Fever Two Tour : Benetton 21/09/2024

Thank you Dai. You can rest assured that both reds & whites will be flowing this weekend - we will keep your tradition going until you can join us in person at Hotel Le Bayonne in December. As usual we travel in hope for a general all round improvement from last season.

A victory may be beyond us but small signs of improvement will do for now. 

Mrs Pimp abd myself were thoroughly  looking forward boarding the "Fever 

 2 , GPR Express" leaving from Parc tomorrow.

We both have had Covid / flu jabs, and I haven't  suffered even a sniff all winter/summer.

Wednesday  was my birthday and had lots planned, but the cold I had been suffering with  since  the  weekend began to take a grip.

As a result, I did two Covid tests yesterday,  both positive,  followed by another  positive  test today. 

You feel rotten congested, sneezing and general debilitation. 

Nothing one can do but isolate, abd rest, keep hydrated.

Very frustrating  indeed,  but for all those making the trip,  enjoy the experience..,abd hopefully, there is always  next time  for  us.

Not expecting  a win,, as Bennetton  are now a strong team, particularly on their own patch,  but progress,  fur this group and really building,  getting  the set piece  sorted.  

Without that , we are " up the creek without a paddle" ,

Diolch Steve.. yes  hugely frustrating. 

Birthday plans  to be rearranged. 

By the way, when are you down is sospan next? 

2nd award goes to muppet/s of the tour & is won hands down by Hef Phillips & Gareth Roberts. Picture the scene - everything going to plan coming in to land at Marco Polo when the pilot suddenly puts the engines into full thrust & we climb out of the descent. Hearts in mouths time - reason plane before us had hit a flock of birds so the runway needed to be cleared. Now Hef, Cliff & I had a restaurant booked for 2000 hours a short taxi ride from our hotel. The resulting delay in landing saw us only arrive at the hotel at about 1950 hours. Quick union meeting resulted in the three of us depositing our bags at reception & taking one of the taxis who ferried us from the airport to the restaurant arriving at 0805 hours - all well.

Left restaurant and arrived back at hotel at 2130 hours hoping for a quick check in before joining the rest of the tour party at the Celtic Bar 50 metres down the via Roma. As we disembarked our lift 40/50 Austrian tourists filed through into reception before us to check in. Another union meeting - we'll do it later so we joined our fellow tourists/supporters at the pub. 

A good night was had by all so we eventually left the bar at 0245 hours to arrive & check in. Now the concierge, bless him, got us securely checked in but had difficulty explaining to us how the key & the lights interacted in our room. I would like to blame the language difference here but he spoke perfect English - Hef & I at the time were not in reception mode. It ended with said concierge deserting his post & taking us to our room & physically showing us how it worked - star man but two muppets are born. 

The final prize - star of the tour - goes to a soon to be 85 ex Royal Marine by the name of Cliff Williams. Now Cliff has a very interesting life story from which I will pick one tale. Cliff was a very good outside half/12 for the services & he possesses a cutting commenting on a game he played featuring as his opposite number the highly decorated ex England/Lions 10 Richard Sharpe. The report said Sharpe at 10 was comprehensively outplayed by his opposite number Cliff Williams - a great feat indeed. Cliff gets this award not only for being great company & a valuable tourist but for two pieces of behaviour which proved the value of his service training. 

Firstly on the first night at the Celtic Bar Cliff gave the bar's stock of rum a fierce hammering - all drunk neat without ice. Seeing the night progress our self appointed tour mental health officer - Tim, it wasn't me, Davies thought that Cliff was showing signs of deterioration. Out of the kindness of his heart & at great personal risk of ridicule he managed to get Cliff back to his room safely before he rejoined the rest of us back at the bar. Imagine his complete surprise when Cliff happened to be waiting for him at said bar.

Secondly we all journeyed to the ground for the game on the fantastic, cheap bus service leaving from just outside the Celitic Bar. We left at 1845 hours. Bus packed with Scarlets supporters meandered through the streets of West Treviso with the windows open & singing blasting out on the unexpecting public. Now post game the transport is very different at 2230 hours - no buses & everyone looking for taxis. Cliff, Hef & I arrive at a roundabout just outside the ground thronging with locals/Scarlets supporters & Cliff notes a taxi about to hit the roundabout. Cliff's walking stick makes a very timely intervention & said taxi responds to his hail & we scramble in. The driver takes off around the roundabout heading back to the city to a volley of abuse from waiting hordes including a police lady who, language differences aside, did not look very happy. Driver ignored the abuse & ploughed on so we are the first to arrive back at the bar. We find out later from co supporters that the police officer was ordering taxis for the waiting supporters which did not include us at the time - oops.

Please fellow tourists feel free to post your own stories/tales - it all adds to the history/flavour of our trips. 

I understand Dai but look at it this way - he may now decide to join us in Bayonne. We are arriving at the hotel about 1030-1100 hours courtesy of the flight being brought forward from 1430 hours to 0630 hours. Whichever way you look at it that allows another 8 hours of festivities/carnage.......