Day 4 - Sottomarina to Rome

Our last day today from sottomarina just below Venice to Rome. There were 2 challenges today as so many people were so close in their scores. The first challenge was to find and photograph the oldest car you could. It had to have 4 wheels - it didn't have to be going though. Well we struggled a bit on this one but did see a really old routemaster bus on the motorway so photographed that. We also had to count and photograph the number plates of as many Hungarian lorries we could see. The H for Hungary had to be visible. Well we did quite well on this bit - we got 8. Having made it to Rome we got lost on the Ring Road - they seemed to have taken away junction 7! Eventually after a detour or two and Mike doing U-turns in the Rome Rush hour (he decided they would have no wish to crash into us) we found our hotel. Then it was into a taxi to Piazza Navona to clock in, have a meal and then wait for the final speeches and to see who won. Well you guessed it, it was not us. We thought we might get a prize for the team with the greatest collective age but we did not. Then we said our goodbyes, did some sightseeing in Rome and managed to find the only Taxi driver in Rome who did not seem to have a clue where he was going, but he could drive at breakneck speed towards a queue of traffic. I can't think why we were scared as we had been travelling at speeds up to 100 miles per hour on the rally!!!

We will post some of our strange but true photos tomorrow or soon as possible, internet cafe allowing.

See you all soon.

Day 3

Today the trip was from Menton to Venice. A lovely drive along the South of France into Liguria with some fantastic views of beautiful bays with the sun shining off the sea. We were given our challenge for the day and we had to be in full costume for the challenge - at least one team member dressed as a cowboy and one as an Indian. Take a look at some of the photos.

The challenge was to take our spare wheel into St.Marks Square in Venice with our Team number clearly visible on the inside and have a photo taken of all the team with the wheel. The number had to be indelibly marked and we then had to have another photo with the wheel taken at the hotel and finishing point for the day at Sottomarina. Well, we did it and had a right giggle. We parked in Mestre and took the train into Venice St. Lucia, then got a water taxi to St Marks square. It is certainly the way to get to know people in Venice. Americans took our photos and video footage of us, waterbus conductors took photos and numerous people asked us what it was all about.

Have a look at the photos.

Some more pictures from today

I hope you like this one of Alison and Pat and a friend doing their exercises in the lingerie Mike bought us in France. What do you reckon Claire does this meet the challenge?

Day 2

It's coming up 11.30 pm and we are knackered. It was not such a difficult journey today from Montelimar to Menton but we decided to do the

wiggly road bit behind Menton - only suggested if the car was sounding and feeling ok. So we had a drive through Monte Carlo and popped down to the Casino but unfortunately there wasn't room to park the Datsun Sunny next to the Maseratis and Rollers and Bentleys - you get my drift?!

So we wandered on through and stopped for a little picnic on a hairpin bend on the wiggly road. Were joined by some other H2R rallyers who were surfing on the top of their car!! So what do you think of the wiggly road - not bad for a car without power assisted steering!

Wonderfully entertained in the early evening by a man in his skimpies and a lady in hers just wandering around their appartment. Very disappointed when they shut the curtains said Alison.

Tomorrow is Pocahontis day (don't know how you spell it) - just wait for the pictures - the plaits are great.

Saw my fantasy on legs again today in a service station today - Omar Sharif eat your heart out!!

Some photos from Day 1

Day 1

We started early - 8.00 for a 9.00 start - had to get stickered up and chat to others on the rally. A very nice Omar Sharif look alike, some pirates and some fabulous 'wingcos'. 85 cars all fantastically decorated for the rally. Four lines of cars all revving up and horns blowing and not one French person to see us off!!
On the dot of 9 we set off, collecting our first days challenge - an easy one - we had to photo any German car and it's brand. Thanks Claire for telling us what cars were German and what were not. We still think that minis are now German cars but the organisers word is final - no arguing - I knew there would be a drawback on this rally!
It was a hard slog down the motorway 570 miles or thereabouts and nearly had a pile up with a car that just decided to stop! Every H2R car spotted meant a fist on the horn.
Eventually arrived in Montelimar after 11 hours to learn that we were joint first with just about everybody else - we all spotted 6 german makes of car. The last car spotted was a Porsche - well five of them on a transporter - not too easy to get photos but several overtakings and lagging back managed it pretty well.

Binfield to Calais

Our first day - bit of a disaster as far as the wifi was concerned so we are posting today for yesterday. Don't trust the Orange wifi connection!

Set off from Binfield in plenty of time dropped the hitch hiker off near Bromley and headed off for the tunnel - nearly missed the train but wot the heck.

Made it to Calais for check in only to find Direct Line had put the wrong number plate on the insurance!!!!!

I could recommend the Mercure in Calais - nice room, great shower and good breakfast.

So here are a few photos attached to this post.

Our Charities

I Just thought I should let you know that we are not only doing this rally for a giggle but we are also doing it to raise money for two charities. They are The Lymphoedema Support Network and Home-Start Wokingham District. These charities are dear to our hearts for various reasons. We have Just Giving web sites so if anyone wants to sponsor us the links are www.justgiving.com/patriciareynolds and this link is for Home-Start and www.justgiving.com/mrsriveravelez which takes you to our page for The Lymphoedema Support Network. Thanks to everyone who has supported us to date - it means a lot to us.

Oh look - we've picked up a hitch-hiker and we haven't even started yet!! Sorry sweetheart you can't come with us this time!

That's all for now - may post more news later.

The 'New' Car

Wyatt Garage a local Citroen Dealer gave us the name of this man who had a Nissan Sunny - a 'G' reg so perfect. He'd had it from new and he gave it to us when he heard we were doing this run for charity. There are still some good guys left in the world! So yesterday we started to decorate it! Our Team are called 'Pasta Pasta - Not In This Car' so there is a pasta/Italian theme to the decorations. It's not finished yet but it is looking good. Any girls reading this would love the multi-coloured pasta bows round the windscreen.

If anybody has read this yet except us - post us your thoughts.

The Original Car

We're doing this through Street Safari (have a look at their website http://www.streetsafari.com/ ) and one of their rules is that it has to be a really old car - 'M' reg or older - so we bought a Volvo thinking we would travel in style - BUT it needed so much work doing to it which we couldn't afford so it was back to square one. Take a look at this picture - it was going to be luxury - leather seats and all!

We are from clockwise starting bottom left Alison, Pat, Cris and Mike on the right.

What it's all about!

Hi to whoever decides to read this.

We are four friends who have decided to do something different before we start drawing our pensions.

We are Pat and Mike Reynolds and Alison and Cris Rivera Velez. We've known each other for 20 plus years but have never done anything like this before!

In a mad moment we decided to do a Banger Rally - Home 2 Rome. Yep you've guessed it - the Rally goes from Home (actually Calais) down through France, across the Coted'Azur over the north of Italy to Venice and then down through the Apennines to Rome. There are four legs of the journey and it is to be done in four days with various challenges on each day. The car has to be a banger - 'M' reg or older and not cost more than £100.

So this is my first attempt at blogging so I'm going to post this and see if it works. We are dinosaurs when it comes to computers and all this modern stuff - but you're never too old to learn!

Oh - by the way - we are also raising money for Home-Start Wokingham District and The Lymphoedema Support Network - we'll tell you more about that in our next post.