Just put another 1600 miles on her!
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From: Worcester
Just put another 1600 miles on her!
Just got back from doing about 1600 miles to and around France.
Spotted a red S2000 at Dover last Saturday morning at 6am and carded him!
Did the first 500 miles no problem except the car kept jerking a bit when crusing at about 85. Worried me for a while but I put it down to dirty petrol. 2 tanks later it was back to normal!
Managed to get clothes for a week and 56 bottles of wine, a crate of Stella and a fair few large cans of Desperados beer in on the homeward journey! ..................oh yeah and Sam too!
Couple of funny moments:
Crusing along on a 40-50mph road and overtook 3 cars. As I flashed past at warp 9 I thought "I recognise that blue colour" Sure enough as I pull in realise its a French police car. I look up in my mirror just as the passenger PC folds down his sunvisor to reveal the GENDARMERIE writted across it! I did a big oooops look in the mirror and an apology sign with my hand to watch them both burst out laughing!
.........Lucky probably...........I love France!
Then driving through a huuuuuuuuuge tunnel near Rouen drop into VTEC for proper ear splitting fun and spot a Fiat Punto in my rear view mirror weaving to try and keep up with me!! Thinking I had maybe upset him I slowed a bit when he swerved into the inside pulled alongside and started waving giving me thumbs up and telling me to go faster!!
Anyway back now and work sucks..................
Edd
Spotted a red S2000 at Dover last Saturday morning at 6am and carded him!
Did the first 500 miles no problem except the car kept jerking a bit when crusing at about 85. Worried me for a while but I put it down to dirty petrol. 2 tanks later it was back to normal!
Managed to get clothes for a week and 56 bottles of wine, a crate of Stella and a fair few large cans of Desperados beer in on the homeward journey! ..................oh yeah and Sam too!
Couple of funny moments:
Crusing along on a 40-50mph road and overtook 3 cars. As I flashed past at warp 9 I thought "I recognise that blue colour" Sure enough as I pull in realise its a French police car. I look up in my mirror just as the passenger PC folds down his sunvisor to reveal the GENDARMERIE writted across it! I did a big oooops look in the mirror and an apology sign with my hand to watch them both burst out laughing!
.........Lucky probably...........I love France! Then driving through a huuuuuuuuuge tunnel near Rouen drop into VTEC for proper ear splitting fun and spot a Fiat Punto in my rear view mirror weaving to try and keep up with me!! Thinking I had maybe upset him I slowed a bit when he swerved into the inside pulled alongside and started waving giving me thumbs up and telling me to go faster!!
Anyway back now and work sucks..................
Edd
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From: Bicester, Oxon.
You should try north Spain - equally thrilling roads, esp. the hairpins, but much better scenery IMO - try the Europa mountain range.
Just returned from France/ Spain myself. Clocked up 1400 miles (mainly in north Spain) after taking the Portsmouth-to-Bilbao ferry. Drove around the top end of Spain staying in various Paradores (very, very nice government-owned hotels done out like castles!!), then through the Pyrenees into South France to stay with my parents for a week as they've lived there for 11 years (very handy!).
The ferry itself takes a day and a half, but the time did seem to fly by. I wouldn't really recommend the ferry as a mini-cruise ship (that's how P&O market it). It seemed no different to a normal cross-channel ferry to us, i.e. complete with a high proportion of morning-to-night-drinking-chavs, terrible canteen food (we took our own onboard for the return), and tiny (and a bit dirty) cabins. They also tell you there is ample opportunity to whale and dolphin-watch in the Bay of Biscay, but maybe we were just unlucky. However, the rest of the holiday more than made up for it. The food & wine are cheap, cheap, cheap, and very good quality, it's not at all touristy (we hardly saw another Brit car the whole holiday, except at the Paradores - strangely mainly Boxsters- we blanked them), the kids have gone back to school in early September, the sun shines (most of the time), the roads are mainly excellent (but look out for the straying bulls and horses!) and the Paradores are in stunning locations.
We didn't see a single S in France or Spain during the whole fortnight (in fact hardly any soft-top cars at all) - are S2k's imported to these countries??
In conclusion, highly recommended for a driving holiday to all S owners!!
As a footnote - humble apologies to AE and the MM2 organisers for not making it.
I had genuinely forgotten that we had registered a year ago (it must have been immediately after the euphoria of MM1), and therefore we weren't there but were here instead. Hope it didn't cause anyone any inconvenience. A bit ironic I know after being let-down myself by others after the cancellation of XM1 last December, but truly unintentional.
Just returned from France/ Spain myself. Clocked up 1400 miles (mainly in north Spain) after taking the Portsmouth-to-Bilbao ferry. Drove around the top end of Spain staying in various Paradores (very, very nice government-owned hotels done out like castles!!), then through the Pyrenees into South France to stay with my parents for a week as they've lived there for 11 years (very handy!).
The ferry itself takes a day and a half, but the time did seem to fly by. I wouldn't really recommend the ferry as a mini-cruise ship (that's how P&O market it). It seemed no different to a normal cross-channel ferry to us, i.e. complete with a high proportion of morning-to-night-drinking-chavs, terrible canteen food (we took our own onboard for the return), and tiny (and a bit dirty) cabins. They also tell you there is ample opportunity to whale and dolphin-watch in the Bay of Biscay, but maybe we were just unlucky. However, the rest of the holiday more than made up for it. The food & wine are cheap, cheap, cheap, and very good quality, it's not at all touristy (we hardly saw another Brit car the whole holiday, except at the Paradores - strangely mainly Boxsters- we blanked them), the kids have gone back to school in early September, the sun shines (most of the time), the roads are mainly excellent (but look out for the straying bulls and horses!) and the Paradores are in stunning locations.
We didn't see a single S in France or Spain during the whole fortnight (in fact hardly any soft-top cars at all) - are S2k's imported to these countries??
In conclusion, highly recommended for a driving holiday to all S owners!!
As a footnote - humble apologies to AE and the MM2 organisers for not making it.
I had genuinely forgotten that we had registered a year ago (it must have been immediately after the euphoria of MM1), and therefore we weren't there but were here instead. Hope it didn't cause anyone any inconvenience. A bit ironic I know after being let-down myself by others after the cancellation of XM1 last December, but truly unintentional.
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From: Worcester
Originally Posted by Al2,Sep 26 2005, 12:31 PM
We didn't see a single S in France or Spain during the whole fortnight (in fact hardly any soft-top cars at all) - are S2k's imported to these countries??
In conclusion, highly recommended for a driving holiday to all S owners!!
A couple of years ago I did actually see a French S2000. I was parked up and just locking it up when he screeched to a halt next to us in shock!
He then jumped out and spent the next 10 minutes talking excitedly to me and was very confused by the fact I did not have S02s on the car!! I explained the rain/cold thing!
I quite fancy Spain but I have some good French friends near Royan on the SW coast who I have know for 18 years so we have a pretty good time! Weather is always good in the region and the seafood is delicious along with the Pineau, Despe and Bordeaux! We just use it as a chill out as its only 6 - 7 hrs drive from Calais.
Recently noticed the appearance of static Speed Cameras on the French motorways now. Big grey boxes on the ground rather than on poles but they come with useful radar warning signs before them! My French friends also warned me about them.
Still a great country though..............
Edd
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From: Hatfield
Originally Posted by Al2,Sep 26 2005, 12:31 PM
You should try north Spain - equally thrilling roads, esp. the hairpins, but much better scenery IMO - try the Europa mountain range.
Also we will be travelling from North to South so I would be interested in some of the Northern highlights.
