May 28 Nauders

Here we go again! Up at 03:15 ready to go to Austria. Could easily stay in bed today!
I am at the coach by 04:30 and in Petersfield ready for the first pick up at 05:00. Most of the passengers are already waiting!
Normally we ask people to be ready from 05:00 and the taxi will pick them up within half an hour of that time. The taxi's are nearly always early so this time I asked the passengers in Petersfield to be ready from 04:30 so they would be ready if the taxi's came earlier than 05:00. The taxi's were still early! I think I will have to give the passengers one time and the taxi company a slightly later time!
Akll of the Liphook taxi's were early as well and our final pick up in Guildford was also ahead of time! This is a good start.
The roads are busy even at this early hour as it is a holiday weekend and half term next week.
We have a short stop on the motorway before arriving at Folkestone at 08:00.
being early we change train times from the 09:42 to the 09:20 and will still have at least half an hour in the terminal.
At the terminal I meet Steve Adey and Ricky Trueman who are going to Dunkirk for the day. Yesterday was the 70th anniversary and a lot of the small boats are in the harbour. I can't believe it is 20 years since the 50th anniversary when myself and Ray brought two coachloads of veterans over. On the anniversay day we were coaches 11 and 12 in a convoy of 129 coaches that drove from Belgium to Dunkirk.
We had police escorts all the way and everybody came out of their houses to see us through, all waving the Union Jack.

I think this is Ricky's first trip abroad as he hasn't been driving too long and I only wish we could encourage more like him into the industry. Steve is driving our Tenby holiday which sets off next Thursday.

There are a lot of sporty cars at the terminal and one that is parked next to us looks more like a racing car than a road car, complete with gorgeous blond in the passenger seat! Rich boys and their toys. Am I jealous? Of course!

We drive off the train in the direction of Dunkirk and the Belgiun border and are soon overtaken by lots of Audi TT cars, all with a sticker on their door showing the Alps and the name of the mountain pass the rally is going over. In the middle of the sticker is the name of the car/driver.
A lot have private number plates and one inparticular caught my eye - SN OI KER.
I wonder who that is.

Our overnight tonight is in Kaiserslautern which is about a six hour drive from Calais.
We have a couple of stops, firstly on the outskirts of Brussels and then in Luxembourg.
After leaving the Luxembourg stop we hit a traffic jam at the same time as a lot of the Audi's. The SN OI KER car is being driven by a young lady and sitting next to her is Ronnie O'Sullivan!
Finally we reach The Novotel in Kaiseslautern at 19:00 and are soon checked in. I like this hotel because you can park the coach, the rooms are very comfortable and the dinner is a buffet which is great when you have had a long day and the passengers can be a bit more relaxed about what they are eating.
Oh, and they serve draught Bitburger which is always a bonus!
By the time I have sorted the coach out I just have time to clean my teeth and have a Bitburger before going into the restaurant to see where we are sitting.
I am a little concerned to see no buffet laid out and menu's on the tables. Asking the head waitress where the buffet is she informs me that there is no buffet we have a meal served to us. There is a choice of two main courses but that is it.
I am not happy. And the waitress is under no illusions on how I feel. She is adamant there is no buffet.
I go to reception and explain my plight. The receptionist says we do not have a buffet. I say we do and my contract says we do. She checks her contract and sees that we do. I am sure she knew all along and was trying to bluff me, thinking I wouldn't know what I have ordered.
I start explaining to the passengers in the bar area and see the receptionist walk to the restaurant and soon return with the waitress who now informs me we can have a buffet but it will take at least half an hour (which probably means an hour) to set up. As it is now 20:00 and we are all tired I turn this offer down.
All of the passengers seem happy enough and there is nothing wrong with the meal but I am furious not to be given what we have paid for. It is one of the reasons I chose this hotel.
I know why they did it, to save money. There are not many others in the hotel and it is cheaper to serve exactly 28 meals than provide a buffet. That is not my concern and I will take this further as I am tired and I do get the hump when I'm tired!!
I don't remember falling asleep!