Week One
Pre Frolic Packing Wednesday 12th August
I spent most of Wednesday evening trying to arrange all the items into the car and seeing if I could manage to get everything in. The best solution was to use small waterproof bags available from most camping shops and squeeze them in to the available spaces. It is surprising how much items you can pack in a Lotus, but I managed to get everything in apart from a pair of shoes to wear in the evening for me and Kathy could easily have packed more shoes. A couple of text messages were sent to the others to see how they were getting on and I was surprised that some of them had not even started packing yet. Eventually everything was packed, but it was close to midnight and I had hoped that I would get an early night before the long motorway miles would begin.
Day 1 Thursday 13th August
Aberdeen - Edinburgh - Newcastle - Ferry
The Frolic officially started with me taking the roof off of the car and having a relaxing drive down the A90 leading Kathy to Edinburgh Airport, as we had to drop off a car at the Long Stay Car Park. Today's drive was not the usual boring run as it felt much better thinking what was to come over the next two weeks. We arrived at Craig's new premises to meet up with the Abz bunch consisting of Gary, Ali, Kinger and Neil. Stu was last to appear and then we all had some of the lovely buffet spread served by Craig's mother. Neil's car required a quick geo and after some discussion regarding Craig coming along to meet us at some point on the Frolic, we were on our way heading further south towards Newcastle. We had refuelled at the Airport but Neil thought his larger fuel tank would make it further than he could imagine. This was not to be as we all soon discovered when we came across everyone stopped at the side of the road in the middle of some roadworks. At first we thought that someone had broken down, but it was just a shortage of fuel and the road camber moving what was left to the opposite side of the tank to enable the fuel pump to reach it. "Kathy to the rescue" was the phrase used as she drove my car along to the service station while I steered Neil's car and he pushed it along. The others had sped away 'Top Gear Style' as they did not want to miss the ferry departure. I was laughing at Neil as I looked in his rear view mirror at him pushing his car along and I could not resist shouting "faster, faster, Neil." It was only about one hundred metres but Neil looked more like the endangered species than the Banksy Panda displayed in his engine glass panel.
Soon we were on the service access road and the camber had changed to the opposite side and Neil opened the passengers door telling me to try and start the engine. It started first time as Neil tried to jump in while I moved all the items currently occupying the passenger area. I had everything piled on my lap and then moved to put on the seat belt with Neil cursing along the lines of "f**k the seatbelt, get to petrol station before we run out of fuel". We made it no problem with Kathy sitting in my car with a big grin and asking if I would like her to show me how to do donuts. We filled up both cars and sped along towards the ferry terminal which was still a few miles away. The Satnav indicated that our ETA of 16:15 which was exactly the same time as last check-in. No pressure then. We made it in time as we looked up to see if we could see the others standing in the Sky Bar looking over the stern of the ship with a refreshment in their hands, but we did not spot anyone we knew. It looked like everyone had congregated on the top deck to watch the late arrivals. We were soon unpacked for the night, a quick shower and then we all met in the open top bar.
We heard later that when Kinger had checked in, that he informed them that two other cars were running late and were still en-route. When asked for the two late comers surnames, he was surprised to hear that they had checked-in and were onboard already. Stu told us that the best place to be was under the canopy closer to the bar as this was a warmer place to sit and was protected from the cold North Sea winds. Neil on the otherhand decided that it was best to buy some warmer attire to keep him warm on the top deck. He must have got a cracking deal on his DFDS Seaways ferry jacket. Think Harrington and your nowhere near close. A few more drinks were consumed before heading downstairs for a meal at the Blue Ribband restaurant. The food was really good and we were all impressed. Not so impressed was Kinger who was having a liquid lunch accompanied with a packet of cheese and onion crisps. We soon were all sat in the bar having a laugh and listening to the ships band for the evenings entertainment. The cheese and onion crisps must have been doing something to Kinger as he was soon taking Kathy up for a dance on the empty dance floor. A warning message which was posted on SE was passed around about the Dutch Passport Control, but not much notice was taken. A few more drinks were had before zig-zagging along the corridor back to our cabins for the night. Some were walking dead straight as the alcohol and ships movement in the water seemed to balance each other out for some strange reason. My own balance was not so good as I tripped over the large threshold upon entering our room. Kathy had booked our cabin with a sea-view, yes we looked through the window for a whole three seconds to see the sea and the lurking fog which lay very low.
Day 2 Friday 14th August
Ferry - Zandvoort - Luxembourg
We were soon awake and it felt like we could have slept for another few hours, but this was to be the norm for pretty much every day while on holiday. A quick disembarking from the ferry as we were one of the last to embark and we were guided towards the bow of the ship guaranteeing a quick exit. This was soon to be slowed at Passport Control, as the vehicle in front was parked for a good ten minutes while the occupant searched in her bag for her passport. It was soon found and she thought that she was on her way, but the officer had not finished his duties yet and a alcohol breath test was required first before she could travel any further. Bloody hell, I thought, how much drinks did I have last night? It was only a couple and I suddenly remembered the warning we had received the previous night. A quick blow in the tube and a pass was displayed on the device and I was glad that last night had not ended up in a late night session in the bar. It was then only a short drive to Zandvoort and it was great to meet up with some of the others.
It was close to lunchtime, so we signed-on, had a short briefing and unpacked the cars and done a few checks. Tyre pressures and wheel bolts torqued up seemed to be done by all. I had brought along a large lightweight type bag for loading up all our smaller bags from the boot of the car, so they could be carried and stored more easily in the Pit Garages.
Kinger was rehydrating or maybe he was trying to lose his 'sea legs'.
A passenger lap in the 211 was probably not a good idea at this moment in time.
I had a pax along with Stu so I could at least see where I should be when out on track. A few laps to warm the car and tyres up, then we all met up in the Mickey's Bar for a drink and light snack. I am usually quite good with directions, but I could not remember all the turns at first and was all over the shop for a while. Gary was meanwhile out with the instructor sitting beside him and he then offered to sit alongside me to give me some helpful info for the famous Zandy track. What a revelation the next few laps were and I was really grateful for the informative tips on where I should be positioned at various points along the track.
I remember Gary saying, "keep right, keep right" as we entered the hairpin but my reply was, 'Bloody hell, if I keep any more right, then I am going to hit that wall'. It was not to be and I was soon carrying way more speed around the corners and the car was flowing more each lap. I was not talented enough or brave enough to brake at the second braking point at the end of the main straight as I thought that I would have ended up in the gravel.
Also the last corner made me raise my eyebrows a few times as it really is a 'ballsy corner' (I now know what you mean Scotty) and I would not fancy getting it wrong there at all. 100mph entering the main straight was quick enough for me thank you very much and this was only the second day of our holiday.
A few passenger laps with Ali and I could only look on at the smooth driving style and car control that he has. (I learnt a lot just watching him and Stu over the next few days).
A few pictures from Zandvoort.
The day was soon over, well it had only really been an afternoons session for most of us and we put some air in our tyres (small present from Gary of a 12volt air compressor).
We then left the circuit before first stopping for a few pictures then drove on towards the beach for a meal together.
Ali, Graham, Gary, Steve, Stu, Malcom, Neil.
BBQ buffet was the majority choice for most and then we thought that we had better get moving as Luxembourg was still a four hour drive away. A slight delay in the car park before we could be on our way and we then decided to put our roofs on as heavy rain was forecast for the evenings run through Belgium. I was glad of the SatNav as it was easy to get dropped when at the back of the formation when a vehicle pulls out in front of you and slows you down while the rest accelerate away in front. Most of the time we all came back together, but for the other times you had to rely on the small display suction cupped to the windscreen. Ali was leading but he had to wear his helmet once the rain came down and I was surprised how he could see anything with all the rain and spray coming from the surrounding vehicles. Kinger had to peel off and text to say he would see us again later at the hotel. I had Kathy rationing the sips of my Red Bull bottle every ten miles to keep me topped up with sugar and to stay concentrated following the not so wet lines left in the road by the others forging a path ahead. We arrived at about 00:30 and I was grateful for a refreshing shower before climbing in to a comfortable bed.
Day 3 Saturday 15th August
Luxembourg - Monthieux
After a good nights sleep we were all up and met for breakfast. Ali had been upstairs in the hotel to the gym for a small workout while Gary and Neil had been out and about for an early morning stroll and stumbled upon an interesting sculpture. They then proceeded to show us an interesting picture of two deer mating, but not in the way you would see in any nature programmes.
More missionary style than doggy.
Kathy came to the rescue again with the car park tickets during exiting as the ticket machine was located on the left, so she duly gathered up all the tickets and stood at the machine and inserted each one one after the other. Today was a day that I was not really looking forward to, but you need to put in the motorway miles to get to the better stuff which lay further to the south. The driving on Europe's Motorways is a good 20mph faster than here in Blighty and this certainly helps with the boredom on long journeys as it helps keep the concentration levels up. We soon stopped for fuel and a small snack after a couple of hours driving before we set off again. One of the group had the misfortune of stepping on some dog excrement which was smeared all over the pavement. Everyone else checked their shoes for traces of the offending smell, as they did not fancy another few hours of driving with it within the small confined space of their cars. I noticed something suspicious on the sole of my trainers and decided that it was best to wipe it off on the grass located just to the side of the pavement. Bad move. Very bad move. The area of grass that I decided to 'clean' my shoes with was the 'exact spot' where someone had decided to remove the majority of the crap from their shoes. Not funny. Well it was for everyone else and probably for you all reading this. Anyway a quick wash and we were on our way once more. We had some more motorway miles to clock up again before turning off and on to some narrow bumpy roads which had a lot of camber towards the side of the road. You had to be more careful than normal as any lack of concentration could easily see you veer off and into the metre deep ditch. We arrived at our next destination which was the Best Western in Monthieux, (North of Lyon) and Kinger was wishing he had his golf clubs, while Kathy was wishing she had her fishing rod. There was a big pond of water which on first impressions seemed to be full of jumping fish, but on later inspection it was noticed that they were all jumping at a board marked 100mts. Next they were jumping at 25mts. Yes, you guessed it, it was the golf practice range. I decided to go for a swim in the outdoor pool and It was baltic, you had to swim just to keep warm. Afterwards I had a wee snooze on the white plastic sun lounger trying to get some heat back into my body from the dying sun rays.
Kathy on the otherhand was playing putting on the front lawn with the boys and was getting right into the Frolic Banter after a few wines.
Ali enjoying a nice cold beer.
Bloody hell, I was getting it from all corners once I met up with them all later in the afternoon. Don't hold back Kathy. Only joking and everyone was in good form. We had another nice meal and a couple of night caps at the bar afterwards. I had a Brandy from a choice of two. One looked very expensive and the other looked a touch less so. It turned out only to be seven Euro much to the person getting in the rounds delight while their G&T cost slightly more, coming in at nine Euro. Prices were not dwelled upon, but most were shocked that the Brandy was cheaper considering the bottle shape.
Day 4 Sunday 16th August
Monthieux - Celles - Col de Menée- Nyons -Mont Ventoux - Orange
Today I thought that I was the only one who was up bright and early and walked through the hotel to the car park to check the oil and tyre pressures of my car, but Kinger was already packed up and had already wondered around looking at some of the holes on the golf course. Ali said that he went for a small run around the nine holes, golf course I presume instead of the putting. We then all met up and had breakfast together before packing up our things and heading off in the cars once more. We had only driven a couple of miles when I noticed that my petrol gauge was down to one bar, so Stu and myself did not follow the others on to the motorway. We stopped at the Péage Toll and I got out of the car and jogged about half a mile to see if the road led to the sevices which we could see, but unfortunately they were on the opposite side and access was not possible. Kathy to the rescue once again as we reversed back to the roundabout and in to the village to find a local petrol station. We soon all met up again at a motorway service stop a few miles ahead as we had text the group to inform them where we had been. Soon we were off of the motorway and on to an A road, but the Sunday traffic was slow and congested along the way with few overtaking points to be seen. We therefore stopped for lunch and looked for another route across country. A new route along a few minor roads was selected and we were all back in our cars and very happy indeed.
Col de Menée
The speed had increased as we were all in the zone now with the road being very twisting and everyone loving it, well apart from Kathy that is. We all stopped for fuel at a strangely located petrol station beside Menée which was built within a field all on its own. One of the group filled up and then drove to the back corner where he was sitting on the cars side sill with the door open. I walked over and had a chat for a few seconds, but then soon walked away. We were soon on our way again after a tiny detour up the wrong street and I followed Neil at the start of this section, but I could see that Kathy was still nervous, so I then peeled off and went to the back and slowed my pace down. After a good few miles we spotted Stu coming the other way towards us and thought that they had taken the wrong road and were all heading back too. Kathy wondered where Ali had disappeared to and wondered if he had driven over a cliff, but I reassured her that was unlikely to happen (Later that night Ali told us a story on how he had misjudged a corner a few years back and how his front wheels did infact go over the road edge and how the car landed on its chassis). Stu had infact noticed the rear number plate had fallen off of Ali's car and had turned around to retrieve it, saving Ali potentially getting stopped by the French Gendarmerie.
We stopped here and waited for Stu to pick up the plate.
Soon we were all eating ice-creams in the lovely little town called Nyons and were laughing at how black Ali's face had become over the last hour or so.
Ali Black face bandit
We then went to Malaucene to arrange bike hire for Tuesdays accent of Mont Ventoux and this was the bike that Ali would be cycling with.
Next we decided to have a run up Mont Ventoux with the cars.
What a view you get from the top.
A meteorological station was constructed on the summit, though it is no longer in use.
This was our hotel for the week - The Ibis in Orange where we arrived at about 18:00. 'Team Zenos' were a few hours later.
The temperature in Orange was not too hot, but we were glad of the Air-conditioned rooms as we unpacked our bags for the week. We then all met up for some Panachés and canapés at the bar within the hotel. Stu on the other hand was getting prepared to change his front brake pads which were showing only a small amount of material left and not enough for the following days track activity.
I offered to give him a hand, but was merely taking off and on the wheels each time. The pads were changed in no time, but then he decided to take out some shims to adjust the negative camber at the front to increase turn-in.
These stickers mysteriously appeared on the front clam of Stu's car. (Nothing to do with me, I may add)
I had a walk around the car park looking at the other cars and spotted a Porsche 991 GT3 which i thought would give Ali something to play with the following night at Paul Ricard, but it turned out that he was only quick on the straights. The car park soon became more busy with people and it was just like a house party where all the men gather in the kitchen. Once we had finished we went back to the dinning area and tried to get some food. The kitchen struggled with the large numbers, but slowly the food started to appear. It was getting late now and most of us retired to our beds soon after.
Day 5 Monday 17th August
Orange - Sanary-sur-mer - Paul Ricard - Le Castellet - Orange
We had a run down to the Mediterranean to a place called Sanary-sur-mer and we all parked up on the sea front area which had been cordoned off just for us. A curvy woman in a red dress sat on Ali's front clam and stretched her body out along its length and got her picture taken and it was a good job that she was not overweight, as it would have been a different story otherwise. We all took some pictures of the parked cars and then headed off towards the beach. We were soon in shock to see what looked like the same woman standing in a fountain of water posing for photographs. This time without the red dress. (Sorry no pictures) It was a bit out of place considering the young children in the area too.
A short dip in the sea to keep cool and then we walked up to the town centre for some lunch.
Kevin and Mike.
It was then only a short drive to the famous Paul Ricard Test Track.
Kevin on the main straight beside the pit exit.
Stu and Doug GT3 Hunting.
Ali passing everything.
Having fun with Kinger.
New Air-Brake.
Stu.
'Thumbs -up' Amazing track and awesome car. (Driver talent required)
Campbell.
Neil.
Session finished and everyone packing up.
Paddock area.
Paul Ricard is a stunning place, you feel the grandeur upon arrival and the grandstand and garages are truly state of the art stuff. Just before the drivers briefing, myself and Stu bought some branded Paul Ricard clothing just for Gary's birthday which was in a few days time. Once out on track I felt that it is much more suited to cars with a higher top speed than your standard S1. I really enjoyed it and the traction control was switched off after the first session when i felt the car braking at opposite corners at the front. There is plenty of run-off and I like Simon felt that I could push my skill levels safely. Stamping on the brakes at the end of the straights to get the weight of the car forward and getting better grip on the front tyres was something else. The cars brakes are awesome and I was glad of the additional harnesses that I got installed too. I then went out with Neil and was impressed with him eventually braking at 150mts from speeds over 150mph. Good effort Neil. I had a couple of good laps following Kinger and vice versa and also some fun with the guy in the S1 Exige. As you can see from my 'thumbs up' picture above after the evenings session ended, I really enjoyed myself here and wondered if I would ever get the chance to come back again sometime.
We then travelled to a small village called Le Castellet not too far from the circuit and had another great meal.
Dominique was a great help getting us all in to the car park, as the machine was not consistent with printing out car park tickets, but on hindsight it seemed that we were too far away from the sensor loop embedded in the road. The speed of service for our large group at the restaurant was something else and in no time at all we were enjoying the fine French cuisine. Once the meal was finished a few of us had an ice-cream cone from a shop on the walk back to the car. We were on holiday after all. Kathy to the rescue once more and did her usual bit in gathering all the tickets, then inserting each one into the exit machine for every car that passed. It was now dark and we still had a long drive back to the hotel which I was not that excited about. Cruise control was set for a few Tuts lower than warp speed, but we still had close to three hours (I think) before we were back in Orange.
Day 6 Tuesday 18th August
Orange - Malaucene - Bédoin - Mont Ventoux - Malaucene - Orange
Ali, Hendeg and myself met in the hotel car park at 07:30 and we then drove two cars to Malaucine where we had arranged to hire some road bikes for the day. We managed to get top of the range Pinarrello Dogma F8 machines which are very good indeed. They should be considering that each one cost about 9000 Euro. That was 27,000 Euro against Gary's credit card if things were to go 'Pete Tong'. The British Sky Cycling Team use the same bikes, albeit with slight differences. It was a an easy cycle along to Bédoin and Ali commented on how it was "A piece of p**s". It was indeed, but I had a little laugh to myself wondering if he would be saying the same thing in an hours time. The climbing was relatively easy and nothing too steep, it was just a relentless slog with no easing up on the climbing gradient. I wish I was lighter, but no matter how light or fit you are, you will always be suffering to a point. Its uphill all the way and the heat through the wooded area was humid and with no breeze to cool you down. I got in to my own pace and really enjoyed the challenge. A few items of energy specific food were consumed to help keep the levels topped up and these consisted of bananas, energy gels and a breakfast cereal bar, along with two 750ml bottles of water including a couple of soluble sports tablets. I was seriously impressed seeing a young boy cycling up on his own, he must have been only about ten years old. I gave him a few pats on the back and a 'thumbs-up' to spur him on uphill, but he was managing fine all be himself. Not so impressive was a guy passing me pretty much coasting as he must have been touching twenty stone on his battery powered bike. How I cursed. Also there were a few driving close to the summit and getting out of their cars and jumping on their bikes. Chris Froome would have had a hard job keeping up with them. Each to there own though. The temperature dropped significantly as I approached the top and conditions were more like back home which was most welcome. There were a few professional photographers taking pictures and then handing you out buisness cards as you passed placed along the way and I slightly feigned fatigue to make a good photograph. Honestly. (Note to myself to look them up later) I reached the summit just after two hours which was about 21km from Bédoin and had just taken a selfie styled photograph and then I heard the Lotus support team coming uphill. This consisted of Stu, Neil, Mike, Kev, Campbell and Kathy. I spoke to them all before asking for a fleece from Stu to keep warm, then waited for Ali and Gary to make there way to the top. They were up in no time at all and we were all soon sat at the restaurants outside table before having lunch together.
The route ahead. (Malaucene-Bédoin-Mont Ventoux-Malaucene)
Ali stopped here at the Tommy Simpson memorial.
While refuelling with Spaghetti Bolognese we got 'buzzed' by a French Jet and a glider also passed overhead very close indeed. There were even a couple of paragliders flying near the summit too.
Once we were re-fueled we headed over the top and down the other side.
Ali had purchased a Mont Ventoux cycling top and had carried it all the way to the top before wearing it.
It was a pretty nippy decent and the brake levers being positioned on the opposite sides of the handlebars did not inspire confidence when your used to the other way. If you think that a Lotus is quick in the corners, you should try a road bike down from a mountain top. It's pretty thrilling indeed. I even managed a three car overtake (no, they were not parked) and a motorbike too. I was a little concerned when I noticed a car travelling along with its rear boot open carrying something long and protruding out the back. I prayed that they were not going to brake at all incase I landed in the back seat. I over-cooked a couple of corners but a quick glance downhill to see if it was clear before using the whole road. Flat spotting a tyre and having a blow out is not something you want to do when travelling over 50mph downhill. I stopped a few times and waited for the other two to catch up and Ali was having a ball too coming downhill, but he knows a thing or two about reading the road bends ahead. Anyway they both soon caught up, but Ali was a bit heavy with the rear brake and locked up resulting in a blowout. At least it was not into a hairpin and we had a spare tube or two to do the repair anyhow. As it turned out these were pretty useless for Ali's needs, because his tyres were 'tubular', no not the Scottish Specialist Exhaust Company, but a tyre without an inner tube which is also glued on to the wheel rim. A quick call to Team Lotus Recovery and the broken bicycle was split up to enable transportation by Hethels finest. No Tour de France quick change for us. Ali and frame in one car with the wheels elsewhere in another, while myself and Gary had to carry on ourselves. In no time at all, I caught the few support vehicles and manged to bunny-hop the sleeping policeman and squeeze through a space between an oncoming motorhome and Neil at the front. First up and first down and a personal degree of satisfaction. Me competitive, lol, no not at all, just like Ali who managed the fastest speed downhill of the day which was 80km/hr. We were both over 80 but he won on points, my excuse was I had to keep stopping for him. I will give him that one as getting to the top first is the better feather in the cap.
Once back to the hotel I had a quick shower to wash the salt, sweat and sunscreen away and then had a celebratory pint and a swim in the pool. Later that evening I wore my SKY cycling team casual top and was joking with the boys that I just got a call from Dave Brailsford to offer me a contract for the following year. A short walk in to town and then a table for 18 please.
Day 7 Wednesday 19th August
Orange - Le Luc - Orange
Up 05:30, yes that is correct 05:30 while on holiday. We met up in the dinning area and had some breakfast before packing the car for the day and doing the usual checks. It was a one hour and forty-five minute drive to the Le Luc Circuit and it passed by relatively quickly.
Kathy decided that she wanted to come out during the siting laps but there was no chance of me persuading her any time after that. It is only a small track and it would have made an excellent 'karting' venue. This was to be a very hot day and most people were happy to find places in the shade to sit around in when not on track. I had Ali sit alongside me to give me some pointers and I managed to get my positioning correct for a few corners and with the Air-Con configured to the footwell area while the roof was off enabled our lower half to keep a touch cooler. A little bit of late braking and the two left wheels were in the kitty litter at the last corner which kept Ali awake as I felt he was dozing off because I was driving like Miss Daisy. lol. I suppose it was better coming off here and into the gravel instead of the previous corner which just looked like the grass would not really help you at all.
Top tip from Gary was don't drive on the gravel in the car park with hot sticky tyres.
We then swapped cars and seating positions and I could then see where I should have been at the corners. A touch to the left here, touch right there, aim for that point, keep in the middle here, power on at the apex, touch the brake here. Going out as a pax straight after I had been driving was good, as everything was still fresh in my mind to where I had been. I few smooth laps from Ali and then a bit of showboating balancing the car at the long corner was conveyed by me giving him the 'thumbs-up' and a clapping of the hands at times. I tried to convince Kathy to have a few laps with Ali or Stu, but she was having none of it. It did not matter as Ali had the French Stíg waiting for a pax and to pass on his expert tips. The French Stíg was fully kitted out in race suit, racing boots and even a flameproof helmet liner. He certainly looked the part and he must have been driving some seriously fast bits of machinery considering his instructed braking points signalled to Ali, as Ali had time to turn round, look at him, think are you joking, turn back round again, wait another 50mts, then brake. Seven laps, the same point every time. Ali did wish that he had just stamped on the brakes when the French Stíg gesticulated to do so, to see what he would have wanted Ali to do next after coming to a complete standstill a few car lengths before the corner. Funny enough no-one spotted the French Stig out on track driving at any given time, but maybe French Stíg was used to driving a Citreon 2CV considering where his braking points where, but obviously he has never sat in a 211 before. The French Gendarmie had turned up earlier and a few were concerned on their reason. Nothing to worry about, as it was only a small complaint about the track being open early in the morning and not accumulated speeding tickets over the years. Thanks to Stu and Gordon for some tips on tyre pressures and temperatures. Gordon had taken along a Pyrometer which has a probe enabling the temperatures across the tyre to be taken and analysed. After a short brake to let the car cool down, I was back out on track trying to remember the pointers given earlier. A few mistakes here and there, but that's half the fun and what it's all about really. Lunch was provided by the organisers and consisted of a baguette sandwich for each car, with a few spare which were given to some of the passengers.
Siesta time.
Later in the afternoon myself and Gary had a walk over for an ice-cream and to find the women at the bar.
Nothing wrong with Stu's car, he just loves tinkering.
Neil, sorry, I mean Mike was draining off some excess oil.
Doug and his lovely sounding 2bular exhaust
Ok, who is the guilty party?
We stopped for fuel before leaving Le Luc and gave the car a quick jet-wash too, but this was a waste of time considering all the black bits or rubber attached to it. Later in the evening we had 19 of us who went out for a meal in the centre of Orange, but getting a table all together was not too much of a problem. I think it was on this evening that Simon proposed, congratulations again by the way.
We were last to leave the square and this was to become something of a pattern we all noticed.Party games were fun and most enjoyed a late night knowing tomorrow was a rest day.
We eventually went to bed at 04:00, but did contemplate staying up for another hour to have breakfast, but tiredness and a comfy bed won over hunger this time.
Week Two
http://www.scottishelises.com/phpbb/vie ... =2&t=40857
Steve.
)
