Lacking Enthusiasm...
Discussion
I've had an interesting few years lately and find myself struggling to really get back into life. For reasons unknown, I agreed to partake in a road trip to Gibraltar at the end of this month, yet I'm struggling to look forward to this. I know it will be an amazing experience and that once I'm away it'll be fine, but boy am I lacking enthusiasm.
We are travelling roughly 150 miles a day though France and Spain, nice hotels booked for each evening then five nights on Gibraltar and back again. We will be using our 1986 2CV and my BiL in his Lotus Europa. Both proven cars that are easy enough to fix should anything mechanical befall us, yet here I am almost dreading the experience.
Not sure why I have posted this, other than to try and gain some affirmation for my trip. I'll try to keep a log and post updates, if anyone is interested...
We are travelling roughly 150 miles a day though France and Spain, nice hotels booked for each evening then five nights on Gibraltar and back again. We will be using our 1986 2CV and my BiL in his Lotus Europa. Both proven cars that are easy enough to fix should anything mechanical befall us, yet here I am almost dreading the experience.
Not sure why I have posted this, other than to try and gain some affirmation for my trip. I'll try to keep a log and post updates, if anyone is interested...
Turbobanana said:
Draw up one of those lists of Positives and Negatives
Positives
Your 2CV (and your garden) look awesome: congratulations!
France and Spain are brilliant to drive through. Everyone in France will love the 2CV.
The food is great.
The roads are better than ours (big benefit to the Lotus driver, less so the 2CV but you'll enjoy them more because you'll be going slowly).
The weather will be better than here (actually, this could be true of the North Pole).
You aren't at work.
The food is great.
They drive on the correct side of the road (we don't).
There's much less traffic.
The food is great (I may have mentioned that).
Negatives
Nope, can't think of any.
Do it, OP! If you don't, let me know and I'll happily take the 2CV on your behalf.
Thanks. That is actually a massive help!Positives
Your 2CV (and your garden) look awesome: congratulations!
France and Spain are brilliant to drive through. Everyone in France will love the 2CV.
The food is great.
The roads are better than ours (big benefit to the Lotus driver, less so the 2CV but you'll enjoy them more because you'll be going slowly).
The weather will be better than here (actually, this could be true of the North Pole).
You aren't at work.
The food is great.
They drive on the correct side of the road (we don't).
There's much less traffic.
The food is great (I may have mentioned that).
Negatives
Nope, can't think of any.
Do it, OP! If you don't, let me know and I'll happily take the 2CV on your behalf.
Thanks folks, you've been a tonic.
I've done Le Mans many times, Riems and the Laon Historique as well as trips to the Italian lakes and the Dordogne several times too. always in either my 2CV, Triumph Spitfire or the Mustang when I had one. Loved them all so chuff knows what's up with me currently.
I shall gird my loins, check the old Dolly over and get out and enjoy myself. Leaving end of this month, stay posted for updates...
I've done Le Mans many times, Riems and the Laon Historique as well as trips to the Italian lakes and the Dordogne several times too. always in either my 2CV, Triumph Spitfire or the Mustang when I had one. Loved them all so chuff knows what's up with me currently.
I shall gird my loins, check the old Dolly over and get out and enjoy myself. Leaving end of this month, stay posted for updates...
Turbobanana said:
My dad had two. The first, a yellow one, was bought as a divorce rebound car and would probably now be regarded as a death trap. It was so rough it didn't have any keys: there were two switches on the side of the instrument pod. One switched it on, the other engaged the starter. We had to pretend to lock it when we parked it. The ball & socket joint on the back of the throttle pedal used to become disengaged, just as you were summoning maximum, err... power.
The second was a beautiful. red & black Charleston which was everything the first one wasn't. He drove everywhere in that, only selling when he met his second wife who insisted it had to go.
Fast forward a few years and the now Mrs Banana wanted one when she was at university. I found her a decent-looking blue one for £390 (remember those days?). It succumbed to chassis rot and wasn't worth repairing, back then. It caught fire on the way to the scrappy as it didn't want to die - escargot flambé?
The second was a beautiful. red & black Charleston which was everything the first one wasn't. He drove everywhere in that, only selling when he met his second wife who insisted it had to go.
Fast forward a few years and the now Mrs Banana wanted one when she was at university. I found her a decent-looking blue one for £390 (remember those days?). It succumbed to chassis rot and wasn't worth repairing, back then. It caught fire on the way to the scrappy as it didn't want to die - escargot flambé?
Well, the day is almost upon us. A route is hashed and hotels booked for each night. Plan is:
Cherbourg - Tours - Toulouse - Andorra - Barcelona - Valencia - Almeria - Gibraltar with the return journey being :
Caceres - Eucisia (Portugal) - Leon - Bilbao - Bordeaux - Mehun sur Yevre - Alencon - Cherbourg.
With a night at my daughters in Dorset at the start and finish.
I'll try to post pics along the route, but the mileage varies between 290 for the longest day and 112 for the shortest, so we'll just have to see what happens!
Cherbourg - Tours - Toulouse - Andorra - Barcelona - Valencia - Almeria - Gibraltar with the return journey being :
Caceres - Eucisia (Portugal) - Leon - Bilbao - Bordeaux - Mehun sur Yevre - Alencon - Cherbourg.
With a night at my daughters in Dorset at the start and finish.
I'll try to post pics along the route, but the mileage varies between 290 for the longest day and 112 for the shortest, so we'll just have to see what happens!
Edited by Sideways Tim on Friday 26th April 14:43
Turbobanana said:
Sounds most excellent!
I'm not too familiar with anything south of, well, France really, but on your way you could take a detour to cruise down the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans about 300km/h slower than the race cars do, and, depending on what your route looks like, Perigeuex is lovely.
Bonus points if you can find a freshly-ploughed field to drive across while not breaking any eggs.
Bon voyage!
Yeah, the Europa will love that I'm not too familiar with anything south of, well, France really, but on your way you could take a detour to cruise down the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans about 300km/h slower than the race cars do, and, depending on what your route looks like, Perigeuex is lovely.
Bonus points if you can find a freshly-ploughed field to drive across while not breaking any eggs.
Bon voyage!
coppice said:
A very good and now sadly late friend of mine had a 2CV in the late Seventies. He was a teacher, and his teacher mate Kevin also had a 2CV . In the long summer holiday , accompanied by their very sexy partners, they'd drive to Provence and spend most of the summer there. My first taste of Chateauneuf du Pape was from a bottle which had travelled home in the 2CV and it was divine.
Well into old fartdom now, I can think of few better summers than being a twenty- something with a hot girlfriend in Provence , travellng en plein air in a 2CV . Cripes , there's something in my eye ...
Brilliant!Well into old fartdom now, I can think of few better summers than being a twenty- something with a hot girlfriend in Provence , travellng en plein air in a 2CV . Cripes , there's something in my eye ...
I must admit to having a slight wig out at some of our overnights, especially the first one in Tours. I’ve not planned the route, but getting off a ferry that lands at 14:30 and driving for 240 miles/6 hours doesn’t seem like a good plan to me. Hey ho, c’est la vie!
mk1coopers said:
Is the end of the cable tie cut at an angel, (hard to tell in the photo), if it is try to cut it flat as sure as eggs is eggs (across a ploughed field) it will stab you the next time you put you hand anywhere near it 
I’ve purposefully left it sharp to remind me 
Edited to add, trimmed neatly now as I’ve found some nail clippers that work much better than my old Knipex wire cutters
Edited by Sideways Tim on Monday 29th April 13:47
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