Some of us headed for the beach and I presume the remainder found bars
It was 11:00am on Saturday when we reached San Sebastian. Including the hour in Salamanca we had been on the road for 21 hours. The drivers told us they were going to find a B&B for some sleep and we were left to our own devices until 6:00pm. Some of us headed for the beach and I presume the remainder found bars.
As we assembled at the bus everyone was in good form but one group was in higher spirits than the rest of us. They had discovered that a bottle of Bacardi could be purchased for 7/- (35p or 45c). They clubbed together and bought a case. They also bought a case of Coca Cola but felt they had been cheated on that as Coke was more expensive in Spain than in the UK. The plan was for an all-night road party but the coach owner had other ideas and all the drink was placed in the boot.
The winning goal in Lisbon. Photo Imago
The 6:00pm meeting time was important. There had been a number of serious overnight coach crashes in France and there was a plan to introduce an 8:00pm curfew for long-distance coaches. We weren’t certain that the law had been changed but if it had the drivers planned to ignore it. That meant we had to be across the border by 8:00pm or a French policeman on border duty might ground us for the night.
We crossed the border and headed north without hindrance. It was decided that we should stay away from the centre of Bordeaux to avoid the attention of the police. I plotted a route on the outskirts of the city and well after midnight we were on the final leg of that and driving down a long boulevard when in the distance a motorcycle came to a stop across our path. As we came closer to the junction our fears were confirmed. It was a policeman, with his hand held high, ordering us to stop.
Celtic line-up in Lisbon
Our hearts sank, or at least the hearts of those still awake, did. Then, just before we came to a halt, the policeman got back on his motorbike and drove off. Seconds later he was followed by dozens of racing cyclists. Once they were past we were free to follow, but not for long. We had hoped to join a short stretch of motorway but found that the cyclists had priority and we had to find an alternative route.
