andylaurence

Where's the 2009 video? ;-)

I booked about 2 weeks in advance for August bank holiday (VLN & Spa GP) and had no troubles. YMMV, of course!

The hotel is the other end of the car park, at the bottom of the hill. I guess you ate in the restaurant at the top of the hill. I stayed there last Summer too and it was just what we needed; clean, comfy, cheap, well positioned and with a well stocked bar!

Last I looked at Center Parcs, it was cheaper to stay at a hotel. Most hotels are ~ 45 Euro a night.

Adenauer Forst strikes again! At least the VR6OC mantra of at least one "off" per trip is still up there and glad it was done without major damage. Easily done and the reason I sound like a broken record every year. Glad it wasn't me this time but wish I'd been there. As it turns out, Archie was not Good on Friday, so the thought of being in a car for all that time is not good. Might stop in during our Summer road trip, if not, it'll be next year

Did you go through a mud-bath on the way there, Craggsy? The car looks quite muddy!

Yep, it's a credit card type thing with an RFID chip that you can put laps on at the office and cash on at the Devil's Diner. You swipe it at the barriers and it lets you through if you have a credit. Don't slam it in your glovebox when you have 6 laps and 20 Euro on it though, 'cos it'll break and nobody will be willing to give you your laps or money back!

Snow on Thursday, followed by rain the rest of the weekend. I can see snow outside here and it's normally worse over there. I think that might be enough to tip the balance to not going. It's a long trek (9 hours in the car) for a 10 week old baby and we're going for the walks and the atmosphere, not for the driving. Walking through the mud won't be quite so much fun! I'll go in the Summer or might even take a year out. Never thought I'd say that - this parenthood thing is strange!

You mean Adenauer Forst, which is where most of the crashes happen. I remember getting a photo of Pete bumping his sump and splitter on the kerb there a few days before he planted it in the barrier. You are guaranteed to see a spin and someone go off onto the grass. Looking at the overhead photo, you can see why - it bends left, then bends left again, which is when newbies are already on the throttle to exit the corner. When they lift off, all the weigh goes over the front and they spin. Alternatively, they don't lift and go grass-tracking! Anyway, this shows why it's so hard work walking

There's always the Northloop directions to various places. I'll see what else I can dig out.

Ben: Any ideas where you want to go to spectate? I'll draw up a list of places and print out some maps. Calico: Not sure what's worse; Royal Mail or a chav in a 206!

Had a call from the Passport Office - little un's passport is on its way back to us, so assuming Royal Mail don't fuck up, we're sorted. Now to book a hotel and some ferry tickets. I bet Burgstube is fully booked though. Where are you other hotel people staying? Golden Barrel in Daun or somewhere closer? I'm hoping to do more spectator points this year. I must find the Karussel and Wipperman is on the cards too.

Oh yeah, looks like VW have made one.

Now that sounds like fun! We're looking for a family car, but the boot in a Sharan is smaller than the boot in the Clio! Better off with a Porsche engine in a camper though, eh? Shame VW didn't do an R32/R36 engine in a Caravelle.