July 14, 2013

The grounds were FINALLY quiet at 6am when I woke early from my  tent to take photos of this stoic castle in the morning light  – devoid of the public and Ralliers!

Mist was slowly rising from the moat’s calm reflective waters, sunlight was streaking through the clouds, ducks were bathing, a heron stood guard in the reeds near the entry walkway to the front gate, and the pastures in the distance shimmered in that hazy early morning light reminiscent of impressionist paintings.

 

This magical peaceful morning with the castle would stand in stark contrast to the off the chart craziness that ensued with the launch just a couple of hours later.

When I returned to my tent, the great flurry of activity had begun as tents and gear were emptied, collapsed, packed away and hauled down to the mass of vehicles.  Don now had to figure out how to get an additional 5 team members’ gear up into the roof racks that had seemed maxed out with the 9 we left Little Switzerland with!

The Rally festivities cranked up around 10am   – complete with prizes given to teams for “most funds raised to date” (nearly 15K British pounds!!), “Least likely to finish”  – Team Serpico – which ran into the front of the ramp, banged it’s exhaust pipe, and had to be pushed up the ramp, “Most unique vehicle”   – Tryke around the world for his homebuilt Tryke – VERY cool!  4 Men 7 Brows was awarded a 30” old clunky TV that they had to figure out how to get into their car!  Knights jousted each other on horseback and a “group” photo was shot with all us Ralliers crowded around the stage

Then came the grand announcement  –  “Now Go…and Start Your Engines!!”

Everyone ran for their vehicles, which were then paraded one by one up the ramp, across the stage and back down and out the castle grounds.  No way the bus was going up the ramp, so we just drove in front of the stage and as we passed, Buddy the Emcee climbed up our back ladder and onto the roof to great cheers from the crowd!  We were officially launched at 1130am (we did stop  – barely – to let buddy down once we realized he was up there)

    

We made a beeline for the Dover to Calais Ferry – just missing the 2pm ferry we had our booking for, but no problem, the 3pm gave us all time to catch our breath.

Taking the Ferry and seeing The White Cliffs of Dover have been on my TO DO list for MANY years!  Neither one disappointed.

On Board, I met 2 wonderful older ladies from Cheshire who were headed to France to go see Versailles and Monet’s Gardens for the very first time.  It reminded me very much of my Grandmother who had always dreamed of seeing Monet’s Gardens but never did get the chance.  One day, I will get there for the both of us!

The Sea Gulls were having their fun soaring in the Ferry’s wind wake – occasionally making a landing on various railings.  Folks were trying to either feed them or be photographed with them.  Not sure whether the gulls or the people were the more entertaining.

The ferry docked in Calais, and for the 2nd time in my life I am on French soil for Bastille Day (essentially the French version of oour 4th of July).  It is after 5pm, and we are trying to make a campground in Cologne, Germany for the night, so there was no time to dally and partake in any of the country’s festivities, With no repeat visit for me to the presidential palace in Paris, we are in Belgium in a blink of an eye.

We arrive at a very dark and locked up campground in Cologne around 12:30am.  After rousing management we are told in a very UNPOLITE fashion that “This is NOT a reasonable hour” and we are denied entry.  Exhausted from a long day, Don drives us down to the end of the road to a small park adjacent to the campground, underneath a bridge overpass of the Rhine River, where 20 or so teenagers are partying it up under the bridge.  Hmm…we’re a bit put off, but they are a harmless Belgian boy scout troop – so up the tents go.

(There’s the campground!)

Final country count  for today = 5 : UK/France/Belgium/Netherlands/Germany