The day of departure finally arrived after months of planning by Gav and months of lounging in south east asia by Dan. The departure was delayed somewhat due to purchasing those little luxuries as international driver’s licences and car parts. In the midst of this last minute shopping spree we heard the news which I still cannot believe happened. Watching it seemed as if we were catching the latest blockbuster but no. As we watched in disbelief at highjacked jets plunging into the World Trade Centre, our excitement for what we had billed as the trip of a lifetime was significantly extinguished.
Attempting to lighten our mood we quickly packed choosing only to leave behind one of the water containers and the major lock for the landy. Heading down to Dover we were both pretty stunned still, entertained only by commencing the video footage without a film in the recorder and Dan’s motorway driving skills. At Dover we managed to get an earlier ferry than planned which was good in some ways but bad in others (eg. We hadn’t planned our route out of calais yet). Whilst queuing we got talking to a guy who was nice enough but very proud of his medals. Onboard a quick pint and a stroll out on deck and then we were in France feeling very knackered and confused. After a few hours of driving fatigue finally got us and we took refuge in a service station.
Still feeling dazed from the events of the previous day we decided to get through as much motorway as possible. It would have been a pretty non-eventful day had it not have been for refuelling in luxembourg. At the service station I noticed a man taking interest in the landy. After a bit of a chat an initial inquiry regarding local internet facilities led to an invitation to use his computer at his superb house, which led to coffee, dinner, cooked by his wife, beer and shower facilities (and much needed advice regarding routes). A very interesting guy who went out of his way to help. Personally, I wouldn’t have invited 2 scruffy, smelly english yobs to my house. So, if you are reading this thank you and your extremely hospitable wife for your hospitality.