Mike,

 

Wow.

 

What a lot of work and what a record! How did you remember all the places? Did you keep a diary? As for knowing the compass directions round the Parthenon amazing.

 

Next why did anybody ever wear Buddy Holly glasses I wonder? Most embarrassing.

 

Next Vibeke not Vibeka.

 

My photos if I had any - don't know if I had a camera if so the photos are in one of my boxes in storage waiting for the move to the new house. December 2nd - we just have had the date.

 

Now what else do I remember. Well, I do recall that the holiday started for me at about 6.30.p.m on the Friday night in the ICL Harrow Conference room. You were stuck in there with Terry Baxter pontificating. We were due to catch the ferry from Dover at 8.30 or 9.00 p.m.  I had had enough by then and stormed in shouting 'Greece' in a loud voice.

 

Later that night something amazing happened. We arrived in Belgium much too late to get into a camp site so we stopped in a field at about 2.00 a.m and slept in the car. About 6.00 a.m. you and I were woken up by a knock on the car window. Throsstle continued to snore. We opened the car door and there was a Belgian, farmer we presume, pointing a stubby light grey revolver at us. Communication was difficult as we didn't understand a word he said - his Belgian accent of course - nothing to do with our French. He seemed angry and we were so half asleep it didn't seem real. Eventually he asked us if we had money. We said yes and then he went! Bizarre. Throsstle never woke once and to this day probably doesn't believe it really happened but it was the only time in my life I have had a gun pointed at me.

 

Another thing nobody believed - that camp site outside Skopje was the most primitive ever. Certainly no hot water in the showers the evening we arrived. Although rather a nice restaurant there I remember. Anyway next morning being a clean sort of person I went back and took another shower - boiling hot water. Nobody else believed me when I told them and they could not be persuaded to have another dip after the previous night's experience.

 

Remember the DURB's - dried up river beds - lots of those on the way into Yugo.

 

Then it bucketed down with rain when we got to Rijeka and we were forced to take a hotel for the night.

 

In Split we investigated finding a train for Vib to get to Greece but it seemed local trains would take several days so she carried on hitching a lift with us.

 

When we got to Naoussa, or rather the next day, Vib's penfriend appeared to get a crush on you - and constantly referred to you as 'The Mike'.

 

Then there was the time you drove off on the wrong side of the road. And another where you drove right across a main cross road - we were in the minor road. After a nice evening in the resto. once again. Anyway we survived. Then there was the guy in the Yugo garage whose party piece was the only English he knew - "I got itchy arse". What about when we were in Naples and you started driving the Beetle down ever narrowing side streets. It was like something out of 'The Italian Job'. Never though we would find our way out.

 

In France I remember stopping in Montelimar and seeing all those nougat shops. In Paris I was very impressed with the Eiffel Tower and also Mountparnasse on the Sunday morning.

 

Lastly we did it all on ?60 each and the car owner ?75 - all we were allowed to take out of the country at that time.

 

More will come back to me I am sure. Like I remember that drive on the last night in Greece. The moon was full and lit up all the olive groves - almost like daylight. Very atmospheric.

 

In conclusion I bought 977 TKL from you shortly afterwards.

 

 

Regards

 

Andy

Mike,

 

Remember also having to converse with one of the doctors - who was French - regarding Throsstle's pricks. The ones on the feet.

 

Remember an idyllic beach in S.E. Greece we stopped at in afternoon. Water calm as a mill pond. So tranquil. Nobody there. Like something out of a Greek fable somehow. We played ducks and drakes. In the evening had a meal at the campsite - first course a tomato salad! You got tipsy for some unknown reason and kept us awake later complaining about your 'cold tootsies'.

 

 

Regards

 

Andy

Part 3:

Early on in 2005, Andy must have managed to sort through all his "stored pics and documents' - and sent this little gem....

it enlarges, and is a letter from Jim (James) Mason Insurance Brokers (he was some friend/relative of Tucker's family) - and when Tucker and I used to walk from Ealing Broadway station down to Ealing Tech in the mornings - he would often be seen ("mornin' boys"), very dapper on his way to his office. Anyway - 'tis a letter from them to Andy Roland confirming insurance on good old 977 TKL (the red beetle), for an upcoming holiday in July/August 1970.