Annual Spanish Holiday Drive.
Discussion
So, after many years of making this run and promising myself that I would post up some of the details, I finally, this year have got round to doing it.
First of all, a little background to this years preparations.
Started off quite badly really.
I had completed two in weeks in India assisting our team out there to meet the delivery deadline to a very important and new customer.
Feeling rather pleased with myself, having achieved the 'new customer' assignment goal, I flew back for a Monday (19th June) morning meeting with my boss in Germany.
"We're not renewing your contact after end of June".
Oh Poo,
17 years, lots of friends I'm going to miss, gallivanting back and too North America/Europe/India with occasional's to Australia etc.
"I'm going on holiday tomorrow and so that will be my last day, cheers and goodbye".
Drove back to the UK on the Tuesday via Hook of Holland, arriving in Cheshire Wednesday lunchtime.
4 days of the usual running around buying the few bits we wanted to take.
Saturday morning at TorqueRVT for am AC recharge.
All set for an early Sunday.
Sunday
Easy 240 mile drive down M6, M40, anti-clockwise M25 drive down to Channel tunnel.
Yes, a little too much windscreen distraction going on there. One of the air fresheners removed, not the TVR one.
So a relatively short drive for a first night stay in Lille.
This turned out to be an interesting drive as the 'MODBALL RALLY' was taking place and so we found ourselves surrounded by a fine selection of Lambo, Ferrari, Audi, Range Rover, Bentley and, and, and with locals standing on bridges waving.
We were entertained by the local Gendarme stopping or escorting Rally members into service stations. Must have taken some of them an awful long time to make progress.
More to follow............hopefully a bit more interesting.
First of all, a little background to this years preparations.
Started off quite badly really.
I had completed two in weeks in India assisting our team out there to meet the delivery deadline to a very important and new customer.
Feeling rather pleased with myself, having achieved the 'new customer' assignment goal, I flew back for a Monday (19th June) morning meeting with my boss in Germany.
"We're not renewing your contact after end of June".
Oh Poo,
17 years, lots of friends I'm going to miss, gallivanting back and too North America/Europe/India with occasional's to Australia etc."I'm going on holiday tomorrow and so that will be my last day, cheers and goodbye".
Drove back to the UK on the Tuesday via Hook of Holland, arriving in Cheshire Wednesday lunchtime.
4 days of the usual running around buying the few bits we wanted to take.
Saturday morning at TorqueRVT for am AC recharge.
All set for an early Sunday.
Sunday
Easy 240 mile drive down M6, M40, anti-clockwise M25 drive down to Channel tunnel.
Yes, a little too much windscreen distraction going on there. One of the air fresheners removed, not the TVR one.
So a relatively short drive for a first night stay in Lille.
This turned out to be an interesting drive as the 'MODBALL RALLY' was taking place and so we found ourselves surrounded by a fine selection of Lambo, Ferrari, Audi, Range Rover, Bentley and, and, and with locals standing on bridges waving.
We were entertained by the local Gendarme stopping or escorting Rally members into service stations. Must have taken some of them an awful long time to make progress.
More to follow............hopefully a bit more interesting.
Edited by so called on Monday 3rd July 12:05
Hello again, sorry for being so long but wifi finally up and running again.
So, as I was saying, we were entertained by the Modball Rally guys in Northern France as they headed south with the French Gendarme paying very close and active attention.
We stopped in Lille overnight staying at the L'Hermitage Gantois Hotel. Its an interesting hotel originally being a convent.
The modernization being very interesting.
Inner Courtyard,
Old,
New,
Neold,
and before we leave the hotel and head down to Dijon I'd like to point out one of the mini-bar contents,
Sorry French TVR fans but this isn't the cricket that the English like.
Oh, and forgot to say, watched one of the Modball Rally guys get his Audi escorted into a service station by the Gendarmes. Lots of arm flapping.
So, as I was saying, we were entertained by the Modball Rally guys in Northern France as they headed south with the French Gendarme paying very close and active attention.
We stopped in Lille overnight staying at the L'Hermitage Gantois Hotel. Its an interesting hotel originally being a convent.
The modernization being very interesting.
Inner Courtyard,
Old,
New,
Neold,
and before we leave the hotel and head down to Dijon I'd like to point out one of the mini-bar contents,
Sorry French TVR fans but this isn't the cricket that the English like.
Oh, and forgot to say, watched one of the Modball Rally guys get his Audi escorted into a service station by the Gendarmes. Lots of arm flapping.
Edited by so called on Friday 7th July 22:09
So, evening of Monday 26th June we arrived in Dijon.
Sorry no photo's. We stopped at the Holiday Inn Express which is we've used a few times as there are three restaurants using the same parking area and so an easy overnight stay.
So on to Montpellier.......or so we thought.
My Wife expressed a wish not to go through Lyon Center but as she had fallen asleep and I like the drive along the river Ródano I decided that was my route.
Bad idea.
As we entered the city on the A6 and then the A7 we passed through the first tunnel, fine.
As we entered into the second tunnel, I thought I felt a little missfire, which, by the time we were out the other end was a definite missfire.
We struggled through a rise and a sharp right, left, then thankfully a down hill section, but realised the Tuscan was dying.
We came to a halt on the three lane A7 on the west bank of the river with no hard shoulder, just a concrete wall.
Hazard lights on, slight "oh s
t" panic time and then trying to figure out what was wrong.
The panic became more intense when I realised that the hazards wouldn't stay on and that there were all sorts of traffic bearing down on us.
Did you know that with only 8 volts from your battery, you doors wont open.
This changed everything. Expecting that sooner or later something was going to hit us, it was, seat belts back on, roof staying put to make the passenger zone as strong as possible (I did crash simulations of trains as part of my ex-job), sit back and call for help, while trying constantly to get the hazards on.
Me, "Bonjour, parlez-vous anglais?"
First man, "Non monsieur".
Me, "Bonjour, parlez-vous anglais?"
Second man, "Non monsieur".
Fortunately at this time two French Motorcycle Police Officers pulled up behind us, blue lights etc and proceeded to make things safe.
Having a break for half an hour now.
Sorry no photo's. We stopped at the Holiday Inn Express which is we've used a few times as there are three restaurants using the same parking area and so an easy overnight stay.
So on to Montpellier.......or so we thought.
My Wife expressed a wish not to go through Lyon Center but as she had fallen asleep and I like the drive along the river Ródano I decided that was my route.
Bad idea.
As we entered the city on the A6 and then the A7 we passed through the first tunnel, fine.
As we entered into the second tunnel, I thought I felt a little missfire, which, by the time we were out the other end was a definite missfire.
We struggled through a rise and a sharp right, left, then thankfully a down hill section, but realised the Tuscan was dying.
We came to a halt on the three lane A7 on the west bank of the river with no hard shoulder, just a concrete wall.
Hazard lights on, slight "oh s
t" panic time and then trying to figure out what was wrong.The panic became more intense when I realised that the hazards wouldn't stay on and that there were all sorts of traffic bearing down on us.
Did you know that with only 8 volts from your battery, you doors wont open.
This changed everything. Expecting that sooner or later something was going to hit us, it was, seat belts back on, roof staying put to make the passenger zone as strong as possible (I did crash simulations of trains as part of my ex-job), sit back and call for help, while trying constantly to get the hazards on.
Me, "Bonjour, parlez-vous anglais?"
First man, "Non monsieur".
Me, "Bonjour, parlez-vous anglais?"
Second man, "Non monsieur".
Fortunately at this time two French Motorcycle Police Officers pulled up behind us, blue lights etc and proceeded to make things safe.
Having a break for half an hour now.
So, the French Police Officers, amused by the lack of door handles and electricity that came (or didn't) with my Tuscan decided that we should ride along in the Tuscan on the back of the recovery truck. .
Very nice views of the river.
The recovery truck brought us to their receiving center where we called the ADAC, our breakdown support.
The ADAC went off to find a repair center in the region. In the mean time, after a call to Ian ar TorqueRVT, I started to check the 100Amp fuses.
Quite why mine has 3 of them I don't know.
Well, the first, near the alternator was 125 Amp, the second by the battery was, I assume, 100 Amp and the third in the passenger foot well also assumed to be 100 Amp and all being OK.
Anyway, after much dicking around and not identifying the problem with my limited toolage we put her back together just in time for the next transport to the repair shop AD Garage BV AUTOMIBILES in St George de Reneins, north of Lyon.
We arrived at around 6:30pm. where Sebastian the Manager organised a hotel for us for the night and a taxi.
.Very nice views of the river.
The recovery truck brought us to their receiving center where we called the ADAC, our breakdown support.
The ADAC went off to find a repair center in the region. In the mean time, after a call to Ian ar TorqueRVT, I started to check the 100Amp fuses.
Quite why mine has 3 of them I don't know.
Well, the first, near the alternator was 125 Amp, the second by the battery was, I assume, 100 Amp and the third in the passenger foot well also assumed to be 100 Amp and all being OK.
Anyway, after much dicking around and not identifying the problem with my limited toolage we put her back together just in time for the next transport to the repair shop AD Garage BV AUTOMIBILES in St George de Reneins, north of Lyon.
We arrived at around 6:30pm. where Sebastian the Manager organised a hotel for us for the night and a taxi.
Wednesday 28th confirmed that the Alternator was knackered.
With past numbers supplied by Ian again, TorqueRVT and the the best website on earth, https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... the Repair shop were able to get the replacement ordered.
In the meantime and back at the hotel, we were discovering some really nice Beaujolais and a desert to die for,
A French mirangue circle filled with raspberry sorbet covered by Chantilly cream with a raspberry reduction drizzle.
Thursday to follow.
With past numbers supplied by Ian again, TorqueRVT and the the best website on earth, https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... the Repair shop were able to get the replacement ordered.
In the meantime and back at the hotel, we were discovering some really nice Beaujolais and a desert to die for,
A French mirangue circle filled with raspberry sorbet covered by Chantilly cream with a raspberry reduction drizzle.
Thursday to follow.
so called said:
Wednesday 28th confirmed that the Alternator was knackered.
With past numbers supplied by Ian again, TorqueRVT and the the best website on earth, https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... the Repair shop were able to get the replacement ordered.
In the meantime and back at the hotel, we were discovering some really nice Beaujolais and a desert to die for,
A French mirangue circle filled with raspberry sorbet covered by Chantilly cream with a raspberry reduction drizzle.
Thursday to follow.
Interesting postsWith past numbers supplied by Ian again, TorqueRVT and the the best website on earth, https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... the Repair shop were able to get the replacement ordered.
In the meantime and back at the hotel, we were discovering some really nice Beaujolais and a desert to die for,
A French mirangue circle filled with raspberry sorbet covered by Chantilly cream with a raspberry reduction drizzle.
Thursday to follow.
What gives with them using broken plates?
We quickly encountered the next challenge.
Is that AC or coolant?
Kind of greasy texture similar to water with an anti-freeze additive.? Let me think.......
OK so I need to keep an eye on this.
Reminds me of about when I drove in this same Tuscan 7 years ago with a leaky radiator.
I have a stupid story about that for later.
Add to 2017 job list when I get home......and get a job.
Speaking of jobs. Nothing yet. 😬
Is that AC or coolant?
Kind of greasy texture similar to water with an anti-freeze additive.? Let me think.......
OK so I need to keep an eye on this.
Reminds me of about when I drove in this same Tuscan 7 years ago with a leaky radiator.
I have a stupid story about that for later.
Add to 2017 job list when I get home......and get a job.
Speaking of jobs. Nothing yet. 😬
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