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Start your Engines!

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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.

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(There’s the campground!)

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


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Dover Castle

July 12, 2013

Contrary to initial plans, word came from The Adventurists that…”the plonkers at English Heritage decided that despite confirming all was OK and telling us we should announce it to you fine folks; that they were a little scared of the great Mongol Rally and wimped out.”

I guess something about 400 (??) crazy ralliers romping about their fine castle gave them pause  – and 2nd thoughts – so Don, Sarah, and I  , along with Amber  – from the Canadian team Bro’s & Khans headed off to see this historic castle for ourselves.

According to the guidebook: “Dover Castle is considered to be one of the mightiest fortresses in Western Europe.  Henry II began building the present version of Dover Castle in the 1180’s.  The Castle is located at the shortest sea crossing between England and France, giving it significant strategic importance.  Over the following 800 years, the castle’s buildings and defences were adapted to meet the changing demands of weapons and warfare.”

Arriving via the local coastal bus, we walked up the hill atop the white cliffs of Dover and toured the castle, climbed up the great tower for magnificent views, saw the old roman lighthouse (built circa 2nd cent A.D.) and walked though some of the incredible network of tunnels which were used during WWII as a medic hospital, and the direction of the British evacuation from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940.

I valiantly looked for and finally inquired about 2 cannons my friend Greta said might be at the castle – “The Queen of France” & “The General Wayne”  – The cannons were 3# & 6# wrought iron, built by a William Denning around the early 1780’s for the US Army.  One of her ancestors, a William Ferguson, assisted in the making of the carriages for the cannons.  Word was they were later acquired by the British and installed at Dover Castle.  Sadly I was not able to find out any more information from the docents on-site.

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On the way home, I got off the bus at The Battle of Britain War Memorial, It opened 20 years ago this Sunday, to commemorate and honor those airmen who flew so valiantly against Germany in this historic and important air battle over the English Channel during WWII, from July to October of 1940.

Winston Churchil is quoted as saying on August 20, 1940:

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”.

The War Memorial, has a beautiful commemorative wall of those lives lost, full size replicas of a Supermarine Spitfire MK 1 and a Hawker Hurricane MK 1 &  aircraft, a statue and commanding views of the famous White Cliffs of Dover.

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From the War Memorial, it was a short 15 min walk along a cliffside pathway that led right down into the Little Switzerland Campground.

 

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4 more of our teammates arrived throughout the afternoon: Sarita, Jan, Lina, and Johnny.  It was great to finally meet some more of our team and spend our last evening sitting around our LED lantern “campfire” next to the bus with them, and the canadian, norwegian, and finland teams.  Off to Bodiam Castle in the morning.

 

 

 


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Folkestone & Little Switzerland

I woke up Wednesday morning, headed back to Heathrow Airport, and met up with MS. Dixie Chicken  herself – Sarah McLester!

After navigating our way through 2 train stations, with more luggage than either of us should be carrying, (& a picnic lunch I’m sure I will be dreaming of somewhere in Mongolia…) we made it to THE BUS!

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Our home away from home for the next 7 WEEKS!

We found her husband, Don, awaiting our arrival up at the campgrounds’ bar!  RIGHT!  The beverages were cold, and very well earned after a long couple of days of travel.  IMG_2769 IMG_2772

One of our UK teammates, Jan, booked the bus and our team at the Little Switzerland Campground – which is a little slice of heaven!  The view is amazing!  It sits along/under the White Cliffs of Dover, and looks out across the English Channel towards the French Coastline.

The Staff here is friendly, has a great bar/restaurant, (but it closes at 5pm), and the internet works (as long as they don’t unplug it to vacuum).  Don, Will and Tommy were here for a few days before Sarah and I arrived and they clearly settled right in making friends with everyone here.  The groundskeeper,  Jock, Scottish, is a HOOT!  We ply him with beers after hours and he entertains us with stories, charges our electronics in his trailer, and keeps giving us stuff for us to take along – (fleece sweaters, LED lanterns, …)  He’s also sharpened Sarah’s Machete!  This guy is GREAT!!

Wednesday night we headed into Folkestone for Dinner at The Local Briton – Fish and Chips OF COURSE!   – cod was the fresh catch of the day.

HEY – where’d all the water go?? Living along the Great Lakes, sometimes I forget about the tides…

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Thursday –  Sarah, Don, and I spent the day organizing the Bus & the box Dale had shipped us (YAYE!!)  The Lotus Children’s Center is going to be SO surprised at all the new goodies – donated school & dental supplies, Thanks Dale, & Mindy!

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And I added more than 35 handprints from our amazing donors to the bus!

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Friday we trek on down the coast to Dover Castle!