200 EIGHTEEN MONTHS ON...

Can you believe this is the 200th blog post on our pokey little corner of the internet? If that isn't a good enough reason to write a post taking stock of where we are, our achievements and what is still to do, I don't know what is.

So where are we? We have registered three cars for the event and have five of the six drivers sorted. Carl is still looking for his co-driver, but Lisa and I are completely invested in driving Team: Dirty Martin around Europe, as are Richie and Rachel in Team: Daisy Racing.

We have two Abarths and an Audi (sounds like a sit-com... or possibly a dodgy meme). Carl's 'Just Please Squint' has had a trip to the garage and, after £1200 worth of work, is almost good to go. There is a nagging issue with a battery that still needs some investigation, but other than that, 'Bert' is tip-top.

R&R are making the trip in their Audi, which is much younger than the Abarths and has no doubt been driven much more sensibly.

As it was bought relatively recently, it has benefited from a multipoint check and a service, so it is also good to go...now that it has a new tyre after an incident with a screw!

As for 'Abbie', well, she is due to be booked into the local garage for a shakedown and service. I don't expect anything major to be wrong, but I do have a squeaky clutch. Hopefully, it is the cable, not the unit itself, as that will get pricey, quickly. I'll also ask them to fit the red brake callipers I bought when drunk, and put new pads and discs on all round.

Each team will need to sort out their 'emergency bag', ensuring it includes the appropriate oil and coolant. We already have a digital tyre pump, jump leads, a battery booster, a tow rope, thermal blankets and a warning triangle. As we are now travelling through Spain, we need a V-16 emergency light to stick on the roof in case we break down.  I'm also going to buy a digital breathalyser for peace of mind.

We will need to sort out travel insurance and breakdown cover closer to the time. We also need to get our driving licences, proof of insurance and proof of ownership documents together. Oh, and check our passports are in date too.

Thanks to our good friends Mitch and Hayley, we have a set of proper high-end walkie-talkies allowing us to pester each other on the trip without running up a big phone bill or relying on 5G network coverage.

We also need to ensure we have the right top-ups on our mobile contracts so we don't come home to a massive bill.

Carl and I also have a pair of Apple headphones each that let us take advantage of their new 'Translate' app, which, in tests here in Blighty, has worked really well. I've used it while watching films, and it actually works!

What about decorating the cars? Lisa and I visited the guys at Colour Create; they have the schematics for the Abarth and have made initial sketches. There is a long way to go, but it has started, which is the main thing.  I pestered Richie the other night over a few drinks to get his design mapped out so we can get the printers on it.

Their car should hopefully be a bit more straightforward as they are using 'big, flat, rectangles'. Carl's design will be trickier, as some of the logos need to be cut to shape... and then sprayed gold!

We have all our hotels booked, and we have done well... on paper, since we haven't actually visited any of the places and are relying on images and reviews on Booking.com.

We picked the places to stay over a few drinks, so we may have reserved a dud or two, but at the very least, we are staying in some cracking-looking establishments.

We have booked our ferry from Bilbao back to Portsmouth. We just need to buy our ticket on Le Shuttle, then that is it for travel...except our toll and clean air stickers, and petrol, which is going up by the day because of Trump and the war he caused to try and distract people from the dirt in the Epstein Files. Grrr...

We have a few stops pencilled in along the route, including a trip to Bastogne, the site of a key battle in WWII. We might head to the Verzasca Dam, famous for being the location of the opening bungee-jumping scene in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye. Oh, and don't forget, we get to drive up and down the Gotthard Pass!

While planning the route, we noticed we would pass close to Lourdes on our way from Séte to San Sebastián, which would allow us to make a pilgrimage that many Christians undertake each year.

I think some of the guys want to attend mass there, which will be a lovely thing for them to do - a bit of spirituality on our trip across Europe.

We have a couple of days in Nice, which gives us the opportunity to head back to Monaco for a look around, as we won't have had the full experience the previous day when driving around in a convoy.

Two days in Sète allows us to explore Montpellier, which is 20 minutes away by train and is supposed to be a vibrant city, full of medieval streets and culture - right up our rue, obvs.  

The last double day is in San Sebastián, which, if you have seen pictures of the place, is absolutely beautiful. We are definitely looking forward to spending time there and maybe having a nice meal at one of the city's many Michelin-starred restaurants. More likely, we will settle for pintxos (the local tapas), since we could be running low on funds by then!

We also have the little matter of the 32-hour trip across the Bay of Biscay on 'The Love Boat'. We are travelling on the Brittany Ferries ship Galica, which has four restaurants and a bar. That should keep us entertained through the night and give us enough time to recover the following day before we complete the final leg of the trip.

The biggest task left is getting our 'fancy dress' sorted, I guess. Lisa and I have made a start; we have trainers in hand, with sunglasses and jackets on the way. We need to agree on some polo shirts and t-shirts, order them, and we'll be good to go.  

Lisa is still keen for us to wear matching pink tops; negotiations are ongoing.

Speaking to Carl, I think he has some way to go, but he has a strong idea of what he wants. I know R&R have an idea of what they are doing with the car, but I'm not sure if they are 'dressing up'. There was also talk of getting a tour T-shirt made, which would be pretty cool.

Finally, I need to speak to the Fundraising Team at New Start to let them know what we are doing and see if they can provide any help with promotional materials and copies of their logos in the appropriate format, which can be sent to the printers and turned into magnetic stickers for each car. We also need to order a 'Mini Ellis' for the trip, can't forget that.

I think that is everything, but I have no doubt that I have forgotten something. There is so much to organise and think about, my head is kettled with it all to be honest. I'm certain it will be worth it, and I'll look back on all of it when we are home with a sense of satisfaction. Until then, I'm off to find that ever elusive essential, the Monaco GP air freshener, does it ever end!!!