• Peter Dannock
  • Rob Dannock
  • Peter Dannock
  • Rob Dannock

Euroadster ’23

Combining a desire to travel with a passion for the world's best-selling convertible sports car, my brother and I are embarking on a ten-week journey through the United Kingdom and Europe in a Mazda MX-5. Okumaya devam et
  • Day 6 - London to Cardiff

    22 Haziran 2023, Galler ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Today was our first scheduled drive, and we drove from London to Cardiff. The quickest way to Cardiff is via the M4, a 240-kilometre trip. However, we took the route via Poole, Bath and Bristol, a journey of 430 kilometres.

    Poole is a beautiful city, but our primary purpose for going there was to pick up the registration documents for our car. Our friends, Sue and Jos, allowed us to use their address to register the vehicle. It was so good to see them again, and we stayed for a little over coffee.

    When we arrived, our car wouldn't start, so it looked like we may have needed to RAC. Fortunately, we quickly noticed that one of the battery leads had come off. A simple fix, and we were soon on our way.

    Driving in the English countryside is unique. Many trees and bushes grow up to the road's edge, with some trees forming a canopy over the road. It is like you are driving through a tunnel of trees. We stopped at Bath for lunch and had some lunch as and walked around admiring the city’s architecture.

    The highlight for today was the drive through the Cheddar Gorge. It is a detour drive between Bath and Bristol, with a winding road through the picturesque gorge. The roof was down, and we could hear the goats as we drove along.

    Tonight we are staying in Cardiff and will be off to Aberystwyth tomorrow.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Day 7 - Cardiff to Aberystwyth

    23 Haziran 2023, Galler ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Today's route was from Cardiff to Aberystwyth. The route took us through the centre of Cardiff, then north through Treorchy, Neath, and Llandovery. The weather was overcast all day, and slight rain fell most of the day.

    There was a mix of roads, from A-roads to narrow one-lane winding roads. The road from Neath to Llandovery climbed into a foggy summit at Black Mountain. The views of the rolling hills were magnificent. The sheep roamed freely on the road, so you must be careful not to hit one.

    From Llandovery, the narrow roads went up and down the valley hills. On some crests in the road, I couldn't see over the bonnet, so I was praying that another car wasn't coming over the crest from the other direction. Fortunately, I hit no cars on the crests, but there were a few occasions where I met other cars on blind corners, with a need to take evasive action. Nevertheless, today's roads were the best roadster roads to date.

    We arrived early in Aberystwyth and went to have a look at the beach. No one was swimming, but the lone lifesaver was diligently on duty to ensure no one got into trouble. When we arrived at our accommodation, no one was there to check us in. We even called to no avail, so we found some other accommodation, which is much nicer than what we originally booked.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Day 8 - Aberystwyth to Anglesey

    24 Haziran 2023, Galler ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    Today was one of those where all the route planning paid off. Today's route was from Aberystwyth to Anglesey, a distance of 370 kilometres. Apart from the picturesque scenery, we saw many dams, lakes and sheep. The weather was overcast, with low clouds, as we climbed up to the higher plains.

    The roads varied from single-lane roads with no room to pass other cars to motorways at 80mph. But the best roads were the roads that followed alongside the lakes. They had free-flowing curves with a shades canopy. They offered a more spirited run in the roadster. We enjoyed the road at Lake Vyrnwy so much, we drove two laos around it. As we approached midday, the sun started to appear, and the roof was rolled down.

    After crisscrossing the Snowdonia National Park, we crossed the bridge to the Isla of Anglesey. Anglesey is a beautiful island on the northwest coast of Wales, United Kingdom. It is an island with a lot of historical significance and cultural heritage and is the largest island in Wales. The island is known for its stunning scenery, and breathtaking landscapes, and is home to a variety of wildlife. Tonight we are staying at Trearddur Bay.
    Okumaya devam et

  • Day 9 - Anglesey to Blackpool

    25 Haziran 2023, İngiltere ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    We started our day with a drive around the Isle of Anglesey. It was a more picturesque drive than the main road we arrived on yesterday. We had left early, as usual, and the was little or no traffic on the roads.

    We crossed the Menai Bridge to leave the isle and arrived in Bangor. The Menai Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the Menai Strait, connecting the island of Anglesey to the mainland of Wales. It is considered an engineering marvel of its time and was the world's first modern suspension bridge. It is 1,511 feet long and has a main span of 579 feet.

    We followed the northern Wales coastline and marvelled at the Gwynt y Môr Wind Farm, a 576-megawatt offshore wind farm. It is the fifth largest operating offshore wind farm in the world, and the farm has 160 wind turbines of 150 metres tip height above mean sea level.

    We had a late breakfast in Ruthin and made it to Liverpool for lunch. By the time we were ready to leave Liverpool, a heavy shower made it a little more muggy. We are now back in England and heading to the Lake District tomorrow after staying overnight in Blackpool.
    Okumaya devam et