Articles by: george | Visit Website

From the Archives Stage 1. London to Moscow.

From the Archives Stage 1. London to Moscow.

On the eve of the FTFE’s voyage from New Zealand to North America, Squadron Leader Steve has asked me to provide a few lines of reminiscence about the now dim and distant memory of Stage One of the Follow That Fire Engine Challenge. Rather than providing yet another blow-by-blow account of the London to Moscow trajectory (those who are interested can take at the daily blogs on the interactive map below, updated regularly by yours truly folks!), I will give a few of my own personal reflections on that first leg of this journey of lifetime.

Some thoughts:

Thought # 1: Despite being the first, FTFE Stage One was the hardest yet.

This may not be a popular view among the other FTFE team members (Ben B, Ross Chris and Steve aside), but I would like to take this opportunity to assert that, having followed each and every daily update from the subsequent stages, the London to Moscow leg most definitely provided some of the sternest challenges that Martha et al have faced – and I am not including the unfortunate 36 hours at the Russian border in this assessment.

A common complaint of our initial FTFE followers when reading the first in this series of blogs was that we didn’t seem to be enjoying ourselves very much at the beginning. This is not strictly true… as I will explain shortly…. but Stage One was certainly a short sharp shock to the system. Not for us the widescreen landscape and sense of freedom that the chaps experienced in, let’s say, Mongolia. Europe, with its concentration of populations and cultures left us disorientated as each day provided a fresh linguistic, dietary and cultural challenge. Add to this the self-imposed requirement to cross as something like 15 borders in our 12-day stint (Slovenia being the least pleasant – an 8 km crawl through a badly ventilated single lane road tunnel), the daily unknown of finding accommodation in the middle of high tourist season, and the somewhat optimistic route plan, which meant that every day consisted of more than 12 hours behind the wheel. Not for us the carefree visits to the local zoos or extreme sport attractions, the pleasant strolls around local beauty spots or the laid-back barbecues with friendly locals. Want to know what Stage One’s only gesture to tourism was? That’s right amigos, we visited a concentration camp… Nothing against that you understand – visiting Auschwitz was a chillingly unforgettable experience – but it does help to demonstrate that FTFE Stage One was arguably shorter on fun and games than subsequent easy-life legs! Alright, I am being deliberately provocative here, but I believe that Team Leader Steve will back me up in this argument… right Stevie??

Read more →

Stage 1: An amazing reception in Transcom Vilnius

Stage 1: An amazing reception in Transcom Vilnius

Thanks to all my Lithuanian work colleagues at Transcom Vilnius for giving the FTFE such an amazing reception today! We felt truly honoured: traditional food, homemade banners and even a passionate recital of the Lithuanian national anthem really made us feel special.. It was also really nice to have a conversation with people outside of the context of the motorway service station for once…. And remember guys, we are not leaving Vilnius  until tomorrow morning so if anyone would like to take that extra seat inside our Fire Engine and join our adventure, there’s still time!! 🙂

Read more →

Stage 1: Poland / Lithuania. The Hardest Days Night Yet

Stage 1: Poland / Lithuania. The Hardest Days Night Yet

Question: what looks like a tarmac road, is made like a tarmac road and, in fact, is a tarmac road but handles like a rutted farm track in winter? Answer: the slow lane of every single dual-carriageway in Poland. Read more →

Stage 1: Notes from the back of the cab

Stage 1: Notes from the back of the cab

Dear FTFE Followers,

Welcome to the first of what we hope will be many regular blogs from the crew members of the Follow That Fire Engine Challenge. We will use this space to update you all on the thrills and spills of our round-the-world journey as well as the mundane daily routine of life on the road.

Read more →