NEW UPDATES 12 AUG

Thank you very much to everyone who has helped us raise money for Overgate Hospice. We have now reached our target of £500 but that's not all. We have added the £1000 for winning, a few cheques we have received and there is the Gift aid to add too, making the total well over £1600. We are so pleased the fundaising has gone so well and if you haven't donated and still wish to do so then please go ahead, every little helps. Thank you again, Steve, Nicky, Nigel and Kathryn.

 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. Please click on Read More to see the full story.

We are about to embark on a drive to Rome. Sounds great doesn't it, but here's the catch? We have 5 days and we are in a £140 banger that's 18 years old!! But it is a Honda and despite the gearbox sounding like a pneumatic drill, Steve (Mr Honda) assures us it will be OK. Not because he knows anything mechanical about cars but just because it's a Honda, such faith!

We are joining several other cars as part of an organised 'Streetsafari' drive and the group organisers will be giving us personal challenges on the way not to mention challenging the car over the various mountain passes in the Alps. We plan to update this page as we progress so please take a look later.

We have had a long association with Overgate Hospice who need to raise thosands of pounds every day in order to provide their excellent caring service.

So please dig deep and donate now.

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Day 1.

We are about to set off! We only just made the ferry to Calais due to massive traffic jams on the M25. Anyway only 567 miles to do today and so far the gearbox is still working. Not sure how it will cope with the climbs in the Alps. More photos will be added as we go along.

Well, we made it through day one along with all but 2 cars which are now officially deceased. Car snooker was our task today. That is photographing certain coloured cars in a certain order. I just wish we had brought the dulux colour chart as several heated discussions took place over whether a car was brown or red! I never knew there were so many variations. Tomorrow we drive to Monte Carlo apparently via one of the most spectacular roads in the Alps, so first gear will take a hammering. That is if the few teeth left on first gear remain. More tomorrow.

 

Day 2 Montelimar to Monaco

Weather glorious today through stunning scenery in Provence, rattling up and coasting down the Gorge of Verdon near Ventou – the biggest hill on this years Tour de France. Supercar spotting was today’s challenge – easy by the Casino in Monte Carlo. Tonight’s hotel was like a set from a B movie with friendly cockroaches!

Day 3 Monaco to Bormio

Begins with a stunning motorway journey up the coast road then a quick dash up to Lake Como. After a 35km drive round the lake we caught the ferry to Varena, followed by the best lunch so far at a lakeside restaurant. Then mountain pass after mountain pass up to St Moritz. This area is well worth a visit in itself. From there we headed to Livogno for the cheapest fuel in Europe then down the final pass of the day to Bormio. Pizza and beer in the square as you would!

Day 4 Bormio to Venice

Group photo then massive water pistol fight before a procession of all the cars through the town before we headed up the Stelvio Pass. This is a series of about 100 hairpin bends up and down the mountain then a bit of a drag down to Venice. Avoid Bolzano at all costs! Into Venice where we had to take our spare tyre into St Marks Square in our Stig outfits for a photo challenge. Unfortunately the local police were on our case so no photo – or so they thought! I think they thought we were nuclear protestors! We then had a meal which cost more than the car! Great lesson in upselling – 12 Euro to 37 Euro in one easy Venetian day! Arrived in Sottomarina about ten – knackered.

Day 5 Venice to Rome

Final challenge today was damaged cars – easy in Italy! The more the damage the more the points but only 5 cars count with top marks for a wheel missing. Out over the Venetian lagoons for the last time then west to the autostrada.  Florence for lunch – why not? This place is beautiful and we managed lunch on the Ponte Vecchio.  Then a high speed dash to Rome chasing a Mercedes with a bumper missing – didn’t catch it. Off the motorway where we saw a poor chap changing a wheel (maximum points). But we had to wait 5 minutes for him to take the wheel off to get the picture. Then into Piazza Navona to end 2250 miles of brilliant holiday!  Prize-giving brought a big surprise with cries of “I’ve never won anything before!” from Nicky and Kathryn.  So we can now say – “Honda win the 2009 Home to Rome Rally”