Title: Billy-no-Mates
Post by: DJFish on May 23, 2016, 07:20:57 pm
Since our first visit in 2003, our little tribe's numbers have dwindled, kids came along, priorities changed and interest waned so last year there were only a handful of us due to make the trip down.
I managed to wangle a coveted Tertre Rouge ticket at the last minute, then everyone dropped out at the 11th hour, however I had an ace up my sleeve, I flogged the camping pass and bought a parking ticket and persuaded my buddy who lives about an hour North of the circuit that this was the year I was going to drag him to the race.
My plan was thus:
1. Splat down on my own on Friday evening, sharing the roads with a myriad of stickered up exotica
2. Arrive at my pal's house and drink all his wine
c. Drag him and his lad ( 8 ) down the next day to watch the start, take them round some of the better viewing points, then retire back to his country pile, watch the race on his superfast broadband and drink all his Calvados
4. Get up in the morning and splat down to watch the finish.
5. Profit
What actually happened was:
1. Drove down on Friday evening and didn't see another British car after Calais, everyone who was going was already there. The autoroute was dull as ditch water and the only interesting bit was getting lost & discovering some great driving roads on the way to the bridge at Yvetot.
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/DJFish/ebay%20stuff/2E6470E2-F084-4738-9F6F-E56485A6D5BB_zpssjfdmlll.jpg)
2. Shortly before my arrival, the road outside my friend's house had been dressed in loose gravel chippings, at around the same time, one of the locals had a very liquid lunch, jumped in their Clio & drove home.
2. Arrived at my destination to find a clio on it's roof outside having just demolished a long line of telegraph poles, wires spread across the loose gravel, and all the broadband had leaked out and gone down the drain.
2. Spent a pleasant evening drinking wine, unfettered by modern communication.
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/DJFish/ebay%20stuff/2EF4196E-B6AD-428B-BA29-85A6814728D6_zpspmoocabd.jpg)
2. Drove to the circuit next morning and spent three hours queuing outside the circuit.
2. Got in just in time for the start.
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/DJFish/ebay%20stuff/CCD1EB81-5FCF-45FD-9764-8480F68CDE72_zpseagsakzd.jpg)
This made me happy
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/DJFish/ebay%20stuff/F7B6F9CD-DCC1-42E0-B35E-D48D6D138DB3_zpszhpxbze9.jpg)
2. Watched a bit of racing, then after a few hours the lad was getting tired & a bit bored so we headed back to the land of beef ribs and more wine and no internet
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/DJFish/ebay%20stuff/D002EEC2-1047-4810-AD64-CE8B3EB86A55_zpsqehshlya.jpg)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/DJFish/ebay%20stuff/2FD7A0D8-01F2-44F3-8C51-0591F4AFB308_zpsyd8vls8r.jpg)
3. Next morning I decided to cut my losses and headed home rather than sitting in another traffic jam, stopping every so often to watch a bit of the race whenever I found some free wifi
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/DJFish/ebay%20stuff/B1C8D561-57C6-4411-BF4B-CCCD761C30D3_zpsgeixnuzn.jpg)
4. Arrived home having driven there and back to watch about an hour of racing, mostly on my own.
I don't know if that's a heroic effort or just plain sad?
I managed to wangle a coveted Tertre Rouge ticket at the last minute, then everyone dropped out at the 11th hour, however I had an ace up my sleeve, I flogged the camping pass and bought a parking ticket and persuaded my buddy who lives about an hour North of the circuit that this was the year I was going to drag him to the race.
My plan was thus:
1. Splat down on my own on Friday evening, sharing the roads with a myriad of stickered up exotica
2. Arrive at my pal's house and drink all his wine
c. Drag him and his lad ( 8 ) down the next day to watch the start, take them round some of the better viewing points, then retire back to his country pile, watch the race on his superfast broadband and drink all his Calvados
4. Get up in the morning and splat down to watch the finish.
5. Profit
What actually happened was:
1. Drove down on Friday evening and didn't see another British car after Calais, everyone who was going was already there. The autoroute was dull as ditch water and the only interesting bit was getting lost & discovering some great driving roads on the way to the bridge at Yvetot.
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/DJFish/ebay%20stuff/2E6470E2-F084-4738-9F6F-E56485A6D5BB_zpssjfdmlll.jpg)
2. Shortly before my arrival, the road outside my friend's house had been dressed in loose gravel chippings, at around the same time, one of the locals had a very liquid lunch, jumped in their Clio & drove home.
2. Arrived at my destination to find a clio on it's roof outside having just demolished a long line of telegraph poles, wires spread across the loose gravel, and all the broadband had leaked out and gone down the drain.
2. Spent a pleasant evening drinking wine, unfettered by modern communication.
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/DJFish/ebay%20stuff/2EF4196E-B6AD-428B-BA29-85A6814728D6_zpspmoocabd.jpg)
2. Drove to the circuit next morning and spent three hours queuing outside the circuit.
2. Got in just in time for the start.
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/DJFish/ebay%20stuff/CCD1EB81-5FCF-45FD-9764-8480F68CDE72_zpseagsakzd.jpg)
This made me happy
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/DJFish/ebay%20stuff/F7B6F9CD-DCC1-42E0-B35E-D48D6D138DB3_zpszhpxbze9.jpg)
2. Watched a bit of racing, then after a few hours the lad was getting tired & a bit bored so we headed back to the land of beef ribs and more wine and no internet
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/DJFish/ebay%20stuff/D002EEC2-1047-4810-AD64-CE8B3EB86A55_zpsqehshlya.jpg)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/DJFish/ebay%20stuff/2FD7A0D8-01F2-44F3-8C51-0591F4AFB308_zpsyd8vls8r.jpg)
3. Next morning I decided to cut my losses and headed home rather than sitting in another traffic jam, stopping every so often to watch a bit of the race whenever I found some free wifi
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/DJFish/ebay%20stuff/B1C8D561-57C6-4411-BF4B-CCCD761C30D3_zpsgeixnuzn.jpg)
4. Arrived home having driven there and back to watch about an hour of racing, mostly on my own.
I don't know if that's a heroic effort or just plain sad?
Title: Re: Billy-no-Mates
Post by: Barry on May 23, 2016, 07:37:12 pm
Heroic!
The Yvetot route is definitely better than banging through Rouen, but slower.
The Yvetot route is definitely better than banging through Rouen, but slower.
Title: Re: Billy-no-Mates
Post by: Jason on May 23, 2016, 08:24:51 pm
Definately Heroic, Look at the fine weekend your group missed out on. Their loss, your win.
Next time post that you're on your jack, there are plenty of CAers to meet with
Next time post that you're on your jack, there are plenty of CAers to meet with
Title: Re: Billy-no-Mates
Post by: Kev_mk3 on June 30, 2016, 05:28:45 pm
I actually enjoy the drive to france on my own gives me chance to reflect on thing. Sounds like a memorable trip regardless
Title: Re: Billy-no-Mates
Post by: Barry on June 30, 2016, 11:09:37 pm
I actually enjoy the drive to france on my own gives me chance to reflect on thing.
Agree, what with customers in your face all year and family life it's nice to have a little time to yourself.
Title: Re: Billy-no-Mates
Post by: Si H on July 01, 2016, 01:43:10 pm
I was on my own in the car this year. Was meant to be in convoy on the way down but when I pulled over to put the roof up in Rouen, the others didn't stop and ended up heading down on the autoroute rather than old N138 from Rouen as planned. I stayed on the planned route and it was an enjoyable drive.
Got to Epinnettes to find they'd all been waiting there for 45mins as I had all the tickets and my mobile wasn't getting service!!!
Oh well, I had fun drive and plenty of time to myself to think/plan etc. ;D
Got to Epinnettes to find they'd all been waiting there for 45mins as I had all the tickets and my mobile wasn't getting service!!!
Oh well, I had fun drive and plenty of time to myself to think/plan etc. ;D
Title: Re: Billy-no-Mates
Post by: geoffd on July 01, 2016, 02:18:45 pm
Sounds Heroic to me!
Best laid plans of mice and men and all that!
Seemed to be plenty of traffic chaos this year from mid-week onwards, having said that we had a relatively trouble free exit from Garage Vert and were back at our hotel in not much more time than a traffic free run would have taken us, it helps with the traffic control up the little road just after Tetre Rouge allowing two lanes up and onto the roundabout and then on to the D323 a lot easier than I could have been, and certainly easier than getting in!
Best laid plans of mice and men and all that!
Seemed to be plenty of traffic chaos this year from mid-week onwards, having said that we had a relatively trouble free exit from Garage Vert and were back at our hotel in not much more time than a traffic free run would have taken us, it helps with the traffic control up the little road just after Tetre Rouge allowing two lanes up and onto the roundabout and then on to the D323 a lot easier than I could have been, and certainly easier than getting in!
Title: Re: Billy-no-Mates
Post by: droidblazer on May 05, 2017, 03:48:59 pm
Definitely heroic. Still looks like a fun experience to me. I am definitely decided to fly to France to attend the event.
