Day 1 - 18 August: 11.58pm: 1317 miles

We have made it to Lillehammer, Norway.

Last night we registered for the rally in Copenhagen and returned to the hotel ready for the off this morning.

There are about 35 teams on the rally. Among them are team Snap Crackle and Pop - my cousin Charlie and two team mates - plus team Hirdy Girdy Birdy - my good friend Stewart Rooks with team mates Richard, Mark and Lyndon.

Today was a fairly long drive - say 700 miles - up the Kattegat Coast past Gothenburg, Oslo and on the Lillehammer. The "Aston" made fantastic time and we got to our hotel by 7.30pm. The trip was fairly uneventful except for a small incident at a Swedish toll booth demanding Swedish cash, which we didn't have. We were stopped at Norwegian customs, which was fairly worrying:

"Valhalla Run?"
"Er ... yes"
"You are going to Lillehammer"
"Er ... yes"
"Have a nice trip, it's that way"

So, Norway: rainy, but friendly.

Tomorrow: Trondheim via Trollstigen
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Day 0: 17 August, 1015am - 609 miles.

Our car outside the Hotel Selandia in Copenhagen. As you can see, the stickers started flying off on the autobahn, but we have now attached the Aston Martin badge and we're ready to roll.

Some local colour. The area our hotel is in is, well, fairly pungent. I have just witnessed an otherwise normal looking chap relieving himself in the street. As yet I am uncertain whether this incident was a representative cultural experience or simply bad luck ...
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Day -1: 16 July, 9.15pm - 609 miles

We have made it to Copenhagen! We left Barnes at 8.40pm yesterday having given the Mazda - ahem, Aston Martin - another coat of paint. Then to Harwich for the midnight crossing to Hook of Holland and time for a few hours sleep. We arrived at 7.45am local time and hit the road.

We made good time across Holland and Germany despite a couple of navigational, ah, experiments. We completed the Aston's make over with the rally stickers (see photo) and the car performed pretty well on the autobahns. The only major problems so far are some pulling in the fuel injection system and an embarrassing rattling sound coming from ... aft. Oh yes, and the radio, which refuse to work. Just 9 CDs for the next 3,000 miles, then.

After a fantastic steak near Hamburg it was up to Puttgarden, Schleswig Holstein, for the ferry to Rodbyhaven and then a "quick" 100 mile hop to Copenhagen. Registration is tomorrow evening, and we leave on Monday. Assuming, that is, that the car does not get towed from where I parked it - a local chap, Uki, said he "thought it would be all right"
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