231 IN THE IMMORTAL WORDS OF SYDNEY YOUNGBLOOD...

We received an email this morning from Bust Rallies HQ confirming that they are sending out our welcome packs, including the documentation we need to complete before we register in Namur. I put the details in our Rally Ravers WhatsApp group for Richie, since he didn't book and wouldn't receive the email, and he started going through the links.

He casually said, "This is quite interesting. I wasn't aware of all the permits and stickers," which triggered something in me. I meant to speak to brother-in-law Tommy yesterday while he was doing our 'glamour' shots, but it slipped my mind in all the excitement.

A 10-minute chat with him confirmed that there are multiple options, but they went with 'Bip & Go' because it is accepted on toll roads in France and Spain. He said they also do a version which includes Italy too, which was really handy if we were heading through there, which we definitely are!

He confirmed that we don't actually need a pass, we can join the massive queues in the blistering heat and hope that our contactless cards work while surrounded by locals honking their horns at the 'stupid, English, pig dogs in their stupid cars, with their stupid stickers'.

Hmmm...or just blast through the express lane and worry about the bill later.

The Bip & Go website is terribly European in that it kept crashing because people were trying to use it, the format for addresses was backwards in places, it didn't automatically change the international dialling code number to +44 despite selecting the United Kingdom in multiple places, and they would only accept my bank details in the IBAN (International Bank Account Number) format. <sigh>

Eventually, I got to the part where I agreed to the terms and conditions...which were in French. Whatever. Boxes were ticked, souls were possibly sold to the Devil, and confirmation texts and emails were received. We were there. But then I read the email they sent.

My Bip & Go token, which sticks to the windscreen, will arrive in "up to 10 working days". The issue is that we leave for the trip in 10 working days. This is going to be tight. I immediately messaged everyone to suggest they order their token today to give us a fighting chance of it arriving. All we can do now is sit and wait...