du Pape and went wine tasting.
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"Are we there yet?"
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"Hurry up, I'm thirsty"
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"Just leave me here while you go to Lédenon tomorrow"
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The tasting and informative talk by our host was pretty good. He started off by opening a bottle of wine, pouring himself a glass, giving it a swirl, a little sniff and then taking a sip, swirling it around his mouth before swallowing it down his throat. "It tastes very good", he said. The next sentence had everyone in stitches laughing. "You have all come for the wine tasting, yes?" "Well you have now seen the wine tasting, so b****r off". We tasted a few and they were all really good, but buying any to take home would have been a bit pointless, as we had no spare space.

Upon return to our Ibis base for the week there were rumours of a topless car wash around the back of the hotel, so a few walked round to investigate. Campbell with his top off was not what we were expecting to see.

'Detailing Team' in action.
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A quick shower and change of clothes were had before we all headed out to the centre of town again for the evening meal. Tonight we managed to find a Moroccan restaurant down one of the side streets as the ones in the main square were full tonight. After our meal had finished, I decided to step outside for a little bit of fresh air. I literally bumped into Mr Moncrieff who had flown in to join the group for a couple of days. Campbell had picked him up from the airport and this was a surprise addition to the group. It was then a short walk back to the square for a couple of drinks.



Day 9 Friday 21st August

Orange - Lédenon - Monaco

Today was Gary's birthday and I would like to see how he is going to better it next year after todays events.

We purchased a birthday card before we entered foreign shores for obvious reasons.
A Mont Ventoux cycling top and a SKY water bottle were bought to accompany the card.

We got the Frolic Troops to sign their names.

Lédenon circuit is only a short journey from Orange.
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After the drivers briefing Gary and myself had a small chat with Claude (from Lotus On Track) and he was telling us that Lédenon was probably his favourite track because of its technical areas. He warned us to take it easy at first to avoid coming off. Kathy came out for the siting laps again and I was a touch nervous going out for my first session after listening to Claude, then hearing about a few offs within the first few minutes of the track opening. Sport Mode was selected and I promised myself to take it easy and not come off the track too. One of our group was visibly shaken after following what he thought was someone who knew the lines, but the only line that he ended up following, was into the gravel trap. A few laps by myself at a moderate speed and I started to really enjoy it, as long as you remembered what happened after the blind spots. First uphill was blind, but a small pylon in the distance was a marker that this was the longer section before the next bend. The next blind was to hide a steep downhill which was easy enough to work out, but I was glad that none of the other cars ever spun before my decent downhill. The next blind uphill had an orange cone as a marker visible just after the crest and this reminded me that it had the shorter section compared to the first. So it was "pylon' for 'keep your speed up' and 'orange cone' to get ready to 'brake for the corner'. The next tightening corner near the end of the circuit was a bit tricky to judge too and it was more by luck than skill if I ever got it correct. It was then a cool down lap and back into the paddock car park to catch up with the others. A few tips from Gary regarding positioning in the first corner and I was keen to go back out again soon once the car had cooled down a bit. A few pax laps with Mike were going good until we smelt something burning, but thought it was coming from the car that we had just passed on the main straight, as the smell disappeared just after. A few more bends were passed before we spotted a marshal running towards us and waving his arms. We thought that someone had spun off at first, but when we looked around we could not see anything of note. The marshal then pointed to us and then to his fire extinguisher that was being carried on his other hand. Mike slowed down and took a slip road off of the track, I of course was faster than any Lotus "In and out challenge" and was expecting the rear of the car to be engulfed in a ball of flames. No such drama though. We were then informed that flames were spotted coming from the rear of the car, but not from the exhaust. A slow trundle around the access road back to the others and Mike was soon looking for the source of the sessions setback. Once we got back to the paddock, Mike joked that I was out of the car before we had even seen the marshall, but you know how some stories grow arms and legs for effect. A couple of loose bolts were tightened (cannot remember what the item was) and the matter was resolved. A two hour break for some lunch and a Lédenon t-shirt was purchased too. The afternoons session was driven with the traction control off as I preferred it like this. Nothing much to mention at all, just a little twitchy moment which was self provoked to see the outcome. How much people that would have spun-off if all the marker cones were removed was intriguing and I could only imagine what it would be like to race here at Lédenon.

Kevin, Gordon, George.
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Wristbands held aloft for track clearance.
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Kinger having fun.
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Campbell leading the way.
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On the main straight.
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Gary on the steep downhill.
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Stu getting his kicks terrorising another passenger.
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Lesley and Kenny with the Zenos (Moke Edition :) )
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Dave.
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Mike looking where the leaking fluid was coming from. (Spots accumulating on the rear clam)
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Stu changing the rear brake pads.
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Having a good time on a technical track.
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Stu, Dominique, Neil.
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Craig, Dave, Mike.
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Gary, Donald, Campbell.
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We packed up just after 16:00 and planned to set off before the others and was going to have a relaxing drive along to Monaco.
We wished everyone else heading back to Orange an enjoyable time of what was left of their holiday and thanked them for making ours.

Password required before being allowed to leave.
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After arriving in Monaco we passed our hotel and drove back in a loop looking for somewhere to park. As we were driving along the road in slow moving traffic, a Rolls Royce stopped and the driver took out his phone and took a picture of us. I later learned that the troops were just behind us as we entered the sovereign city-state and the same thing had happened to them. When we came up to the hotel the second time we spotted Pauline and Catriona leaving the hotel and heading for the bright lights. Hotel de Paris was there destination and we agreed to meet up soon after finding somewhere to park and freshening up, by the way of a quick shower. I later found out that our hotel had a multi-storey car park built underneath, but it only had two floors out of the nine for guests, the rest were sold to the locals. Some of the cars had obviously been sitting around for months on end because they were covered in dust and would have looked more at home sitting in a farm barn.

We were soon all in Casino Square which was buzzing with nearly everyone taking pictures of the surrounding buildings and nearby cars.
A nice Porsche 991 GT3RS.
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I hasten to add that every car was spotless and not a touch of trackday rubber marbles were to be seen. I joked how Stu should take his car down and change his brake pads right in the middle of the medley, that would have made a cracking picture.

Two rounds of drink (one was cocktails) in the hotel were consumed along with a small selection of mixed nuts.
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We then took the short walk past the Casino and had a lovely meal in Café de Paris, after reserving a table earlier.
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Cocktails taking effect.
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From one cocktail to another - Stu's Prawn Cocktail starter. (Café de Paris Style)
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Burning off the alcohol from my Crème Brûlée.
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A cracking location and we were last to leave again, but we managed to avoid walking back to the adjacent building and 'putting it all on red'.



Day 10 Saturday 22nd August

Monaco - Col de Turini - St-Etienne de-Tinnée - Guillestre

Gary, Pauline, Kathy and myself had a little walk through Monaco in the morning. It was very humid and we did not venture very far. A little shopping was done by Pauline before we returned to our hotel via the nearby car park and were on our way once again. I say on our way, but we had to drive around the F1circuit while we were there. It would have been rude not to. I mounted the GoPro on top of the car for future playback of the mornings drive. Gary led the way around the circuit and it felt surreal after watching the racing on television for years. I tried to imagine what it would feel like in a F1 car around here and it's no wonder all the drivers love this place, it must have sounded epic with the older engines and exhaust sounds reverberating amongst the tightly packed structures. I lost count of the amount of people perplexed and photographing the 211. Ferrari and Lambo cars are two a penny around here and it's a crime that's how some of them spend their life. Back to the street circuit had us turning around the hairpin and a quick blast through the tunnel was enough to stand the hairs up on the back of your neck. The next bit was a bit confusing and I did not recognise it at first even though we were on this street one hour ago. I thought Pauline was wanting something else from Zara, but it was only that Gary had taken a wrong turning. A quick 'u' turn outside Zara and back down towards the harbour before driving throw Casino Square and we were back to where we started.

Marina, small part of F1 circuit, swimming pool.
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Stu was down to the fumes in his fuel tank and a petrol station was the next place we sourced on the SatNav. After filling up we decided to put the fabric roof on our car because the clouds were dark and a shower of rain looked imminent. It was only a light shower and it passed by in no time at all. We stopped a few miles up in the hills and had a relaxing breakfast, well that was until a guy in his 50cc scooter decided to drive back and forth past us a bit to much for our liking. Soon afterwards we were heading up the Col de Turini with the others out in front. We all stopped higher up and myself and Gary drove into the car park and joined the tail of the group. A quick toilet stop and we were on our way again after the usual 'thumbs-up' sign to say you were ready to go. I waited until Kathy had tightened her harness straps before setting off seconds behind Ali, Neil and Stu. From our position within the car park I noticed that the last car had left the car park and had turned right, so we followed suit. We were soon amongst thick cloud with Gary following behind and then we came across a one way sign to our right and a no entry sign on the left. The road changed to a single lane as soon as we passed the signs and the road surface had also deteriorated into something resembling a goat track. The next thing we know was that we were travelling at about 10mph in the thickening fog following the car in front, but it was not one of our group. Confusion set in a little and I wondered where the road was where the others had turned off. After a few km and no sign of any other junctions, I had a funny feeling that we were heading all the way back to the no entry sign. Sure enough, a quick look at the SatNav screen after zooming out our position resulted in a purple loop right back to where we started. The car in front eventually pulled in to the side and let us past and we were then back at the car park where we had last seen the others about thirty minutes ago. The penny dropped as I could now see what had happened. Ali, Neil and Stu had turned right as they left the car park and on to the main road, but they did not stay on it, instead they had driven across it and down a completely different road. Lesson learned about paying attention to the details. The next few miles were absolutely brilliant and Gary and myself were having a great time, but our passengers were probably not.

Col de la Bonette
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We stopped at a small petrol station just before our destination for the day and filled up with Sans Plomb 98. A guy on a motorbike came across and said how he was admiring our cars and asked where we were going next. We were all heading the same direction, so he asked if he could follow behind and watch the cars on the road. He did not stay on our tails very long while we were having a spirited run down the hill, but he caught up again in a few miles once we slowed down upon entering the village. I waved him alongside and he told me that he could not keep up because his brakes were overheating. He then pointed to his GoPro camera and told me that he had filmed our descent together and if I gave him my email address, then he would send me the footage later. Upon finding our hotel for the night, we spotted the others sitting outside having a drink to relax. They had only arrived just before us, so we had made up some time after the earlier Col du Turini mountain circumference detour.

I then went to the bar and spotted some large looking glasses on the top shelf and bought the boys a beer.
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They were then filled to the brim and it was a welcome thirst quencher. A quick shower and a short walk to the village centre for the nights evening dinner. We were also last to leave again and only noticed that it was time to go home when the staff switched the lights off. A short steep walk back to our hotel and it was time to hit the mattress again.



Day 11 Sunday 23rd August

Guillestre - Briancon - Col du Galibier - Col du Télégraph - Epierre - Albertville - Ugine - La Clusaz

A few were due to get up early in the morning for a Metafit workout, but only two turned up and none of them was the instructor for the class. A small run was taken in place of the cancelled exercise while I was out packing my car for the day. I looked across to Stu's car and noticed that his tyre appeared a little flat, but it was hard to tell for certain as it was located within a small pothole. A quick check with the pressure gauge and it recorded that it was indeed low on air. I went up to tell Stu the bad news and he mentioned that he thought he picked up something on his tyre the day before because he heard a strange sound coming from that corner. It transpires that a small countersunk screw had punctured the tyre and after a fill up of air from the small 12volt compressor it was noted that the air was escaping too quickly to be a slow puncture. Removal of the offending screw and it was replaced with one with a thicker thread and a little squirt of some high temperature silicone was added to plug the gap, which seemed to work at first. We all had breakfast and left soon after as the air seemed to be holding within. A new route was taken direct to Briancon missing out the Col d Izoard to avoid any recovery if required. Not long after driving off, Stu pulled over to fill the tyre with the small expanding foam stuff you get. We stopped at Briancon and the tyre seemed to now be holding pressure.

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Since it was a Sunday nothing was open suppling repair kits for a tyre, so we planned a new route ahead.
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A nice run over the Col du Galibier and Col du Télégraph was to be enjoyed by us all.

Gary and Pauline having a laugh.
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Stopped for a sandwhich and a patisserie.
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Yes Ali, I think Neil has just realised how bad that DFDS jacket is that Catriona is wearing now.
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We were soon on our way again when disaster struck, Stu's tyre shredded while driving on the motorway. I accelerated to the front and signalled to Ali to pull in and stop at the Aires rest stop which was signposted ahead. Stu had to get the car off of the motorway first before his rescue vehicle company could attend to the car. Stu and the car was transported to a small village called Epierre and we set off to find it after hearing where he was.

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The tyre could not be repaired at all and we decided to all drive to our destination for the night, which was La Clusaz. It was getting dark by now and the light rain had left the roads damp as we drove towards Albertville and then on to Ugine where we encountered a strange set of detours through and beyond the city. They all seemed to intermingle with each other, but Ali soon selected the correct route ahead while his new passenger could probably not really see a thing, considering he was wearing a blackout visor on his helmet. It was a good drive up the mountains towards La Clusaz and I was having a great time following the 211 on the twisty narrow road.

We stayed in a rustic skiing lodge called La Ferme and my dessert was sensational.
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A few jars of sweets were also passed to us after we had paid our bill.

We were last to leave the dinning area again, but we were not asked to leave this time since we were all staying downstairs.



Day 12 Monday 24th August

La Clusaz - Thones - Annecy - Dijon - Troyes - Reims

La Clusaz.
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We were slightly delayed in leaving this morning, but it was more important to help Stu source a set of rear tyres to fit his car, as getting an Avon ZZR in that size would have been very unlikely. The team were on the case using phones, tablets and laptops to source some new boots. Even the premises telephone and a guest having their breakfast helped in. You name it, we tried it, from local garages, Lotus dealers, Lotus forums were all sent out an S.O.S. Eventually tyres were sourced and they would be delivered the following day. The rest of us packed up and got ready to go. A quick check of my oil and I noticed that it was much blacker looking after four trackways activity, so a short call to Craig was made to see if an oil change could be booked in on our route home through Edinburgh. It was at this point that we went our separate ways, with Neil and Catriona heading east towards Vienna and us heading to Reims. The Champagne tasting which was planned for the afternoon would now be hard to do, but we still had time in the evening to see what could be arranged. Stu on the other hand had to endure the luxuries of La Ferme in La Clusaz. It's a hard life sometimes.

Very wet driving conditions to Reims.
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The motorway driving towards Reims was treacherous at first with heavy rain, lots of standing water and thick spray from the cars ahead. We could hardly see and were down to 40mph at times. I pulled into a service station for a rest-bite and a hopeful break in the weather. Our luck was in and the rain soon stopped and we were on our way again with the roads drying up within a few miles of setting off again. We arrived in Reims within a few hours , but the SatNav was lost for once as we were on a new section of bypass roads and temporary displaced. Our hotel for the night was on the outskirts of the city, but looked brand new and had secure parking. We all got the lift up to our rooms which were located adjacent to each other. A small cry of 'Jacuzzi' upon entering our room had Pauline fooled for a few seconds. A quick freshen up and we all jumped into the pre-arranged taxi to take us to the city centre and a recommended restaurant. Starter with Champagne, Main with Champagne, Dessert with Champagne, Coffee with champagne.

Another lovely dessert.
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The bill was asked for, but more Champagne was required first. My last glass seemed to evaporate while I had turned to my right to talk with Ali, but I think the person sitting to my left called Kathy had everything to do with its disappearance. The Champagne tasting competition appeared to be a success with Kathy and Pauline succeeding on sampling pretty much every bottle on offer. This was not really a problem since they missed out on the one bit that they were looking forward too. Next time we will arrange the whole day to fit in the relevant arrangements instead of trying to squeeze them in when everything is tight. Sorry girls.
Guess what, we were last to leave again.



Day 13 Tuesday 25th August

Reims - Amsterdam Ferry

A good nights sleep was had before we were up and all having breakfast together. A last minute decision was made to make a small detour and visit the old grandstand located just out of the city of Reims.

Photographs at Reims circuit
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After a couple of hours drive, I noticed that I required some more fuel. A quick surge up to Ali and I pointed to the relevant road sign. I stayed in front and moved to the inside lane, but I was approaching an articulated vehicle and decided to pass it by as I thought I had plenty of space to do so. Unfortunately there were three of them tailgating together and I did not think of just pulling back to where I was previously. Instead the manoeuvre that followed was straight out of the television programme Police Camera Action, and this resulted in me slotting in between trucks one and two before edging out on to the service road. It was not a quick manoeuvre as I had to cross the chevrons and was wary of the impeding large bollard which came to my view at the last minute. Not one of my best driving decisions and as I entered the slip road I received a fly-by and a wave from Ali in the 211. We all met up again at the next service station and had a small lunch in an outdoor picnic area. Our cars soon gathered attention with a group of tourists busy taking videos and pictures with the recording media on the end of a 'selfie stick'. We were soon off again and driving on a very wide section of motorway, with five lanes spread across our side of the road, but the outer two being pretty empty. We all noticed a Lotus Elan (1990s model) and they were pretty excited to see us driving in convoy. A quick top up with fuel at the petrol station immediately outside the ferry terminal and we were soon in the lanes of queuing vehicles. A Lotus Evora was spotted a few cars ahead and Ali went to speak to the driver before we all entered the ship up its angled platforms. Getting the front splitter past the initial step was nerve wracking at times and the 211 looked like it it was slowing the embarking cars following behind. Pretty soon we were lined up and ready for some alcohol refreshments once more. I nearly forgot about not setting my car alarm and it was not until the audible beep-beep was made that I was reminded by Ali of the sign to our side and the swaying motion of the ship out at sea which could cause the alarms to activate.

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We arranged to meet up in the 'Sky Bar' again. but this time it was called the 'Mermaid Bar' as we were obviously on the second ferry this time. A few drinks were had while watching the kite surfers on the beach and the passing wind turbines out at sea before going down to the Blue Ribband Restaurant (same name this time though) and we had our last meal together. No trip to the ships Columbus Club for us tonight and we all retired to bed. On the way downstairs we got a text from Stu asking for some Duty Free goods.

Duty Free One of two Vodka Skulls.
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Tonights room had a bigger window for the sea-view but we were in Bunk-Beds this time.



Day 14 Wednesday 26th August

Newcastle - Jedburgh - Edinburgh - Aberdeen

We missed breakfast because we were not hungry and had a long lie for the second time, that is if you call an extra half hour in your bed a long lie while on holiday and we text the others to say so. I also text Stu to ask him how far up the road he was and his response made me raise my eyebrows as he was home already. Bloody hell Stu, that was some drive. Seventeen hours in pretty much one go. I then packed the bags in our car and waited for the levels below to disembark before we could leave ourselves.

Alis car was drawing attention again.
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We were soon all off with Gary and Pauline taking the direct route home, but Ali and myself decided to take the A696 road through Jedburgh before stopping at Craigs for the oil change and also to meet Stu to give him his Duty Free items. We then said farewell to Ali and drove round to see Brandon at MMC as my indoor car cover had arrived and it made sense to pick it up while in the area. We got a tour of the new workshop and a summary of the alterations taking place at the various stages. Kathy had her eye on the lovely black Evora GTE and it did indeed look good with its wider track and body panels. Last stage of the journey was Edinburgh to Aberdeen and as you could imagine, these miles flew by after what all we had driven over the last two weeks.

Unpacked the car and layed everything out to see how much stuff we managed to take away with us.

Kathy's items. (Packed very tightly you may agree)
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My items.
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SatNav information at the end of the trip. (Removed when on track)
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Car mpg was not a concern. Smiles per mile wins every time. Running low, fill it up was the best philosophy and I felt that the larger tank is not really required as we were usually stopping every two hours anyway for a snack or a small rest. Two tanks usage a day and three for a track-day were about average. Soft-top conversion was great and it was only on for overnight parking, security when stopping, keeping the leather seats from becoming too hot and long motorway slogs. Air-con was good for keeping your feet cool on track and when the humidity was higher than a comfortable level. Kathy even had the heated seat switched on during a run over one of the Cols. The car was always warmed up before driven hard and the tyres were heated up before getting carried away while on track. No loss of fluids at all, only the oil getting darker as the trip progressed. The car was pretty much faultless apart from the passenger side rooftop conversion grommet popping out one time. A little squirt of the black silicone glue that Ali had and it was fixed. That's pretty good in my book.

The driving, scenery, tracks, sunny weather and local cuisine were all the things that we were both looking forward to, but it was the friendliness and helpfulness of everyone which made the holiday for us. Thanks everyone :cheers

Thanks to Kinger for getting me interested in the first place, Scotty for his knowledge and choice of routes through the Alps, Stewart for the loan of the Sat-Nav, Gary for organising the accommodation pre and post Ibis Orange and the proposed daily plan for the driving routes. Ali for navigating the way ahead while on the road and also for his and Stu's helpful tips for driving on track and all banter at the evening dinners. Neil for his comedy quotes when we were out having dinner together, his one-liners always made me laugh every night.

Last of all to thanks to Kathy for enduring being my passenger and the time spent while at the four circuits, as it was not really a place for the women to enjoy, but she and a few others did manage to find the bar at Le Luc. She soon got bored of the Télépéage Grand Prix and us acting like young boys every-time we entered a tunnel.

This is on the to do list.
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I did promise a proper cruise to Kathy not long ago, but I guess the two Geordie Expresses doesn't really cut it as a cruise but I was not expecting to be met with the travel brochures sitting at the top of the pile of mail in our house upon arrival.

Coincidence, I am not to sure. Lol



French Frolic, highly recommended. :thumbsup


Steve.
Last edited by C7Steve on Wed Sep 02, 2015 5:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Kinger
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Re: French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by Kinger » Tue Sep 01, 2015 10:02 pm

Brilliant again, wish I had managed the Alps trip too. And thanks again for the discretionary comments.

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campbell
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Re: French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by campbell » Tue Sep 01, 2015 10:17 pm

Epic, Steve. Bravo. Spa is a must for you, you will LOVE it.

You have inspired me to try to upload my photo collection despite my crippled home PC. Stand by...not a patch on Kathy's photo-journalism, I hasten to add. Very impressed missus :thumbsup
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Ferg
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Re: French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by Ferg » Tue Sep 01, 2015 10:55 pm

Awesome write up. :D

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Stu160
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Re: French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by Stu160 » Tue Sep 01, 2015 11:44 pm

Epic.

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alicrozier
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Re: French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by alicrozier » Wed Sep 02, 2015 6:26 am

This...is why we Frolic. :)

Superb write up Steve. Thanks to you and Kathy for making it such an enjoyable trip.
All characters appearing in this post are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Any references to laptimes, speed or driving on the public highway are purely for dramatic effect.

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Re: French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by mxvx » Wed Sep 02, 2015 7:43 am

Thanks for taking the time to write the trip up Steve, a great read, better than reading Evo! :thumbsup

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Re: French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by Corranga » Wed Sep 02, 2015 9:03 am

Great read as always Steve. Something I'd love to do one of these days, though I really have to get myself back on a track in the UK first..!
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Re: French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by campbell » Wed Sep 02, 2015 9:32 am

It's conceivable to enjoy Frolic even without the tracks, I reckon. The road trip part and socialising part are epic in their own right.

But I accept it would be painful to stand and watch everyone else breaking, sorry ragging, their cars to hearts' content ;-)
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Re: French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by BigD » Wed Sep 02, 2015 11:41 am

Great Write ups from 'Team V6' (as I am calling you) perspective. Yes I know there was some non V6's but you all had the V6 mentality. :thumbsup :lol:

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Re: French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by C7Steve » Wed Sep 02, 2015 12:16 pm

BigD wrote:Great Write ups from 'Team V6' (as I am calling you) perspective. Yes I know there was some non V6's but you all had the V6 mentality. :thumbsup :lol:
Any chance of a Frolic Poem Donald?


Steve

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Re: French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by Dominic » Wed Sep 02, 2015 1:27 pm

Bloody awesome!!! :thumbsup
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BigD
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Location: Falkirk

Re: French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by BigD » Wed Sep 02, 2015 2:36 pm

C7Steve wrote:
BigD wrote:Great Write ups from 'Team V6' (as I am calling you) perspective. Yes I know there was some non V6's but you all had the V6 mentality. :thumbsup :lol:
Any chance of a Frolic Poem Donald?


Steve
:lol: I'll try. :oops: And this is only getting to Orange........... (apologies if I've missed anyone out, it's quite difficult getting names in a poem)

An Ode to Frolic 2015


Returned from Frolic and due to request
Have drafted a poem describing the quest
It’s not very accurate or even funny
But it’s the best I can do now it’s not sunny.

To start on our journey there was more than 1 group
‘Team V6’ from Oil country all ‘cock a hoop’
With Steve, Cathy, Ali, Kinger, Neil and Gary
Heading South to meet up with Stu, centrally
Off to the ferry no doubt to get full,
Neil’s not so lucky and runs out of fuel,
They make it there just, and off to the bar
Where it seem Kinger is the worst by far
No dinner for him as he sticks to the beer
Regretting it in the morning when he feels a bit queer
Dutch Police are not happy when leaving the ferry
as Kinger’s still tipsy and extremely merry.
To his relief he passes the test
and gets on his way as he knows best.

They arrive at Zandy in time for lunch
How have they made it, this unlikely bunch?
Joined by Malcolm in another V6
which makes for some really excellent pics
A great day is had with no major issues
Except for Kinger who’s using the tissues.

Onto Luxembourg, that’s the plan
With a stop off for food, they overran.
Arrive very late and straight off to bed
Next day North of Lyon is where they head
But not before some exercise early-on
The question you ask is “what are they on?”
Leaving the car park was difficult enough
Surely not, it can’t be that tough?
A long autoroute drive with the odd stop
Gets them to the hotel feeling on top
Except for Steve who stood in some crap
Shame really, he’s such a nice chap.

Best Western Hotel is where they now stay
Wine and golf? surely not? I hear you say
Then onto orange the final destination
Via Mt Ventoux and it’s weather station.
This lavish lifestyle is different to most
Quite normal for Team V6, raise a toast!



Meanwhile the less lavish ‘Team Straight 4’
Are having an adventure, actually a chore!
Getting stuck at the Chunnel due to delays
Even just getting there took longer than days
All tired and grumpy but not Mr Ford
Who washes his car to save getting bored
Collapsible bucket for Frolic he states
Who’d have thought it, not his mates
No-one else had space for such treats
Barely room for clothes, helmets and seats

Arriving last I was the first to go
to the disgust of the others understandably so
The advance party of Mike, Simon and Dave
Already in France and scouting a rave.
The night club they found came a close second
The beer taps were open and had been beckoned
Completely razzled by the time I arrived
Mike especially was past needing revived
First night I warned, “take it steady”
Too late was the reply, “is my next drink ready”
Half past 4 before getting to bed
Next morning Mike looked like the walking dead
Simon and Beata had more sense
Getting to bed early had made them less tense ;)
Campbell, Kenny and Lesley here by now
Glad to arrive with no furrowed brow

We head to Geneva on a lovely road
Still raining at this point, wet driving mode
Poor Kenny and Lesley came all this way
And no dry roads yet on any one day
Arriving at Geneva, which is actually still France
We meet Kevin and Gordon who arrived in advance
Ordering the beers, as we get there
was very refreshing, find us a chair
Table for ten or was it eleven?
lost the ability to count after beer number seven!


We head for Orange on Sunday morning
Taking in some Cols with locals scorning
As we go South the weather gets better
Roofs off now, no chance of getting wetter
Col de telegraph we stop for lunch
Together again in one great bunch
Realising then the best is to come
Col de Galibier is better, say some
Cool at the top we push on down
15 miles along a closed road without a frown
We double back and enjoy the return
Fix Dave’s car which was starting to burn
A long treck then avoiding the tolls
Many detours but we reach our goals
Best roads yet and better, no traffic
We gave it our best, style of true Frolic……………

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C7Steve
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Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2011 2:00 pm
Location: Aberdeen

Re: French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by C7Steve » Wed Sep 02, 2015 4:09 pm

Pretty Good Donald :thumbsup

Less of the Team Lavish please. :oops:

How about Team You Can Borrow The Very Trousers That I Am Wearing So You Can Drive Paul Ricard. :D


Steve.

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campbell
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Re: French Frolic 2015 Diary - Week Two

Post by campbell » Wed Sep 02, 2015 4:09 pm

Rapturous applause.

Looking forward to next few stanzas!!
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