Well, today was the day we had to bid farewell to continental Europe and head back to jolly old England.  We arose fairly early and, once washed and packed, which took a pleasingly small amount of time, we enjoyed our last breakfast outside the cottage.  After washing up the last of the dishes, I set about packing all of our luggage, wine and other bits into the MR2.  This is always a fun game and proved a nice challenge with all the extra goodies that we’d bought while we’d been away.  Lois was busy bringing the items out to me and checking around the cottage that we’d not forgotten anything (as well as getting photos of the inside of the cottage).

With the car packed up, we bid “au revoir” to our kind landlords and set off for the port of Calais.  We were quickly on the motorway and headed in the direction of Brussels.  It was a smooth journey and we were soon on the ring road around Brussels.  This was a testing bit of driving as two, three laned motorways converged and all of the traffic in the left motorway wanted to be over to the right and vice-versa.  With that out of the way smoothly, we cracked on towards the port to catch our ferry.  We were getting low on fuel, but decided to fill up in England as it would be cheaper.

We arrived at the well sign-posted port and joined the queues for customs.  It did amuse us that we’d spent the last 3 weeks crossing country borders every few days without showing our passports, yet, when we want to come back into our own country, there are stringent checks!  This went smoothly, but there was a funny moment when the customs officer asked if there were just two of us.  I looked behind the seats in the MR2, at the camping chairs and wine, turned back to him and said “yes”… I don’t think he appreciated our chuckles.

Once we’d got through and into the queue for the ferry, we decided to stretch our legs by getting out of the car and enjoying some lunch.  This was in the form of a fresh baguette that was still warm when we bought it, along with some sliced cheese.  We soon noticed that behind us there was an interesting looking little power boat being towed by a Dutch father and daughter in a four wheel drive.  We got chatting to them and found out that his daughter had finished 3rd in the European Championships the previous week!  They had driven from Norway via a ferry to Denmark ready to catch the ferry to England for the World Championships, being held in Nottingham this coming weekend.  After reading up on the Internet, we found that she competes in the GT-15 class, which is a 15hp engine in a boat weighing around 210kg including the driver.  Good luck to her! 🙂

We boarded the ferry just fine and were soon under way across the Channel.  We were crossing with DFDS on the way back (on the way to France, we went with P&O), and the ship wasn’t as good a quality, with various bits hanging down from ceilings, stairways closed off and various other little bits that were rusty or out of shape.  However, it was cheap!  The crossing was quite choppy, but it didn’t rain, which meant we could sit outside the whole way.

Before long, Britain was in sight as a slither of land on the horizon.  The slither became larger and larger and we approached the White Cliffs of Dover.  They were really nice to see and are a magnificent sight.  We got into the port and the ferry did another 180 degree turn to line up with the docking area.  We stayed on the deck right up until the point that we had been moored up.  This was quite cool to watch as we saw the ropes being thrown ashore and strapped into a big machine that wound them in.

We made our way with the crowds down to our car and disembarked smoothly.  I had to remember now to drive on the left hand side of the road, which I managed to do successfully.  I was quite pleased after 3 weeks of driving on the right hand side of the road, all over the continent. 🙂

We soon arrived at our overnight stay with Ju and Rich just outside of Canterbury once again.  We were welcomed with a good cup of tea and then had some wine with nibbles – yum!  After that, Rich gave us a tour of the farm, including showing off the family’s tractors.  He brought around his tractor and offered Lois a go at driving it, which she jumped at!  Rich familiarised her with the basic controls and then, before she knew it, the handbrake was released and she was off!  She went about 30 yards forward and then 30 yards back, and had a great big grin afterwards.  I accepted a go and repeated Lois’ efforts!  It was lots of fun sitting in the big bouncy seat and being in control of the tractor, but very weird that the steering was so light in such a machine!  We were both thankful that we conducted smooth journeys after Rich told us how much an average tractor was worth!

Rich then continued to show us around the farm and its various fields, whilst Ju went and got the dinner on.  After a lovely walk around the farm, with the sun going down on the horizon, we headed back to the house for tea.  We all sat down to a nice meal, with some more wine and chat.  It was nice to talk about the holiday and explain all of the smaller things that we hadn’t had chance to include in the blog.

We had a nice early night, ready for the drive back up to Sheffield the following morning.

Just a little update tomorrow, then it’s back to the realities of work.  It was quite surreal being back in the UK after all that we’ve experienced over the past 3 weeks, but it had a nice homely feeling at the same time.

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So, here we are on the first real day of the Grand Prix weekend, and an early start was required!  We were up, washed and packed by about 7am and drove up the steep and windy road to one of the entrances, in the hope of finding some parking.

We found a camping and parking site, but there were no officials around… hmm, we thought.  Then we spotted a small strip of land big enough for about 6 cars, which wasn’t cordoned off or anything, so we pulled up.  After asking someone that was in an adjacent car whether they knew if it was okay to park there, it was clear that it was unclear!  So, out came the trusty old pen and paper and we wrote a note saying to please get in touch if there were any problems, along with my mobile number.  We also had a pass to access all of the local roads that was provided to us by the couple that we’re renting the cottage off.  These are normally only given to residents, so it was a good thing to have we thought, and also placed that on the dashboard.

After joining the surprisingly short queue, we waited until around 7:50am to be let in.  The gates were meant to open at 7.30am, ah well!  We headed straight down towards Eau Rouge, as this was one of the spots we wanted to check out in the days before the big race on Sunday.  We found a nice spot next to some Danish people, which gave great views to two corners and along a long straight – one of the DRS zones no less! Because this was one of the higher points of the circuit, it also afforded views down the valley, with a clear sight of the start finish straight and the pit entrance, as well as the end of the first corner and most of the first straight.  This is a strong possibility for our favoured spot for Sunday!

The weather was predicted to be changeable and light showers came and went, but we’d brought along waterproofs (it is Spa after all!), so there was no problem.  The first free practice session of the F1 cars gave me my first experience of the howling pieces of engineering prowess.  Oh boy, they delivered!  The scream of the engines and the composure of the cars as a whole really impressed me.  I’d seen some older F1 cars racing at the Silverstone Classic over the past few years, but this was my first time seeing current cars.  The difference isn’t as wide as you’d imagine, but you could certainly tell there had been 20 or so years of development.

The Red Bulls were strong along with the Ferraris, which set the scene for the day, but most teams put in a decent amount of laps, before the mainly damp session ended.  Next up was a GP2 free practice session, which was equally entertaining.  The GP2 class sits just below F1 in performance terms with the cars having around 600hp and resembling their superior peers quite closely.

The two sessions were broken up by several laps undertaken by the AMG Mercedes SLS and a big estate Merc also, which brought a deep (and very loud!) V8 rumble to the track.  Sitting where we were, you experienced the sounds of the F1 cars all the way around the track due to echoes and the sheer volume of them.

Next up was a break for lunch, so we headed back out of the gates, aiming to try out another viewing area and checking the car was okay in its sneaky spot on our way (which it was!).  The food and drink in the circuit was expensive, as you’d expect, but here’s a small tip – go outside the gates and you’ll find everything vastly cheaper.  A couple of examples; a 50cl can of beer inside the circuit was 5 EUR, outside it was 3 EUR and inside the circuit, a small portion of frites was 6 EUR and outside you could get a large portion for 3 EUR 50!  We thought it would be rude not to try a portion of frites, so tucked into them in the luxury of our camp chairs, before perusing the merchandise stalls in search of a cheap umbrella for the impending weather due tomorrow.

Upon re-entering the track, we found that the general admission viewing area was all fenced off, rather than being the large hill style that we’d tried earlier.  The viewing spot before lunch was great, as you looked down on the track over the cars with an un-hindered view.  However, we found a great place that had a lovely pair of bends with a straight in between and one afterwards.  By now the track had dried and so we waited expectantly for the F1 cars to be much quicker, and they didn’t disappoint.  The lap times fell by almost 6 seconds!  It was really interesting watching the different lines the drivers took and also their gear changes and how they balanced the car differently.  The noises that the cars make were also so much truer than anything you experience when watching on TV.

After the F1 cars had finished, the sun really picked up and both Lois and me took it in turns for having naps and also catching some shade in the woodland right behind us; I also made good use of our new umbrella, but for protection from the sun rather than rain.  After the GP2 cars came out again, it was time for the Porsche Supercup cars to take to the track.  These were obviously slower than the single seater marques we’d just been watching, but were equally impressive!  We then decided to skip the GP3 free practice session for today, as we wanted to get back to the cottage to enjoy the last bit of the sun.

We got back to the car and there was nothing to say otherwise to the fact that we’d got free parking for the day, right next to one of the main entrances – bonus!  We’ll be trying the same spot in the morning – fingers crossed!

It’s full on F1 qualifying tomorrow, which should be really exciting.  There is also qualifying for the GP3 cars and Porsche Supercups, plus a proper race from both the GP2 and GP3 classes.  It will be another early start, but it’ll be worth it!

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Well, here we are at day number 14.  We’ve experienced many amazing things this holiday, but what we were going to do today was quite high on my list of things that I was looking forward to.  It was time to take on the Nurburgring!

After a lazy morning catching up on sleep and me checking all necessary fluids and pressures on the MR2, we set off after lunchtime to the Nurburgring.  The SAT Nav suggested a cross-country route avoiding the motorways, which we thought would be nice!  Well, we certainly got to see a lot of Belgium and Germany!  The route took us through many towns, but also over rolling countryside, which made a fantastic back drop to the (mostly) well surfaced roads.  As we headed into Germany, the smooth roads continued and we descended on the ‘Ring.  We headed straight to the Nordschleife entrance to get our bearings on where we were.  It didn’t open for nearly 2 hours, so we first watched some manufacturer testing on track, which included a couple of Mercedes’ and an Aston Martin that must have been pushing 170mph+ past us.  It was quite surreal seeing road cars travelling so quickly.

Next, we headed off to find a viewing spot for Lois to take pictures of me while I was driving around the ‘Ring.  The plan was for her to passenger with me for the first lap and then I would do the remaining 3 laps by myself, after dropping her off at the viewing location.  After several failed attempts to find a viewing spot, due partly to some very poor instructions and a dreadful map, we found a perfect spot that I’ve seen so many pictures and videos taken from on the Internet.

We then headed back to the track, where we found the gates to the car park had opened.  It was now around 5pm and so it was only 30 minutes until the track opened for the 2 hour evening session.  We managed to get one of the limited spaces in the car park and browsed the impressive machinery that was all around us.  There was all sorts of stuff here: big Mercs, purposeful BMW’s, stripped out track specials, tourists and even a Movano camper van! (see pics).

The atmosphere grew until, a tannoy message went out and everyone got into their cars and started their engines.  By now, there was also a long stream of cars out of the car park, around the roundabout and down the main road, waiting to get in to experience the track.

We joined the queue and were shortly at the barriers ready to go on to the 13 miles of the Nordschleife.  Here we go!!

Well, what can I say…it was just under 12 minutes of intense concentration, enjoyment, amazement and thrills!  The main thing you have to do as a ‘Ring newbie is watch your mirrors, as there can be cars approaching you at silly speeds at times and, although it’s all but a race track, you still have to comply by the road laws of Germany for Autobahns, meaning keeping to the right etc.  I don’t think the gradients and cambers of some of the corners can be felt or appreciated without actually coming and doing it, but to do it was an amazing experience.  The car performed well throughout the lap and the big brakes I’ve got worked sublimely also.

(Lois: I thought I should add my comments on the lap too – it was crazy!  Such a thrill to be travelling at those speeds and being flung round corners!  It’s quite scary when other cars go flying past and then brake hard into corners, but all in all the flow, camber and ups and downs of the circuit make for a truly amazing experience, and one I’d happily do again!)

After completing the lap, you file into an exit road and can either queue up for another lap directly, or you can choose to leave the circuit or enter the car park.  I went and dropped Lois off and after re-assuring her that I’d ‘take it steady’, I headed back to the ‘Ring.  However, when I got there, the circuit had been closed due to an accident.  This meant a long 45 minute wait while whatever had happened was cleared up, but suffice to say a recovery truck and an ambulance were seen.  It can become very costly to have a crash on the Nurburgring as you have to pay for all damage to the Armco and track, along with recovery trucks, emergency staff, track closure and that’s before you start thinking about repairing your car.

(Lois:  Me again!  While Tom was waiting for the track to re-open, I’d wandered along from the viewing spot we’d initially found, as I’d spied someone with a camera further down who seemed to have a better view.  When I got there, there was a sign on the fence stating that “no spectators were allowed”, but there was also a deliberately open gap in the fence and a couple of blokes by the track.  It could, potentially, have been rather a dangerous place, as you could actually wander straight onto the track from there, but I felt very safe sticking behind the tyres and right by the fence, ready to fling myself out of the way of any careering cars!  There was a good 45 – 50 minutes before the cars started coming round again, but the area by the track was teaming with flora and fauna, so I easily entertained myself clicking away with my carmera.)

Once the track had re-opened at just before 7pm, I jumped in my car to join the queue once more.  There were a lot of people pushing in and so it took a while to get back out onto the track.  As I was queuing up at the barriers, a young Dutch guy asked if he could ride a lap with me.  Now, I did first think about the extra weight being a hindrance, but soon changed my mind and welcomed him on board.  I thought it was a cool thing to do to give someone the chance to experience the ‘Ring.  I did explain to him that it was only my second lap, but he was just as excited as I was about going around.

The second lap was again an amazing experience, but there were a few hold-ups.  There were some Porsches that were seriously motoring – some people will come here most evenings when it’s open to practice and hone their skills, which isn’t a cheap hobby at roughly £25 per lap!  By the time I’d got round, there was a queue back into the car park area and by that time they weren’t allowing anymore cars on track.  I was a little disappointed to have only done 2 of my pre-purchased 4 laps, but it was a great experience overall.  The Nurburgring is somewhere that everyone should come to at least once, even if it is just to spectate from the viewing areas.

I then headed off to collect Lois, who’d managed to snap some great pictures of not only me, but also many other cars and some wildlife whilst the track was closed.

We then set off back to the cottage and enjoyed a fantastic drive with stunning scenery and a very special sunset.  When we got back, we cooked tea and enjoyed eating it with several lovely glasses of the wine that we’d bought just the day before from Eguisheim by a warming, raging fire (it’s been rather chilly here in the evenings!).  Tomorrow – pit walk at Spa Francorchamps!

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