Why?
Why not? (Provisionally) cheaper than our initial holiday plans to Mexico plus blasting round Europe in an old convertible in the summer sun is uber cool/fun.
In the E30, are you crazy”¦?
Was the usual thing strongly suggested on mentioning the trip to others. As I saw it, the E30 was a daily driver, not a garage queen. I was aware of its issues and foibles and short of a massive epic failure, I didn’t think it would let us down. My only (minor) concern was potential overheating in stationary traffic. Suffice to say, many others (including forum members) did not share my level of optimism!
Preparation
In all honesty, very little. The car had had all the belts done around May and was otherwise running very well. Oil/filters/plugs had been changed recently. The only point of concern was the battery, with issues regarding possible excess drain .I was worried that if left for a few days unused, we might come back to a flat battery. As such a battery booster was purchased just in case a jump start was required.
Things purchased:
1x Rough Guide to France
1x Rough Guide to Italy
1x Tom Tom Start Euro Edition
2x High vis vests
1x Set beam deflectors
1 x Battery booster
2 x New Kumho Ecsta KU31s
I already had:
AA Concise Map of Europe
Warning Triangle (BMW OE)
Random spare bulbs
First aid kit (BMW OE)
Makeshift tool kit + BMW OE kit
1x Rough Guide to the Italian Lakes
Canon EOS 400D with 70-200L, 10-20, 17-50 and 50 1.8 lenses.
In addition, 1x 2L bottle of water and 1x 1L bottle of Castrol 10/40W oil.
The other thing I thought worth getting (in case the harbingers of doom proved correct) was Euro break down cover. Suffice to say, trying to sort this for a 26 year old car is quite difficult as most policies have their cut offs at 10 or (at most) 15 years old! Eventually I sorted something via MoneySupermarket with a company called First Call. They offered annual Euro cover for less than it would have cost to extend the AA cover for Europe for the two week holiday.
The Route
Roughly speaking, we were planning to make it across to France via the Dover to Dunkirk ferry and stay in the town of Amiens for the first couple of nights. As well as checking out the stunning cathedral, Amiens was to be our base for exploring the surrounding area of the Somme. From there, south to Lyon to stay with Laura’s friend for a couple of nights. After that Nice (1 night) via the Route Napoleon. From Nice across to Aulla in Northern Italy via Monaco and the rather nice elevated Italian motorways by the coast. 3 nights there and then up to Lake Como (2 nights). We would head back into France via the Alps stopping off at Dijon, Reims (1 night each), back to Dunkirk and home to ”˜Landarn’.
The plan was to minimise the use of toll motorways, firstly to save cash but also to allow us to actually see some of the French countryside rather than a generic expanse of grey tarmac.
14 days, Google maps estimated 2200 miles for the round trip. Better get cracking!
Day 1
Miles on the clock: 162082
Locations/Routes: London to Dover to Dunkerque to Amiens
Miles covered: 204
Day 1 began as ever, overcast, grey with the threat of rain. The drive down to Dover was (thankfully) uneventful. Little traffic but (as is usual for UK motorways) terrible lane discipline. Hopefully things would improve in Europe!
Easily the oldest car waiting for the ferry, the Alpine White E30 stood out amongst the modern generic Euroboxes and certainly attracted some stares. Perhaps they liked the car, perhaps they thought us crazy to attempt a trip in such an old car? I suspect the latter.
When let off the ferry in France, we were dismayed to see the grey clouds had followed us across the Channel except now they were even darker. The roof remained up as the heavens proceeded to open. Hopefully this wouldn’t be a sign of things to come.
Northern France is not particularly exotic, the scenery largely comprises flat green fields and rather unexciting villages lacking the quaint gallic charm we were expecting. Roads were decent however, smooth sweeping bends, plenty of opportunity for overtaking. Very enjoyable as a ”˜warm up’ drive.
Amiens
We arrived in the town of Amiens late afternoon. Badly scarred during both World Wars but restored sensitively afterwards, its main draw is the huge gothic cathedral. In addition, its location makes it a perfect base for exploring the surrounding Somme.
Amiens’ Cathedral Notre-Dame is the biggest gothic building in France and it dominates the city by its sheer size. Suffice to say, it’s rather large!
Every evening the cathedral is subject to a light show which gives a vivid idea of how the west front would have looked when originally coloured. The show is put to music and I must admit was one of the highlights of the entire trip. Wonderfully atmospheric, there must have been over a hundred people in the square as it took place. If you get the opportunity to nip over to France I highly recommend this.
(Apologies for the poor quality photos ”“ long exposure plus one too many beers over dinner do not good photos make!)
Otherwise Amiens itself is a very nice city. St-Leu, the renovated medieval artisans’ quarter with its network of cathedrals has considerable charm and is delight to walk through. Some lovely riverside views make a perfect backdrop for some great photos and a very nice dinner (steak plus jacket potato works!)
Day 2
Miles on the clock: 162286
Locations: Vimy Ridge, Circuit de Souvenir (Peronne, Albert), Arras.
Miles Covered: 132
Day 2 started early, there was much to see and do. Unfortunately, as the day before the sky remained overcast and grey, the threat of rain ever present. Our plan was to visit as much of the WW1 related sites as possible.
First stop ”“ Vimy Ridge. The scene for some of the worst trench warfare of World War I. The site, given in perpetuity to the Canadian people out of respect for their sacrifices during the conflict is maintained with an interesting and informative visitor centre (run by Canadian students) which backs onto churned land, preserved in part as it was during the battle.
The major ”˜draw’ (for want of a better word) is the Canadian memorial monument. Huge, dramatically stretching to the heavens and inscribed with the names of the 11,285 Canadians whose bodies were never found it is a fitting tribute to such an epic sacrifice.
Scattered around the area are cemeteries of various sizes. All exquisitely maintained, grass cut to perfection, fresh flowers at the foot of gravestones and spotlessly clean. Sometimes the significance of numbers can fade over time, however standing in one of the cemeteries with gravestones stretching as far as the eye can see is a poignant reminded of the scale of the conflict and the number of souls who lost their lives.
In the locality, runs the ”˜Circuit de Souvenir’, a route marked out between the towns of Albert and Peronne. Each stop-off guides you to a site of interest whether it be a mine crater, trench, memorial, graveyard or museum (Peronne’s being particularly good). A really worthwhile way to spend half the day. Unfortunately for us, the rain had other plans and falling heavily we made the most of our time in the museums rather than outside (though I did spot a field of sheep!).
It should be noted that the opening times stated on the guide are somewhat optimistic. At least 30% of the sites we visited were closed!
Here are a couple of random snaps from the Circuit.
The E30 outside one of the large cemeteries
Despite the rain doing its best to spoil things, a very interesting and worthwhile day. I absolutely recommend to anyone who has even a passing interest in war history to visit the sites. An important and emotive reminder of the past. Given the proximity to Calais and Dunkerque, it’s quite possible to get a morning ferry across, see everything and get a late ferry back. There were quite a lot of UK reg cars in this area, typically families with their children.
Day 3
Miles on the clock:162418
Locations/Routes: Amiens to Lyon
Miles Covered: 383
A fairly unexciting day consisting of plenty of driving. Avoided the toll motorways and stuck to the A and B roads. Unlike the English, the French have no qualms with overtaking slower moving traffic, trucks, caravans and the like. It should be noted that speed limits are fairly strictly adhered to, especially on entering towns (a favourite location for speed traps). Excellent progress was made with the E30 excelling itself once again and we arrived in Lyon in good time.
Day 4
Location: Lyon
Miles: Not sure how many on foot!
Day 4 was spent exploring Lyon. Despite being a hot bed for culinary excellence I found Lyon lacked the charm and intrigue of Dijon and despite the Rhone flowing through, it didn’t come close to the picturesque attributes of Annecy. Nevertheless it was worth exploring with the food/flower market, the Cathedrale St-Jean and the Basilique Notre-Dame of particular note. The old quarter in particular has some great winding streets with characterful restaurants.
The view from the Cathedral
Day 5
Miles on the clock:162801
Locations/Routes: Lyon to Nice (via route Napoleon and Gorges du Verdon)
Miles covered: 317
A day of epic driving awaited! The sky was (fairly) clear, the roof was down, the 325i running perfectly”¦what could go wrong?
That’s right ”˜les gendarmes’. After following a VW camper van up a hill for a quite a while, my frustrations (unfortunately) got the better of me. I ended up overtaking, crossing a single unbroken line in the centre of the carriageway (to be fair visibility was fine). Unfortunately, an unmarked police car happened to be in the vicinity!
Upon being pulled over, I did my best to reason (in GCSE French) with a police officer who looked suspiciously like Guile from Streetfighter II. Suffice to say, my (attempted) excuses were all in vain and I was driven back down the mountain to the local police station. Laura (”amy wife”a) was left to wait in the car! To be fair, the police were absolutely fair and we had a bit of a chat about the old E30, fine paid with no qualms and a lift back to the car.
Apart from the cash down the drain the major fall out from the incident was Laura’s bad mood for the rest of the evening. I didn’t help things by wanting to stop and take photos every so often. Whoops!
Field of sunflowers
As evening drew close, the roof stayed down, the lights went on and the heater turned up to max. After the excitement of the earlier police incident, this cruise down the mountain was a far more sedate and relaxing experience!
We arrived after dark in Nice exhausted after a tiring day of driving. Objectives for the evening: food and sleep (in that order). McDonalds took care of the food (Royale with cheese!) and we crashed out almost immediately at the hotel. T’was to be an early start the next day.
Day 6
Miles on the clock: 163118
Locations/Routes: Nice, Monaco & Aulla
Total miles: 194
We saw very little of Nice except the winding coastal roads out of towards Monaco. I’m sure there will be opportunity to visit once again. The plan was to follow the coastal roads from Nice to Northern Italy stopping off at Monaco on the way.
As ever, the driving was epic. Scenery, roads, elevated motorways, tunnels, pure petrolhead heaven!
Monaco itself was everything I would have expected it to be. A lavish display of wealth, unashamedly ostentatious and flash. Yachts lined the harbour, vying for a good mooring spot. Very very expensive metal was on display including the new (at the time!) Mercedes SLS. Ferraris were by comparison quite common, the California appearing the ”˜in vogue’ choice. I could fill the entire thread with photos of exotica but once you’ve seen one”¦
Hotel de Paris
Casino Monte Carlo
We nipped inside but no gambling!
UK registered Aston needing some AA assistance (should have bought a 26 year old BMW)
It was great to walk the streets recognising landmarks from the Monaco GP. Highlight for me ”“ E30 roof down, straight six at full chat through the Monaco tunnel! EPIC!
Mercedes SLS tackles the hairpin!
Behind all the glitz and the glamour of the harbour/Monte Carlo area, the old town of Monaco was actually quite nice. Plenty of winding streets (though majority full of tourist tat) and some rather nice restaurants An experience certainly, but it’s unlikely my NHS pension would allow me retire there! Regardless, if I’m honest, I didn’t see the appeal, lots of high-rise apartments, not a lot of space”¦I suppose even tax havens have their negatives!
We continued the day crossing the boarder into Italy. Our plan was to visit the Cinque Terre in the next couple of days and the small town of Aulla in Northern Italy was to be our base. A mate had stayed at a rather quaint self catering complex in the hills and recommended it. He wasn’t wrong!
E30 parked outside
The view
Lovely, peaceful, remote. Was the perfect place to stay for a few evenings and chill out.
Sky was also lovely and clear so I tried some star trail photography!
Day 7
Miles on the clock:163312
Locations: Pisa
Miles covered: 123
Think Italy, think Colosseum, think Leaning Tower of Pisa. So close and such a famous landmark, it would be a shame not to visit”¦
”¦a shame which we could have done without! Absolutely packed with tourists, very fatiguing. Tickets to go up the top of the tower were very expensive (and already sold out). What I will say however is that the Pisa site contains a lot more than just the famous tower ”“ there is also the Duomo, the Baptistry and the Camposanto as well as two museums. Don’t waste too long on the tower (yes, it’s leaning!) and spend time to see the other buildings/exhibits and it’s a worthwhile trip. The Duomo is of particular note ”“ epic architecture and exquisite interior acoustics.
The surrounding areas are an absolute tourist fest with every kind of Pisa related crap you could ever think of. There’s also a McDonald’s right next door! Go once to say you’ve been but it doesn’t mean you need to buy the T-shirt”¦or kitchen towel, or apron, or plastic model”¦
Day 8
Miles on the clock:163435
Location: Cinque Terre
Total miles: 47
A stunning piece of Italian coastline, the area of the Cinque Terre stretches between the beach resort of Levanto and the port of La Spezia. The area is named for five tiny villages ”“ Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore, wedged into a series of coves between sheer cliffs, their comparative remoteness accentuating the epic backdrop.
Travel between the villages is either on foot or via train. We drove to the first village but found the (minimal) parking are absolutely packed. As such, we had to park a fair distance (20 min) walk away, which in the hot Italian sun feels a lot further than the time would suggest.
The villages themselves are very charming. Plenty of local arts and crafts (if that’s your bag), artisan ice-cream and some very nice seafood restaurants (big emphasis on fishing around there).
Riomaggiore
Riomaggiore is linked to the next village (Manarola) via the ”˜Via dell’Amore’, a walk supposed to inspire lovers/couples. In randomised controlled trials, this walk has shown poor results when compared side by side with Sildenafil.
Details from Manarola
Corniglia is the smallest and most remote of the villages, only accessible via a long flight of steps. At the top, you get a rather nice sign congratulating you on your achievement!
As further reward, icecream is required! Everyone loves icecream (and this was some of the best I’ve ever had)”¦
”¦even nuns!
Some stunning views and epic scenery. I only wish my (poor) photo skills could do it justice. If you get the chance, it is absolutely worth visiting. Ignore the fact there will be excessive amounts of tourists, stick on a pair of trainers and spend the day walking between the villages (though don’t forget to stop for an icecream break!).
Day 9 & 10
Miles on the clock: 163482
Locations: Aulla to Lake Como & Lake Lugano day trip
Total miles: 243
The Italian adventure continued with a drive to the Italian Lakes, more specifically Lake Como. A lovely part of the world with genuinely beautiful scenery. Yes, there are tourist traps (you can see the SAGA coaches a mile off) but choose the right places for lunch and dinner and it is a very very pleasant experience and you need not interact with any other English tourists. Not too shabby for photos either!
Laura plays tourguide!
We did a short day trip to Switzerland to visit Lake Lugano. I forgot how clean Switzerland is. I also forgot (much to the detriment of my wallet) how expensive it is!
Day 11
Miles on the clock: 163725
Locations Lake Como to Annecy via the Petit St Bernard
Total miles: 261
Time for some serious driving! The route from Italy back into France was to conclude in the Alpine town of Annecy. Looking at google maps, the options were either to take the Mont Blanc Tunnel or the Alpine Petit St Bernard Pass.
Obvious decision is obvious!
Roof down, heater up, box in sport mode. Motoring nirvana. Yes there were some trucks and slow movers but these were dispatched with relative ease. The 325i really excelled on these roads. I was a little concerned that with the steep inclines the car may overheat but there were no such problems. Car ran beautifully, handled delightfully and sounded ruddy brilliant in the mountains. The only distraction was stopping to take photos!
The border between Italy and France, the Petit St Bernard Pass
It was at this point it began to rain. Not a problem if you can maintain speed going down the mountain. More of problem if you get stuck behind a truck doing 10-20mph! Soaked. Properly soaked. Oh well!
We reached the rather charming (maybe less so given the recent shooting!) town of Annecy in good time. The old town contains many winding streets and houses which date from the 16th century. The town is divided by the Canal du Thiou and at its centre, he Palais de l’Isle. Charming by day, magic by night. This was one of my favourite places of the entire trip.
Day 12
Miles on the clock: 163986
Locations: Annecy to Dijon
Total miles: 145
A ”˜short’ jaunt brought us to our next stop ”“ Dijon. Admittedly, I wasn’t expecting much of Dijon but was pleasantly surprised. The architecture was interesting and the atmosphere pleasant. Food was rather good too!
Small sculpted owl on one of the churches, worn down by the hands of passers by who have touched it for luck!
Day 13
Miles on the clock: 164131
Locations Dijon to Reims
Total miles: 185
The last of our stop off points before returning home, Reims promised much for the car enthusiast and it didn’t disappoint. Firstly there is the abandoned (but maintained) grandstands of the Reims-Gueux racing circuit which line what used to be the main grand prix straight.
A ”˜must do’ photo opportunity for any car enthusiast who visits!
The other point of interest is the Musee de l’Automobile. Full of random machinery dating from the early 1900s to (almost the present day, half of the manufacturers I didn’t even recognise/know existed. Lots of photos, but most of the time I didn’t know what I was snapping.
And yet another epic cathedral.
Reims is in the champagne region of France. What better way to celebrate the (almost) conclusion of our journey with a glass of champers!
Day 14
Miles on the clock: 164316
Locations: Reims to Dunkerque to Dover to London
Total miles: 260
The final day of driving was (thankfully) uneventful. The weather remained pleasant and the cabriolet continued to pile on the miles effortlessly. We reached the ferry in good time.
What can I say about the journey ”“ awesome fun but certainly tiring. The E30 cabrio isn’t exactly the most refined cruiser ”“ the exhaust is loud, the wind noise noticeable, the stereo a bit rubbish. However, on the right road in the right conditions with the roof down ”“ magic!
Final miles on the clock: 164576
Total miles covered: 2494
Litres of petrol used: who’s counting!?
Smiles: Loads
Fun: Loads
Quality of holiday: High
Do it again? Without a doubt
