More Random Photos

In Prague preparing for the 'race' home. At this point our sabotage attempts of getting the most of the Jag boys thoroughly drunk the night before appeared to be working as only one had appeared.

Lunch in Belgium - we couldn't get a sandwich anywhere so it was a roadside Kebab and baguette from the local market topped off with good old english crisps.

Some big clock in Prague (we're not quite as good as the 'Lonely Planet' guides!).

End of the road.........

We've promised to keep updating the blog for a little while now we are back as there are still photos and videoes (once we can work out how to get them off the camera - wait for the full 18 mins of Nurburg ring fun) to post and an update on what's happening with Britney. She is having a little rest at the moment after her 3,500 miles in a week journey, but Ian will soon be having the rattle checked out and depending on the cost she will be either sold or scapped ...... nice little run-a-bout/racing car if anyone wants to make an offer?

Thanks again to everyone who has donated and to our sponsors - we are past the £4,300 mark and there is still money coming in.

We've had contact from the rally organisers - they've added new destinations for next year including visiting Lake Constance (Austria), Lake Iseo (Italy), Venice (Lido di Jesolo, Italy) and Sopron (Hungary) via the the Vrsic pass which is even better than Stelvio apparently........ better start working on the other halves!!

Catch up 4

Nursed Britney up the Stelvio pass. It was a real test for the old cars and we had a few fallen comrades. Great drives with some absolutely stunning scenery, I think the drive through Switzerland into Italy was actually better than the pass.

Catch up 3

Baden Baden - apparently the b500 road, also known as the gateway to the Blackforest, has some stunning scenery - unfortunately when we took the B500 all we got was boring motorway heading towards France, so we tuck a left turn and headed for Austria. We later found out that although we got the right road we got on it in completely the wrong direction - never mind who wants to see the world's biggest cuckoo clock anyway!

Then a long drive across Germany to Austria - and on the way a realisation that we weren't going to make the 7pm deadline for today's tasks, which was something to become a regular occurrence for us! Driving into Austria - very impressive to see the mountains as the back drop. Got to the hotel in Feldkirch thinking we would be one of the last to arrive, but for our hotel turns out we were the first! In fact the next team didn't make it till nearly midnight - first signs of car trouble for many teams. Nice hotel and with a meal laid on..... though it must be said while it was tasty, cabbage soup is not a good idea for three blokes sharing a car all day!

Back home safe

Sunday morning back home safe in the early hours. Prague to Macclesfield virtually non-stop in one day, not bad going, only disappointment was being undertaken by the Jag boys on the ferry crossing with them in the faster tunnel..... so the hare won after all!!!

3 is definitely the magic number for this trip for swapping drivers and still having plenty of room in the car.

This isn't the end of the blog though so stay tuned for plenty of catch up photos.

Over £3,800 raised so far and hopefully more to come - huge thank you to all that have contributed - lets try and break the £4,000 mark.

p.s. any offers for Britney?

Homeward bound

Midlife crisis complete. Ended last night in the Prague equivalent of the Conti. Got up this morning to check the rattle only to find the battery was dead. A jump start revealed the problem - we had knocked the inside light button on. The rattle is definitely the exhaust so we've left it and set out off back. Radio set to loud.

Ian Moston

The final points score

A creditable 6th!

We've made it.

Big thank you to everyone who has donated, especially Lloyd at Homestyle for sponsoring the car and getting things under way, Geoff at Stockport car supermarket for providing the car at "very good price" and John and Gary at Interserve for fixing it after I broke it in the first 24 hours and making sure it would get us round.

Almost there

2 45 and we enter the Czech Republic, closely flowed by Paul, Pete and Mark ( the organisers) and the Jag boys ( who will no doubt pass us once they've poured more money in the 4l engine - nice wheels though , eBay here I come )

More reasons to be grateful to Apple.

7 hours plus in a car. Fortunately the iPod radio adaptor's working properly. Best of James followed by Plan B and then a trip down memory lane with the Dark side of the 80s. The Mission, Jesus and Mary Chain, The Cult et al. All topped off with the Lemonheads

Entered into the Czech Republic and the sat nav has stopped working. Never mind google maps on the iPhone to the rescue.

God bless Apple

Ian Moston

It's a hard life.

Out of bed less than 3 hours. Wash, breakfast and back to sleep. No wonder he offered to sit in the back!

Last leg

Last leg of the rally itself. Set off from Bled for Prague at 8.00am as we've got a 7 hour journey today. Have just passed 2000 miles for the journey

No caption necessary

Back seat navigator!

Now that explains why we went the wrong way in Italy!

Time for a dip

We arrived in Bled home of a couple of large glacial lakes and Slovenia's only island. Obviously we couldn't wait to strip off and dive in for a swim!

Slovenia

John here again sat in hotel in Bled, Slovinia. Gorgeous country by the way which we didn't expect - well worth a visit especially if you like active holidays,

which is perfect for us obviously. It might look like we are having a lot of fun, and I'm not saying we aren't, but its far from relaxing and very cruelling .... honestly!

Talking of which, big night in Bologne last night and we said farewell to some good friends that sadly couldn't limp home to prague - Sean, Tish, Shorty and Sam - have a good trip home.

One more day to push on to Prague and just short of the 2000 mile mark unfortunatly, we have to report that Britney has developed a worrying rattle, we think it is related to the exhaust so fingers crossed that we can nurse her home. Too be perfectly honest other than one quick blast on the unrestricted autobahn we have been chugging very slowly every where and could potentially be the slowest drivers on the whole rally (though it isn't a race)! Though in true tortoise and hare style, every time the Jag boys roar past us somehow we have popped up in front of them a couple of hours later - thank you Aldi sat nav is all I can say - either that or we must catch them up every time they stop for petrol and with a 4 litre v8 then I can imagine that's quite often!

Day 6

It's a late start due to the previous nights excess. We ditched Venice and opted for the straight to Bled in Slovenia option. Not at all what we expected, it would make a great weekend break. Ended up swimming in the glacier lake (great cure for a hangover). Tomorrows the last leg. 750km to Prague. 7 hours straight driving. Britney has developed a rattle which we've cured by playing 80s rock at top volume. Fingers crossed we make it across the finish line and don't need a cab.

Back seat sleeper

The morning after a late one in Bologna ( adrenalin running high still after driving the Ferrari - pics and DVD to follow, they're on the other camera)

Sam and Shorty win the Limerick prize

In part makes up for the MR2 being given the last rites.

How many people can you get in a Batmobile

Answer 21.

We discover Owen parks like a girl

Dont forget your travel sickness tablets

The way up and down

We're at the top

Tunnel frenzy

The Alps obviously has over 50% of the world's tunnel diggers continuously employed. Even Britney sounds like a Ferrari in them. Today's highlight was a single track one. For those that want the full experience watch us follow the Batmobile on the video (when we get a decent wifi link!)

Ooops

All the way up and down the pass and the only accident we see is an Italian bus driver wedge his vehicle across the exit from the pass. He completely blocks the road and its another late arrival by The Musketeers

Do you know what it is yet?

As more cars arrived at the top a hasty bit of c'art work was arranged

Other rallys

The roads around the Stelvio are swarming with other rally's as well as Motoscope. Met this team waiting for the tunnel.

4 Countries in one day

The country total took a massive leap forward today (hopefully the Just Giving total has made an equally big leap). Started the day in Austria and almost immediately crossed into Liechtenstein. We paused only to take our balloon photo (slightly rude so not posted to avoid offending younger readers) and then it was on in to Switzerland. Coffee and cake at Davos before into Italy.

We make it to the top

Hurrah Britney limps her way to the top.

Phew!!!!

Hurrah. 10 mins in the lay-by and a more sedate pace and things are looking better (you can stop worrying now Julie).

Ian Moston

Cross your fingers

Oh no a little bit of engine over heating Captain cautious (the accountant) has made Owen slow down.

Through Liechtenstein and into Switzerland on route to the Stelvio pass (nerd alert - at 2758 metres it's the second highest road pass in the Alps).
Coffee and cake in Davos,which is apparently the poor mans Kloisters, with the Jag boys.

Day 4

7.30 am Austria

Our first casulty and a late arrival

Night 3 and Owen's bailed early (lunch time drinking's obviously not that good for you). Just as John and myself are about to go up stairs (ooh err missus) the Motoscape crash test dummies turn up. Held up by dodgy brakes whuch starts an epic journet to source a new set (read the full story at http://motoscapecrashtestdummies.blogspot.com/2011/09/drive-thru-workshop.html . One last drink to get the full story and then its bed for us.

Catch up 2

John here again, sitting in the hotel in Austria trying another go at blogging - very quiet night tonight but we need it, I was driving today and all those miles in Germany (and for a few minutes back in France even though we were heading for Austria .... I thought we had gone drastically wrong for a few minutes - but then again Ian was navigating and Owen was snoring in the back) have taken their toll. Although its a quiet night it was nearly an expensive one as Ian and Owen were faffing about so much at the border trying to take photos of the Austria sign that we missed the signs to buy the motorway tax (known as a vignette) ... nearly a 120 euro fine (just for the record they also missed the really big sign with the Austrian flag).

Some more random photos, including our tame racing driver psyching him self up for his *cough* 18 min lap at the Nurburgring.

We went to Baden Baden today - the WAGs shopping paradise... god knows why we were there! and look drinking orange juice proving its not all fun.....though what's that lurking in the corner??