Ramrod On Tour

[eddyramrod]

I'm putting this here because I'm expecting it to include some car content.  Quite a lot, probably!  Just not yet.

So... on Friday I'm setting off with my beloved in her Motability Suzuki, on a European Road Trip.  We're going to France, Germany and Belgium, three countries I've never visited before, and we're using ferries between Dover and Calais (and back, we hope!).  We know where we're staying, I've pre-booked all the hotels.  Also, I have to recognise my limitations: I've tried to keep the driving down to about six hours a day.  This means that we actually have two overnight stops in this country, before we even see the sea!

Walsall on Friday, at the Premier Inn.  You know the routine by now, show up after we've dined and we can raid the Beefeater's coffee machine.  And if you have any diecasts or books you think might interest me...   If there's anything I'm holding for you, please remind me.  My memory is about as reliable as Renault electrics!

Saturday will be Dartford, same applies.  Premier Inn again.

And then two weeks later it all happens in reverse.  Dartford on Thursday June 8th; Walsall Friday.  Same Inns, probably even the same rooms!

In between, I'll be car-spotting and fleamarket-hunting as much as I'm allowed.  Which, since I'm doing all the driving, might be quite a bit.

[sierraman]

Have a safe trip Eddy!

[Tenmil Socket]

Enjoy! Hope all goes well.

[danthecapriman]

Have a good ‘un Eddy. Hope you both enjoy yourselves!

[grogee]

Bon voyage. Safe travels.

[High Jetter]

This should be interesting to follow, looking forward to the chod spotting etc.

[bunglebus]

Enjoy - bring me back a few bottles of Schofferhofer Dunkel from Germany!

[Matty]

1 hour ago, eddyramrod said:

I'm putting this here because I'm expecting it to include some car content.  Quite a lot, probably!  Just not yet.

So... on Friday I'm setting off with my beloved in her Motability Suzuki, on a European Road Trip.  We're going to France, Germany and Belgium, three countries I've never visited before, and we're using ferries between Dover and Calais (and back, we hope!).  We know where we're staying, I've pre-booked all the hotels.  Also, I have to recognise my limitations: I've tried to keep the driving down to about six hours a day.  This means that we actually have two overnight stops in this country, before we even see the sea!

Walsall on Friday, at the Premier Inn.  You know the routine by now, show up after we've dined and we can raid the Beefeater's coffee machine.  And if you have any diecasts or books you think might interest me...   If there's anything I'm holding for you, please remind me.  My memory is about as reliable as Renault electrics!

Saturday will be Dartford, same applies.  Premier Inn again.

And then two weeks later it all happens in reverse.  Dartford on Thursday June 8th; Walsall Friday.  Same Inns, probably even the same rooms!

In between, I'll be car-spotting and fleamarket-hunting as much as I'm allowed.  Which, since I'm doing all the driving, might be quite a bit.

I hate you 😄

[junkyarddog]

Bon Voyage.

[Asimo]

“ Ramrod was the designation for any British light-bomber raid on a specific target in occupied Europe”

[tooSavvy]

If, by chance, you share a coffee with a couple of middle eastern looking bods... after complimenting them on their excellent English... and you part with immortal [touring English traveller] words "Its been nice to meet you, see you sometime"....

Don't be surprised if you do

🤣🤣

[Rocket88]

Denmark well worth a visit

[egg]

Hope you have a nice calm crossing Eddy. I'd also like to say, hope there's no traffic problems, but this is the UK  

In the unlikely event you are at a loose end in Dover there is a Transport Museum there that's occasionally open!

https://www.dovertransportmuseum.org.uk/

Where are you staying in France?

[ProgRocker]

Have a nice trip Eddy.

[hairnet]

Sochaux louwman matra sinsheim schlumpf mercedes

Don't come.back till we see the entry stubs ;D

[doug]

Check leboncoin. Oh and post lots of pics.

Sent from my SM-A145R using Tapatalk

[eddyramrod]

5 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Enjoy - bring me back a few bottles of Schofferhofer Dunkel from Germany!

So you'll be at Dartford on the way back?

4 hours ago, Asimo said:

“ Ramrod was the designation for any British light-bomber raid on a specific target in occupied Europe”

That sounds about right

4 hours ago, tooSavvy said:

If, by chance, you share a coffee with a couple of middle eastern looking bods... after complimenting them on their excellent English... and you part with immortal [touring English traveller] words "Its been nice to meet you, see you sometime"....

Don't be surprised if you do

🤣🤣

I have a very particular set of skills...

4 hours ago, Rocket88 said:

Denmark well worth a visit

I'm sure!  Unfortunately, way more than six hours from any of my route.

3 hours ago, egg said:

Hope you have a nice calm crossing Eddy. I'd also like to say, hope there's no traffic problems, but this is the UK  

In the unlikely event you are at a loose end in Dover there is a Transport Museum there that's occasionally open!

https://www.dovertransportmuseum.org.uk/

Where are you staying in France?

Dover Transport Museum is probably unlikely, but you never know...

We have a night in Calais as soon as we land, and another on the way back; then 3 at a hotel near Disney Paris, and one at Nancy on our way to Germany.

1 hour ago, hairnet said:

Sochaux louwman matra sinsheim schlumpf mercedes

Don't come.back till we see the entry stubs ;D

Er.... yeah.  Done Louwman, 10 years ago.

12 minutes ago, doug said:

Check leboncoin. Oh and post lots of pics.

Sent from my SM-A145R using Tapatalk
 

I think someone is overestimating my stock of Euros!

[Matty]

Any particular spots you want to visit Eddy?

[chaseracer]

7 hours ago, Rocket88 said:

Denmark well worth a visit

@Inspector Morose and I would concur, having passed through on our way to Sweden on what started out as a day trip to Calais some years ago.  

Time for a rematch, I think.

[Dobloseven]

Sounds good, Eddy. Just hope you're not going to be looking round cathedrals and museums etc. when you should be photographing crap cars! 

[eddyramrod]

3 hours ago, Matty said:

Any particular spots you want to visit Eddy?

The plans have been carefully arranged...  We are meeting my stepson and his family at Disney, to have a couple of days on the park with them.  Two driving days will follow, bringing us to the V8 Hotel at Stuttgart, where we have tickets for the Porsche and Mercedes museums.  Then we're heading north a bit, to Bad Nauheim, where Elvis was stationed.

Those are the important bits, all the others will be single-night halts to break up the driving for me.  I don't know exactly what we will pass along the way, but I'm hoping for the odd fleamarket at least.  One thing I plan to avoid is toll roads.  I don't mind taking an extra hour and meandering!

[bunglebus]

5 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

So you'll be at Dartford on the way back?

It's not far for me!

[eddyramrod]

Walsall achieved!  Something of a miracle given the holdups on the M6, but we're here now.

[hairnet]

ewww walsall

[Flat4]

Sounds a fabulous trip! Bon Voyage!

[eddyramrod]

Oh and speaking of the M6... there was quite a flow of campers going north today.  Dubs in the morning, then later on a bunch of more modern vans all painted army-green (not in convoy, they were too sparse for that).  BUT... between the two groups, and only spotted at the last moment: a bright orange UAZ bunloaf!  Closing speed of over 100mph means no photo but hopefully it'll turn up somewhere around the Lakes in a fortnight...

[Matty]

56 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

Walsall achieved!  Something of a miracle given the holdups on the M6, but we're here now.

I believe even phileaus fogg passed through Walsall. 😁

[hairnet]

18 minutes ago, Matty said:

I believe even phileaus fogg passed [wind] through Walsall. 😁

 

[High Jetter]

5 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Walsall achieved!  Something of a miracle given the holdups on the M6, but we're here now.

Oh god, not the HI express? Suffered that for wife's family too many times

[eddyramrod]

No no; Premier Inn.