Road to Nowhere

A picture of the command module. This is the business end of todays operation. Walkie talkie to chat with support team members, phone to communicate with outside world, tracker keeping a log of where we are, camera to record the events of this historical expedition.

Paul is at the tiller again this morning as we head to the border with time to be made up after our delayed start.

Car running well after an un-nerving non-starting moment first thing this morning. ETA in Andorra now 2.30pm.

Car Trouble.

Not the beemer I hasten to add, but sadly there was an overnight casualty - not related to alcohol however. Our colleagues in the hairdressers car got floured and watered. They are not amused and the toothbrushes are now in use as cleaning implements. The irony is that we would have loved to receive such battle scars!

We know the tracker is out of action and is likely to remain so for the rest of today. We have been tipped off that Spanish police are monitoring this site and we need to keep our location secret.

The unit is still recording our position and we will upload the log to the map when back in the office on Tuesday.

Hit the Road Jack

Final day started with a good hearty breakfast. Bright and sunny morning gazing across the rooftops of Toulouse from the hotel bedroom window.

Todays mission to get to Barcelona with the car in one piece and without too many questions from the local Gaurda Civil. We have 118 miles to go before we get to the Andorra border. Should be there by 2pm if all goes to plan.

Mission Impossible

Saturday night draws to a close and Team Salford GIS decide it is time to discuss strategy for the final day's push from France into Spain.

Whilst seeking a suitable venue for this important meeting they stumbled across a seedy hall in a Toulouse back-street. The hall was set out with large flat green tables that were ideal for the purpose.

Strangely, the strategy planning tables were also covered in small coloured balls, presumably left over from a previous meeting. But as coincidence would have it Team Cut and Shampuma were on hand to help us tidy up.

Six small holders were conveniently placed around the table into which we were able to push the balls with some wooden sticks we found lying around.

For some strange reason we ended up clearing the table three times between us, each team having tidied up as many balls as each other until the final black one. Paul set it up nicely for a final attempt by table-clearing virgin Chris (no pressure) to tidy the final ball. Sucess. Team Salford GIS - The Champs.

With a winning strategy planned, it was off to bed.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

You decide which of these three is which in the title.

Last blog of the night as we sit down in a beautiful square for a few beers and a hearty and well deserved feed.

We didn't take part in todays challenge, deciding instead to get to our destination. Well done to the winners who managed 122 photographs of brown cows.

We should be back on the road between 9 and 10 tomorrow on the push through Andorra and on to Barcelona.

Fugitive?

Safely parked in a nice underground car park we have made it to Toulouse city centre and are putting on our glad rags for a night on the town. Not that we're here to enjoy ourselves too much!

Thanks to everyone who has donated to our adventure and helped us to raise close to £3,000 for MapAction. This is why we are here and it is great that so many of you have got behind us and them.

A couple of bits of disturing news. firstly the green goddess has developed a nasty groan at the back end. It sounds suspension related, but with just 250 miles to the 'great car park in the sky' we have decided to turn up the stereo rather than investigate.

The second item is possibly more threatening. We've been told by the organisers that they have been warned by a Spanish TV company that the police are looking to stop every banger on the border and fine us for being part of an illegal rally. The fine is rumoured to be €400. Tomorrow could be very interesting!

Trading Places

We're making excellent time down the toll road and the lure of a shower and a cold beverage utmost in our minds we've decided to press on to Toulouse and have just passed the turn for Condom (no jokes about burst tyres please).

On the last stretch we have spotted three other Barca bound Bangers as well as our support team 'the Hairdressers' in their red escort.

Two had been pulled by the gendarmerie at a peage and looked like they were getting a top to bottom search. A 7-series BMW had sailed through and we have spent the last 50 miles playing cat & mouse and taking photos of each other.

Under an hour to go to our overnight stop.

National Treasure

This beamer of ours really is the star of the show. We're now bathed in central/southern France sunlight and to get a bit more air flowing Chris has undertaken the ceremonial cutting open of the sunroof.

Just a few stats for the record. We have now travelled 945 miles (we think, as the trip counter keeps re-setting itself) and at the last fill up she has returned 34 mpg.

The car is behaving perfectly; no temperature fluctuations, no wheel wobbles, no smells of burning, and even the clock is keeping good time.

The plan is now another 70 miles on the toll roads and then diving off onto the A roads for the last 80 miles into Toulouse.

Chris now at the helm for the first time today so Pauls turn to pick the music as we drive with the wind in our hair (well...Chris with the wind in his hair!).

Speed

Lunch is behind us. The sun has come out. The tracker is back up and running. All systems are go.

In order to make up for lost time we opted to complete the stage down to Bordeaux on the Autoroute. Should allow us to get a few more miles in the bag and with paul at the helm of the green goddess that won't take long.

The car is still behaving beautifully despite some worrying noises earlier in the day which turned out to be loose tape on the roof flapping about in the wind.

Brassed Off

We understand mission control have sorted the gremlins and the tracker is back up and running. Many thanks to the guys back at base for their assistance on a Saturday.

We are just outside Niort stopped for the mandatory cheese and baguette again.

The overnight stop in Nantes was not without mishap. Several cars were vandalised by mindless idiots. The other Southport based team in their hairdresser-mobile had the passenger door dented. Others suffered with smashed windows. Windscreen wipers and mirrors ripped off.

Meanwhile the beemer banger rested safely in her underground car park.

Lost in Outer Space

Apologies to those of you who are trying to follow our progress this morning. We have left Nantes and we are Toulouse bound, albeit in the rain still.

However we understand from those tracker addicts amongst you that you can't see where we are.

We have messaged mission control back in Salford and await their response.

In the meantime we are on D137 heading towards Niort.

A Room with a View

Bright and sunny this morning as Paul awoke and gazed out of his bedroom window. By the time Chris surfaced the day had turned into the kind of weather we are more accustomed to in Manchester!

We are in the middle of France and after yesterday's glorious weather and 25 degrees temp we are now in the middle of a thunderstorm heading to our next destination.

The world map on the roof is about to part company with us and half of Europe from the bonnet is looking decidedly delicate.

Off to find some fuel - more updates later.

The World is Our Oyster

Time to relax and rewind with a bite to eat before a good nights rest ahead of tomorrows exploits.

Chris took the plunge, almost literally, with his first ever oyster. Just in case they live up to their reputation, Paul has booked himself into a separate room for the night.

The wine will undoubtedly flow but we'll be up bright and early in the morning ready for the days challenge.

All Tucked Up for the Night...the Car anyway!

After what turned out to be a fruitless dash to Nantes, the beamer is tucked away in an underground car park for the night. She is amongst friends as you can see from the photograph.

The 100 euro prize evaded us as our score of 122 was eclipsed by two of 147 who had to be separated by a tie-breaker.

We at least arrived unscathed and the car didn't miss a beat for todays near 400 miles. A small groan from the power steering on full lock is her only complaint.

Paul on the other hand has a badly burnt right arm, the penalty for resting on an open window frame during the mid-day sun without sunscreen.

What was it that they said about Mad Dogs?

Le Mans Detour.

The green goddess is running so smoothly and so well that we have decided to detour via Le Mans. We understand today is 'Track Day' and we fancy our chances at putting in a new lap record! Not sure whether that will be the fastest or slowest.

A quick thank you again to our corporate sponsors listed on the right of this page, without whom this fund-raising event would not have been possible.

Thanks also to all who have donated to MapAction and to those who have encouraged us through your texts (and phone call).

Watch out Le Mans we're on our way!