24 June - Ahaus to Sandwich. 351 miles
The forecast for the western edge of Germany was 35 degrees, so it was never going to be much fun. At that temperature, it does not matter how fast one drives: the air will still be hot. And that is if one can keep moving. Today's route home started south towards Essen, then west in the direction of Eindhoven, Antwerp, Ghent and on to the Tunnel. We opted for the fastest roads just to get the job done. Even in The Toad, 17 consecutive days in the saddle was enough. It became a mix of no-limits autobahn bombing at 80 plus, and M25 crawling for miles on several occasions. And when we did slow down, the heat was roasting: my right arm now looks like a cooked lobster. In the passport queue at Coquelles it was difficult to miss this, in a typical Lamborghini "look at me, I'm vulgar" colour. Small penis syndrome? Perhaps because it was a Monday, the lower deck of the Shuttle contained just two cars, The Toad, and a dozen bikes. I know this because I