General Ignorance - Sucata Run 2008

Day 8 - Veni, Vidi, Volvo'd

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:09:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:58:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:09:00 +0000

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

Day 6 - Finished!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:36:00 +0000

G at Cabo di Roca, 2177 miles

Day 6 - Lisbon

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:44:00 +0000

Over there, behid the bridge railing...

Day 6 - Evora

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:48:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:49:00 +0000

We have now driven 2000 miles since leaving Edinburgh.

Day 6 - Country 4

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:42:00 +0000

"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

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:05:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 10:36:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 10:35:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 08:52:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 22:17:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:35:00 +0000

Day 5 - Grab A Grandad

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 19:33:00 +0000

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

Day 5 - Competition Time

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:58:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 18:18:00 +0000

Sucata Superstars Set for Session in Salamanca Square.

Day 5 - Plaza Mayor - Salamanca

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:18:00 +0000

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

Day 5 - Salamanca

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:25:00 +0000

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

Day 5 - Flat, Brown

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:27:00 +0000

That is all.

Day 5 - Salamanca Bound

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:21:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 10:00:00 +0000

Day 5 - Leaving Bilbao for Salamanca

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:24:00 +0000

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

--
Sent from Google Mail for mobile | mobile.google.com

Day 5 in the Big Volvo house

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:39:00 +0000

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]

--
Sent from Google Mail for mobile | mobile.google.com

Day 4 - Shotty! We've pulled!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Liddell) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:15:00 +0000

Good effort guys, sorry, ladies.