Summer holiday 2004
le Cap D´Agde − France


Saturday, 17th July

This is it. It is finished again! Our vacation, that is. Today we leave for home. Yesterday we did most of the packing, and this morning we will finish it. We intend to leave around ten o´clock and we still have quit a bit of packing to do. So, we have a quick breakfast. After breakfast the boys leave to say goodbye to the new friends they made. I go and fetch the car from the parking lot and park it in front of the apartment. Then we start loading our stuff in the car and in the roof box. After about an hour we are all finished and set. We get the kids, put each and everyone in the car, and say goodbye to our neighbours.

This is usually the moment that the ignition key is turned and one expects the car to start. Trying is the key word here. I can here the starting engine but the engine itself does nothing at all. Visions of our Charente holiday in 2001 at Montbron pop-up. With the help of our neighbours, we try to push-start the car but this also leads to nothing. After muddling on for half an hour I decide to call the ANWB support office at Lion.

Within three quarters of an hour a recovery truck parks in front of the reception office. I take one look at the truck and I am thinking: "O god, they are not taking the car, are they?". Because if that is the case, then first I have to unpack everything! A friendly mechanic fiddles around under the hood for about 10 minutes and all is well again. There was only some air in the diesel fuel line which blocked the fuel from reaching the engine. Apparently this is a common problem with this heat. Now the car starts without any problem.

Twelve o´clock it is, and only now we are able to leave for home. About two hours later then planned, but hey, who´s counting? After about half an hour on the road my cell phone rings. It is the lady from the ANWB Lion office inquiring about how things are, and if everything is solved to satisfaction. We let her know that we are quit pleased with the help we got, and that we are on our way to the Netherlands again. Where do you find after sales like this these days?

We have no significant problems on our way. Not until late at night when we are south of Antwerp, searching for the correct exit that leads us to the Liefkens tunnel. In the dark we overlook the exit due to poor directions, and end up smack in the middle of the Antwerp ring. Even though it is midnight, traffic is still quite hectic here. It is definitely not a pleasant place to be during bad weather and when being tired. O, that´s right, I forgot to mention that the weather has deteriorated significantly. Rain is poring down ever since we reached the south of Belgium.

Eventually we arrive at home at around one o´clock in the night.

I am tired.

I am going to sleep now!

I will see you next next year! Cheers!