(I'll be running this in tandem with the same holiday blog on the DOC Forum)

Well the taxi came round for us at the booked time 0700. I ordered a larger vehicle as Mrs MacP and wee MacP were coming on holiday too. So we all got strapped in and head down to Dublin Port T1 to get our SailRail tickets. For those that don't know SailRail tickets are the cheap way to get to Ireland. For a super low price of around £40 single, you can get from any station to Dublin. It's worth investigating if you have all day to waste traveling, don't like flying or don't wish to be constrained by airline baggage allowances.

Start the day the proper way:


They are vague about how much you can take, but I pushed it to this:

(Mrs MacP and wee MacP looking at what daddy's brought along)

That's about a dozen items including the trolley. I've a few car parts with me including a DAF 44 front spring wrapped in a bin liner/some cardboard and a washing line carrying strap. The other thing wrapped up beside Mrs MacP's right shoulder is my two roof bars. The reason for all this will become apparent as the holiday goes on.

On the train no1, the wee man was obviously full of beans:


Then he was shot by a hidden sniper in the carriage


On train no2 now to London Euston and then need to get round to Paddington to catch train no3. Should be in Slough at 1636. ...

If you pull this off... Legendary status will be issued

Hi mate.
Glad you all got off to a good start.
It will be one hell of a trip.
Good luck and happy holidays.
Cheers Mark.

Why is Mrs Mac squeezing her own boob?

Im not against it, just wondering.

^^^It was the baby carrier sticking out, or my ghost hand.

Got a taxi between Euston and Paddington. Much to my relief the taxi driver didn't grumble nor give an opinion on something ;D

However by the time we got to Paddington, it was 1625 and so catching the 1627 to Slough wasn't an option what with all the luggage. The 1649 to Oxford has a first stop at Slough, so only takes 15 mins. Fortunately only lost 30 mins on the schedule at that point. Went to Tescos to stock up on supplies and get a lift back to a mate's house and have some tea...

Oops, I've done it again:



The new beast.

Left around 7.30pm, so cutting it fine for Dover Calais 2145 check-in. Last car on with the buses. Phew. Paris is the aim by dawn.



Remember kids, don't take a 33 year-old car on a 2k mile jaunt when you've just bought it. Also get some breakdown cover. I've ignored both bits of my own advice, but I'm DAFt.

Nah, I've done plenty of Euro trips in old, recently resurrected cars with no breakdown cover and I've always been ok........

Is that a 'Black Beauty', and if so is it he one that used to belong to Stephan?

^^^^ yes and yes.

Last and first continental driving was in France a few years ago in a Maxi. No problem. It's one thing taking a car over, but another going to collect one and being slightly restricted with what you can carry.

Well got the easy bit done and motored down the A26, A1

Had a brown-trouser moment when a HGV moved out of lane one and I found myself very fast approaching the back end of an incredibly slow-moving truck. Tried a bit of braking, but it was wet, so went for plan B and steamed round his right side on the hard shoulder.

Stopping for a re-fuel here:



€1.64/L for that poxy E10 stuff!

Don't know the MPG yet, as the speedo isn't working. I was just relying on the speed of other vehicles to keep me in check. Which was fine until I got down the A3 and hit the Périphérique. Despite being 0515, there was a fair bit of traffic and it was like the wacky races. No problem....just go faster.

Got a bit lost, but arrived at a friend's house before it started to get light. An increasing number of wee things to do, but they're not show-stoppers...yet.



I'm going to catch up with some zzz's now.

An amazing trip so far, glad to see the BB go to a good home.

Hi mate.
Glad its all going well.
Ilove those wing mirrors, they look beter than mine.
Cheers Mark.

Well no real news today, apart from at around 1900, venturing out into the street and changing the speedo cable. No inner or instrument head end was present. New cable was in the car though, and the right one too. So now I have a MPH speedo working which is too much mental calculation for my 1Kb memory on the continent.

Did drive round to the cash machine to stock up on some more Yoyos.

Hopefully tomorrow will be at least more (car) action-packed.

First calculations suggest 30.4 mpg, which after a few Scotches, I'm not capable of converting to l/100km...

Awesome bud! Happy that you are this car's new owner.

Good show.

That BB is a belter.

Whats going down in the longrun man?

You selling that on while incontinent, or bringing the sucker home to Oirland?

volvosneverdie wrote:You selling that on while incontinent, or bringing the sucker home to Oirland?

Bugger that! It was bad enough getting to the bloody thing by SailRail, never mind getting back that way. Don't have enough Vaseline for the airline baggage charges either. The sucker is coming home even though the robbers have upped the impor, sorry "Registration" tax from 50 to 200.

^ Good call.