so, the other weekend found us in manchester after a couple of weeks pootling round the uk after a fairly busy start in europe. manchester was the second to last show, with the last one being…lisbon! (who plans these things!!!) and as we had been having an easy couple of weeks, we only had 2 days to get there! enter the double drivers, who met us in manchester, and off we went. i was one of the earlier trucks to depart, we had an uneventful run down the m6, which was then closed so we were diverted onto the m5 so we went m40 and round the bottom of the m25. we got to dover and got booked on the ferry which we had to wait for about an hour for. once we were full of grub and off the boat we were heading for rouen, le mans and then to niort where we were parking in the centre routier and the double drivers had a hotel (well a formula 1 hotel but its better than cab sharing!) the run down was pretty uneventful and we made good progress, getting to niort for around 5pm. we waited for a couple of mates to get there before heading in for food. 11 euros got us a starter buffet, steak and chips dessert and 2 glasses of wine (uk services take note!!!), and the food was great! with that i was off to bed as we were cracking on in the morning
saw this in a layby when we swapped drivers
we left niort nice and early, and managed to get round bordeaux before the traffic built up, and we passed the time with a few rounds of pub quiz. once the sun came up the day got a lot better, finally hopefully some warmth! our route through spain was irun burgos walladolid, and then we hadnt decided wether to head into portugal through the northern border past guarda or head south to badajoz and across and in. i remembered the guarda route as pretty hilly and there had been some issues with the tolls on that route so we opted for the slightly longer (and just as hilly) route to caceres, down the national road to badajoz and then to lisbon. being spain the motorways were empty and once again we made good progress and enjoying the scenery and sunshine. once we were across the border nightime fell, and then so did the rain! this wasnt what we had come down here for!! we got into lisbon, got parked up and went to a restaurant my brother knew for a cracking pizza, and as it was still lashing it down outside they even lend us an umbrella to walk home with!!
double driver extrordinairre aka dieselcowboy
never let this go cold!
a few views of the route through france and spain
getting there
pizza and a beer in lisbon
i awoke the next morning expecting to put my shorts and t shirt on, but no more rain, arrgghhh!! all this way and the weather still like england, doh! we got loaded in and parked up, and after some breakfast as the weather was pretty rubbish i thought i would have a very lazy day, and start to prepare for the drive to switzerland. with the last show done and dusted, we pulled back in to load up and head off. i was loaded within about an hour, and off i set. after chatting with some of the others it seemed the route north and via guarda was better so i headed that way. the only problem i had was when i got to a toll booth it didnt accept 50 euro notes, so i had to wait for someone to come down with some change (i would of used my fuel card but some muppet had lost it!) i made it to the border in 4 hours 27 minutes, and then i stopped for 3 hours kip. once awake, it was daylight again so a quick cup of tea then off again. i was hoping to make victors at burgos to park for the night. i stopped at the shell garage at burgos, filled up with diesel and adblue, and got into victors after 4 hours 25 minutes! that will do for a day. me and the other swiss bound truck were joined by 3 more of ours who made it there. i had a bit of food and a beer before heading to bed, as we were only having a 9 hour break, as we were hoping to get into switzerland before the weekend bans kicked in. it was a thursday now, and while we were having lunch chris who was with us got a call from another driver saying the friday was a bank holiday. as he was coming home empty he decided to park and stay at burgos until later saturday and then head home. me and shanksy (the other PA truck) had permits to run, so we were off
a very dreary looking lisbon, shame as i love it down there
parked outside the gig
moroccon truck parked in spain
me and shanks parked at victors
so after our 9 hour break we cracked on to the border at irun, there were 3 policemen at the french border but they paid no attention to us so on we went. as the very early morning passed and daylight broke the day really got quiet, no customs or police at peages anywhere so we made good time and were parked up at around 10.30 near clermond ferrand. we raised a quick glass of wine to our war heros who fought for us to be here, then went to bed. we had decided on a long break as swiss customs dont open until 5am, and being as there has been a bank holiday its likely to be carnage.
around 12.30 we set off again heading towards lyon, then towards bourg en bresse and up to basle via the st louis border. en route we stopped for a couple of hours kip and to really let the border calm down. we got to the border around 11am, and we were straight through without a problem, and then to aesch where we were tipping monday. we knew we could park on the docks here and they had left us a key hidden so we could use the toilets and showers, great stuff! our final drive had been around 8 and a half hours, but we had made it and didnt have to sit in a motorway services for the weekend, lovely! we also know a great pizzarea just round the corner, so it was into there saturday night for a pizza and a few beers, and a lay in on the sunday
on the docks, nice and quiet (apart from the railway line!!) and the suns out again!!
yum!
sunday was another lazy day, sadly it was grey and not very warm so i did my laundry to save doing it when i got home, we went for a wander into town, had a meal and a couple of beers at a bar in the afternoon, then just wandered back to the trucks and chilled for the evening. monday morning and i was up showered and ready to tip! we were done and good to go by around half 9, and off we went. we were heading for luxembourg to diesel up and run home. it was another grey day through france, but we made good time. the queue at berchem services wasnt too bad mid afternoon, and soon we were full up, but almost as soon as we left we started queueing. there had been an accident on the other side, so we were queueing for (you can probably guess!) rubberneckers, grrrrr!!! as we headed towards the belguim border the signs were saying there was an acciden towards brussels. no sooner were we across the border we were at a standstill again, ah crud!! we then stop-started for what seemed an age before we got moving again. from the look of it a truck had caught fire. we decided to stop in at habay truckstop for the night before it got too late and we would struggle to get parked. it was 6pm when we parked, after a nice meal and some ice cream it was bed time, another 9 hour break tonight as tomorrow we would be home.
just what we didnt need!
so a little bit after 3 we were rolling towards dunkirk. we stopped and had a 45 minute break as we knew we would miss the 8am ferry and i have gone over my time before faffing about going through the checks etc before parking on the quay so we played it safe. when we got there it was a little busy but nothing too horrific. it was only when i got to the english immigration he told me seafrance were on strike! (the sooner they are gone the better!!). we were booked on the 10am boat, and after breakfast and a little shopping and a chill out we were in dover. i opted for the a2/m2 back, and had an uneventful run back into sunny suffolk, and then home!!
it was rather foggy in the channel, hope the ferry had his fog lights on!!
well thats another one done, one more left this year to do. i hope you have enjoyed reading it, sorry there have not been many pictures but most of our travelling was at night
