London to Paris...

And we're off!!

Group shot outside Broadgate Tower in London at 7.00am just before the start.

Ary and I then raced over to Tower Bridge, I jumped out and took photos of them all coming over the bridge. I now have a collection of photos of random commuters as well as photos of our London to Paris team.

On to the first feed stop via a whole lot of buttock clenching country roads... fortunately Ary was driving and his first reverse attempt can only be described as outstanding! Thank fuck it wasn't me cause you can be pretty sure I'd have run over the mean man who wasn't for moving!

We made it to lunch with only one managing to take a wrong turn. The Halfway House in Challock fed and watered everyone and we were off again to Dover. We were beaten there by the fasties and then they all trickled in over the next two hours, jumped in the shower and then to the bar before we headed down to the ferry. Obviously they sent us through the vehicle search... 'is this your car?' Um... no. 'Are you carrying luggage for anyone else?' Um... yes. Haha! I explained what we were doing and the guy was very nice, looked in the back of the trailer... ignored the trail of powder from the recovery drinks and sent us on our way with lots of luck.

Not my favourite part of the journey given that I'm seasick and generally don't do boats and ones with a million buses/lorries/cars and people loaded on just scare the crap out of me. How does that float??! It feels like I'm a bit drunk, you know the way when you drink a glass of wine and it goes straight to your head... like that but without the joy of wine!

The buffet on the boat was amazing... far from the cafeteria grub I was expecting which I think was welcomed by everyone. We got off the ferry into Calais and promptly got lost. Cue meltdown/ranting moment when my co-pilot cooly stopped the car, got out for a piss, programmed sat nav and got us to the hotel in under ten minutes! I cannot even begin to tell you how grateful I am to have Ary with me. Not only is he calm in a crisis and a dab hand at reversing, he knows just the right moment to tell me to shut the fuck up and untwist my knickers!

Day one complete, without any major incidents. They're all tired but enjoying themselves. I've not forgotten anything major except my security blanket and we're on track for Paris on Sunday!

All I need to do now is make my boys stop calling me Mum when I nag them to drink/eat/wear sun cream/wash their shorts etc. They told me to nag, they can't complain when I do!!

I quite like French France!!