Aww, thanks! Really enjoying being back behind the wheel actually (more than I thought) and partly wishing I'd taken that down to France. Not that the Focus did badly, but I missed the extra torque when cruising, and it's got a bit of a vibration around 80 mph. Which became rather annoying after 1000 miles in a day! I hadn't realised this until well into the journey, as opportunities for that speed around here are somewhat limited!
It was actually more than that on the way down as I detoured via Oxford to pick up a set of exhaust manifolds for the V8, and stopped off at a mate's north of London. Then we found that the Col du Lauteret was closed due to falling snow, so a rather large detour north again to go through the Frejus tunnel. Arriving there in the early hours after a long day, my mood wasn't improved when I found that it was €52 return, and was closed in my direction for the next hour!
The morning after we arrived!
Still, it was a good holiday, and we managed to bring some wine back with us. Ariived at the Chunnel 3 hours early and was prepared for my wallet to take a beating when the lady said there was room on the next train, but she'd have to charge us - having previously had to pay more for the amendment on the ferry than the original ticket cost. This time though, it was a whole 6 Euros!!! Had to smile too in the petrol station in Shresbury on the way back - it was the early hours and the girl behind the counter conversationally asked whether we had far to go. I told her "Not far" and where we lived (another 70 miles or so) and she said something like "Still a fair way then". I couldn't resist telling her we'd driven from Italy that morning!
Oh well, I'm sure there will be other chances to take the BX back to France in the future...