Little Fiat Big Adventure

Short clip from ITV trying to explain what we're doing!

 Panda To Istanbul

 By Co-Panda Driver Alan Duthie

 It seems so long ago that I jumped into Willie the Sisley on that warm morning on the 29th of Aug and headed for Stranrear, I say that as I think I’m still tired from the Journey, suppose that’s what happens when all of a sudden you realise you are a Granddad. On way to Stranrear I began a complex in my mind that remained till we got to Paris and that was….is that noise getting louder? Is the gearbox going to last? Will Willie for the first time ever let me down? The prospect of driving Willie for the next 6000 miles was starting to play on my mind. I had never doubted him before but then again I had never contemplated taking him across 20 countries in 10 days before. On arrival at Stranrear relaxed for a change as I was there in plenty of time I started to polish a bit of this & that till the boarding began probably to make him as shiny as Sylvia & knowing that many photographers were waiting to see him.

I met Jim & Sylvia just outside the ferry terminal that whisked us off to Carrick Fergus to say hello to the Mayor and get some publicity pics followed by a very nice buffet laid out to officially start the trip in style. I was pleasantly surprised when given the gift of a Carrick Fergus tie & pin badges. After a few words of encouragement we headed to the Hospice care in Belfast for the Official/Official start of our Journey to Paris. We were so welcomed on arrival it made it a pleasure to have completed the extra 300 miles to start in Belfast. Soon after we were joined by the PSNI traffic department. Initially we were told that we would have to leave by 3.30pm 30min earlier than anticipated if we wanted the escort, as they had to be back at base shortly after. As time neared to 3.30 the photographers had just started snapping away and NIIMC members had started to arrive to wave us off, I looked at the PSNI officers who gave an it’s ok no problem type of wave. I believe they were starting to enjoy themselves with the crazy panda owners and the entourage that followed such a madcap event. Time continued and I apologised for the delay but they seemed no longer interested in the deadline and were I think just happy to be involved. All of a sudden the photographers were finished and the police escort was about to begin to the ferry terminal. Being used to escorts I told Jim just to follow close behind as I knew the Police car would stop traffic to let us through, instinct would leave the novice to stop behind the police car instead of taking it wide and continuing through. It was an excellent run to the ferry and there were many onlookers wondering just what was so special about two panda’s, they would have to wait to read about it the following day. We arrived very quickly to the ferry terminal and with much thanks waved good bye to the officers who made another memory to add to the many to follow. We had a chat with the NIIMC members that followed soon after then waved goodbye to head for the main land. Security staff on booking in wasn’t quite sure what to make of these two little panda’s being led by the police but after brief explanation I think we managed to stop the about to begin alert search process.

Willie & Sylvia on arriving at the mainland were singing merrily away they were at one with the world and doing just what they do best….being driven Italian style. Near Carlisle we stopped to refuel and on getting back into Willie horror struck I tried to put him into first but the gear stick just kept going “WTF” was pressing my thought process and with much in trepidation I had a look underneath. A 13mm bolt attaching the gearlever to the body of the gearbox had dropped off of the car, there was no reason for this but a 13mm replacement was quickly found and Willie was as good as ever, although the mind games & mechanical complex had now really taken hold. I wondered if Sylvia’s occasional bad luck was going to be transferred to Willie for the duration of the event, “god help us” was to be the prayer for the next 12 days. We arrived safe in Cumbria for the first overnight halt and to finally pack Willie for the next 11 days.

On the morning of the 31st a last coffee at home was drunk and we headed for Carlisle airport for the waiting media crews, about 15 minutes into the drive I realised that not all of Willie’s documents were with me so headed home whilst Sylvia continued on, I was now 30 min behind but Willie was rearing to go so unleashed him on the Cumbrian roads, he was singing and must have thought an Italian owner had taken the rains for a change. I didn’t want to push him so early but there were people waiting and not the type of people you keep waiting especially since they had just bought Stobbart’s trucks for £138 million and the new owner Andrew Tinkler was to be a surprise guest to wave us off. I arrived about 2 min behind Jim and Sylvia, whilst our other team mate Jim was waiting with Ivor to complete the 3 panda’s leaving Cumbria to head for France. The media interest was amazing and whilst Jim Magill was being interviewed by the papers I was being interviewed by CFM radio and Pilot Jim was being interviewed by BBC radio Cumbria with ITN/Border news waiting in the wings to interview us all. It was just about over when Andrew Tinkler blew us away with the fact he would pick up the tab for all fuel used in the event, it was a marvellous gesture.

Happy the bank balance would later recover Jim/Sylvia and me/Willie headed for Leicester with a bacon buttie & coffee in hand to pick up the final car. Ivor was to stay in Cumbria for the next few hours as the co-driver was not allowed to leave till 5pm after his commitment to the Air Ambulance was concluded. The M6 saw Sylvia at her very best she was eating up the miles and Willie who is normally relaxed on this Motorway had to stretch his legs to keep up. The next stop on the route was Sandbach services to meet Sam & Fuzzy panda. The schedule was so tight that only a quick chat & a few photographs were available before heading to Leicester. We were scheduled to be in Leicester for 1.30 and leaving at about 3.30 but after the additional time with the press we were well behind and only made Ibstock for 3pm, we were welcomed by Gina (posh) Rob (Co-driver) Sarah (Rob’s wife) and Sarah Monk (Mk1) also there to welcome us was Damon (Panda-sport) who was there to help Willie add a new lease of life to his gearbox in the form of ZC90. So after a quick oil change & coffee we said our goodbye’s to Rob & Sarah’s kids then headed for Dover with Damon bringing up the rear. The road was uneventful and pretty clear so good progress was made to the Speed ferries terminal.

Willie, Mk1 & Sylvia were all securely parked in the hold and we were whisked off to mainland Europe for the foreign start to the trip. We knew that we would have plenty of time the following day so stopped 50 miles short of Paris at about 2am looking for a hotel, we decided on cheap & cheerful in the guise of Formule1, it wasn’t the Hilton but at least it was clean and comfortable. Ivor’s crew were now in Dover and ready to take the first crossing in the morning. We woke refreshed and with the continental style breakfast that can only be found in the Formule1 motels filling our bellies we set the Sat-nav for the Gare de l’Est train station to meet the Orient-Express for the first time. Ivor’s crew by this time let us know they had crossed the channel & was heading for Paris themselves. On entering Paris all crews drove well to prevent being split up and throughout the inner-city journey managed to keep together with a combination of defensive & offensive driving to the amusement of many locals who’s mobile phone camera’s were busy. Sylvia & the Mk1 during this time were getting hot eventually causing the Mk1 to stall at a very busy crossing. Panic struck and all crews jumped out to help the poor thing start. Finally we arrived at the station together followed soon after by Ivor.

The Orient-Express platform was pristine filled with shiny people about to embark on their immaculate trip which all of a sudden made the pillock wearing the beige shorts & black socks very self conscious. On speaking to the staff of the train in their immaculate uniforms they showed genuine interest and seemed pleased to have a bunch of mad British following on in what they described as more than second hand cars. Once all the passengers had boarded we readied for the off which became more & more delayed. Jim Martin had the ITN camera and wanted to film the train leaving, We told Ivor’s crew that we intended to beat the train to Budapest and was going for the 25 hour run, they responded by telling us they would be too tired and would probably have to stop off on route, we then told them that we would share the drive whilst they slept in the car, responded by we’re not sleeping in the car. It was obvious that they were going to do the run on their terms. Eventually the train left the station and we were off, let’s go, Ivor’s crew informed us that they were going for a kebab first? So we didn’t even leave the station together. Bearing in mind how much organising had gone into this event and Ivor’s crew was the official representatives of the Air Ambulance the charity we were trying to raise money for, the response was disappointing. So 3 crews, Willie, Mk1 & Sylvia left Paris and once well out of heavy traffic decided to have a bit of sustenance for the long night ahead.

The next part of the journey although exciting was to become a bit of a blur, darkness fell through midish France and the only difference between countries we were travelling through were the changes in traffic signs. We received a text to say that Ivor’s crew was pulling up in Metz France for the night as they were now very tired and couldn’t go on. This was followed by a later text saying that they had been taken by the locals to a lap dancing club, maybe they weren’t quite so tired after all. The first text was expected the second a real slap in the face for 6 drivers who had decided to go all out at personal sacrifice to achieve the task in hand. The Panda’s were magnificent and plodded on with youthful vigour not complaining at the hard drive put to them, the organic bit’s behind the wheel however had to stop occasionally to pass the baton to the next organic bit taking over. Our meeting in Germany with the German panda club looked set to be a miss and as time went on the meeting place just not achievable till about 4 am. Tom called and I hinted that the meeting was more than likely going to be cancelled, we were pushing forward with all our worth but it was never going to be enough. Three cars travelling together will always be slower than one, 6 different bladders and 6 different tired minds more than likely reduced our average speed, however the 6 minds and bladders without much complaint continued well into the night. As dusk approached enough was enough we had entered Austria and just couldn’t continue, it just wasn’t safe so we all parked in the next services and tried desperately to get some sleep. Luckily Sylvia still had reclining seats, not so the Mk1 or Willie meaning the word comfortable was just not an option. Every one however managed to get at least 1.5 hrs before filling up the tanks and setting off again.

Budapest just seemed so far away but as we reached the Austrian Hungarian border tiredness slipped away and renewed vigour threw us towards our goal. Crossing the border also brought us into contact with the Polish Panda Contingent waiting our arrival to follow us to Budapest. It was a marvellous sight but time marched on and after a very brief chat had to get moving again. We had to reach Budapest for 2.45 or we wouldn’t be allowed on the station platform to welcome the train. On our large multinational convoy we were told that some of the Polish members were unable to keep up but the distance to cover with the time available meant we had to push on and leave some behind, all of a sudden the Mk1 had to pull off for fuel and a message was passed to go for the station so Willie and Sylvia continued leaving the Mk1 behind. Next a very heavy downpour left Sylvia’s tyres wanting for grip and a further message on the radio came across that they now had to pull off and again was told to go for the station. Now only Willie was in the position to get to the station in time he pulled away from all the others making for Budapest all on his own. The miles were disappearing fast but not as quickly as the time available to get there, finally we received a message from Budapest station telling us it was too late to get any of the cars on the platform it was a real disappointment and our heart sank, Willie then slowed to allow the others to catch up, it wasn’t the right thing to now go it alone after so much effort was put in by all the other drivers we had to get there together. The Polish contingent must have thought what were these crazy British up to quick/slow? What was going on? We attempted to contact them with the answer but the radio remained silent. Finally the Mk1 and Willie were back together but Sylvia was missing when we realised that we could still beat the train to the station. Yes we had missed our spot on the platform but it would still be an achievement to beat the train so yet again we set off for the station. There was only a few miles left to go and it looked like the panda’s were going to win the first leg of the race, and this had to be the most important leg, the largest stage of the event and the panda’s were most definitely ahead. A few missed turns aside Willie and the Mk1 pulled into the train station and parked. I ran into the station to see who the victor was, the platform was empty YES the train had not yet arrived. After speaking to the Orient-Express reps at the station I heard that Sylvia had also joined us and as a result all three Panda’s made it to Budapest before the train. It was close but close doesn’t matter when you are the winner, we were extremely jubilant as the Orient-Express horn sounded to announce it’s arrival 10 min later. All of a sudden it appeared that this may be a walkover were we going to now win this race so easily. We maybe shouldn’t have been as confident as the hardest part was still to come, not that we knew this yet.

Right so we had beat the train on the first leg and I was very proud what the others had done in pushing themselves to achieve this. The organisation to meet us on our arrival was also fantastic. Bill Parker and Edit Meszaros (Orient-Express Hungarian representative) had before the trip began arranged accommodation for the entrants and for the cars to be secured overnight in a nearby railway museum. We were also met by Erika the museum directors daughter who was to show us to the locations. Try to picture the scene of a gorgeous & young woman with not a hair out of place, standing next to a bunch who had just spent 25 hours sitting and sleeping in a Panda. There was not a chance in hell of trying to impress her especially as I was still wearing the beige shorts & black socks. To be honest I was amazed that she even contemplated getting into one of the Panda’s to show us the way but that she did. We were also met by the Orient-Express Train manager and staff who congratulated us on the first win. I would suggest that the response was genuine, cause there is no way that anyone would have been able to stand next to us that didn’t want to be there. We tried in vein to contact our Polish contingent to let them know we were on way to the Museum and a kind of garbled message of were heading to the museum was passed. We thought this was close to Budapest station but we were wrong and our separation now became complete. We were very annoyed that we had obviously let them down but it was slightly out of our hands as Ericka showed us the way to the Train Museum. On route Ericka indicated the building in which we would be staying the night. We looked right towards this large building and images of some long ago built gulag pictured in our mind but we were to find out about that later. The road to the museum was very inner-city and reminded me of the worse parts of the East End of London but when we turned into the entrance it was like an oasis of greenery and beautiful landscape. The Museum was amazing, I’m not a train person really but the exhibits just staggered the imagination and everyone really enjoyed the experience. With thanks to Ericka we offered her a lift back into town, and damn I was going to be the one to take her. I say damn as I knew for the next 30 min I was going to have to suck the belly in yet again. The Orient-Express hadn’t yet arrived at the museum to its evening resting place as it was being washed for the next leg of the journey. Meantime having dropped Ericka off and picking up some Pizza for the night we made our way to the museum to put the cars to bed with a little encouraging pat and a kiss for their hard work and moved onto the digs. Ericka explained that the accomdation was very basic to which I replied as long as there were clean sheets and a pillow I would be more than happy. Think of my dismay when she shrugged her shoulders and replied maybe not. The perceptions were getting worse, however when the keys were passed and we inspected the rooms they were excellent, all clean & pressed sheets with comfortable mattresses with plenty of showers to choose from. There were 4 beds to a room like a kids school dorm with rows of showers in the toilet blocks, it was exactly what was needed a wash & a sleep, as soon as the head hit the pillow we were out with a little smile dreaming back to the incredible journey.

The Morning arrived with us all refreshed and ready to start a new day, a form of coffee was available from the local vending machine to wake us. Ivor crew was conspicuous by their absence as the key was still present in the lock that we had placed awaiting there company but this wasn’t to be. We then made our way to the Museum to let the cars officially meet the train for the first time and get some pictures, we were also to meet Edit for the first time to thank her for the excellent organisation securing the cars and the reason we ended up getting a well needed sleep. Edit arrived like she was on route to a Royal polo match or ladies day at Royal Ascot, she was immaculate in her blue & white polka dot dress and hat, and very beautiful (Hungary may be the place to retire) We were also met by the Museum director (Ericka’s father) who welcomed us with open arms and offered us the full use of the facilities whilst there. We were also met by many of the Orient-Express staff who were visiting the museum on their time off and shared the restaurant facilities whilst chatting about the next destination Sinaia in Romania. I also received a call from BBC radio Cumbria who wanted a live interview about the journey so far, only good news so far had been passed but this was about to drastically change in only a few short hours.
Ok Budapest was now to become another very vivid memory on our trip and an experience that will just not be forgotten but for now we were to leave it behind and head for Romania and the town of Sinaia.
The only Sat-nav/GPS system now available was on Rob’s laptop he was very well prepared for the trip from the outset and thanks to his organisation we also had use of the PMR/car to car radio’s. BUT technology however wonderful can occasionally have flaws. It directed us out of Budapest and what we thought next was to be the Romanian border. The panda’s again were strolling the miles without complaint and seemed to love the open Hungarian roads. We travelled mile after mile when all of a sudden the Hungarian border was upon us, the que of traffic had registrations not expected for our route with SRB badges on the rear, erm! WTF! Was in our minds, this was not the Romanian border it was the Serbian Border. Everyone of us had a confused expression on our face as Rob re-checked the laptop GPS, Ah! Rob explained, we took the southern road out of Budapest and as a result would briefly visit Serbia but within a few miles would be in Romania. The laptop was now struggling for power and could only be used sparingly. However the road leading us to Romania was missed and we continued deeper into Serbia.
After an hours travelling we pulled up to check our bearings, yep we had screwed up. Rob instantly said "let’s get back to the border and start again we will only lose a couple of hours but at least we will then be on the right track". Why we paid no head to his thoughts are now a mystery but that we did and we decided to go cross country. This was our worse mistake and was to put our schedule back by more than a day it was also a mistake that cost us the visit to Sinaia & Bucharest.

Fate has a way of compensating at times and Yes we screwed up & Yes we should have listened to Rob, however the journey was about to take on a different aspect to our perceptions and pre conceptions but will bring this up later. Meantime we had to now navigate cross country with a map just not suitable for purpose on roads that were appearing to be less than adequate. Whilst traversing the countryside we were thankfully slowed behind an articulated truck. All of a sudden the truck veered to the wrong side of the road whilst approaching a hairpin bend? WTF!! When on the road in front we saw the answer to the strange driving The road had obviously been inspected by the local authorities for some work to be carried out, which was most definitely started, however for whatever reason was not completed. The road was left with perfect sections cut out, about two feet wide and a foot deep and continued from the edge of the road to the centre…POTHOLE!! Was shouted across the radio as I then swerved in the same direction of the truck and luckily the Mk1 & Sylvia followed. Had any of us hit the hole it would have ripped the front suspension clean off and the trip would have most certainly been over. I had lots of steering spares but not enough for that type of repair. I found my eyes fixed on the road surface continually from then on.
Our average speed through Serbia was low & there was nothing we could do about that, the roads were less than perfect and constant low speed limits pushed Sinaia further & further away. Serbia was certainly an interesting country, very flat over most of the ground we travelled and very industrial. The towns however looked very war torn and the population very uninterested in our panda’s with an occasional look before getting on with their own lives toil.
As said before you are often failed by your own perceptions or pre-conceptions and Serbia was about to teach me once again to always have an open mind before judgement, we entred the town of Kirkinda which was probably one of the most dilapidated that I had ever seen, whether war or otherwise that had laid the town to this state I have no idea but your perception may have been similar to mine and I wanted to get through it as quickly as possible. The map showed a straight road in and out of town but all of a sudden we came to a dead end, so there was a choice of left or right I took the right turn which was the poor choice and was basically a cul-de-sac with no way through. Sitting on a bench to our left was a load of late teenage kids, the type you try to avoid as you have the feeling that grief is going to be part of the encounter. We needed help to navigate the town and I was of the opinion to look elsewhere when Rob shouts to stop. I pulled over and he noticed that one of the kids had a well groomed dog “anyone with a dog in that condition must be alright” Rob shouts, he preceded to get out to converse with the kids. Well you could not have found a more well behaved bunch of kids in a convent and all of them spoke perfect English much better than me Rob continued *cheeky barsteward* Well they were an absolute credit to their country and taught me to leave my perceptions behind. We ended up taking a pic of us together then one of the kids eagerly stated that he would come with us to show us to the Serbian/Romanian border, he jumped into Sylvia as our personal guide with the others waving us off and made our way through town. It was another surprise to the trip and one which made the detour more than worth it. Before leaving, the kid pointed the way and we continued a few euros lighter.

Once at the Border we were met by a Serbian guard he looked no older than the kids we had left, who then stated that the crossing was permanently closed. With no way through we had to detour to Srspka Crnja where we were informed that the border was permanently open. Jim’s map in which we were navigating wasn’t much help on these back roads with no markings and where possible we asked the help of the locals to guide us. By now it was dark and the light bar fitted to guide us on our way when again an unmarked junction stopped us in our tracks. The only person about was obviously drunk and the local alky, being Scottish and having a good report with drunks in my daily work place I thought it best that I asked the way. Without hesitation he pointed us in the direction followed by a choice of local vocabulary that I probably don’t want to repeat, however we as a group decided that he probably got drunk in Glasgow on a stag night and never managed to return after being stripped naked and thrown onto the nearest plane.

Finally and after much help from the drunk we made the Serbian/Romanian Border. We asked the Romanians about buying a viganette but were told closed and asked to move on We asked again and was waved away (this is an important point for the next border crossing). Later as we pulled into the town of Timisoara we felt that we had been driving for days, the day had gone very slowly and it was obvious that without another 24 hr run we had no chance of making Sinaia by 08.45. Dejected for the first time in our failings we stopped at a local hotel to try again in the morning, it was going to be 1-1 between the Panda’s and the Orient-Express and there was just nothing we could do about it. We sent a text message to team Ivor in the hope that they could finally do some good for the overall team but there was no reply.

Having settled into our hotel we then walked out to get some food, the cars were settled for the night and had their own personal security guard looking over. Later it was noticed that some of the locals were taking pictures of themselves and the cars, why had there been so much attention? “Scottish Sports Cars” was the reply. The locals had seen the Scottish flags on the number plates and had assumed that they had arrived in Romania for a car rally but I suppose that having a Renault 12 or the Dacia equivalent as the usual car for the area they must have appeared so different. We didn’t want to burst the bubble so just nodded & waved politely. The end of the day was upon us and an uphill struggle with the worse roads so far was ahead so it was time to sleep and wake with new vigour to take the task in hand.
We woke to a new day and knew it was going to be tough we had only travelled limited mileage the day before and really had to get the foot down, but the famous Romanian mountain roads were ahead. Famous for being rough and soon we found were not to disappoint. We also had the defeat of Sinaia and Bucharest to contend with niggling on our mind, yep it was 1-1 but we were not giving up & going for the win.

The cars glistened in the sun as we checked out of the hotel, a quick check of oil & water was all that was required before setting off. I have to say that the panda’s were just incredible, so far they asked for nothing other than fuel. Willie to my surprise especially after all the mind games in Ireland and Cumbria was quieter and smoother than ever and was yet again raring to go.

Rob had during the night plotted our next course, I think he personally felt it from the day before and wanted to redeem the situation. The error I want to make clear was not his fault and had we listened to him in the first place would have probably corrected the error allowing us to catch the train. But he is a proud man of which organisation is his forte so determination was at it’s highest and we were all aware what was now required.

We now left Timisoara and headed for the mountain roads of Romania they were nothing less than punishing, Willie with the much harder rear suspension was not soaking up the bumps but crashing through them, every jolt felt through every part of the car, Sylvia with his Omega rear axle found them a much easier chore and the occupants Jim & Gina much more comfortable than me & Rob whose spine was as well as Willie taking a pounding. Mk1 we thought was going to be in a similar situation to Willie with her rear leaf spring but as there is only one I found it later to be soaking up the bumps with ease. So yes the cars suspension was taking a real pounding on these roads but it was only myself & Rob that were taking the pounding inside.

The scenery on this mountain pass was incredible but yet again twisting winding roads & road works were taking a toll on the average speed required to get to where we wanted to be. The state of the roads were also very noteworthy and on many of the tight bends many sections of the road up to half of the road width had just disappeared down the nearest hill as if washed away over time. The Romanian authorities were trying their best to address this issue, which as a result of the many road works were slowing us down yet again.

Normally waiting at road works is a boring affair, however having 3 cars with the PMR’s on the same channel as the road work crews caused a few sensations. Just the one word “hello” had the crews shouting and waving with excitement as we passed and wishing us on our way, or at least that was the impression. I don’t know what the Romanian word for F**k O*f is so couldn’t exactly say but mile after mile they were smiling & waving and shouting so don’t think that was the case.
Even with all of the hilarity, time and distance were grinding on, it was hard work for both the drivers and the cars but we pushed on never the less eventually reaching the town of Craiova. We had to recharge our batteries and get something to eat before again slogging on to the next point on the map. As we drove into Craiova it was yet another very industrial town, and again road works were in full swing, however this was road works Craiova’n style and they didn’t seem to want to upset the locals with silly things like traffic lights or other such nonsense. No what they did was jump onto the highway digging machine and just drove it down the middle of the street letting the other cars using the road fend for themselves. As we passed there was bits of stone and concrete bouncing all over the place and luckily no damage was caused but again it was a sight to brighten the day.

Whilst parking up at the local services with fuel & food it was remarkable to see so many UK & Eire registered cars however they just didn’t seem quite cosher and we wondered how many were still being looked for back home. We also spoke about our next strategy. Bucharest was still so far away and seemed impossible to reach by night so thoughts of heading South East began to form, Sofia in Bulgaria was a long way off almost as far as Bucharest but it would allow some normal roads to be travelled and increase our average speed that was really suffering as a result from the day before. The plans were put to the team and as in all decisions democracy was to reign, and the choice of Sofia was made as our destination for the night. This decision was to take a toll on all of us and was to put on the greatest pressure yet….
Dusk started to form as we left Craiova so Willie’s lights were again fixed for the dark roads ahead. The lights were incredible and the dark countryside & images came to life at the flick of a switch. It turned out that Gaz’s two Wipac 4x4 lights were more than enough to turn night into day and the others were never required. We were now in the flat lands of Romania and the roads changed for the better, Potholes, horses & carts, Ox & carts, and pedestrians even in the middle of night and in the middle of nowhere were abundant so care was still needed at all times. As the darkness turned to black it was a very strange scene, the locals mingled from village to village illuminated by Willies lights which set your mind back to films of the walking dead or zombies walking aimlessly to their next victim. There was no pattern to this behaviour and no distinguishable landmarks that they appeared to be heading for. It wasn’t just the occasional person there were hundreds maybe thousands wandering. As well as the now familiar horses & carts people were also occasionally taking their horse or even cow for a walk but the strangest was probably the owner of lawn mower powered cart who was slightly ahead in the technology table in this strange but fascinating part of the country. Mile upon mile had finally led us to the Romanian/Bulgarian Border. This border crossing was separated by a river of which the name escapes, Romania on one side and Bulgaria on the other but the last town we passed was Bechet before ending up with the gaurds & gates that was to become an unpleasant and costly part to the trip.

The first person we came in contact with was the transit official who wanted 5 euros for a piece of official paperwork that had no meaning in the end but they had not yet finished fleecing us yet. The second guard to describe must have been the Romanian cousin of Beuford T Justice, for those of you who can remember the smokie & the bandit films, however this one was not as comical and I wouldn’t have kicked ole Beuford out of bed to get to this one, she was ugly and my description of ugly since has reached new limits.
Remember that I said that we had tried to buy a viganette (Romanian road tax) on entering the Romanian Border and was told to move on….well whether planned or not to fleece us on the exit this was the position we were now in. We were informed that we would have to travel back to Craiova to purchase a viganette or pay a fine of 120 euro per car. Travelling back to Craiova didn’t seem to be an option as the cost alone would have out weighed the fine and even more precious time we just didn’t have spare. Rob being more fluent in bribes left him to do the negotiating. However having realised Rob’s plans I should maybe have not left him to it after all. The last part of the negotiations to my horror involved 100 euros and me taking this bint to the nearest shack and giving her a seeing to. Yes I’m Scottish, which probably means I’m also tight, but giving this one a seeing to was making me nauseous, even the thought was an incredible organic laxative, so I readied the mortgage papers to be signed in her name. Fortunately Rob’s negotiations finally released me from being raped to within an inch of my life and 100 euros was the final price. I hate corruption and it really choked me having to pay money to the fat bitch but there was no choice and we needed to get moving. Next and finally was the ferry price, we had thought wrongly that we paid this to the transit bloke and to had to cough up another 69 euros so felt well and truly butt f**ked by the time we left Romania.

The ferry finally started to board us for the completion of the border crossing and ramps laid to get the Panda’s onto it’s deck, Willie was first and crept up the wide ramps to grip hold of the deck. Sarah Monk was next in the mk1 and not knowing exactly how wide the little car was managed to just and I mean just keep enough tread on the ramps to climb towards the deck. Being waved on and guided by the ferry crew he maybe waved a bit too hard as Sarah took this as a signal to hit the throttle with all of her might. Well this ferry crew member will I think have Sarah’s face printed on his mind for many a year to come, it was a close call and I’m sure many years of frustration and toil as a ferry crew member flashed before his eyes. He certainly wasn’t stupid enough to stand in front when at the other side and gave Sarah plenty of room.

The Bulgarian border was uneventful and the viganette purchased before leaving, yep we wouldn’t make that mistake again.
We now again fuelled for the next part of the trip and to ensure we could continue to Sofia without stopping, little did we know what was about to occur….

The Panda’s in now much better roads were increasing the average speed and flying towards our next stopping point. One town we had to encounter was Vraca, Robs laptop GPS told us to turn left by passing the town but no as the turning approached there was no turning to take and had to therefore go through the town itself. We missed an exit and had to basically circle the centre of the town twice, finally finding our exit we now headed out and towards Sofia. At this time a Silver 3 series BMW had caught us quickly from way behind and overtook Sylvia splitting the convoy. To keep our little convoy together myself & Sarah slowed to let this BMW pass and get on it’s way but it just stayed put between us, we gave it several chances to pass but it remained and something just didn’t quite feel right. Jim from behind informed us that it contained 4 men. We then saw a lit service station and pulled both cars in letting the BMW continue and when re-joined by Sylvia continued on our way once again as a group. On travelling another km the BMW was parked by the side of the road waiting for us with hazard lights flashing and as soon as we passed moved out and remained behind Sylvia. We knew that this car was going to have a go and was probably after Rob’s laptop but just didn’t know when. I told rob to call the Police as they were most definitely after us and without help pretty much defenceless. Rob being able to speak a bit of Russian of which Bulgarian is a dialect spoke to the police, but to our horror when asked if there was anyone that spoke English put the phone down….F**K what were we going to do now, they were most certainly armed and most definitely after us it was just a matter of when they were going to make their move. My mind was searching for possibilities, probabilities & solutions and no matter what came out nothing was going to stop a bullet. We had travelled a few miles since we picked up the BMW and could see nothing but trouble ahead, however as luck often is, it had just materialised in the form of a police Speed check it was a huge relief. We pulled into the junction whilst the police officers looked in puzzlement with a WTF obvious on their faces.

We tried to explain what had occurred and within a few seconds they replied “Bandits” it seemed the only explanation, to further their understanding of what happened a few diagrams were sketched, the details and description of the car pointing out it’s identifiable featured the police asked as to stay as they sped off looking for the car. A few mins later they returned and escorted us about 10 miles to a 24hr truck stop to collect our thoughts and to settle with a few coffee’s in our system. We stayed for about an hour before continuing again but this time unescorted. The road was very foggy and eerie, we passed many lay-bys full of trucks and prostitutes offering their wares, our speed in the fog may have made them think we were pulling over but we managed to continue without being accosted further.

About 5 miles of very slow driving finally got us through the fog and started to speed up when we again passed the police parked in a service station, they were obviously waiting for us and on waving pulled us over to again continue an escort within only a few miles from Sofia. Their response to these mad Brits was fantastic and without doubt saved us from a very serious fate. They escorted us for about 40-50 miles in total but got us safely to our destination which was most important. As we pulled into Sofia it was about 5am. We were knackered, angry and niggled at each other whilst searching for a Hotel to get some very needed sleep. We ended up getting the services of a taxi driver which caused even more frustration when yet another party tried to fleece us with cash.

This was a night we were now so desperate to get over, we would never forget it but for now we needed sleep. Talk wasn’t advised in the current atmosphere as I think every one was ready to bite, but in the morning and yet with another new day we would then be happy as we were within a days reach of Istanbul. Finally the slow roads were behind and we could now really get a grip of this race. Only a mechanical breakdown would stop us but for now the Panda’s were at the top of their game and looking forward to the day ahead…….

Today would hopefully be our last days hard driving before reaching Turkey and Istanbul, we had endured a couple of very hard days but that was now behind us and there was a new day ahead. When we arrived at the Best Western Expo Hotel in Sofia it was late….very late however we had just about enough steam left to notice that next to the Hotel entrance was a Fiat Dealers…was this a sign? We had just about sniffed the clean sheets & pillows when it was time to get up again, this was becoming a habit….nice hotel and by no means cheap and no time to enjoy it.

As we packed the cars for the days travel I asked the dealer if he minded that we take some pics in front of his window with the cars “no problem the salesman replied” in fact once he realised what was going on he was more than happy to snap away for us. Breakfast missed again we were off. The only ones who seemed to ever get any breakfast was Jim & Gina?

To get to Istanbul we had to basically drive almost the full width of Bulgaria then across the Border that is renown for taking ages to cross and finally across the top part of Turkey into Istanbul, it was a long way away and it was getting hot but everyone was up for the task and just desperate to get there. Another day like the previous two would have been just too much to take. We set off for the Bulgarian version of a Motorway and headed East. Our speed was set at a cracking rate and if we kept this up Istanbul would be in our sites for late evening. But just as the cars were taking this road in their stride we were back onto single lanes again what happened to the Motorway in the map? Well it seems that the printers were a bit too eager and printed next years edition. We were still managing a good average speed but any heavy traffic and we would be doomed for failure.

It was now getting to midday and very warm, we were running out of our supplies of water & red bull. The fridge was set up in Sylvia to cool what we had left, to save time stopping, car to car transfers of water or any other fluid were passed on the move with great skill and precision with wing mirrors not far from touching. A technique used on many occasion previously to swap a run down radio for a newly charged one.

We were lucky the traffic stayed relatively light and made great haste for the Turkish border. Lack of food & fuel however made it now time to stop for a bit of sustenance before once again pushing on. I have no idea who chose the location but it was one to remember. The waitresses were gorgeous, all very slim, long legs, very short skirts and lovely attributes. The food was excellent it was also the first time we had all sat together for a decent meal since the middle of France, we were all relaxed (the first time in ages) and the company terrific. The bill for all 6 well fed travellers 19 euros.

We set off again and the Border got closer & closer, the panda’s were eating up the miles and were still without complaint. I need to stop saying it as it’s maybe very obvious but we couldn’t be any more proud of these cars 2500 miles had passed in so few days and they just did not complain. It also became obvious that Willie revelled in the warmer weather as he became even quieter & smoother.

Just as the Border appeared over the horizon I decided on a can of red bull to keep the concentration levels at their best. The fluid hit my stomach like a bomb when mixed with the previous meal, we had been so unused to eating. Thankfully services at the border were upon us, some tanks were desperate to empty as the panda’s tanks were desperate to fill. The last thing you need in your life is to go through a Turkish Border checkpoint smelling like you’ve had an accident. It’s a guaranteed way to ensure a full car & body search. Anyway we were finally at the Turkish border and although the traffic volume was low the traffic flow through the border was equally low. Sylvia & the Mk1 started to heat up whilst Willie kept his composure. Sylvia was also suffering from not starting well from hot so in the line of traffic waiting to cross was pushed forth to the amusement of the guards. Although it didn’t make them rush any quicker to stamp the passport and issue the visa’s. It was a long slow process and even though as said it was only light traffic it still took an hour or so to get through. The return crossing was to be much much longer.

Finally we were in Turkey and Istanbul was about 4 hrs away. The Turkish roads were excellent and progress also excellent. With the exception of a contraflow that felt like the A13 in rush hour we were to continue finally as scheduled it was going well, maybe too well but we weren’t complaining. As we approached the city lights of Istanbul Rob made a few calls to ensure we were staying in luxury tonight we certainly deserved it. Traversing the City with a couple of wrong turns aside led us under the canopy and neon lights of the Holiday Inn, where we parked absolutely elated. It was an incredible feeling we were in Istanbul and the Orient-express still 16 hours away. A quick look in the luxury suite was enough to see that we had certainly arrived before heading to the bar and telling story’s of our encounters.

This was a marvellous achievement and we would celebrate into the night, however the achievement would not be complete till tomorrow when we met the Orient-Express. We would then know what celebration Istanbul & Orient-Express style was like….
A new day dawned yet again and we were in the middle of Istanbul struggling to get up from the luxury bedding only a short drive away from Sirkeci Station where we were to meet the Orient-Express for the final time. Only the worst kind of screw up would prevent us from getting to the station before the train. The Panda’s looked well travelled and decided that they needed a clean & brush up before meeting the train. The holiday inn advised us of a car wash nearby so Mk1 and Willie were off for a bath. The wash area was attached to a large city car park and after a bit of haggling in a mix of English/Turkish & body language from Gina a price was fixed to have the cars cleaned. We were served Turkish tea as the lads got on with scrubbing away. We were then met by the owners son who spoke English and asked what were we up to. They had done a marvellous job and both panda’s were shining like new. Jim had decided to wash Sylvia himself at the local petrol station. But all of the panda’s were now ready to meet the train face to face. We were joined by Alan, Jim’s partner who was to share in our final route to the station. He flew in an hour or so previously and was a welcome guest.

Having a local map we made our way down what could only be described as a three lane central boulevard, we were to follow this to the end and then turn off, however when we got to the end there was no turn off? And the boulevard just u turned from the direction we had travelled. We had an idea of where the station was located in reference to our current position so took a few devious routes aiming for Sirkeci.

Sarah Nicol had mentioned earlier how nice it would be to visit the huge bazaar in Istanbul but would probably not have the time, little did she know that not only were we going to visit the bazaar but drive straight through the heart of it. The roads became smaller and tighter and all of a sudden we were driving through the huge market that was Istanbul’s bazaar. Market traders, customers and all types of pedestrians were looking on with amazement as the three stickered and signed panda’s made their way through. There was no animosity from anyone and just took us to be an unusual part to their day. Occasionally there was shouts of “Italiano” to which I shouted “Scotland” this was met by a thumbs up and a smile lasting till the next shout. It was without doubt one of the most remarkable memories so far. The small narrow roads continued and continued and that screw up that we were so worried about seemed that it may be a reality. We then shouted Sirkeci Station as we passed the locals who eagerly pointed the way. All of a sudden we were now out of the bazaar and very close to the Station. A police unit at the edge of the bazaar also looked on and smiled as we went passed. The streets then opened out and a marvellous site of the Station was upon us, at the end of the street was also a spectacular view of the clear blue water of the Bosphorus and cruise ships bringing others to this incredible city.

We had reached the station and thankfully in plenty of time. I made my way into the station to meet Mr Riad Char our Orient-Express contact who had made arrangements to get the cars onto the platform, whilst Rob outside was having problems with a continually more irate parking attendant. I was then met by Jean Pierre the Orient express engineer who was to show us where to park for the arrival of the train. Rob was now shouting “Alan get out here now” the attendant obviously confused with all that was going on and not capable of understanding decided on his only course of action to shout & holler at the top of his voice. Before violence broke out Jean Pierre at the wave of a hand dissipated the confusion and led us to the side of the station. We were informed that we would not be allowed on the platform till the passengers had disembarked and the luggage had been collected and moved from the platform. But we were more than welcome to come and go as we pleased.

Having parked we made our way onto the Royal platform that they were making ready for the Train’s arrival. The red carpet was out which at the end was a myriad of colours and sounds in the form of a musical welcome party. It was a fantastic sight and you could feel the atmosphere as they practised on their instruments for the passengers arrival. Jean Pierre and Miguel de Laserda the Orient-Express train manager and other Orient-Express staff greeted us with welcome arms. It added a great deal to our achievements being acknowledged by such distinct members of the Orient-Express crew. They then had to leave us as they had to get ready by changing into sultan’s outfits for the festivities to come.

We found on our arrival that Ivor’s crew were in a nearby café awaiting the train which was now due any minute, as they had the ITN camera we thought it best that they came into the station to record the arrival but later found that they had missed it. Luckily Rob was as usual on the ball. The train began to sound it’s horn from about half a mile out, all of a sudden there was a huge scurrying of Tv camera’s, reporters and photographers. Next with it’s horn sounding continually, the train was visible and slowly crept into the station. The musical festivities began and the huge drums banging penetrated the sole. It had never been so important to have our camera’s fixed at an object which would be our record of proof that we had finally beaten the train. Everyone was yet again elated not only had we achieved our goal but because we were also treated as important guests to share and enjoy the activities that were now in full swing.

Later when things had calmed and the passengers had moved on, we were directed to bring in the Panda’s to share the celebrations with us. The last cars to share the platform in this way was the latest version of the Rolls Royce phantom on it’s inaugural publicity trip. The Panda’s unlike the Phantom found it an easy task to negotiate the tight turn leading to the royal platform. Willie was the first to enter and it felt very special as the rubber first contacted the marble floor. Sylvia was next followed by the Mk1. It was so surreal to have been allowed to do this, it was as if the Fiat Panda had been given the key to the city. They were travelling on the platform of the most famous station in Turkey next to the most famous train in the world and it was still open for business WOW!

With no one standing in our way we positioned the cars for the best photo opportunities, we were given complete and open access to do as we pleased obviously within reason. Bearing in mind that each section of Orient-Express carriage was valued at £2 million the panda’s were moved slowly and carefully into position. For the first time since Paris we again saw Ivor who was finally able to join his brothers and Sisters in this moment of glory. It was nice to see him having made the trip.

One of the Orient-Express staff, the passenger representative offered to take some video footage with all of the cars and entrants lined together. Jim Martin & Jon Ker had obviously told her that they had taken the correct route and we cheated by taking another so when pointing the camera at Ivor’s crew stated these are the hero’s who won & took the correct route. It was a devastating statement that kicked our struggle and personal efforts straight in the teeth, our previous annoyance escalated to contempt, not for the staff as they were without doubt to add to the highlight of our trip.

Some more pictures were taken before leaving for the hotel and our last glimpse of Istanbul central. Ivor followed and all four were in convoy for the first time ever. It was nice to see but niggles in the mind were hard to accept.

Later at the hotel we were to view the video diary compiled by Ivor’s crew, some parts were interesting and some well put together, but the comments made re our mistaken route described were even harder to accept than the one at the station. They described there efforts and how smug they were feeling that they had not made any similar mistakes. This from the outset was designed to be a team effort 4 cars going for the same goal together but watching made the event appear as a them & us, not only were we racing the train but also this crew. As said many times we had put ourselves to a position of extreme fatigue and personal hardship as well as spending a considerable amount of personal finance to complete this trip for charity, the charity that was paying Ivor’s crew’s wages and Yes even reaching our financial target this was going to only be a small amount in the scheme of things but it was a difficult pill to swallow. We decided it best to keep our heads held high and concentrate on what we as a team had achieved. There were 6 in our team and 3 cars in our fleet all had performed magnificently. I was so very proud of everyone, we had endured together completing an event that some only dream about. The panda’s were incredible and had put in so much effort with so little complaint, they were to me the hero’s of the trip.

Only one thought now remained and that was in the morning it was to start again. We had to get home. The Panda’s were once again ready, this time it was going to be point & click. We were to push the panda’s to their limit and near maximum speed through the next 10 countries. A flight home seemed inviting, but as we have the bring it back alive policy we were again to endure and again suffer a new medical complaint we found known as Panda arse.

Tomorrow was only a few hours away so it was time to get some sleep ready for the day ahead.