The Kill Cancer Death Rally


Instructions for show offs. (Actors welcome).
August 14, 2006, 11:11 pm
Filed under: Accomodation, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Camping, Ferries, Uncategorized

One of my good pals Harry wants to come on the KCDR. The problem is he’s an ac-TOR (oh, look how intense he is in his CV). This means he’s skint, can’t possibly book ahead in case he then gets a job, but has a lot of time on his hands.

So as long as I can show a cheap way to do it, which can be booked last minute, then he’ll be able to get a load of flouncy thespian types along. Therfore, with an overtop flourish and an unnecessary clearing of the throat, let me present the time rich, cash poor version of the Kill Cancer Death Rally.

Travel : you can use a car of your own without buying a shit one (please make up for lack of customisation with Stanislavskian fancy dress) and as you’ve got time on your hands, just drive it back. Then get a ferry to and from Europe – via AFerryTo - cost per head £25. Plus £30 petrol money.

Accomodation : Some opening research into the matter – it’s a little light on camping info.

Le Touquet : £10/night in the Riva Bella Youth Hostel. Maybe possibility of camping at La Foret, the beach is called Stella - which is promising. I will investigate further.

Le Mans : Christ, these camping sites are proving a little trickier to find than first expected, even with the Lonely Planet. However, I have found a hostel, Le Flore, for you, no price on the site but I’ve sent them a mail.

Bordeaux : OK, so buying the Lonely Planet wasn’t a waste of time, you can stay in the Bordeaux Auberge de Jeunesse for €16. The dorms are four man so perfect for a carload. (I also found out that 13 camping cars were seized in “the fight against prostitution” : happy campers?).

Barcelona : unfortunately I’ve only got Lonely Planet France, but I’ve stayed in places for €15 a night here, and there are camp sites outside town. More info soon.

Drink : due to our sponsorship with Stormhoek  (incidentally I tried their Shiraz last night which I thought was good, but Poppa Shelley didn’t) there will be an element of free booze. Free booze and actors, it might get a bit Withnailly (I feel like a pig shat in my head…I have a heart condition. If you hit me, it’s murder. Link), but as long as there are no budding Oliver “36 friends drinking, 60 gallons of beer, 32 bottles of Scotch, 17 bottles of gin, four crates of wine and one bottle of Babycham, in an evening” Reed’s, we should be fine.

Food : I don’t think that finding reasonably priced nice food in a trip through the Loire, Gascogne and Catalonia should be difficult.

That makes the sums for the trip to Barcelona £40 accomodation, £25 ferry, £30 petrol plus booze and food. I think this brings it within reach of most folks and what is great is that the actors will be superb at raising money. Remember, tears make people want to give, give, give. If you want to give to me go here.

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Places to stay
July 24, 2006, 7:49 pm
Filed under: Accomodation, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Camping

I, a once proud man, have spent time in the Camping UK camping forum. Those are the lengths I go to in order to find places to stay along the route. I’ve had limited success in finding good campsites so far, but I’ve put a few general links on the Accomodation page.

Whilst at the forum I also resisted the temptation to coordinate the camping trips of the “Two sixteen year old girls looking for a campsite where you don’t need to show ID” thread, with the “Group of lads organising a stag weekend” group. I think a Carry On film awaited and it might have been Carry On Into A Hefty Civil Law Suit.

If you don’t want to stay in tents, where you must be prepared for the Charybdis of stag weekends, and the dangers of 16 year old drunken Scyllas, then maybe renting an appartment for a day could work. Citadines four man appartments work out at £15 a head in Bordeaux and £35 a head in Barcelona. Good value, I feel.

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Dropping Behind Enemy Lines
June 16, 2006, 10:12 pm
Filed under: Barcelona, Rally, Uncategorized

This weekend will be a dangerous recon mission scouting out prime targets for our payload of party people. That way, when the nuclear fun-bomb goes off it’ll blow up in the best bars in Barcelona. 

templeexpiatori.jpg

That’s why a fact-finding trip will be essential. It is, therefore, in the interests of charity and, by extension, for my immortal soul that I travel to Sonar this weekend for three days of heavy reconnaissance. 

I first went to Barcelona last summer after the Benicassim festival. It was love at first bite. Despite not being in the best state, I swiftly realised that the Catalan capital was a one off. 

If you haven’t been there then book a weekend in late September to make a roadtrip to one of the most beautiful cities in Europe:

Walk through the gothic old town marvelling at the incredible poise of old Spanish men in their slacks, cardigans, flat caps and Camper shoes. 

Eat fantastic tapas at the Cerveceria de Catalan, choosing quivering fresh fish to be grilled in front of your eyes, before washing down a Crema Catalan with a bouncy Rioja. 

Fall in love with yourself as you reflect on a weekend that was dedicated to raising money, so that ordinary folks don’t have to spend most of their lives cursing black terror cells that hijack life. 

This is where our four day odyssey will end. We’ll have covered many miles, raised a lot of money and know that cancer is a little closer to being killed.

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