I have just got back from my latest jaunt (and horrified to read what has happened to Ian) and for those of you interested enough, a rather long diary and a bit picture heavy follows …
Monday:
Saw me in Huddersfield and start what eventually turned out to be seven collections for Portugal. Two pallets were here all ready and waiting. Then onto Scunthorpe where it took them 3 hours to load ONE pallet and then act stupid saying he didn’t know what I was talking about when I asked about a CMR. Then it was down to Walkers Crisps in Leicester for 4 pallets. What a ridiculous setup they have here!! Doesn’t Liberace work there? He is welcome to it! I had to back my trailer onto the bay but stop about 6 feet away?? Then drop it so the shunter could put it on the bay?? After 2 hours, I went into the warehouse and asked them if I was loaded yet. I was told the shunter had JUST only put my trailer in place! Bunch of “expletives” is my only description of this place! By this time the list of collections had grown 
Tuesday:
I ran down to Fareham and collected 8 pallets. Then onto Faversham and another three pallets here. I was starting to get a problem. All the weight was going on the back end but I was told not to worry, they would move it around at the last pickup. From Faversham, it was off to Dover and across the Channel to Calais. Here I picked up three more very heavy pallets to add to the 31,250 kgs I was already running at. Now from here was the fly in the ointment!! The last collection was in Turnhout!!! The agent had said it was just over the border into Belgium ………… yea, I said, if you’re coming from blinking (or a word to that effect) Holland, not France! After discussing it with the Boss, I was assured it was “worth our while” to pick the goods up.
After leaving Calais, I just made it to Turnhout in my hours and parked in their yard for the night.
Total Mileage so far?? 1516 kms!
Wednesday:
Bright and early, I had another 6 pallets loaded but then one of the small ones wouldn’t fit. So the forkie helped me restack it onto a Euro pallet. Unfortunately there was no bays here so I decided against pumping all the load out to reload it in a better order. So I was very rear heavy. I collected the CMR and I was all ready to roll for Portugal!
From Turnhout, I headed back towards Antwerp and then down towards Gent. Onwards to Lille and then picking up the A1, I headed for Gay Pareee. I was getting close to a 4 hour spell by this time so took an hours break at Perronne Services where I had the obligatory snooze. Then down past Charles De Gaulle airport where I branched off on to the A3. Now I had 2 choices here……. Either from the A3 to the A86 and work my way round to the A6 or straight down the A3 to the infamous Peripherique joining at Port De Bagnolet! When I reached the point where I had to make a decision, the slip onto the A86 was solid so I stayed with the A3 and sailed round Paris onto the Peripherique and round to the A6 just past Port D’Italia
Swinging round onto the Peripherique
so thats where I am??
Forget the M25 … this is the Paris Peripherique and far worse!!
Crossing the river Seine
From Paris, it was a straight run down the A10 past Orleans, Tours and at Poitiers, I turned off onto the National 10 and parked at the Centre Routier just down the road.
Mileage: 767 kms
Thursday:
It had been a lovely sunny day on Wednesday yet upon waking Thursday, it was raining It was a ‘lights and wipers’ day nearly all day Thursday I hadn’t used the N10 for a couple of years and in that time, they have upgraded it immensely!! In just over 2’15”, I was going past the BP Truckstop at Bordeaux. I then had a lovely run round the Bordeaux ring road and joined the A63 heading down to Bayonne through what is commonly known as “The Forest”. It’s a lovely run on a nice day and very soon, I was approaching another well known Routier at Castets. I stopped here for an hour before running on down the last 45 minutes to the border.
Running down thro the Forest. One feature of this road is that there is, offically, no overtaking for over 100 kms!!! Someone tells the Manuels that when they are heading home!
After going thro the last 3 Peages in France I reached the Spanish border and crossed over without any problems.
Going through the French/Spanish border
After going thro the border, I picked up the signs for the National 1. A famous old road, known for its climbs and descents as well as its ‘clubs’ 
Driving along the start of the N1
Once on the N1, I pushed on a bit because coming up very soon was ‘Miguels Mountain’. An absolute pig of a climb that twists and turns its way up the mountain.
Up we go!!!
One of two very tight hairpins. This first one nearly comes back on itself
Nearly at the top! PHEW!!
Once over the mountain, it was a straight forward run. I stopped for another hours snooze at Vittoria Airfield and then the last 90 kms to Burgos where I parked at ‘Victors’ for the night. I had the misfortune to attract the ‘numpty’ here 
so I was off to bed at 9pm just to escape lol
Mileage: 660 kms
Friday:
Now there was no way I was going to reach my destination today so pretty early, arrangements were made that upon reaching Faro, I would make a phone call and the people concerned would come out to tip me Saturday morning. This was despite the fact they were all going to a wedding that afternoon………yea, I can hear you all say, I can just see that happening here!!!
I left Burgos early Friday morning and carried on down the N1 for Madrid. Nothing spectacular down here except for the climb over the Somosierra! Now most mountains, you twist and weave your way up……………. Not the Somosierra!! Straight up and over the top!!! A mere climb that takes 8 kms and rises up to 4765 feet!! I actually think it is stiffer from the Southern approach!
We’re going over that?? Gulp
Including a picture of me taking a picture going up Somosierra lolol
From Somosierra, it is 90 kms to Madrid and I stopped for an hours break just before hitting the cities ring roads. I followed the N1 and then picked up the M40 which I followed round till I picked up the E5 (N-IV) on the southern side of the city. It was a long haul from here down towards Cordoba and then Seville. I took another hours break at Baillen before running on down to Seville.
Heading towards Seville
I parked up just by Seville Airport at 8pm that night absolutely shattered.
Mileage: 829kms
Saturday:
The alarm went off at 5am and I was on the road by 515 
Around Seville onto the A49 and on to Huelva. Just before Huelva is a large services. I stopped here for a shower and a coffee. All nice and clean, I went into the coffee bar and as I ordered a coffee and ■■■■■, I noticed two very elegantly but over the top dressed ladies. Bit early for that, I thought……… it was only 7am after all before I realised they were obviously on their way home! I then, suddenly realised it wasn’t 2 ladies after all!!! Well, they liked to think they were ladies but I bet a pound to a penny they had ‘dangly bits’ lolol
Chuckling to myself, I left the services and head for the Portugese border.
Nearly there
Crossing the border from Spain into Portugal
Just over the border, I had to stop at Customs and get 2 lots of AAD Forms stamped as I had alcohol on board. This took all of 5 minutes after I had located the very attractive lady Customs Officer 
Then it was follow the E1 towards Faro, where I made my phone calls. When I reached Vilamoura (near Quarteria), all four of the drops were within 100 yards of one another!! I parked in the middle of the yard and two guys forked the goods off while another sorted them into what belonged to whom. I couldn’t imagine 4 different firms doing that here somehow? By 1115, I was empty and drove round to the Marina where I parked in a huge car park for the rest of the weekend!
The view out of my ‘bedroom window’ Sunday morning 
Now, as you can see, this wasn’t a bad spot to be weekended!! I wandered round the Marina, found a bar that was showing Chelsea vs Bolton (on an Arabic station) and that was me settled for the afternoon 
That night I went out for dinner and at 1030pm, I decided to head back to the truck. I, on a whim, popped into the bar I had been in that afternoon for a quick coffee. Now this was 1030pm!! I am not going to go into details but I never left there till 230am after spending the evening in the company of 2 Hungarian air hostesses and 2 Portugese ladies 
Mileage: 254 kms
Sunday:
I never woke till midday and no more details but I spent the afternoon on a catmaran sailing along the coast
Mileage: ZILCH
Monday:
I left Vilamoura in the morning after a 45 hour break and headed for Seville where my backload was. Now I can be a bit dim sometimes but even I noticed there were no other trucks on the road. I reached Seville and had still seen hardly any. It was like a Sunday! When I arrived at the farm, the guy said he hadn’t been expecting me till the next day. When I asked why, he told me there was a national transport strike going on!!! But as I was there, he loaded me anyway 
Now, I did say farm and I meant farm! Seville had had a third of its annual rainfall in the two days previous to me arriving and I had no wellies.
Being loaded on the farm!
I had to turn round on this!!!
After loading, I barred the load, padlocked the doors securely and that was me heading for the UK
It says 19,000kg on the CMR, Officer, honest!!!
I made it as far as Manzanares this night and I suddenly realised if I got my finger out, I could make it to Caen by Wednesday evening to catch the night boat.
Mileage: 617kms
Tuesday:
This was really a reverse of my downwards journey and I made it to Castets (just) in a 10 hour driving spell.
Mileage: 780 kms
Wednesday:
I left Castets at 830 and made it to the services just after Niort in 4 hours. An hours break and I was off again stopping again after another 4 hours at Mont St. Michel services. This time I took only a 50 minute break and I pulled into
Caen Port just after 8pm. I was not booked till the morning boat but was put on the waiting list for the night boat. Luckily I made it on
Mileage 802kms
Thursday: Off the boat and along to Chichester and then sat there waiting to be tipped for 4 hours 
From there to the DAF dealer to get a few problems ironed out and then home for a well deserved 2 days off.
Mileage: 156 kms
TOTAL MILEAGE FOR TRIP: 6401 kms
