The Final Day.

Peking to Paris - over 8,500 miles - 36 days in a 48 year old car with the best co pilot you could have ( even though he does nick all my sweets GY)

Thanks again for all your support, messages and encouragement, you kept us going!

Best wishes and we look forward to catching up with all back in the UK - with many stories, photos and over 300 hours of in car video footage! (Admin: warning look busy 😉)

Richard Allen & Graham York

x                            x

Day #35 - Lausanne to Reims (485km)

Rally STATS:

See you in Paris! Overall Position: 15th Class Position: 5th

Another 500km day from Lausanne to Reims - tonight's destination before our final run in to Paris tomorrow . Great to meet Andrew and Virginia on route for a late lunch at 4pm! The reminiscing started tonight at the drivers party and the adventure concludes tomorrow in Paris . Peking to Paris - over 8,500 miles - 36 days in a 48 year old car with the best co pilot you could have ( even though he does nick all my sweets) .

One final push tomorrow - 174km and it's done .

"Day #34. - St Moritz to Lausanne (420km)r

Rally STATS:

Day  9hr 44min (Total 264hrs 30mins) Overall Position: 15th Class Position: 5th

 Fab drive from St Moritz to Lousanne. Started in snow ended in lovely sunshine! Two trials - 450km of mountain roads and hairpin bends - does it get any better?

Night All,

GY & RA

X

Admin: And so the P2P Bromance continues.... how much cuddling? All started in the Mongolian tents.... what happens on P2P.... WILL BE BLOGGED!

more blog landed for day #34....

Started in snow at St Moritz ended in sun at Lausanne 450km- three mountain passes - two time trials , one misfire( failed plug) and no lunch (again) .

Great underground car park at Kempkinski

Another morning everyone gets ready to depart

Where did the white stuff come from?

Lunchtime reception in a village before Verbier

Last time trial - let's have a nice smooth road ! Ok let's not !

Time tests done - two more days to Paris
Another underground car park makes working on the car so much easier !

Day 35 and France here we come

F

33 - San Martino to St. Moritz, Switzerland (390km)

Rally SATS:

Day10hrs 41mins (Total 254hrs 14mins) Overall Position: 15th Class Position: 5th

A wet day was followed by a wet night but the clouds soon disappeared and the sun came out for our drive from Italy to St Moritz in Switzerland. Another long drive but one of the best ! Fabulous scenery - great stops and the car still behaving ! Today was a great challenging day on the P to P !

First time trial included a fab water crossing ! No flippers required

Roads are great - just one of the ones we drove.

Four trials - the third trial nearly lost us Gold when 7 minutes into the winding stage a horrible noise starts under the car from around the front of the propshaft !!! Car stopped in pouring rain a visible inspection shows nothing so we decide to

Limp to the end if the stage. Soaking wet the result of further indirection shows a stone rattling around the centre bearing housing ! How did that get in there?

Five mountains climbed - five descended - hundreds of hairpin bends driven .

Switzerland here we come !

Leaving Slovenia

Countryside still amazing

Car still has 4 wheels on !

Great tunnels

Lunch !

The Dolomites - shame the Suns not out !

Arrived - 7pm and nearly 40 minutes late !

Tough day ! Now work on the car starts

Day #32 - Ljubljana to San Martino di Casrozza, Italy (454km)

Rally STATS:

Day: 9hrs 51mins (Total 244hrs 20mins) Overall Position: 15th Class Position: 4th

Day #32 DONE!

Slovenia into Italy - just a shame about the weather!

Day #31 - Maribor to Ljubljana (300km)

Rally STATS:

Day: Xhrs XXmins (Total XXXhrs XXmins) Overall Position: XX Class Position: X

Hot hot hot ! 

Slovenia is a beautiful country. We are in their Alps and it is equally as spectacular as Italy on the other side. The roads are like snakes and they have smooth Tarmac. 5 timed tests today, the car is good after yesterday's fix, and all were completed on time. The last test was cancelled because of an accident, awaiting news. In Ljubljana now, very nice indeed, going on the town tonight for a meal. Petrol is now £1 a litre against 35p in Russia, a bit of a shock.

 

Car ran well after yesterday's issues. She deserves a holiday ! 

Italy beckons tomorrow .Slovenia - stunning scenery 

Lunchtime parade

What a backdrop for trials at a race circuit It's s difficult track but what a great place

Fab roads - stunning scenery

What a Welcome at Ljubljana 

Dinner time !!!!

R & G xx

and more churches.... (phew, thanks Richard)

Day #30 - Budapest to Maribor, Slovenia (410km)

Rally STATS:

Day: 9hrs 36mins (Total 224hrs 16mins) Overall Position: 15 Class Position: 4

Lost track of what the day is!! Budapest seems an age ago.

Lovely send off on a scorching hot day - we will be back! 

It all started going wrong when it took an hour to do 5km. Then we hit the open road and the vibration from hell started ! We initially thought propshaft as we changed a UJ yesterday . Phone calls to tech support and Amazon cars gave us some information so first opportunity propshaft off . 40 mins later back on the road and ....no change ! Max speed was 50mph before the car would have disintegrated from the vibration . Propshaft came off 5 times during the day. We limped in to the hotel 10 hours after leaving Budapest wondering how late out night would be and what could it be? Bearings , mounts , engine - we were starting to wonder . Decided one last removal as we waited for the sweep crew and hey presto - one of the circlips on the new UJ was not fully home and there was play. A hammer and socket soon made the necessary adjustment and road test followed ! All good . It's been a tough long frustrating day but we did every challenge and every time control and we will sleep well tomorrow . 

Leaving Budapest - wow it's hot 

The culprit - just one little circlip  caused us so much grief 

Still managed to see some fab sights on route

Propshaft off take 1

Propshaft off take 2?

We enter Solvenia at 50mph wondering if we will get to the hotel or not...

Not again !

Finally it's sorted. 

Day # WHATEVER - Here we come!

Richard & Graham - ready for bed.... or a dip?

Day #29 - REST DAY #4 - Budapest

Sunday 10th July 2016

"A hot and sunny day today in downtown Budapest and, with a city so well endowed with pavement cafes, bars and restaurants the temptation was to sit back and relax. It’s been a tough few weeks and some bodies are crying out for some TLC and a bit of me time. So are the cars though, and that’s the problem; balancing the needs of the crew and the attention demanded by the rally car. It’s a fine line and, today we saw many crews trying to stay on the right side of it with beer and sandwiches next to the tool box down in the service park" - Syd Stelvio - ERA Website Report

Well it started with a late breakfast - 8.15 . Lovely hotel great breakfast. 

Then mini bus to the park where the cars are all on display to work on the car in 34c heat! 

Diff oil changed , UJ changed, engine oil change, tappets adjusted and all other fluids checked . Hopefully that should get us to Paris . 

Hotel change tomorrow - flooding in Slovenia has caused havoc . 

3 hours off this afternoon to see the sights . What a fabulous place and sad to not be here a few more days.

Lots of work to do - and it's hot !

So hot someone decided serious action was required!

Admin: if we get some comments the un-censored image appears....

Fabulous mix of old and new buildings

Still smiling ! 

Everyone should visit Budapest!

and finally.....

Well done Portugal!

Well done Lewis!

Well done Murray!

Happy Birthday Chloe Jane!

Ricardo & Graham - stay cool man! x

Day #28 - Kosice to Budapest (380km)

Rally STATS:

Day: 9hrs 42mins (Total 214hrs 39mins) Overall Position: 15 Class Position: 4

Great night in Kosice, lively city centre, lots of pavement restaurant, very nice 3 course meal, £30 for two.

We woke to heavy rain that soon cleared and then we were hit with 33c of heat and unbroken sunshine. Hard on the car and the drivers. Richard did the 4 time trials and I drove the route . About 470km of lovely countryside and friendly people . On the whole journey the locals have been so supportive of the rally - not one bad incident just support. Hungarian roads remind me of Russian roads in part - poorly maintained in so many places. 

More speed tests on appallingly rough Tarmac, poor Volvo is taking a beating. Lots of woods, small mountains and villages, a little shabby to start but improving as we got closer to Budapest.

Can't believe we are entering our final week! 

First time trial of the day

Tight border control as we enter Hungary - not 

What a welcome at our very late lunch stop that lasted 13 minutes!

We think it was an excuse to display the cars again.

Budapest at last . Day 28 done! 

Rest day tomorrow although car maintenance may take up part of the day.....we will do our car maintenance and hopefully see some sights. The diff needs inspecting and all oils and pads changing. We will ask the mechanics for advice on the diff, our car builder, Amazon Cars, have sent over some parts just in case. — at Kempinski Hotel

R & G x

Day #27 - Rzeszow to Kosice,Slovakia (320km)

Rally STATS:

Day: 7hrs 34mins (Total 204hrs 57mins) Overall Position: 16 Class Position: 4

Started with a big send off at Rzeszow Town Square. Only 320km today with 4 time trials . Stunning scenery - lovely people what a day! The arrival in Slovakia was as warm as our departure from Poland . Car is holding up well . Welded engine mount bracket is working perfectly . The brakes took a hammering on the time trials and the diff still grinds away but another day and it's a rest day for the car . 

Leaving Poland this morning 

Beautiful churches everywhere
The locals are around every corner waving us on 

What a welcome - they closed the roads - Skovakia what a surprise 

Happy days - it's food time!

Another great day in Poland/Slovakia with town centre welcome parties at both ends. Lovely scenery and villages, much better Tarmac and 4 short closed road tests.

The car did well except we lack some power going uphill, we also have too much weight on board. Bad day for a front running Escort that fell over but eventually got going after the fire was extinguished. Even worse day for the second place Mustang that went off, rolled and ended up in a ravine. The driver was slightly hurt but their rally is over. Nice hotel in Kosice, and a lovely town. — Hotel Yasmin, Košice

Bring on Day#28

GY & RA