What I should be doing now
Discussion
The Leaper said:
The Leaper said:
The Leaper said:
The Leaper said:
Been going to LM24 from 1996, not every year though. Sometimes with my son.
Always been a late starter for heading off to LM so right now we'd be on Le Shuttle and then a drive to our hotel for Friday and Sunday stay over, usually near Alencon or Falaise. Stop for lunch today on the way.----if we are using the N128 then we'd stop just after joining south of Rouen. Get to the hotel and then a few beers before heading off to a local excellent restaurant ahead of the great day/weekend.
Saturday morning. Had a good breakfast at the hotel, now on the A28 for an hour or so run to the circuit, outskirting La Mans itself. Park up at our designated space in Parking Blanc, say hello to our new neighbours for the next two/three days, then get inside, get to our tribune seats at La Racccordement, check out the large TV screen opposite, and crack open a few tins of 1664 to soak up where we are etc. Will have our first jambon et fromage baguette for lunch I expect along with more 1664 after buying the obligatory plastic glass as a memento of 2020.Always been a late starter for heading off to LM so right now we'd be on Le Shuttle and then a drive to our hotel for Friday and Sunday stay over, usually near Alencon or Falaise. Stop for lunch today on the way.----if we are using the N128 then we'd stop just after joining south of Rouen. Get to the hotel and then a few beers before heading off to a local excellent restaurant ahead of the great day/weekend.
R.
Cass63 said:
Wouldn’t that be the same one then, or is there one on tetre rouge
They're a at least a mile apart! The bar outside the main entrance is 100m on your right (back to the gate) and the same side as the entrance. The bar at TR has loads of benches outside and gazebos covering them. More of a pop up affair.
Right now the sun would probably be torturing me inside my tent, giving me a rude and hungover awakening.
We will spend the next hour packing up, followed by something to eat at McDonald's with their deluxe range...reasonably good hangover cure.
We will return to the banking near the Dunlop Bridge for the last couple of hours.
When the race finishes we will cycle down the track right up to the podium - something to entertain my group. Can't believe its coming to an end already
We will spend the next hour packing up, followed by something to eat at McDonald's with their deluxe range...reasonably good hangover cure.
We will return to the banking near the Dunlop Bridge for the last couple of hours.
When the race finishes we will cycle down the track right up to the podium - something to entertain my group. Can't believe its coming to an end already
Likely to have been to a hotel off the mulsanne for early morning viewing... awful place, can’t remember the name, terrible ;-)
Then back around to grandstand for final few hours.
Armed with jambon-fromage baguettes and the last of the box-o-wine (to get through security).
Would be feeling a bit disappointed it’s all coming to an end for another year. Feeling a bit knackered, looking forward to the track invasion.
Always take one last glance down the start straight whilst exiting at Dunlop, and always know I need to be back the next year.
Then back to village for more drinks and nice dinner.
Then back around to grandstand for final few hours.
Armed with jambon-fromage baguettes and the last of the box-o-wine (to get through security).
Would be feeling a bit disappointed it’s all coming to an end for another year. Feeling a bit knackered, looking forward to the track invasion.
Always take one last glance down the start straight whilst exiting at Dunlop, and always know I need to be back the next year.
Then back to village for more drinks and nice dinner.
With just over an hour to go we'd normally have driven down to Mulsanne & be watching the end of the race from the bank at Mulsanne Corner (or scoffing more grub from the grill there).
Watch the end, watch them come round for the clap and then back in the car & head for the port/tunnel/hotel.
Watch the end, watch them come round for the clap and then back in the car & head for the port/tunnel/hotel.
Today is both the best and worst day for our group.
The morning is spent disassembling a campsite that took 9 people 4-5 hours to put up. Loading up the van and trying to work out how it seems like we now have twice as much stuff as we did on the way down. Tents would be packed away, not to be seen again for 2-3 years (we're not a 'camping' group).
We'd debate which bits of kit didn't need to come back to the UK with us, and whether next time would merit a bigger fridge/BBQ/marquee/TV.
Then we'd pull the packed cars and van up to the entrance of Houx, and head to watch a couple of hours of racing (and to shop for some last minute gifts/tat).
Unless the race is super-close, we'd head back to the campsite an hour before the end, fire up Radio LM and bid our goodbyes to La Sarthe for another year. We'd then head to grab a McDo before jumping on the road to Rouen.
Sunday night is one of my favourite nights of the trip. We book a nice hotel in Rouen, where we get to have a civilised shower, shave, dinner and sleep - although the latter is hampered somewhat by tour court.
We'll all agree that we are the greatest of mates, and ask again why we don't do this every year.
The morning is spent disassembling a campsite that took 9 people 4-5 hours to put up. Loading up the van and trying to work out how it seems like we now have twice as much stuff as we did on the way down. Tents would be packed away, not to be seen again for 2-3 years (we're not a 'camping' group).
We'd debate which bits of kit didn't need to come back to the UK with us, and whether next time would merit a bigger fridge/BBQ/marquee/TV.
Then we'd pull the packed cars and van up to the entrance of Houx, and head to watch a couple of hours of racing (and to shop for some last minute gifts/tat).
Unless the race is super-close, we'd head back to the campsite an hour before the end, fire up Radio LM and bid our goodbyes to La Sarthe for another year. We'd then head to grab a McDo before jumping on the road to Rouen.
Sunday night is one of my favourite nights of the trip. We book a nice hotel in Rouen, where we get to have a civilised shower, shave, dinner and sleep - although the latter is hampered somewhat by tour court.
We'll all agree that we are the greatest of mates, and ask again why we don't do this every year.
After the track invasion, the quiet walk back to the campsite begins. For the first time all week, radio Le Mans is off the air and the silence is deafening.
We return to the camper van which we left a few hours earlier still very much with the frenzy and excitement of the race echoing all around us.
Now all that is left to do is pack up and head for home. The whole week flashes past in an instant and the empty feeling of it being over for another year takes a while to subside.
Funnily enough, I have that same feeling now even though I wasn’t closely following the virtual race and I am hopeful of being there for the race In September.
We return to the camper van which we left a few hours earlier still very much with the frenzy and excitement of the race echoing all around us.
Now all that is left to do is pack up and head for home. The whole week flashes past in an instant and the empty feeling of it being over for another year takes a while to subside.
Funnily enough, I have that same feeling now even though I wasn’t closely following the virtual race and I am hopeful of being there for the race In September.
We’d be looking forward to Sunday “steak night” at PH Bleu Nord when we get back to the campsite with Brian & his team & a last night of mates talking bo**ocks as well as ensuring as much of the alcohol is consumed we don’t want to take home plus any “stubbies” generously left by other campers who’ve already left 
We’d also be talking about next year’s trip
& openly admitting to our group that it’s the best holiday of the year (which we’d never admit to the family 
)
We’d also be talking about next year’s trip
& openly admitting to our group that it’s the best holiday of the year (which we’d never admit to the family )Gassing Station | Le Mans | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff