GPX - Good day for it, too…. London Triathlon avoidance in north east France / Calais region

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The boot is actually quite large on the car, the only problem is that a fair chunk is taken up by the spare wheel, along with the jack (not too bad) and the mallet to loosen the wheel’s retaining spinner.

The good thing is that there is quite a lot of room in the rear, where a legless dwarf would sit. The downside is that you’d need to put the roof up or put the tonneau cover on, in order to hide any bags. What I might do is use a cable lock, through a bag handle, which would at least inconvenience a walk-by thief. Similarly, the passenger area is pretty generous, if you have no navigator.

The truth is you don’t need that many clothes on most jaunts. Pack as if you are riding a small motorcycle and you’ll not go far wrong. I have four days’ worth in a modest rucksack, plus a bag for my wallet, passport etc.
 
Traffic893 said:
Lovely little car. Nice chrome ‘UK’ on the rear, loose the stickers.
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I have planned on removing the windscreen stickers, bar the Lloyd’s Motor Club, anniversary sticker.

A couple will just peel off, which I’ll stick on some suitable plastic sheet, simply as they came with the car. The one that is bonded onto the glass, will require a hair dryer, I think and will probably be destroyed. It’s simply a replica of one from the 60’s…. Either that or its sun resistant qualities are amazing.
 
Wapping said:
I have planned on removing the windscreen stickers, bar the Lloyd’s Motor Club, anniversary sticker.

A couple will just peel off, which I’ll stick on some suitable plastic sheet, simply as they came with the car. The one that is bonded onto the glass, will require a hair dryer, I think and will probably be destroyed. It’s simply a replica of one from the 60’s…. Either that or its sun resistant qualities are amazing.
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Do we take it you no longer work for that Lloyd's crowd ?
I doubt you have the time though with all these jolly jaunts you have scheduled.
And thank you for posting your travel logs, always of interest.
 
Fuel and the into into the good value Ibis Budget at St Omer. Notice, the experienced tourist (it’s a relative term) parking in the only shade:

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Before a stroll up the hill (it’s not Everest) to go past the restored cathederal:

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Before taking up residence at the Queen Victoria pub, before dinner at 19:30:

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Hustler said:
Do we take it you no longer work for that Lloyd's crowd ?
I doubt you have the time though with all these jolly jaunts you have scheduled.
And thank you for posting your travel logs, always of interest.
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I am retained on a consultancy basis * for the broker I worked for 15 or whatever it was years, dealing with the relationship with the clients that are ‘mine’ and the negotiating of renewal terms / anything else the client might want, need or simply ask about during the year or whatever.

It suits my employer, the clients and (I guess) the reinsurers, too.

Covid was the ultimate test that we are able to work from home or from a beach in Tahiti, if it has an internet connection. Most of the reinsurers I deal with are based in the Nordic region, as are the clients. We don’t live in each others’ pockets, so it matters not where I might be, providing everyone is happy and the work gets done. If it’s needed I can walk to the office in the City in 25 minutes, whilst Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen and Helsinki are not a million miles away. I’ll work on bank holidays and at night, if it calls for it, which is only reasonable as a quid pro quo.

* I remain an employee, to be more correct. I simply earn less salary than I did, as I am not ‘full time’ in the conventional sense. That way I retain my death in service benefit (or rather my daughter does), my full medical cover, along with the benefit of my employer’s errors & omissions cover (too expensive to buy on my own, as the limit would be need to be multiple millions) and assorted other benefits.
 
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What has worked well, so far at least, is a Peak Design wireless charger, suctioned onto the glove box.

It’s just about out of the direct sun, so the phone doesn’t overheat; the interior is hot enough as is. I can’t read the screen properly as the angle is not quite right or the sun is bleaching it out or (more likely) the screen is getting hot. I can though hear the instructions and can just about pick out the direction arrow in the top left corner in MyRoute’s excellent navigation app.

It helps as I just about remember the way and I don’t panic if there is a diversion.
 
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Aidan1150 said:
What a lovely way to spend a few days pootling about. I have visions of you in cravat and tweed cap negotiating the delightful D roads of France.
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In a Spa T-shirt (new), old shorts and 10 year old deck shoes. Oh, and a cap from the CrowdStrike 24- hour race last year. Even my boxers are old, but laundered.

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The pedals are quite close together, so don’t wear your widest shoes. That said, they are damned close in my Fiat Abarth, too.
 
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It’s only the first time I have driven the car for any distance, along country roads.

I’ll admit it took me about 35 miles to gel with it. In truth it’s a bit like riding a Himalayan 411, as you have to retune (as it were) your brain.

This makes it fun and (to use a modern expression) a good ‘experience’, as the vehicle involves you doing much more than anything you’d ever need to do in any modern car.

It goes well and it stops, the latter being important. That said, you do need to pay good attention to what is going on ahead, as everything is not as instant as in a modern car.

It bothers me not that someone is briefly held up, whilst I rattle over a speed bump, or don’t I exploit every narrow gap in the circulating traffic when entering a roundabout. Their FordAudiTesla thing will (or should) out perform the ‘66 car any day on most measures, so they won’t be held up so long that they’ll die.

That said, the vast majority of drivers I have encountered are very respectful of what is clearly an old vehicle and don’t become impatient.

There’s lots of farm traffic about, as harvest and baling is in full swing. The tractors will slow, even if they have right of way, to let the car out, especially in villages, recognising that a bit of space for eveyone that is not the fastest (in modern terms) is good for everyone.
 
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Gee- said:
Looks like you have 2 right feet, or right shoe on left foot, only the shoes! :D
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By chance, my iphone threw up a picture of the day I bought the deck shoes, in a sale in Cambridge when we went punting. It was 10 years ago.

Happy days.
 
Nice car. We’ve stayed in Normandy and inland Brittany for our camping hols, this year, due to the hot weather and the riding is lovely - our last couple of nights will be just outside Wissant and a visit to our favourite Moules Frites restaurant in the world ‘Chez Nicole’ - which I’m sure you know.
We’ll give you a wave if we see you 👋
 
I have seen some ancient campervans (often home painted, by someone too long on LSD) on my jaunt today. But hey, the vehicle is still moving and they are not a crew of thieving pikeys, blighting everything they come close to.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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