30 December 2001 - Day 1 - Gnomes
Firstly, we must apologise for the lack of daily updates during our trip, I hope you all understand but we haven't really been capable, as I'm sure will become clear!

The journey started very well as planned, with most of our luggage packed expertly onto the newly installed roofrack. Despite this, the new recruits, Alex and Colin, had a look of anxiety in there eyes at the thought of driving over 1000 miles with their legs wrapped around their neck!!!

We took our first wrong turning just outside Lewisham, but quick thinking by Alex ensured that we were back on track before anyone really noticed!

The mission progressed fantastically for the most part, with the drivers taking it in turns through the night. As dawn broke, Colin revealed to the stirring passengers the events of the night before, bulldozers, twitching foxes, talking eagles and other fantastic things that could surely only have been hallucination.... oh well it was a long night!!

The daytime driving continued unabated, with stops only for fuel and mcdonalds, where we were introduced to the fantastic german fashion statement which is the leather trouser......

A solid, balanced diet of Kit-Kats and Marlboro saw the team through Germany and up to the Polish passport control... Across the German border and the first 100 miles through Poland revealed a bizarre Western Polish fascination with garden Gnomes... Shops at the side of the road every 1/2 mile selling nothing but 100's of odd gnomes... Dan and Al decided to keep the doors locked in case someone tried to steal Colin...

The journey was definitely going far too well, so Dan decided to mess things up by deciding not to fill the car up with petrol at what transpired to be the last petrol station for 150 miles!!! As the petrol guage started to flatline, Al suggested using the reserve tank... that Dan had forgotten to fill...

Fortunately, we had organised full breakdown cover before leaving, so after just 2 hours wait in the polish snow, a rather bemused looking polish mechanic turned up to take us to the petrol station.... how embarrassing!!!!! Dan was sent off in the transporter with the less than happy, non English speaking recovery chap, whilst Al and Colin got acquainted with the first of many beautiful Polish ladies, who wanted to take them home and cook them dinner...

The journey continued relatively smoothly, and the crew arrived at their destination 1056 miles and 23 hours later.

Naturally, the drinking started immediately, a sterling effort from all concerned, have no doubts!!!

More updates soon.....

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