168 SOMEWHERE NICE IN NICE...

By this point, we are all very much on the way to being drunk, with the exception of Richie, who was on some mad, low alcohol beer, as he knew he would need a clear head for the award presentation he was attending the following day. His relative sobriety was a massive help as we headed to Nice on our hotel booking journey.

Like the first day, we decided to spread the trip over two days to give us some time to decompress. As we were staying a couple of days in Nice, we completely ignored the Bust Rallies Bible and looked for an apartment/villa that could accommodate the six of us with secure parking.

Richie's sobriety thankfully kicked in at this point as I saw a stunning hotel right on the Promenade des Anglais, overlooking the Med, dripping in Côte d'Azur class and sophistication.

I was immediately sold. Had we booked it, I'd have had to immediately sell my kidneys to afford it.

We eventually found an apartment block which was part hotel, part residential by the looks of it. It is filled with self-contained flats and has a rooftop garden. Critically, it also has secure, underground parking. I'll be the first to admit, it isn't the prettiest place we will stay on the trip, but it just might be the most practical.

Having this base means that we can have a proper drink at the end of the event and also gives us the opportunity to do some sightseeing in Nice and Monte Carlo - two of my favourite places in the world. It also gives us a base should Derek and Nikki decide to fly out and join us, something we discussed on the night.

Once more, the credit card was whipped out, the rooms were selected, the details were entered, and shortly after, the confirmation was received. So now, we move from a chateau to an ultra-cool city centre hotel to a stunning 19th-century grand hotel to an apartment complex a stone's throw from the Med - yet more variety, even more life spice!