As I sat in a particularly long queue of traffic this morning, waiting for the bin men ahead to slowly drag a very long line of wheelie bins up to their truck, my mind began to wander. With the sun beating down and temperatures already over 20c at this early hour it was obvious that today was going to be another scorcher.

Of course, sitting in traffic on the way to work is the last place I wanted to be. My mind was drifting to some favourite roads in Europe, free from congestion, covered in the kind of pristine tarmac that we Brits can only dream of.

The temptation to turn the Focus around, head to Folkestone and grab a spot on the first ferry to France was almost overwhelming. In my daydream I’d take a quick blast down to Nice, via some of the amazing roads in central France, and eventually return to the stunning Col De Vence. On a day like this the chance to get any European tarmac under the Focus’s wheels would be eagerly grabbed.

I partly blame Top Gear. Their beautifully shot road trips instill such a longing in my mind to just go out, drive and explore, and it’s those episodes that I watch the most when they’re repeated on Dave. OK, I can only dream of racing around the mountains of Spain in a Ferrari 458 Spyder but tackling the same adventure in my humble hatchback is better than not doing it at all.

And that’s why the new site from Bridgestone is so appealing. It taps perfectly into the spirit of adventure and longing that we feel when we’re trapped behind a desk on a hot summer’s day. Watch the video and you’ll see our hero take the plunge, jump up from his desk and head out on his motorbike. Impulsive? Yes. Do I wish I was brave enough to do it myself? Yes!

There’s more to this than just a video. Head on over to We’ve been everywhere and you’ll find an interactive website to play with. Look for the clickable hotspots and you’ll find competitions and other fun. You could win a chance to meet Valentino Rossi but I’ve got my eye on the competition to win a European road trip. 10 days with a friend in a VW camper van, spending money included, sounds like great fun to me. A splitty might not be as fast up the Col De Vence as a Ferrari, but the slower pace means more chance to enjoy the stunning scenery.


Bridgstone Road Trip

Now I’m daydreaming again. Hmm. I wonder what time the next ferry leaves.

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