Day 65 - Doncaster to Solihull

After breakfast in the Little Chef next the the Travelodge, we made our way to the house of the chap who has bought the Imp. He came back from work and took us to find a hire car and then we drove back to his house to swap all our stuff from the Imp into the hire car (a Vauxhall Astra).  It all just about fits but its a tight squeeze. For a car that feels like its twice as big as the Imp, it has no more storage room. And so it was time to say goodbye my trusty steed. It was a bit sad but given the mounting problems it was time to park it ready for some love and care. Driving off in the Vauxhall felt most unfamiliar.  It feels too tall but its quiet, soaks up the bumps and even has a radio.

We drove South to Bourne to visit Mike Pilbeam at Pilbeam Racing Designs.  Ros and I had met him and his wife on a visit many years ago. We spent almost two hours chatting about cars and things and Mike bought us all an ice cream when a van ventured past. Unfortunately there was only one racing car in the workshop at the time. The boys would have liked to see a bit more but made do patting the bookkeeper's big black Labrador.

From Bourne the navigator sent us through some small roads for about 10 miles before getting us onto the motorways. These flowed very well all the way to Solihull where we got off into a traffic jamb. However, we were soon at my Great Uncle and Aunt's house and were welcomed in. After a good dinner we put some washing in the machine and got the boys off to bed. The end of another big day.

Day 63 - Aberfeldy to Scone

When I woke this morning my right eye was even worse that it had been over the weekend. I got an appointment with the local surgery but it was for 9:30 and the boys were still asleep at 9:00. This meant they didn't get to eat much of their breakfast before we had to run down the road. I had hoped that the lady at the B&B might offer to look after them for half an hour while I went off but she was not that friendly or accommodating.

The doctor was quite concerned about my eye and referred me to the eye specialist at The Royal Perth Infirmary. So instead of going to the Iron age reconstruction we drove back to Perth. At least it was another great drive. The ophthalmic doctor shared the GP's concerns and wondered if I might have an abscess on my eye. Her colleague thought probably not, so I have got some drops and some cream to put in and have to go back to see if its working at 9AM tomorrow.

This still left just enough time to return to Kenmore to see the Iron age reconstruction. It is a roundhouse made over the Loch with piles pushed into the mud down to the bedrock and a floor, walls and roof built in this. It reconstructs a dwelling excavated underwater further down the Loch. As a reconstruction rather that a theme park, it only shows things they have found in the archaeology and not all the fancy stuff we might associate with the Iron age. It was quite interesting and I think the boys got a bit out of it.

Then it was time to head to the hotel I had booked at lunch time. Its a 4 star hotel on a golf course and very posh but discounted tonight so its almost affordable. We have a bedroom with two single beds, a bathroom with shower, bath and toilet, a second toilet and a big sitting room with a television two sofas a microwave and kettle. Even a trouser press. They still feel the need to charge for the internet though.

Day 64 - Scone to Doncaster

After a rather fancy breakfast at the hotel restaurant we packed up quickly and set off for the Royal Perth Infirmary as we were running late. Or rather we didn't, as the Imp's battery was flat. With a push from the boys we were soon on our way.

I thought my eye had improved overnight but the opthalmologist seemed to think it was no better or perhaps worse. She changed my eye drops and suggested I go to Accident & Emergency when we get to Solihull.

I decided to stop off at Linwood to see the last relic of the factory where the Imps were made on the way down to Doncaster. It took three passes to figure out which building it was and where the entrance was. The building is a 60's / 70's style two story office. Inside there are a few photographs of the factory when it was in production and plaques commemorating its opening. With permission of the very friendly owner we pushed the car back in front of the building to take a photograph of the car. We bad  brief chat before we pushed off to get some lunch.

After lunch we headed to Doncaster. The navigator seemed to take us back Northwards before getting onto the A74. We had a few stops on the way, one for petrol, one just for eye drops and one for drops and sunglasses. One of the drops dilates the pupil and this then let's too much light in and is uncomfortable. I mostly drove with the right eye closed but that is a bit disorientating. After the A74 / M6 we turned off onto the A66 from Penrith to Scotch Corner.

By now I knew we were in a bit of trouble. The oil pressure / coolant temp warning light had come on and as it was cool and there was enough oil I assumed this was a voltage problem. It went out when I disconnected the temp sender.  The fuel gauge was reading near empty when I knew there was at least half a tank left. About half way to Scotch corner we felt the first misfire. Soon there wouldn't be enough charge to run the coil. Spotting the village of Bowes, I pulled off but somehow misread the signs and ended up returning back up the A66. We got to a break in the barrier where we could do a U turn but the engine cut out. There was no hope of push starting this time and the road was busy with fast cars. Luckily we were opposite a lay by where there was a recovery service truck. This was there to do free recoveries from the previous stretch of the A66 where the hard shoulder was closed for road works. The two chaps came over and, after getting the boys safely into their truck, pushed the Imp over the busy road into the lay by. I explained my problem and they offered to try out their charged up battery. However, this didn't do anything so I started wondering what else could be wrong. In the end however, we tried their half charged battery and this fired it up straight away. They then very kindly gave me the batter for nothing. It was too big to fit into the battery tray so I had to tie it in with rope after undoing the air filter to squeeze it in.

So then we were on our way again. I wasn't sure how far this new battery would get us but as things seemed to run well we pushed on almost to Doncaster. There we stopped for a take away and to look up a hotel to stay at. By now it was dark and we needed to turn the lights on so thankfully the hotel was quite near. The Travelodge on the A1 is a bit old and tired but at £36 it was good value.

Day 62 - Perth to Aberfeldy

Monday morning came too early. The boys slept in until after 9AM. When they got up we bought breakfast and then set about pulling down the tent and packing up the car. Its hard to believe that so much stuff fits into so small a car.

Once packed up, we headed into Perth city to buy a SIM card for the computer and to look for the next Harry Potter book for Timothy. It took a while to achieve both but once done and after lunch we visited the tourist bureau to book accommodation near Loch Tay. We ended up with a B&B in Aberfeldy at £109 which I thought was a bit steep.

We had planned to visit the Scottish Crannog Centre near Kenmore but as time was pressing on thought we'd leave that to the morning and take a drive instead. We headed up to Pitlochry and from there along the road to the north of Loch Tummel.  This was a lovely narrow windy road spoilt only by slow German tourists. From the Western end of the Loch we crossed the bridge and headed South through what may be a national park but is moorland grazed by highland cattle. This road is just a single lane and winds its way up and over a small mountain. With no walls or hedges the visibility is better and we could really enjoy a spirited drive. The fastest I think I got to was 74km/he but it was great fun.

Ros and I had done the same route in reverse after the Imp national we attended nearly 15 years ago. Then we did it in a hire car and wished that we had an Imp.

The mountain road leads down to Kenmore on the Eastern side of Loch Tay. We drove West to Killing before heading back on the Southern side of the Loch. We were hoping to find petrol in Kilin as we'd driven further than expected and were nearly out. The road on the South side of the Tay is narrower but there were very few cara on it. There was a moment meeting a BMW mini at a blind bend but good reactions on both sides prevented any problems. We managed to get into Aberfeldy without running dry and soon found petrol and our B&B. We had a cheap meal at a nearby pub and then got off to bed.

Day 60 & 61 - Perth

After arriving in our hotel in Glasgow around 4:30AM I felt bad waking the boys up at 8:30. I wanted to get to thee Imp Club National in Perth by 11AM so as to join the scenic run. With much pushing we left just a bit late and the zoomed along faster than I had trough the whole journey to date. After a bit of a struggle to find the racecourse we came to the driveway just as the convoy of Imps were coming out. I wish I had kept straight on with them but instead I turned into the driveway so as to check in with rally control. However, the desire to join a convoy of Imps overcame me and we made a hasty U turn around a spectator and over the grass and set off after the Imps. Unfortunately we were at the back with a mix of Imps and modern cars.

The run took us to Glen Almond Estate, Scottish holiday home fort the Rootes family. There were around 100 Imps parked all around. Several people spotted us as the loonies that had driven half way around thee world to be there and we were made very welcome. The next stop was the Famous Grouse distillery where we had lunch. Luckily the accept credit cards as we still hasn't had a chance to get pounds from an ATM yet. We made our own way back to the the racecourse stopping to get money and eye drops for my conjunctivitis on the way.

Putting up the tent in the strong wind would have been impossible without the help of Simon and Karen Benoy. After this, we headed to the restaurant for dinner where we sat with ex pat Aussies Mike and Tich Marsh who had visited us a couple of years ago and used the blue Imp for a day. Sadly it wasn't running that well at the time.

After a good sleep we woke and had a late breakfast. After that it was time to take the Imp onto the display field. The Marshall suggested it should be parked right at the front in pride of place. Meanwhile the boys played in the Kid Club. After that they enjoyed watching the juggler and trying out his equipment. As well as looking at the massive array of cars, I met up with Corey Graeme who had made the most fantastic Imp shaped birthday cake imaginable. We arranged to secretly get the cake to the restaurant to cut it at dinner.

I was awarded the prize for furthest traveled in an imp. At 14,500km or there abouts. It might take a while to beat that record.

Some of the organizers suggested we cut the cake after the evenings entertainment. That way everyone could sing happy birthday etc. Unfortunately, Timothy was almost asleep by the time we got to it.  I think he loved the cake though.

Day 59 - Lough Derg to Belfast

Today we woke a little late to a overcast but dry day. This was good news as I wanted to pack up the tent and don't like folding up a wet tent. It took rather a long time but it all fitted in well enough. But that was before adding the sailing gear. We then had to dress quickly in our wetsuits and buoyancy vests, pull the sails up and get onto the water.

The rain started as we sailed out to the start line. Today it took about an hour and a half to get the first race underway. There was a postponement and at least two general recalls. After some good and some dreadful tries at starting, the real start was pretty poor. I was too far back from the line and behind a couple of rows of boats. Despite this, another competitor told me in was listed among those black flagged for the race. If this via true, I think it might have come from the previous start. The race was not great. We never recovered from the bad start and another capsize, this time at the gybe mark in the trapezoid, didn't help.

The second race was better. After another  general recall and a long delay, we got another poor start but we were able to tack early and didn't loosed much time ducking behind boats. Then we sailed two long tacks and a couple of short ones to make the buoy in around 20th. We lost a few places on the run but gained quite a few on the next upwind leg. In the end we must have been around 20th but I didn't stop after the race to see the results.

Once we were back on land I de-rigged the boat and Timothy took the name in insulation tape off the transom. Then Michael and I got into the car where I changed and got ready to go. But where was Timothy? Still in his sailing gear wandering around aimlessly. I aimed him at the showers with some dry clothes. When he came out we popped up to the clubhouse to say some goodbyes and scoff some of the cake on offer and then we left.

We were hoping to take the scenic route to Belfast but I was worried that we wouldn't make it in time so we returned down the motorway to Dublin and then on the motorway North. A boring trip but stress free. I was also hoping to drop in to see some Imp Club members but it was getting too late for visiting so we have come directly to the ferry. First impressions are that this Stema Line ferry is much better than the one from Cherbourg.

Now for a couple of hours sleep before driving to a hotel in Glasgow.

Day 58 - Lough Derg races 9 & 10

It was another morning of drizzle. We ate our cereal in the tent and slowly got ready to sail. The wind was below 5 knots as we sailed the 2 miles to the start line. The first start was a big mess with boats stuck on port tack or stopped and others trying to power past them. As seems to be the routine now, the race was postponed or recalled. By the second start the wind had picked up to above 12 knots. We had a great start at the port end just behind the Barwood's and possibly able to tack across the fleet. This was also recalled. The final start was okay but nothing special. I am too cautious and fall into the big dip in the start line. I find it impossible to get transects to tell me if I'm close to the line or not. Anyway the race was okay we ended up mid fleet without any incidents.

The second race was much the same but we got a poor start and were well back in the pack. The wind was up above our comfort level and we I made a few poor decisions and a few messed up tacks put us back around 50th. Timothy didn't want to fly the spinnaker so we didn't have a chance to catch many boats down wind and finished in 50th place.

As there were only two races, we got back early. We packed the boat up, showered and returned to the tent for a rest.  I got some sleep but I doubt that the boys did. There was a meal on in the club house in the evening followed by " Nation's Night" where each country puts on a short performance. We sang The Wild Colonial Boy with lyrics changed to suit the occasion. This was followed by handing out Vegemite sandwiches and fairy bread. It seemed to go down well.

We left before the end as both boys and I are really tired and can't wait to get to bed.

Day 57 - Lough Derg races 5 - 8

To win any championship you need to be consistently good. Today we got a 25th, a 1st, a 34th and a 60th.  No consistency at all.

We woke to drizzle and had breakfast huddled in the tent. It rained on and off until late afternoon. I left the boys in the tent while I fixed the problems of yesterday. When I had finished Michael came and found me with a teary story of how Timothy was being mean and had spilt Michael's breakfast in the tent and put grass in it. So I took him to the cafe where he had pancakes with maple syrup and some toast and I had a cup of coffee. When we finished it was time to get dressed in wetsuits and get going.

The wind was light and we were late to the starting line but need not have worried as it took at least 30 minutes before the first attempted start and then there were probably two postponements and a couple of general recalls. During this time the wind strength built to around 18 knots.  The first race went much as we might expect. We got an okay start but couldn't get away from the pack. We didn't make too many errors and ended up 25th which is perhaps a little better than I might expect to place.

The wind was a little lighter in the second race I decided to start at the left side of the line. Surprisingly there were only a couple of us really aiming for the pin. A UK boat was a little closer than us but we pointed higher and were soon ahead. We stayed on the left side almost to the lay line and then tacked. There was only one boat we were not clearly ahead of and I chose to go below him rather than risk a penalty. We rounded the first mark in second but it wasn't long before another boat overtook us. We rounded the leeward mark in third with several boats just behind. I though several if them would slip by. Thankfully the boat in first place decided to cover the other, his real competition for the series. This let us get to the windward mark ahead by about 8 boat lengths. With the scent of victory around there was no hesitation or lack of concentration with the spinnaker and we increased our lead for the first two buoys of the trapezoid. By the leeward buoy were had lost a bit partly because I wasn't taking any chances and dropped the spinnaker early. They were catching us all the way up the short beat to the finish but we held off by a couple of boat lengths to win. We were very very happy.

The third race was back to reality. We got an okay start and rounded the windward buoy in the mid twenties. We were doing okay with me trimming the spinnaker because Timothy was too tire and slow. Then a jury boat came over and whistled saying I was pumping the spinnaker. I think that is nonsense as I was only pulling it in to stop the luff from flapping and with the gusty wind and direction changes over waves that needs to be done constantly. But there is no point in arguing with the jury, I just wish they had enough experience in small dingies to know that you can't sail them in a straight line and watch the top third slowly collapse before sheeting in a bit. Anyway we did our 720° turn penalty and kept on to finish 34th.

The wind was by now quite strong and we were keen to get home. However, were we told the committee wanted to run a four to race. We were able to start at the left side of the line again with few boats around us. We were just behind my WA rivals Simon and Sidonia Barwoord. Over the first windward leg we lost about 25 boat lengths to Simon but that space was filled with around 20 boats. Simon rounded in the lead but they had broken their spinnaker pole in the third race and could keep up with the top guys.  We didn't fly the spinnaker either but didn't lose out because of it. About 250m to the leeward buoy we needed to gybe onto port. I did it in a lull but somehow got the balance wrong and we capsized. Timothy was stuck above the centreboard and slow to get out so the boat tipped completely upside down. It took a little while to get it up and then it blew over again while I was trying to get in. We must have been back in the flurries by now. About three quarters of the way to the windward mark the pin in the gooseneck fitting, that holds the boom onto the mast, came out. I got Timothy to steer while I dropped the sail a bit, let the foot tension off and got the pin half back in. This was working but in no time the sail pulled out of the mast track and wasn't held forward. So Timothy took the helm again an I tied the clew to the mast using the loose end of the foot tensioning rope. It didn't look good but sailed better than I expected. We caught two or three boats on the trapezoid, mostly who had capsized or lost control, to finish 60th.

Once back on land we packed up and had a shower. There was a supper and ceile with a local Irish dancing school on at the club. It was great but I was too tired and left for bed at 9:45PM. The boys followed shortly after.

Day 56 - Lough Derg races 3 & 4

Today was not a good day. There were three races scheduled. It took about an hour to get the first race underway. Firstly it was postponed with less than a minute to go. Then there was a general recall then we got a start but then race was abandoned because the start linen was so biased. Then another general recall and then another race was was abandoned half way down the first beat due to a big shift. We finally got away in 15 - 20 knots. I pulled all I could on the boom vang, Cunningham and foot tension but it still wasn't enough for me to be able to sail properly.

The second race got away without problems but we had a poor start. I am being too nervous of the black flag and leaving room to windward for boats to slip in and take away my wind. The wind was stronger than the first race and the problems worse. We tipped in twice with badly executed gybes. Neither cost us much time but the boat full of water slowed us down.  On the second capsize at the leeward mark I noticed that the jib halyard was hanging out of the self bailer. I asked Timothy to pull it out but he misunderstood and pulled it out of the cleat and the jib started to come down. Timothy handled the spinnaker very well and although all he wanted to do was go home he toughed it out.

After about 15 minutes of waiting after the second race, the PRO decided to abandon the third race for the day. This was just as well for us as the Cunningham rope broke and the main sail started coming out of the track. Then the luff tensioning rope for the jib snapped as well. So we would have had big problems fixing both. In the end we had to get towed in because I couldn't turn the boat around to get into the beach.

If sailing was always like this I wouldn't bother. Here's to a better day tomorrow.

Da y 55 - Lough Derg races 1 & 2

Today started off dry but a little rain came around 10AM. The first race was scheduled for 11:30. Most of fleet left the beach more than an hour early when we were still getting ready. We were last off the beach and still had more than half an hour before the start to get a feel for the wind. It was blowing around 18 knots and fairly steady.  About 7 minutes before the start I got tangled up during a gybe and we capsized. We quickly got up and other self bailer drained thee water before the start.

We got off okay and half way down rt he first windward leg we were probably in the top 15. Then I got tangled up again in a tack and we tipped over again. This time it seemed to take ages to get rid of the water and we lost at least 20 places. The same thing happened on the next windward leg and we lost another 20 places. I'm having trouble changing from transom sheeting where you tack facing backwards to forward sheeting where you tack facing forwards. When I get it wrong I end up in a knot and not able tho move quickly enough. In the end we finished 63rd.

The second race was much better. We started near the port end tacked fairly early and kept on up the right side of the course. We rounded the first and second marks in third place. The courses were a "sausage" then a trapezoid and short windward to the finish. I messed up the first 300m of the next windward and slipped to 6th but we were able to maintain that to the finish.

While Timothy and I were out sailing, Kate, another WA sailors wife, looked after Michael with two of her girls and the Barwood's little boy. They all had a great time from the sounds of it.

After the race we quickly packed up the boat an headed for a shower to beat the queue. Then we relaxed and waited for presentations before helping to set out tables and chairs for the supper do that was on this evening. When that was done Simon and Donna Bar wood, other WA sailors offered to take us to the house they are renting for coffee and a play. They have a lovely house and its a different world from camping.

After dinner all of the children ran around outside for about an hour before I pulled mine in to get ready for bed.

A mixed day that showed up the problems but not the solutions. Hoping for lighter winds tomorrow.

Day 54 - Lough Derg first day of sailing

Today was the practice race followed by the parade and opening ceremony. I had hoped that we would be able to get out to Bunratty Castle which is about an hours drive away. But there was a 12 briefing that put pays to that.

As the race approached the rain came down more and more. In the end they delayed for about an hour to let a thunderstorm pass an the wind settle. It had swung around 180° twice. When we're were finally let out we were first on the water. We wanted to learn how to use the spinnaker with the pole launching system. Timothy seemed to manage well enough although we did drop the guy out of the spinnaker pole hook a few times.

The start line was west quite a long way from the club. The first start was abandoned at the last minute which was a shame because we were well positioned. The second start had as general recall which was good because we we way too far back. The third start used the black flag (if your over the line in the last minute its instant disqualification). We got a pretty good start towards the pin end and were in the top quarter of the fleet for a while. This swapped to the back quarter with a big wind shift and then back again when strong wind came in with a 180° wind shift. We rounded about 15th but the race was abandoned soon after and we ended up getting towed home.

After packing up and showering we got our new Australian uniforms and got ready for the parade. This was led by a pipe band followed by each country in order of distance away. Therefore the. Australian were in front. The parade around the village went much better than I expected with spectators dotted all around the route. This was followed by opening ceremony speeches and a supper.

Not a bad day but everything is wet or damp.

Day 53 - Lough Derg

I woke around 6:30 and got up a little after 7AM. I had a shower which was cold despite there being hot water at the sink. I'll have to figure the tap out.

When I came out the boys joined me and I decided to move it over to the Australian parking area. On the way I asked if Michael would like to go out for a sail. He did so I suggested we have breakfast out on the water. Timothy decided to come to so we got our cereal and got into sailing gear and set off. The wind was light and steady and the water very still. It was a very nice way to start the day.

When we returned it was time to get started on measurement and registration. Most of the measurement had already been done with the exception of the buoyancy test and the sails. It took a while to get hold of the sails we will be using and while they all measured okay, the main had ton have the IRL letters removed and should have AUS letters stuck on but these are still coming from a UK sailmaker.

I was hoping to sail this afternoon but we still have to figure out how to rig the spinnaker pole and Timothy wasn't keen. Its been drizzling pretty much all day and the wind is too light for us to learn much anyway. Thankfully its not cold.

We drove back to Nenagh, the town around 7km away mid afternoon. We shopped for thongs (flop flops) and a few groceries. We also found a book for Michael to read but couldn't find the next Harry Potter book for Timothy which brought out a few tears. I think he is very tired.

Tonight there is a dinner on at the club and the lady doing the catering seems very keen to feed us some nice fish some are looking forward to something nice.

Day 52 - Enniskerry to Lough Derg

We had decided to stay another day with Marjorie and Philip in Enniskerry. This gave us a bit more time to play with the car and go to the Wicklow waterfall which the boys loved.

Today we had another delicious breakfast and then the boys played with Rachel while I packed the car. We used the navigator to direct us and I'm sure it took a long way. Anyway, as it was cool and drizzling, we had no troubles with overheating. It was a pleasant enough drive on the motorway but we didn't see as much of the countryside as I would have liked.

We arrived at Lough Derg around 3PM. The cub is in a little village called Dromineer which has a small shop, a cafe and a pub. The club itself has quite a lot of land and a whole field for camping in. We asked around and found the boat we are chartering from the Irish Mirror Association. Its is the new shape in an attractive light blue shade. Luckily we had asked Kevin Hickey, the presidents husband and he has been very helpful finding sails and ropes.

We took a wander around and found the playground which is next to the cafe and very close to the club. The boys played in waves of drizzle while I enjoyed a cup of team and a scone in the cafe. Around 6:30PM we headed to the pub for dinner. The boys were tired but that didn't stop the silly nonsense at bed time. That was the last time we try them sleeping together.

Days 48 to 51 - Enniskerry

It took a while to get off the ferry in Rosslare. Once off the next step was passport control where a Garda officer asked us to wait out of the line because we didn't have EU passports. However, this turned out to be just until the chap with the correct stamp could mark them. Then it was to customs control. The lady there asked in disbelief if I'd brought the car all the way from Australia. I could see she was thinking that she should really ask the difficult questions and perhaps inspect the car but instead she smiled and said "Oh go on then".

We drove the Wexford and stopped for lunch and internet at MacDonald's. From there I tried a couple of shops for flasher units getting one at a tractor shop. Then it was a fairly easy drive to Wicklow where it took a long time to get a SIM card for my telephone so that I could call Philip and Marjorie Mold who we were planning on visiting. Marjorie is a relative of my mothers. We arranged for Philip to guide me up to their house from Enniskerry village.

There we were welcomed by Marjorie and one of her daughters and grandchildren. Over the afternoon the families of their three children came. I wont try to name them all as I'm bound to get it all wrong. My two boys joined in with the grandchildren and had a great time exploring the grounds and playing on bikes.

Then next day Philip and I got some radiator flush and tried unsuccessfully to get another flasher unit as the first had already burned out. I also bought a SIM card for the tablet computer in Bray. After lunch we gave the radiator a good clean out with a pressure cleaner and put the cleaning agent in.

On the Wednesday, the boys and I took a train into Dublin. We wanted to buy wetsuits and buoyancy vests for the sailing next week. It took a while to find the first pair of shops who's wetsuits were adequate but not comfortable. Then we had lunch and bought tickets for a tour later in the afternoon. We then got back on the train and headed to Sutton where there is a dinghy staining supplier. To get to the shop we were advised by a couple of old men that the best way would be to scale the cemetery wall and go up to the main road. They advised the boys to be quiet in the cemetery as they didn't want to wake those resting.

The chap at the shop, Shane, had already left the shop but another customer persuaded him to open up again to sell him something so we came in as well. Shane knew exactly what we wanted and soon had us trying on wetsuits that were just as warm but more flexible than those we had tried before. These were more expensive than those in Dublin but not by so much. I also got some rope for a jib sheet, a snap shackle and four ordinary shackles in case we needed them and Shane popped in some 2mm spectra and insulation tape before dropping us back k at the train station..

We were running late for the bus tour by the time the train returned to Dublin. We rushed back to the pick up point and made it with perhaps a minute to spare. The tour is called Viking splash tours and instead of busses they are conducted in world war two American amphibious vehicles. Everyone in the bus has to wear a Viking horned hat and the first thing the tour guide does is instruct us on how to do the Viking roar which we do, on his command, at unsuspecting pedestrians and cafe patrons throughout the city. The commentary is fun but the highlight of the trip is taking the vehicle into the water. This is done at a man made basin that lies between the Grand Canal and the River Liffey. It doesn't last long but its fun. From there we walked back to catch the train to Bray where Philip kindly brought us back.

We drained out the radiator cleaning agent and flushed it out with the pressure cleaner. We hoped to see lots of scale or sludge as this would explain the overheating. There was some but not that much. I then started fiddling with the indicators. I replaced all of the bulbs in case there were causing too much resistance but the problem persisted. On checking the wiring I found that the bullet connection used on the front right side had been replaced by modern crimp on connectors. These don't quite fit into the old sockets and so the connection had only been held together by the rubber surrounding the socket. I will replace this with a spade connection and see if it solves anything.

Day 47 - Cherbourg

After waking the boys up at 8AM we drove their last 100km to Cherbourg. Once there we found a cafe for breakfast. Initially Timothy wasn't hungry and so stayed in the car reading Harry Potter. He joined us later and then both boys played around in other harbour across the road. Meanwhile I tried to catch up with correspondence and plans for Ireland.

After breakfast we walked to the marina. I hoped to find a chandlery shop but they were all closed. We walked back to the car and lazed for a while before deciding to return to a patisserie we had passed in the morning to get lunch. We got lost on the way and so spent most of an hour walking around the old part of town. eventually see found it and bought lunch. We ate it at a nearby fountain and playground. It seemed to be the done thing as several other families did the same.

After more lazing at the car we set off to find a park to kick the football. We stopped to buy provisions at a supermarket on the way. When we found the park we watched some people play boules and then watched the bmx track before starting the football. This only left us 10 minutes to play before we needed to be at the ferry.

Checking into and getting onto the ferry was quick and easy. After the ferry trip from Finland to Sweden this ferry is a big let down. We could only get seasts as all the cabins were gone. The sitting lounge is above tyher engines and is noisy and constantly vibrating and rattling. We might as well have been in the Imp. Quite a lot of things on the ferry are out of order. Other than it is going the right way for us, I wouldn't recommend Celtic Link.

Day 45 and 46 - Paris to Cherbourg

After the long drive to Paris the boys slept until nearby 10AM. By then we had missed the free breakfast but that didn't matter. It took a while to get them ready meanwhile I arranged to meet Alain Barbou, an Imp Club Member who lives nearby, at the hotel.

We had brunch at a bakery and then met Alain for a great chat about Imps and advice about Paris. The Alain showed us where to get the bus and then Metro so as to get into the city.

Our first destination was the Eiffel Tower. On the way from the metro the boys were very taken by the big pond with fountains. This was just pleasant until the water cannons started up and then it was fascinating for them. The tower is big and there is little to guide the novice as to where to go and what to buy. I suppose I should have done my homework again. Anyway, we got tickets to climb to the second level which is a good workout but we all managed well enough despite being so tired. Then we bought tickets for the lift to the top and joined the enormous queue. It is one heck of a view and as an experience worth it. The boys certainly enjoyed it and this ticked off Timothy's number one item

Once back on the ground we had a rest and then back to the metro, via a carousel, and on to the Arc de Triumph. We never did figure out how to get under it. It is surrounded by wide busy raids so crossing at street level is out. It turned out we all wanted food and drink more than a close up view so we hinted down a cafe and enjoyed dinner. Then it was back to the hotel and quickly to sleep.

However, I didn't sleep well for worrying about what ferry to catch out of France and then how to get to the next very crossing to Ireland. So I got up and searched out the options to discuss with my advisors at breakfast. Come then the consensus was to forego the view of the White Cliffs of Dover and get the ferry from Cherbourg directly to Ross,are,Ireland.

Having planned this it was off by bus and metro to the Louvre. If the Eiffel tower is confusing then the Louvre is worse. But once we got in we headed for the paintings. I knew we had less than three hours before Michael would go no more. So we saw lots of religious paintings and then found the Mona Lisa. We all agreed it is okay but can,t see why its so famous. After that we had some lunch which revived us and set off to see some more but Michael chose to stay witted at a setee rather than seeing the Dutch and Flemish collections.

After the Louvre we headed to the Cathedral du Motre Same. I set of in the wrong direction at first and by the time we got to the cathedral we were all tired. Timothy wouldn't join the queue to go in so we just looked at it from outside. Its the only free entry thing we've found in France, including toilets and roads.

Then it was back to the hotel and into the car. It was still over 30° and we only got about 5km before overheating. It was actually further if you count my several navigationals.  We pulled off the motorway and went for a walk. Timothy needed the toilet so we walked to the train station and back. Then I set the boys to do their daily writing. Michael did everything but. Meanwhile, I tried to see if there was anything I could do to improve the cooling. Apart from cleaning the grille there wasn't anything to do so we set off again around 8PM.

With steady driving around 74km/hr it was possible to keep it cool and so we headed for Bayoux. But when we got there there were no rooms to be had anywhere. I was too tired to drive the extra 100km to Cherbourg so we ended up parking on a patch of grass in the middle of nowhere. In the morning nowhere turned out to be the edge of a village. I had to wake the boys up at 8AM as I wanted to drive to Cherbourg before it got hot.  We arrived around 10 and had breakfast and wrote this and a couple of emails. Now to explore and wait until the ferry at 7PM.

Day 44 - Woudenberg to Paris

I packed up and we had breakfast and left the campsite at 9AM. We drove around to Henk's house and enjoyed coffee and a chat about Imps. Henk advised me on where to buy the things we needed and which way to go. We left around 10:20.

My plan was to use the motorway and stop to cool down as necessary. However, after about 100km I could take no more. The computer was almost discharged despite being charged up by our neighbours at the campsite. We stopped in Breda to buy a charger. However, after a long lunch I decided to buy a cheap satnav as well.

I set this to take us to Roubaix avoiding the motorways however this means passing every town in Belgium and stopping at every traffic light. So we are running just as hot as on the motorway. We stopped to wait until the day cools down in Beveren.

After this we tried a little more on the small roads but then gave up on them and returned to the motorway. By then it was cooling down and allowed us to get to Roubaix, after a couple of navigational diversions. The railway station at Roubaix was completely abandoned with no signs of more trains that night. By now it was after 10PM but we thought we would take a short walk to look at the lay of the land. Almost everything was closed but we came to a pub come disco with just the barman and a DJ there. The boys used their toilets while I asked about trains. It seems I should have stopped in Lille as that is where the trains to Paris go from.

Rather than driving back to Lille and trying to find beds for the night, I decided to drive on to Paris.  This was only 250 km away but it took us until 3AM to arrive. We stopped at a motorway services for food and to book a room over the internet. The kitchen had closed and what was left was dreadfully expensive and otherwise dreadful. However, I booked a cheap hotel in Muedon outside Paris city to the South West. About 15km from the hotel there was an accident on the motorway that closed all 4 or 5 lanes down for about an hour and a half. We could do nothing but sit and wait and watch the natives.

Day 43 - Wiemsdorf to Woudenberg

We set off early but it wasn't long before we were in trouble. My tablet computer is not charging in the car properly. We have been avoiding the motorways as we can't keep cool if we drive at the speed required. However, the alternative routes are convoluted and when the computer died we had know idea where we were nor where to go. We stopped at a shopping centre to look for a road atlas but the ones we found only covered Germany and only had 100km left of that. On the way out of the centre we were given a free map of Germany by a man selling breakdown cover. It helped but was difficult to use. The alternative was three long stops to recharge the computer. It was the longest 265km drive I can remember.

We were aiming for a campsite near Woundenberg where Imp Club member Henk Hol lives. After the computer died again we followed a road on the map bit it turned into a one lane passing through quaint tourist things. We stopped at one of these, a berry farm and cafe, for over an hour to recharge batteries and boys. It turns out that the brother-in-law of the owner emigrated to Western Australia last year and now lives in Burekup about 15km from our house.

The proper road was only just past the berry farm but in the next town, Ommen, the replacement tyre blew. There was a big market and fair going on in this small town and we pulled into the carpark and pulled the wheel off. One of the parking attendants kindly drove us to the other side of town to get a new tyre fitted. I was doubtful that they would have one the right size but one they did. So we continued on and arrived at the campsite around 8PM.

Day 42 - Wanerup to near the Weser tunnel (Wiemsdorf)

After getting the tyre sorted out we had some breakfast and packed up the tent then set off. We drove about 20km to the next/t big town and stopped for more breakfast and to access the internet.
From there we navigated along the smaller highways to Gluckstadt where we caught the ferry across the Elbe to Wischafen. The line of cars and trucks waiting to catch the ferry took about an hour. The ferry itself held about 4 big trucks and maybe 15 cars. The crossing took about 25 minutes.

Navigating from here became increasingly difficult as the computer keeps running out of charge despite being plugged into the inverter. We got ourselves to the Emsjade Canal on a little road and stopped for money. The boys were itching to play football so we asked a couple of local ladies who pointed us to a spot over the dyke. Here was a beach, a restaurant and a place to camp. It is supposed to be for mobile homes but we decided to bend the rules just for the night. The boys played football with a little lad called Leon before we had dinner and got off to bed.

Day 41 - Legoland to Wanderup

Wehad another good day at Legoland trying out some of the rides that we didn't do yesterday. A couple of these were roller coasters that were a bit too scary for Michael. Timothy got to drive around in a little electric car for around 15 minutes. Michael is too young to do so.

We left Legoland later than I had hoped and drove south over the German border. We then turned off the motorway and headed for Husum near the Atlantic coast. However, I felt tired and the boys were arguing so I stopped at a hotel. They didn't have a room so we set off again only to realise that we had a flat tyre. I pulled over into a side road, parked and started to change for the spare. However, the spare wouldn't fit on. The centre hole is too small for the Imp's hubs. I got this tyre and rim from Bernard in Collie who presumably got it one of his Imp acquisitions. Strange that all the rims are not the same.

So I was scratching my head wondering what to do when a Dutch chap, Norbert, stopped to ask what was wrong. After a short chat he rode away but came back a few minutes later suggesting that we might be able to camp in the garden of the house opposite. Which indeed we did.

Thankfully, we had stopped outside a tractor service shop and this morning they swapped the good tyre fro the bad rim to the rim with the damage tyre. Now we are in Husum and will head South into Holland.

Day 40 - Legoland

Legoland was better than expected.  The boys were expecting a big Lego museum so they were very pleased to see that there was a mix of models made of Lego and rides. We got through about two thirds of it yesterday with two goes on the canoe splash and three goes on the Viking boat splash.

Timothy's favourite thing was the play where that actors all end up falling into the water. Michael's favourite was the film they showed before we went into the aquarium.

Nearly all of the rides are included in the ticket price so its just a matter of queuing up to go in. I had expected to be queuing for ages but the biggest lines were taking less than 20 minutes with many around 5 minutes.

The miniature villages are fantastic. I guess they can keep all of the best bits and leave out the power pilons.

We had lunch in the castle which was perhaps a mistake as it was very expensive and Michael barely ate anything.

We left the park at around 7:30PM absolutely exhausted.

Days 38 and 39 - Copenhagen to Billund

The night in Copenhagen was good and I think we all slept well. I might have slept better if I was confident that I could transfer money into the cash card account I'm using overseas. Thankfully, after a really big breakfast Ros was on Skype and was able to do the transfers for me. At least I think she did. I still haven't been able to take any money out.

I had made a bit of a blunder when buying the parking ticket as I had paid until noon and later discovered that the Tivoli Gardens don't open until 11. In the end though, that was fine. We walked around the old (touristy) town and returned at 12 to the car bough parking until 4PM and then went to the gardens. While the gardens are superb the site is dominated by restaurants. One quarter of the site is filled with amusement park rides. The boys were quite adamant that they did not want it go on any rides so I bought an entry only ticket. I should have known netter because when we got over to that area they immediately decided that they wanted to take a boat ride. Then Michael wanted a ride a the carousel. So I had to buy tickets at a rather recalcitrant vending machine. Still we all had fun.

We had lunch on the pirate ship restaurant. How could I drag them anywhere else. The food was not up to much but the boys didn't care a jot. They dressed up and ran around with pistols and cutlasses. They had a great time.

We then drove on to Roskilde where we camped for the night. The camp site was picturesque. It is set right next to the fjord and has sections divided by tall hedges. There was a playground and a bouncing pillow for the boys so I didn't see them until the tent was up and the mattresses inflated. I had to go and find them so that we could go for a drive to get breakfast and lunch things and then go the the harbour for fish and chips.

This morning they played while I packed up the tent and such. Then we had breakfast and drove back to the harbour to the Viking ship museum. This was great. We even got to go for a row and sail in a small replica Viking boat in the fjord. After that the boys wanted to stamp a coin for themselves and Michael wanted to paint a Viking shield. We left about 4:30PM about two hours later than I had hoped.

It was a good drive to Legoland but I couldn't find the camping place at first. Its quite huge and legoland looks to be the busiest place in the world. We will go I. Tomorrow and find out.

Time for bed. We are all exhausted.

Day 37 - Jonkoping to Copenhagen

The boys woke around 7AM and we had cereal before I tried to get them to write in their diaries. Timothy is still a couple of days behind but doesn't need much encouragement. Michael on the other hand needs pushing all the way. He is better when we work out what he is going to write about before he starts. Of course, knowing that he can go off exploring once he has finished doesn't help.

While they explored, I cleaned the cabin, topped up the oil in other Imp and cleaned its windscreen, applied the Rainex that I had brought from home and bought petrol. Then we set off southward. It was a clear cool day and the car ran well although as the day progressed I had to drive to the temperature gauge but could keep it around 87°or less. We stopped around 11AM just because I was feeling sleepy. We stopped at one of the motorway service centres which are every 10 to 20km along the way. Fortunately they have Wi-Fi internet so I could book accommodation and publish yesterday's blog.

We stopped again around 2PM for over an hour at the same brand of motorway cafe. The food isn't up to much but they had the internet for me and a play area and a bouncy castle for the boys. After that it was a drive down to the border stopping to buy petrol mostly to use up out Swedish Kroner.

Between Sweden and Denmark there is a long causeway, bridge and tunnel. It was windy but not so much so that it made driving difficult. Driving into Copenhagen was a bit different. Here the roads seem to be ruled by bicycles. At every junction, including those with traffic lights, there is a pedestrian crossing and the bikes have right of way. So we missed a few crossings because there WS a constant stream of cyclists. Not that this is  bad thing but it makes navigating more difficult. Having the road that the hotel is on being blocked off didn't help the navigation any either.

The hotel is old and tired but cheapish and very close to the Tivoli gardens. Unfortunately, I paid for parking until 12PM tomorrow thinking that we would visit in the morning but it turns out the gardens don't open until 11AM. I'll have to come back and buy another ticket at 12 if we want to stay longer.  We may go to a Viking museum to the north of here tomorrow afternoon.

Day 36 - Stockholm to Jonkoping

Today we woke up to rain and the rain continued nearly all day. After cereal we took a short walk to find an ATM to get some Kroner out. Then we returned to the hostel, packed up and asked the chap at reception what he advised we see and where to park. We drove to the old part of town right next to the river. From there we caught a ferry to a place where there are several museums. The one we were aiming for was the Vassa museum. This is a 64 gunned ship that sunk on its maiden voyage in 1628 (I think). The ship was recovered in the late 1960 - early 70's  and a museum built around it. The boys were quite interested and the displays were done very well. From there we caught the next ferry back because our parking ticket had expired.

We would have stopped to walk through the old town but as it was cold and wet we got in the car and drove South to the Swedish Imp Club contact, Lars Hagermark's house. We took a look at the Caledonian that he bought from Ireland and talked about engines and all things Imp before having some lunch and coffee.

We set off Southwards again around 3:30PM. It was raining and visibility was poor. We were all cold so the boys wrapped themselves up in sleeping bags and after a while slept. It was a long drive down to Jonkoping. We stopped about 80km short for some food and to book accommodation. I chose poorly and we have rented a rather overpriced cabin beside a lake. Its small, has four bunks, no sink or toilet and needs to be cleaned in the morning to get a deposit back. I should have braved it and camped.

Tomorrow we will probably press on to Copenhagen.

Day 35 - Naantali to Stockholm

Today we had to get up early as we had been advised to be at the docks by 7:30 for the 9:30 ferry to Sweden. In predictable fashion both boys were fast asleep. I left them as long as I could but had to wake them after 7AM. I packed up the sleeping bags, air mattresses and took down and packed the tent while they were being silly.

The ferry terminal is pretty much next to the camp site so we joined the short line of cars around 7:45. Then we had cereal. However, we need not have bothered as two meals are included in the ticket. When it was our turn, we drove up a ramp and into the bow of the ship. Michael wouldn't believe that we were inside a ship, he insisted  that we were in some sort of parking area. The cars are parked in an outside area towards the aft. Because it is such a smooth crossing the cars are not tied down, just left with the handbrake on. The many trucks are parked below. I hope we get to drive off first.

Breakfast was not really needed but we tried it anyway. We set off while we were eating. Before too long we were making 20 knots plus in absolutely smooth water between picturesque islands of all sizes. There are many cruising yachts dotted around. I could spend weeks sailing around out here.

The drive from Kapellskar to Stockholm was a pretty easy 80km. We stopped around half way to use the internet in a pizza place so that I could find and book accommodation in Stockholm. I had thought to camp tonight but by the time i'd have packed up and we had driven into the city, we wouldn't get to see much and still get out in time to get a couple of hours south by tomorrow night. So we are in a hostel. Its quite new and very nice. There are two bunks that is four beds and we just discovered that the extra door is to our own bathroom.

Day 34 - Naantali

Naantali is a coastal tourist town.  After waking at a reasonable hour the boys set off on an adventue spotting squirrels  while I searched for them. Eventually I gave up and had a shower. On returning to the tent I found them son they showered to. Then we walked into town to find breakfast and an internet connection. We even found Ros on Skype so caught up on news from home.

There are cafes and restaurants crowded around the marina in the old part of town. From the marina you can walk across a bridge to Moomiland, a theme park devoted to favourite characters from local television. However, we decided to take the ferry to Vaski Island. This is set up as a pirate adventure where you have a map and a question to answer at each of 21 activities. These range from puzzles and logic tests to the rope slide, low pipes and archery. The boys favourite activity was the archery. They improved rapidly and after their fourth go were hitting the target. They did less well at the blow pipes where they didn't seem to have a strong enough blow to project the dart far enough. The rope slide is a flying fox where you sit on the sliding thing. The first time only the low rope was working so we came back at the end of the course and did the bigger rope as well. Both boys were excited about the rock climbing but I don't think they enjoyed it as much as they expected to. We caught the 17:15 ferry back to town. This was a motor sailed made to look like a single masted square rigger. The boys though that was an added bonus.

We stopped at a restaurant for dinner. Timothy was very keen to try the escargot advertised on one of the boards outside. So we had snails in blue cheese sauce and seafood pizza. Revenge for all those eaten seedling. On the way back to the camp site we found a supermarket and bought some things for breakfast and lunch. We got back around 8PM. I had only intended going out for breakfast.

Day 33 - Hameeenlinna to Naantali

Michael woke up early, got dresses and went outside to play football. I felt sorry for him so I got up and played with him. After about 40 minutes Timothy joined us. I don't think he really wanted to be up but couldn't stand not kicking the ball.

While Timo made another delicious breakfast, I packed up what I could. I can fit everything in but I have to figure out a more organised way to pack it. We waved goodbye to Timo around 9:30 and set off for Turku.

All went well for about 70 km but then we started smelling that hot brakes smell. I pulled off onto a track and felt and smelt all of the wheels. The last one I got to was the left rear and I didn't need to feel it, it was smoking. I got the tools out, jacked it up and took the wheel and drum off. I couldn't see much wrong. The was a small scour on one of the shoes and perhaps a little more dust than normal. I just cleaned it off backed the adjuster off one notch and replaced the drum. The problem seemed to be solved and we had no problems all the way into Turku.

Timo had arranged for us to meet up with some local Imp enthusiast. Our first stop was supposed to be the home of Veijo Peramaki but I had mistakenly entered the address of our second stop, the workshop of Kalervo and Marko Tvomi. As there was no house with a green Imp outside, and indeed no houses, I checked the address and realised my error. We drove the 14km back to Veijo's home where possibly the most immaculate green Imp I have ever seen was sitting proudly outside.

Veijo and his wife Ylva invited us to their back patio where we enjoyed a perfect lunch. After that the boy started playing Lego while Veijo and I watched the F1 Grand Prix. After this we set off into town while then boys played with Veijo and Ylvas three grandchildren. Back at the workshop that we had first navigated to we were met by Kalervo and Marita Tvomi and their son Marko, Juha Paavilainen, Timo Nikander and Jovko Valkama. Marko is the metalwork magician who transformed Veijo's car from a rusty wreck to its current state. Kalervo is the engine and gearbox specialist. Juha's beautifully prepared rally Imp in Gulf Oil livery was inside along with several shells in various stages of restoration. Jovko has two completed Imps and five awaiting attention. timo arrived in another beautifully finished early Imp in an attractive grey shade.

They all showed me around. The engine and gearbox shop is up on a mezzanine floor. Out the back are more shells including Marko's ex rally car that had such a bad crash that it took half an hour to cut Kalervo out. Roll over protection might be heavy and expensive but its worth every penny/team when it makes the difference between walking away or not. After coffee, cake and much friendly chat it was time to return to Veijo's with Veijo leading, me behind and Timo following. It felt great to be in am convoy of Imps again.

Back at Veijo's house, Ylva had prepared supper. We said our goodbuyes and then Veijo led us all the way to the campsite at Nantali. Putting then tent up for the first time was quite a puzzle. There were no instructions, not even a picture. Eventually I figured it out and we piled into our beds exhausted. It was 10:30 and the sun was just about to set.

Day 32 - Hameenliina

Today was very relaxing. Timo made a delicious breakfast while the boys woke up the neighbourhood playing football out beside the road. Meanwhile, I tried to plan the ferry trip to Sweden. After breakfast Timo called one of the Imp guys in Turku for advice on the ferry crossing. After several calls and some head scratching over the ferry website, we ended up with paid for booking out of Nanntali at 9:30 Tuesday morning and arriving north of Stockholm at Kapellskar at 16:30. This and other meanderings had taken up most of the morning.

After lunch we visited the Hameenlinna Castile. The boys were initially disappointed as it didn't match their expectations of a castle. That is because over the years it has been damaged, repaired and rebuilt many times. The story of rebuilding is written in the many types of brick and stone used in the walls. The castle was used by the kings and queens of Sweden as a temporary home when the visited Finland collecting their taxes. One of its latest uses was as a women's prison.

After the castle we looked over the fence at the cannon museum. The boys were not that interested it seemed. They were more keen on scaling the castle outer defensive wall/mound. This is steeper than 50° with the lower 3m being stone wall and the upper 8m being a grassed mound.

From here we picked up supplies at a supermarket, dropped these back at Timo's house and drove on to Sami's house to pick up a trolley jack and look at his rally car. Semi bought it from Timo along with all his tools and spares. We spent perhaps a little too long about imp stuff while the boys played outside. Then we had a quick look at his neighbour's two Dodge Chargers (1968 and 1973) before enjoying icecream and coffee.

On the way back to Timo's house we stopped at the same supermarket to buy a SIM card for the mobile telephone that I had bought in Russia. This was I will can call out in an emergency. More football for the boys while Timo and I made grilled salmon and new potatoes for dinner.

After dinner I tried to get the boys to bed in good time. I read them a story but perhaps it wasn't a very settling one as they soon were giggles and shouts again. Meanwhile Timo and I jacked up each corner of the Imp and adjusted the brakes. The pedal had had more travel than I was happy with on the drive up. The brakes gripped very well and the pedal travel did not improve with pumping so I don't think they need bleeding. I think each wheel just got one click of its adjuster.

Timo and I chatted more about cars and he showed me photographs from his time as a mechanic for a team running a CanAm style Porsche 917 all over the world. After a sauna and a cooling beer it was 11PM and time for bed.

a very relaxing day.

Day 31 - Helsinki to Hameenlinna

Today we woke late again and had a slow breakfast while the boys wrote an email and entries in their diaries. After breakfast we visited the Helsinki cathedral before returning to the hotel. Then we packed everything up and walked back to the train station. The train was already waiting at the furthest away platform. It was very comfortable for an eclectic commuter train. We bought tickets from the conductor. Six year olds don't seem to need tickets for anything here so Michael rode for free.

We got off at the last stop and asked the chap we had been sitting next to if he could telephone Jyrki. Jyrki came with the Imp on a trailer just a few minutes later. He showed me the head gasket that was close to failure and gave me the exhaust valve from cylinder number 3 which is quite distorted from the heat. Jyrki and Timo surmise that the oil loss was mostly through the valve guides as the seal were hard from age. They had another valve made to fit and readjusted the valve clearances. They have replaced the rear brake cylinders and shores and bled and adjusted the front brakes. They have also replaced the gearbox oil and swapped front for rear tyres. The car drives like new. It is much smoother and is willing to rev.

While Jyrki and I talked and I fiddled with few things and tried to work out where to store all of our stuff, the boys explored the wood behind the workshop. Eventually I called them back and Jyrki offed us some coffee and cake. He then led us to the old highway to Hameenlinna. This is a really pleasant road that runs parallel to the new motorway but has an 80km/her limit. Perfect for the Imp. It still runs hotter than I would like - up to 90°C on the tiny hills. About half way through the 77km journey it became cloudy and some rain fell. Then the engine temperature dropped to around 82°.

Timo Saaristo, the UK Imp club contact in Finland, met us at a petrol station just before the entry to town where we filled up and then followed him to his house where we stayed the night.  He then cooked us a delicious lunch before taking us to a nearby military museum. Here we met Sami  Paavilainen who toured the museum with us. The museum specialises in tanks and has a large variety of them. Many are Russian but there are also British, American, German and French tanks.

On the way back to Timo's house we stopped to buy the boys a football. They have been aching to be able to kick one around all week. Meanwhile Sami and I fitted a  left hand door mirror that he had acquired for me.

We then had a great dinner and chatted about Imps while the boys played. Then they showered and got ready for bed. But we decided to let them try the sauna which was comfortable at 80°C. The boys have had trouble settling to sleep again with what seemed like an hour of giggles and shouts. Another late wake up I expect.

Day 30 - Helsinki

After getting off the train the hotel was a fairly easy walk away. We were having trouble finding it so stopped to ask to be told we were one door away. It is an unusual hotel in that it has no reception. You get emailed a six digit code which opens the outside doors, the lift and the door to the room. It is a small room with double bed near the door and a fibreglass bathroom unit in the middle and then a sitting area next to the window. Two of the chairs fold out to be beds with the linen stored inside. We all slept well and woke after 7AM.

Since I arrived in Finland the first time I have been trying to get third party insurance for the Imp. Jyrki has been asking then agent he uses who advised that they don't offer insurance for foreign registered cars and my insurance company won't insure Australian cars overseas. In the end though someone Jyrki contacted told him that I need frontier insurance and I should have got it when I crossed the border. I did ask but got completely blank looks so drove on without it. Jyrki's information was that there was not going to be anyone at the insurance bureau today and that I'd have to wait until tomorrow. However, I thought I'd try my luck and it turned out well. €180 later and I have insurance for pretty much all of Europe for two months.

From the insurance office we walked down to the market square which is on the edge of the harbour. Here we bought some delicious strawberries and then found a tent for lunch. I had fried whitebait with vegetables and roasted potatoes. Michael had squid rings and the vegetables. Timothy had a combination of both.

From there we caught a boat out to Suomenlinna island. This is an ancient fortress that has been used by all the different nations to occupy Helsinki to guard the city. There are several museums, docks, old buildings and artillery on the island. At first the boys wanted to explore on their own. I let them but after no sight of them for about 40 minutes I began to worry. However, I found them after about 10 minutes of searching. After that we visited the military museum and then wanted to go inside the old submarine but it had just closed. So we had a snack and continued to were the main fortifications and canon are. The boys loved playing around with these. After a wait of around 20 minutes the boat arrived to take us back to Helsinki. I think we finally had a day the boys enjoyed.

Day 29 - Saint Petersburg

Once getting onto the train, we could settle down for a peaceful night. Not that the boys did. They were very excited by the train, bunk beds and the contents of the"lunch" box. However, they were fast asleep two minutes after lying down. I think we all were.

We were woken at 5AM by a knock shortly followed by an announcement that we were minutes from Saint Petersburg. After getting off I struggled through the station with all of the bags. On the way out I noticed the left luggage room and so we left all but the backpacks there for around $10. Then we had a long breakfast at a nearby cafe. The loudest request after that was to go to a park. I found a very small one nearby so we walked there and the boys had a happy short play.

I was keen to buy the tickets for the train to Helsinki before moving on so we returned to the station. In typical Russian style there was precious little signage to tell you where to buy them. We joined a queue for about 15 minutes before the ticket sellers started work. However I then discovered this not to be the correct queue and so moved. Buying the tickets was quite easy in the end. By now it was getting on and do I suggested we collect the baggage and walk the 2 - 3km to the hotel. About half way I was all for giving up but we couldn't find a taxi and were walking down a one way street the wrong way to get one. So we kept on and reached the hotel about 15 minutes before their administrator arrived and could let us in. We left their bags and set off for the Hermitage museum complex. We had lunch before catching the metro to Admiralteyaska station. After the first of several navigational failures today we came to the huge square that surrounds the Hermitage. After a toilet stop we entered and joined the long queue. I had read that one should purchase tickets online to save time but I didn't get around to that and by the time we arrived it was too late. The first queue took over an hour. While I queued, the boys ran everywhere they could. They let people through in batches of around 25. When we finally got let in there was another queue at thee ticket counter. They were having printer problems so took longer than necessary. One armed with tickets, all we had to do was leave my backpack at the luggage cloakroom and go in.

The Hermitage is everything it is reputed to be. It is stunning as are thee exhibits. I this also busy and infested with an excess of tour groups pushing their way through in a rush to pass everything if see nothing. Michael did well at first but got a bit silly after an hour or so. Both boys had had enough by the time we got to the paintings. They couldn't care less about the priceless masterpieces they passed. So we spent a while working out how to get back to the cafe on the first floor. After expensive carrot cake and water Timothy would have continued but Michael was just not up for it. Time to go.

I must have been a bit passed it too as I led us the extra long way back to the metro and then got on the train going the wrong way. The station I should have been aiming for started with Sm not So. Even when we had got to the correct station, I made another false start before once again leading the extra long way back to the hotel. These metro stations are surprisingly deep. We timed the steep escalator at one station. It took 3 minutes and 14 seconds to descend the first section and a further minute to do the second.

I had really been looking forward to seeing a ballet at the Mariinsky while we were here. But I was told that tickets would be impossible to get at a bearable price. The Heritage Theatre was suggested as a better option but when I asked at the information centre outside the Hermitage the lady said there were no tickets available tonight. I'm not sure if that WS true but we are all far too tired anyway.

All in all not the day I was hoping for.

Day 27 - Moscow

We stayed last night at the Adagio Hotel on Pluschikha. like the hotel I stayed in at Irkutsk, you wouldn't even know it was there from the street. All you see is a ugly big brown door in a rundown old building. Go inside the door and it gets worse the stairs and lift look very tired. Stepping inside the door to the hotel is a bit like stepping into the Tardis but instead of dimensional change it is clean and new and comfortable. The hotel only has 4 or 5 rooms so its more like a B&B. Anyway, it was just what we needed.

Timothy and I woke around 6AM but Michael slept on until about 7AM when our breakfast was ready. After breakfast, searching the internet and packing. We set off the find Red Square. It was about a 45 minute walk mostly down Arabat Ulitsia which is a pedestrian mall filled with souvenir shops.

Before finding Red Square we came to the Kremlin complex. This is an ancient walled fortress made of red brick. The various museums and churches are well frequented by tour groups with bossy guides that do their best to push the independent tourist out of the way so they can stick to their busy schedule. The independent tourist is left to figure out the ticket requirements, find the luggage deposit and find the museum with little or no signage to assist.

After a false start we opted to go into the Armoury Museum. This meant a 20 minute wait until they would sell us tickets and then another 20 minute wait until the next batch of sheep were allowed in. By now it was noon and we already tired and hungry. Michael had problems firstly settling down and then with being too tied to be bothered looking at the state treasures on display. There is no food available within the Kremlin so we took a brief walk around past the churches but not in any. We took photographs of the canons and saw a platoon of guards march straight at us. Michael and I went one way, Timothy went the other.

Eating was a priority so we dived into the first cafe we found and ordered three slices of mushroom pizza with roasted potatoes and Greek salad. It was just what we needed but it was only an hour before we were hungry again. After lunch we followed around the outside of the Kremlin until we came to Red Square. Without any parade but with a huge concert arena either being erected or dismantled it was not all that impressive. However, halfway down the square is St Basil's Cathedral and that certainly is impressive. Unfortunately, I'd run out of money so we went to a nearby shopping mall to find an ATM. The shopping mall must date back from before the war as three was a photography exhibition showing people clearing up bombing rubble. Anyway its very flash now and houses shops like Prada and Gucci. After getting more money we wandered around with Timothy leading until we came to a cafe where we had cheese and herb pastries and the boys enjoyed kompot, a drink made from boiled fruit and water.

After this it was back to St Basil's. This is a beautiful if unusual Russian orthodox church. We got to see in various rooms around the tower. Michael again found it impossible to settle and just look at where he was. Giggling and running around are not appropriate in a cathedral of any denomination.

We were pretty tired by now so we headed back to the hotel, first by completing the circuit around the Kremlin and then heading into the Metro for a two stop ride that saved about half an hour's walk. Michael was flagging but just made it back. One good thing about having to change plans was that we had booked for two nights at the Adagio. This meant we could leave the bags there all day and come back for a lie down before getting a taxi to the Leningrad station. Michael fell asleep in the taxi poor thing.

We figured out roughly were we had to go and then set about fining a cafe for dinner. This was very difficult as we have too many bags to move around easily. After a while we found somewhere and ate a simple small meal. Then it was back into the station to find our train. That wasn't too hard but it took two goes to find the right carriage. The one we were first directed to just had a series of beds with no walls or doors separating them. After a couple of goes at questioning this a stewardess realised we should be seven carriages further on. Time was getting short by now so it was a dash down the platform loaded down with bags trying to find the right one. Eventually we found carriage nine and got to our cabin. It has four beds that fold up to make seats. There is linen pillows and such h and they brought boxes of "lunch" with snack food in them.

Tomorrow Saint Petersburg.

Day 26 - Bangkok to Moscow

Well here we are in Moscow. The flight from Bangkok took about 8 hours. I got a little sleep but I don't think the boys did. They watched more video and played games. Michael also enjoyed walking up and down the aisles. There was a particular stewardess who would stop him for a cuddle and a kiss. I don't think he knew what to make of that but did as he was told. Again the food was good as was the service.

Passport control at Moscow airport is a disaster. Like it was in China, there is little to tell you where to go and the queues start off as a crush of people. It probably only took 45 minutes but it felt much longer. Turning the air conditioning would have helped. There was no way we could have negotiated an extension to the boy's visas. I don't think the lady we saw understands any English.

We took the airport express train to the city. This starts from the opposite side of the airport to where we picked up our bags. Sitting in the train I started looming at a map of the subway system and the man I was sitting next to asked me where I was going and told me I would need to change lines at a particular station. All of this was in Russian. After this he called his wife over who speaks very good English. We talked about planning to go to Saint Petersburg and the lady suggested we buy tickets tonight as we might not get them tomorrow. They live in Saint Petersburg and were heading to the station we needed to go to to buy the tickets. So we followed them all the way to through the metro. They even carried Michael's case some of the way. When we finally got to Leningrad station, where it was raining,  the lady took us to the ticket counter and organised it all for us. Once again, these Russians are surprisingly kind and eager to help.

After getting the tickets, we crossed the square to a cafe and had something to eat and apple juice. Then I took us the long way around the building to get back down to the subway. A couple of policemen there helped me find the right line and told me to go 5 stops. So we did and then rode the 45° escalators up to the next line. However, I wasn't sure which way to go so we stopped. A chap came over and asked if he could help. He spent  while wondering which was best but seeing that we were flagging, his led us up to the street level, carrying a couple of our bags as he did so. Up there he negotiated with a couple of taxi drivers to take us to the hotel. This took quite some time partly because of a traffic jam right next to us. In the end though, he put us in the taxi, I thanked him and he wandered off. The taxi ride was only 5 minutes. It would,d have taken me 40 minutes to weave through all that traffic.

The Adagio hotel is one of those that you wouldn't know it was there from the street but upstairs it is small but lovely. Cosy, comfortable and clean. Just what we need. So now we will go and have dinner and then a bath and bed.

Days 21 to 25

It was great to get back home and see everyone. The Finnair flight from Helsinki to London went smoothly. Heathrow was busy as always and it was almost strange to hear so many people speaking English. I was unfortunate with the seat allocation on the BA flight from London to Singapore in that it was the last row of three seats in a row as the plane narrows towards the back. It was too narrow for both me and the large chap next to me to sit properly so I had a u comfortable journey. For some reason the Fin air people were not able to check my bay through to Perth so I had to go through passport control and collect it in Singapore and then check in again. A waste of an hour. The flight WS much better and I slept through much of it.

My lovely sister Julia met me at the airport and took me to her house for the rest of the night. I slept very soundly until after 8AM. Mum and Dad had come to take me down to Eaton. I drove so as to save Dad having to do so. I thought I might slip up and drive on the right but seemed to click back into proper driving straight away.

We had lunch at the local tavern and then collected the boys from school. They were pretty excited to see the three of us. Mum and Dad set off for home not long after we got home.

I spent much of the next day searching then internet for accommodation in Saint Petersburg, train tickets from Moscow and on to Helsinki and things to do. Late the next Ros and I pulled out the boys passports. Out of curiosity I took a look at their visa stickers and was alarmed to realise that their visas ran out on the 3rd giving us just three days in Russia. I had only asked for the time I thought we would be there in the applications but that was before I decided to move this part of the trip back by a week. I could have asked for a whole month. So then it was change the bookings and think again.

Ros did a great job of washing all of the clothes I'd been inhabiting for the drive across Russia as well as almost everything the boys own. So Friday night the boys and I packed their bags and I packed mine on Saturday morning. I also spent quite a while sending some photographs to friends from the first leg and packing. Then it was hurry back to the airport.

Mum and Dad had come to see us off but that didn't work out as well as it should because the cue for checking took forever. Eventually though we got through and enjoyed a muffin and a cuppa before we set off through the gate. I don't think it has really dawned on the boys how long it will be before they see their mum again.

The Thai flight to Bangkok was good. The seats, the food and the service were all of a good standard. We all spent most of the time watching videos or playing games. Both Timothy and Michael enjoyed the colouring in game. I found it hard to watch anything with Michael constantly interrupting so I set my screen to watch the same film he was.

The airport in Bangkok looks quite new and it certainly works well. We had no delay at passport control and quickly found our way to the meeting point for the shuttle bus to the Floral Shire hotel. This is a little budget hotel but is comfortable enough.

Time to head back to the airport.