General Ignorance - Sucata Run 2008

Day 8 - Veni, Vidi, Volvo'd

2008-08-26T15:09:00.002+01:00

Somehow a 2000 mile drive in a banger seems like a walk in the park compared to transferring between Terminal 1 and Terminal 5 at Heathrow. Strangely, not a single balloon to greet our arrival back in the UK (but at least one of the guys at arrivals looked like a bit of a numpty, boom, boom).

Thanks all for reading and words of encouragement along the way. Keep an eye here as we will be adding pictures/videos and links to all our pictures in the coming days.

Any Sucata Teams reading this who have any picture of the Mighty G on the road, we'd be delighted to see them, please email to me and we'll send any we have of you back...

To answer the questions you're all dying to ask:

It was 174 km/h...
No, I didn't have to pee in the car... for which we were all eternally grateful.
Yes, Andrew is still wearing the key round his neck.

This is Team GI from T5 saying, until such time...

Day 7: The morning after the week before

2008-08-25T14:58:00.002+01:00

The G has gone to a better place >sniff< and the party's over. The random selection of emergency spares and consumables have been disposed of and we have a few hours to kill today. So it's a light* lunch at the beach for Team GI before an evening of cultural pursuits in Cascais and then an early flight out. [AW]  *this is only comparatively the case, with the exception of the light Jimmy Shand country dance tunes playing in the bar.

Day 6 - A Place In The Sun

2008-08-24T19:09:00.000+01:00

The General leaves with Andrew at the wheel to his final resting place in a field above Estoril.

Day 6 - Finished!

2008-08-24T16:36:00.000+01:00

G at Cabo di Roca, 2177 miles

Day 6 - Lisbon

2008-08-24T15:44:00.000+01:00

Over there, behid the bridge railing...

Day 6 - Evora

2008-08-24T14:48:00.000+01:00

Couldn't find any wine but we did find more building work going on, I'm sure they'll get it finished soon.

Back seat now hotter than the sun. The celestial body not the super-soaraway newspaper.

Day - 2000 miles

2008-08-24T12:49:00.000+01:00

We have now driven 2000 miles since leaving Edinburgh.

Day 6 - Country 4

2008-08-24T12:42:00.000+01:00

"King Juan Carlos, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Rafael Nadal, Seve Ballesteros, Fernando Alonso, Julio Iglesias, Fernando Torres, Placido Domingo, Maria Callas, Miguel Indurain, Manuel of of Fawlty Towers... We gave your country one hell of a beating!"

And now for something not entirely different...

Portugal. Here we are.

Day 6 - Bacchanalia

2008-08-24T12:05:00.000+01:00

If you have looked at a map and are wondering why we're not taking the direct route to Lisbon, Google 'evora' and 'wine...

Day 6 - Just Passed Caceres

2008-08-24T11:36:00.000+01:00

Get yer atlases out, just passed Caceres and lining up for a big right into Portugal. Flat, brown.

Oh, and hot. Nice if you're with a lady ain't no good in the back of a Volvo...

Day 6 - Road to Nowhere

2008-08-24T11:35:00.000+01:00

This is the road we thought we'd be on today. Sadly, somewhat omitted to tell TomTom that it is a line of flattened mud covered in JCB's waiting for the sand people to come to dismantle them.

Strangely, no sign of double time on a Sunday.

At least I can now hear the music again in the back, the bus that was holding us up has pulled off so the gnashing of teeth has subsided.

And as I scribble, a dual carriageway appears...

Day 6 - Road to Portugal

2008-08-24T09:52:00.000+01:00

Slightly later start today. Not related to the slightly later finish in any way, it just took a while to get G past the Balrog and out of his subterranean dungeon.

If you remember the Top Gear team getting the supercars out of the Paris hotel... has to be said, Mark did significantly better than any of Messrs Clarkson, Hammond & May, despite it being to navigate a brick round a U-bend. A cloud of clutch particulate hung in the air like cordite at Jutland.

If you liked those similes, find more at www.thebeatleman.com

Oh, come on, you all knew I would...

Day 5 - The Photographer Never Sleeps

2008-08-23T23:17:00.000+01:00

Although he is getting a wee bit sleepy.

Big church. Salamanca. Night.

Travel photography brought to you by the Society For Word Economics.

Day 5 - Salamanca Par Nuit

2008-08-23T21:35:00.000+01:00

Day 5 - Grab A Grandad

2008-08-23T20:33:00.000+01:00

Leisa has a new friend. Hope he's rich!

Day 5 - Competition Time

2008-08-23T19:58:00.001+01:00

Got this text from Orange today:

"Hello from Orange. You have now used at least 5Mb of data abroad since last Sunday."

So, here's the competition, what's my phone bill gonna be?

Stick your guess in as a comment.

Day 5 - Sun Setting on Salamanca

2008-08-23T19:18:00.000+01:00

Sucata Superstars Set for Session in Salamanca Square.

Day 5 - Plaza Mayor - Salamanca

2008-08-23T15:18:00.000+01:00

The meeting point is bottom right. As are Mark and Andrew, having a very welcome cold one.

Day 5 - Salamanca

2008-08-23T14:25:00.000+01:00

Arrived in Salamanca. Once again, G was a peach all they way down.

Day 5 - Flat, Brown

2008-08-23T13:27:00.001+01:00

That is all.

Day 5 - Salamanca Bound

2008-08-23T13:21:00.000+01:00

Dark glasses? Gap in teeth? Morpheus, is that you?

Back at the wheel of the Blog after a stint down from San Sebastian. The back of the car is lovely, we're baking cakes.

Day 5 - Bilbao Baby!

2008-08-23T11:00:00.000+01:00

Day 5 - Leaving Bilbao for Salamanca

2008-08-23T10:24:00.001+01:00

Unconventional angular design upstaged by art gallery (See the picture
below.) [AW]

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Day 5 in the Big Volvo house

2008-08-23T08:39:00.001+01:00

Don't panic. The lack of an update to the blog so far this morning is
only because the Blogmeister is behind the wheel for the run to
Bilbao. We're looking forward to causing as much chaos at the
Guggenheim as we did at the Eiffel Tower... I would give you more of a
travelogue, but the 'x' key on the phone is worn out. (Basque
reference there for all you lovers of lingerie.) [AW]

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Day 4 - Shotty! We've pulled!

2008-08-22T22:15:00.000+01:00

Good effort guys, sorry, ladies.