so, i thought i would try and do some diaries covering the time while im away, i was going to do it in week long chunks but i dont have net access all the time, and also this week i have not turned a wheel!! so ill start with this one, then try and prepare one for the next couple of week and see if there is interest in them
So this trip begins on a Friday of all days! I have to head to Luton to load some PA equipment which is going back to Switzerland, where I will be loading for the start of the sting tour. I have a nice easy run across to Luton, and im loaded fairly quickly. There is only about 7 tonnes worth of stuff so it’s a nice simple pack. I head for Dover and the ferry to Dunkirk so I can get my vignette as im going via Luxembourg to fuel up. Once on the ferry I see that myself and one of steady eddies finest are the only brits abroad this afternoon. The ferry is late to leave the dock for some reason, but im not too fussed. Once were in France I set off into Belgium and then get stuck in a huge traffic jam, I lose a lot of time, and decide to park up as soon as I can get to a services. Once I manage to get to a services I squeeze into the parking area, have a quick beer and im fast asleep before long. 9 hours later the alarm is going off, I don’t want to get up, but I want to get round Brussels before it has a chance to get busy. I get down to Luxembourg, and whilst fuelling up I bump into a couple of our subbies who are heading for Geneva. As I head down through France I then see 2 more of the Dutch subbies heading north, these have been to Switzerland to load already. I get to the Swiss border, as it’s a Saturday afternoon its fairly quiet and im through in no time, and parked up outside Clair bros. for the weekend. In the evening I pop round the corner as there is a good pizzeria, but whilst sat having my tea the heavens open, then I realize I have left my sunroof open! When I return the inside is well and truly damp! Ah well, gives me something to do I guess!!
Monday morning comes round, and once my 45-hour break is up I tip and load. There is even less gear going back on me, around 5 tonnes and only about half the trailer at best!! This will make it nice and quick to load up, and also means the truck wont struggle as much on the hills. I go to the swiss/german border, get the carnet opened by customs and head north towards Berlin to meet up with my colleague before hitting Poland. I make it almost to Berlin on a 10-hour drive before parking up in another huge storm, it really is spectacular! After another 9 hour break im heading past Berlin towards Frankfurt Oder. In the last services I meet my mate, have some breakfast and then we head east. We stop at the polish border to buy our road tax for 2 days, and set off into the roadwork’s. At points in the polish roadwork’s where there is a bridge it narrows down considerably, meaning you have to breathe in, and hope if anything coming the other way is keeping well over too, it’s a bit hair raising, and certainly an accident waiting to happen in my opinion. We are planning on going towards poznan/Warsaw but coming off onto the 60, which curves north well away from Warsaw, which is a nightmare to negotiate so I am told, thankfully I have always managed to avoid it! The 60 itself is not a bad road, there are a few patches where it’s pretty rough going but in the last couple of years it has certainly improved. We make good progress, and park for the night in a services a couple of hours south of augustow. We manage to get a meal before the restaurant shuts, and then to bed. In the morning I grab a free shower (which I was surprised about, esp. as it was well looked after!) and after a cup of tea and a bowl of cereal we head north again. We get to lomza, and then a ministry man with a lollypop pulls us in for a check, great! I don’t think I have known anyone be stopped and not get a fine, they normally seem to look and look until they find something wrong. After 40 minutes were invited into the van, and are told everything is fine!! Were amazed (although we knew our hours/vehicles were spot on as we had only just left the yard!) and with a printout in case were stopped again were n our merry way! We get to the Lithuanian border, and once again stop for our road tax. While im sticking mine in the window some window washer climbs onto the front of my truck and starts cleaning my window, I shout at him to stop and not bother as I don’t want it done, but he carries on regardless, then opens the door and demands some zlotys for the privilege! I guess his English isn’t good after I tell him quite clearly I didn’t want it done and its tough ■■■■, he wanders off!
this old gem was parked where we stopped for the night in poland
waiting new homes in poland
as were these 2
cobbled main roadin lithuania, just before the latvian border
We have arranged to park at the arena in Vilnius to run a 24 hour break before heading to the Russian border, so we arrive mid afternoon. Opposite the arena is a big shopping centre and a supermarket. We have a wander round then decide to get some tea while there, go into a nice looking Turkish restaurant, only to manage to find the only Turkish restaurant with no doner kebabs!! Late in the evening a third truck arrives who will be going through the border with us at the same time, but he has been double manned up to here so he wont need a 24 hour break. We spend the next day at the swimming pool having a relax, then once our time is up we set off towards Latvia. We decide to press onto the border and join the queue and run a 9 hour break before starting customs procedures, at the border is a parking area so we set up camp in here for the night, cook a curry (bit brave with the scant facilities, but were ■■■■■■■■!!!) and turn in for the night.
parked at the border for the night with a german. the van inbetween had collected a boat in poland and was heading way across russia with it!!
The following day we clear the Latvian side within an hour and then the waiting begins with the Russians. We have the cab and trailer inspection done fairly quickly, then we have to wait for about an hour for someone to come onto the weighbridge and weigh us! ■■■■ their constant shift changes! Once were all weighed and they have our paperwork our agent to assist us turns up. I get some roubles changed up, and were then told to head round to the x ray machine. Once were through the x ray machine were parked back up. Normally once you’re through the X ray it’s a case of wait for the paperwork and your pretty much done. I have a lay down while I wait, and I sleep for 3 hours before my phone rings! Another hour later our agent is back with our paperwork and were almost good to go, just 2 more windows to visit with stamped pieces of paper, pay a road toll and were through! This has taken us a total of 10 hours from start to finish! We are going to do 4 hours driving to finish our time off, and our ■■■■■■ knows somewhere good and safe to park, sure enough after 4 hours we arrive at a truckstop, which is clean, secure and even has a shower!! We have some food at a nice cheap price, and turn in for the night. We decide to have at least 11 hours off as we don’t think we can arrive in Moscow the next day due to another show being on. In the morning I shower, and we go for breakfast before setting off again. We stop at the only shell garage on the m9 to Moscow, top a tank up each (as we will fill up properly later) and have a 45 minute break avoiding the mosquitoes and horseflies. Once were done, were only going to travel another 70kms or so to another truckstop where we will park up and wait for 11pm so we can head into Moscow and park. The next truckstop is nice and clean too although the food is a lot dearer than the first. We have a 9-hour break in here, then set off on the last drive towards Moscow. Whilst there a large storm blows in (but I wake up first, so I get my sunroof shut!!) which provides some great lightening and thunder! Once were parked in Moscow we have the whole of Sunday off, so we venture into red square, but it is shut off, as Russia is celebrating Independence Day, although independence from what we, and some Russians are unsure!
russian parking 
video of the storm which woke me up
some of the trucks i have spotted, im sure some of them will look familiar!!!
Monday brings showtime, and before long it’s over and we are loaded pretty swiftly as there is not much gear, and we set off towards st Petersburg. We do 4 hours driving, park and have an hours kip, then press on to the shell garages on the motorway, where we fill up, and have a quick hot dog. We are both shattered once we are parked for our 9, so it’s straight to bed. Once our break is up, we set off again, only for our ■■■■■■ car to pull into a garage about 20 minutes from st Petersburg for fuel, you would of thought with 9 hours spent at a garage he may of done it then! We meet our second ■■■■■■ with permits for us, I am guessing the gig is in the middle of st Petersburg by the address, and as were lead in im proved right, were in the square by the winter palace, what a venue!! Again, we have a whole day off, but sadly it rains for most of it, but we do manage a wander out for a couple of hours, and the production company kind book us a room at their hotel so we can get a shower, and can stay if we want, but we opt to stay in the trucks, as were cooking a curry in the trailer for our tea.
All too soon its time to load in, once were done its back to the hotel for another shower, and back for lunch before having an afternoon snooze. Its strange having a show in daylight, but as sunset barely happens this time of year that’s the way it is! We load out, and fight our way out towards the ring road, it looks like there is some sort of firework and light display happening on the river, and so traffic and people are everywhere. Once again, we do a 4-hour hit, stop for an hours shut eye, then press towards the border. Once were there, we find out the agent who is going to help is going to be at least 3 hours, and there is a shift change, this means we will not have enough spreadover to clear customs, so we opt to park up for 9 hours and start with a fresh tacho. Once 9 hours is up, we join the queue and slowly work our way towards the tollbooth and the start of the grand palaver that is Russian customs!
parked on arrival in st petersburg
transit generator!
the stage being built
the aurora, which was at the helm of the russian revolution
toilet bus!!
waiting to tip in the square by the winter palace
bit busy here tonight!
queueing at the border
after 8 hours were out and back into latvia, god knows what they take so long about to be honest, but there we go! off we set, and then the rain comes down! we get to daugvapils, and decide to call it a night before its too late to cook our tea. after a cook up and a beer its off to bed with no alarm clock set, lovely!
after waking and cooking breakfast, we both fill up with adblue as its on the pump here, this should enable us to get through the next few weeks with the supplies we have stocked up in the trailers. we are only going as far s vilnius today so we take a leisurely drive there. it is now saturday, and we dont have to do anything until the following monday, we have 9 days off!!! we get some secure parking arranged, which also has access to a shower, and the whole week is taken up with generally not doing much or heading into town for some sightseeing. to save money we stocked up at a supermarket and brought a little bbq, and for the week have had bbq or curries to eat!!
parked in a garage in daugvapils, latvia
breakfast is served, we know how to live!!
BBQ time!!
nice sunset, shame the weather has not been this good the whole week!
interesting bridge decoration in vilnius
so the show is on monday, and then we head back into russia, so another day at the border before heading east! i hope you have enjoyed reading this, and if people enjoy it ill carry on writing them
keep 'em coming.