SPA - Le Bug Show 2006

On friday 25 August we arrived in Spa, Francorchamps. Rain, rain and again rain was waiting for us!
I tried to start the engine before taking the bus down from the trailer. All ok!

Putting som gas in the tank.. (it didn't reveal enough, and with a non functioning tank gauge we found us stopped at the roundabound the day after)

Going down as soon as the rain stopped for a while

Everyone on board! satisfaction on our eyes...

starting again the 1500 cc engine (this time for driving!!!) my first time on a split bus...

1st gear and... go!

Pic while driving out of the camping area

At the entrance, between very good vws, as usual in Spa.

got T shirt and bracelet

Heavy rain never stopping! We worked hard to find a place not full of mud for our tent!

Both destroyed. Lucky that we found some other nice Italian guys.

We parked inside the Show. then made some walk aorund.

The Slambulance of Peter from Belgium. Very nice low one!

Narrow...

And low to the ground!

Ultra VW crew with the pics from the feature of my car! Toy Story...

The guys from PJ's Speedshop in Spain. They offered typical food and wine... And very very beautiful Airstreme roof racks

Mr. Giovanni Dei of Dei Kafer Service from Italy

Silvia looking around...

Low low panel

I couldn't help taking a pic of this beauty!

Ultra narrow...

Always impressive Radikal Bugz display...

Clean engine bays...

Der Steiner Rad... wow my favourite. Thinking of it for The Vinestard...

Sexy unintentional pose by Silvia...

The dash...

During the trip on the track we found a nice mildly lowered crew cab...

The V8 Bug Box split bus...

They made us parking our splits in a row for a photo shoot by Super VW magazine, but I think 97 buses were too much to enter in one pic! However it was exciting.

Collombet from Super Vw mag in his typical serial killer expression...

In the line up my doka was perhaps the highest!

We said hello to the guys from PJ's Speedshop but they were a little busy...

On the trip home (27-28 August) we left the bus to Udo Schol near Freiburg for some good welding and TUV test to get German papers. Registering in Italy from Germany is easier and faster than from UK.

To Swansea and back...

I found an agreement with FBI VW and so I and Silvia booked the ferry
Dunkerque - Dover - Dunkerque and organized the trip/vacation to take the doka home
We slept in youth hostels, campings and cheap hotels.
We left from Italy on 13 August with a Seat Altea and an empty trailer...

First stop: STRASBOURG, reached for dinner and visited on the 14th.
Nice one!

On the same day in the afternoon we left for Luxembourg.
We arrived at night. We finally found a place to sleep and on 15 we visited the city.

good for Japanese turists...

After half day we had enough and we pointed to Bruxelles
We slept in a nice Youth Hostel. Beautiful historical views, nice places to visit but also modern buildings

The ATOMIUM...

Completely destroyed after one day (16 August) walking around...
We should have had more time to really enjoy Bruxelles.
We will come again one day, promised!

On the car again. Reached Dunkerque at 8 pm.
Slept in a not so beautiful cheap Hotel, then we woke up very early to take the ferry to Dover.

Unexpected luxury interiors!

Playstation Area...!

Here it is! Dover and its typical white cliffs.

Brief stop at Canterbury...

Then straight west to Swansea, on the other part!

We dined on the beach at the sunset (long sunsets here!)
The atmosphere was so strange, almost spectral that we feeled a little anxious and depressed..

My sister told me this is not a beach, it is a 'tidal plain'...

We spent all night searching FBI VW, where I had an appointment with Mr. Clarke the day after, but we couldn't find anything in that darkness!
The day after we reached the only place that seemed possible for a company like that. And we found it!
Finally I saw my 'new' split crew cab.

We checked all things...

Then we had a cooffee with Graham in his beautiful business. Clean and well organized.

Many many pieces to get your bus alive again!

We put the doka on the trailer and we left Swansea (with a sense of relief)
Then we visited Stonehenge, Salisbury and Bath.
We reached Portsmouth on the south coast in time for the Beach Buggin', a nice VW meeting (20 August)

On 21 August we had time to have a look at the Brighton Pier and enjoy some sun (the only sun we met during this trip)...

Then we slept in a beautiful camping on the street to Dover. We met a very nice family with a Type 25, then we reached the ferry back on 22 August.

We reached Bruges on 23 August. We liked it very much!

I had to leave my doka parked on the street. But everything ended OK.

Many stores with design pieces, clothing and also things for the vw enthusiast

A city full of enchanting corners, buildings, people

Romantic view of Bruges by night. Highly recommended!

I want one of these! In Belgium it is full of these little beauties.

We visited Antwerpen on 24 August, where I could take a pic to this in a store

Then we pointed directly to Spa, where Le Bug Show was to begin...