LIVE EVERY LITRE

After almost six weeks of travelling, shooting and meeting some truly incredible people, the filming phase of Live Every Litre has now drawn to a close.

This seems like an appropriate occasion to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported us, left comments and ideas for our cast on the website, chatted to us on Facebook and even met up with us on tour.

Thank you also to our incredible cast – you were all absolutely fantastic and we loved hanging out with you. How lucky were we to be a part of your worlds?!?!!

Finally we should say thank you to all the crew – both on set and back at home – I know we’ve all seen things we never thought we’d see, done things we never thought we’d do and managed to drive the best part of 10,000km without any serious fights. (Go team!) Without wanting to get too soppy or emotional about this, the team who worked on this project are without a doubt some of the most dedicated, creative, incredible people I’ve ever met and I wish them all the luck in the world for the future. This has been an emotional rollercoaster like no other and memories of the travelling, dysfunctional Live Every Litre circus will always bring a smile to my face.

So here you go, a final run down of Live Every Litre in numbers:

1 – “run out of petrol” incident

2 – credit cards lost

3 - flat car batteries

4 - nights we got to sleep before midnight

6 – run-ins with the cops

12 – number of outings of Giles’ pink frog pants

23 – hotels stayed in

34 – weight in kilos of Laura’s suitcase

39 - temperature in ºC of hottest city on tour (Seville)

107 – attempts at having a leisurely drink before dinner (98.2% failure rate)

312 – times we showed our devil’s horns

4,321 – photos taken

9,836 – kilometres driven across Europe

29,000 - fries eaten by the crew

17,000,000 - bugs squished on Honda windscreens

So that’s all from the Behind the Scenes bloggers. Stay tuned on Facebook to find out where and when you can catch the Live Every Litre film premier. Adios amigos :-)

Yesterday morning we awoke to an ethereal mist floating over the fields and forests of Nurburg. A light drizzle added to the atmospheric tension as we geared up in anticipation of Sumukito vs. the Nurburgring.

Breakfast was serenaded by the crackle of engines whizzing past the hotel windows, so tantalisingly close for Fernando and Vanessa whose turn would come later that day. Over the obligatory three course breakfast we ran into the famous German racing driver, Hans Stuck, at the juice bar – and even Nike knew who he was! ;-)

After a detailed CR-Z briefing from our very own ‘Ring veteran, Fred, Fernando and Vanessa hit the Nurburgring Museum to soak up as much information as possible about this historic race track. In the meantime Claudio set about peppering the CR-Z with as many cameras as he could feasibly squeeze in (final count – 7); at one point we weren’t entirely sure there would be room in the car for both Vanessa and Fernando. Never underestimate the unwavering commitment of our wonderful director to always get the best shot possible, from every angle imaginable.

Lunch was a complete wiener schnitzel fest – except for the vegetarians amongst us who were denied their final omelette and chips extravaganza, due to a lack of eggs, and had to make do with the traditional green salad (and chips). Food demolished we headed out to the Nurburgring entrance for Sumukito’s safety briefing from a chap aptly named Schumacher. Mr Schumacher pointed out that the ring is a normal public road and you must keep to the right at all times. Yeah…because you’re going to be thinking about your highway code when you’re storming round the ring at 200km per hour!!

Health and safety demonstration over and it was time for some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in the Devil’s Diner – clearly the food of champions. Sumukito’s nerves were beginning to show as we watched the super cars lining up to burn some rubber on the track. Fernando even found a CR-X in the queue – the exact same model as his baby back at home in Grenada. However this one had the meaty addition of a turbo. Fernando was very jealous – a small project on your return home, perhaps Fernando…?

Fortunately there were no accidents on the ring yesterday afternoon and before long it was time to hit the Green Hell. As the gates shut and the tourists were all ushered off the track it was just Fernando, Vanessa, the CR-Z and 23km of pure adrenalin-filled road racing. This was their chance to flex the lean, green muscles of the CR-Z and find out what this motor’s really made of.

Considering this was the first time either Fernando or Vanessa had driven on the Nurburgring we were in total awe. Both drivers managed sub-12 minute laps and were storming round the circuit like pros. Amidst the clapping, cheering and tears we could not have been more proud of our last two super stars. What an incredible, petrol-headed way to end the Live Every Litre film shoot; a well-deserved drink or two was definitely the order of the evening!…+> LP

After a couple of days off – the first for many of us in over 5 weeks – yesterday saw the Live Every Litre convoy get back on the road with a cruisy 175km from Frankfurt to Nürburg. After 10,000km another 175km now feels like a drop in the ocean so we were in high spirits as we hit the autobahn. Walkie-talkie banter was back in action and it felt like we’d never been away!

In an attempt to recreate some of the Madrid to Lisbon magic, I’d bought some Metallica along for the ride; Death Magnetic and the Black Album were our featured albums as we head-banged along to our new favourites. Unfortunately it wasn’t long before I realised Sarah had nodded off in the passenger seat and I was rocking out all alone. It wasn’t a huge surprise that I was getting a few funny looks from people in the other cars.

Concentration resumed just in time for a random emergency stop on the autobahn where we nearly lost Rob on the bike in a CR-Z sandwich. Fortunately a collision was averted and we remained incident free. With two days to go it would have been a real shame to have lost a member of the team at this stage ;-)

We started getting very excited as we glimpsed the Nurburgring through the trees, spurred on by our new convoy leader, local knowledge expert and general Nurburgring fixer, Fred. We’re not surprised they call this place “Green Hell” – it really is incredibly green.

Anyway we arrived safely at the track and parked up in the hotel garage. You’ll all be pleased to hear that the CR-Z is definitely holding its own nestled in between a family of Porsches ready and waiting to take on the Nordschleife. It looks very pretty.
Sumukito a.k.a. Fernando and Vanessa are fantastic, fitting into our travelling circus with no trouble at all. We can’t wait to see them burn some rubber on the Nurburgring tomorrow. So hold onto your hats, sports fans, I feel the need, the need for speed…+> LP

As we waved goodbye to Peter and Len in Caen I think it is safe to say that we all felt enriched by the experience of meeting two incredible gentlemen to whom we all owe so much. Their phenomenal stories, unbelievable energy and wicked sense of humour have most definitely left a lasting impression on all of us. It was an honour to be a part of their journey and we are so grateful they chose to share it with us.

So after a teary departure we were packed and ready to go, heading towards Lille (the French one) to be reunited with the lovely Seb “100 Things.” We last caught up with Seb in Geneva when we watched him smack golf balls on a par 3 for 5 hours. With the defeat of the this particular challenge already a distant memory (on this trip, 24 hours can easily feel like a lifetime!) Seb was ready and waiting to undertake the next item on his list of 100 things to do before he dies – number 58, the naked sky dive.

We trundled out of our hotel bright and early (oh we do love a hotel that backs onto a train station), jumped in the cars and headed to Maubeuge’s world champion sky diving centre. The day could not have been more beautiful – there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and we were surrounded by rolling countryside and chirping sparrows. And then Seb strolled out of the hangar, completely butt naked except for a small loin cloth he had fashioned from one of the Live Every Litre crew t-shirts. What a picture – not at all out of place in the scenic tranquility we had been revelling in since our arrival.

The professional sky divers who train at Maubeuge are seriously awesome. Not only do they look like Power Rangers but they spend their days hurling themselves out of a plane creating pretty formations in the air and then landing as if they were lighter than feathers. Clearly they were delighted at the realisation that one of them would soon have the naked Sebastian strapped to them in a tandem sky dive…I’m pretty sure none of them exactly volunteered for the job!

The temptation to make comedy comments about the size of Seb’s manhood is overwhelming but with 2 Go-Pro cameras strapped to his body in strategic places throughout the entire dive I’ll hold back for now and you can check out the footage to catch all the action for yourselves! ;-)

You’ll be pleased to know Seb made it to the ground in one piece – no signs of any permanent damage as yet! But well done to Seb – another job well done; we are totally loving (and slightly bemused) at how relaxed he was wandering around in front of all of us with no clothes on. We’re just one big happy (if slightly dysfunctional) family! Until next time, happy weekends everyone…+>LP

After 32 days on the road, it’s fair to say emotions are running high in
the Live Every Litre camp. We’ve shed tears over a proposal, had hysterics
over bouncy castles and stared in amazement over a dog in a brothel.
However today was something else entirely…

After a delightful evening with Peter (aka Bowman) and his best mate, Len,
we were up and about with the sparrows and ready for the day ahead. First
stop was Pegasus Bridge which was the first place to be liberated on D-Day.
(Back in 1944 Bowman ferried soldiers onshore who then went on to help
liberate the bridge). Next door, in the Pegasus Memorial Museum, Peter and
Len met several interesting characters; Peter met someone whose
father-in-law served on the same ship as him, the Arquebus. And Len met a
family that were out there tracing their grandparents and unbelievably 3
generations of their family owned a Honda!

Unfortunately our shooting schedule constantly demands we keep moving but
Peter and Len’s adoring fans just didn’t want to give them up. A recurring
theme of the day was pulling Peter and Len away from the crowds amassing
around them at every location.

The next stop was Ranville Cemetery where many British troops were buried,
including some of `Pete and Len’s fellow Royal Marines. This trip caught
everyone offguard – as a team we plough through this journey going from
place to place, story to story and the crazy, relentless filming schedule
doesn’t allow us the luxury of time to think deeply about everything we do
and see in advance. But the cemetery visit was a sudden realisation that
although we knew where we were going we hadn’t really had time to truly
consider what we were going to witness. The whole experience left us all in
a very contemplative mood; we are making a film and these battle grounds
have been the setting for so many films but this is reality – Peter and Len
aren’t actors; they served in the great war and we owe our freedom to their
bravery.

Peter and Len were totally revered by the people who were visiting these
graveyards and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

After a short stop in Arromanches for lunch, once more Peter and Len were
mobbed outside the Museum by a contingent of cadets from 42F Kings Lynn
Squadron and 1894 Swafham Squadron, visiting these sites in advance of the
D-Day landings anniversary on Monday. The reception for these decorated war
heroes is incredible – everyone wants to talk to them and hear their
stories. Peter was even stopped by a teenager from Alabama who wouldn’t
leave him alone and questioned him for ages, totally enthralled by his
tales from the war.

The day ended with Peter and Len going head to head in our two CR-Zs – look
out for the video, coming your way soon…+> LP

As the convoy rounded the Place de la Concord for the 15th time in as many minutes on Sunday morning, Sara1972 and her mate, Misha, commented that it really was like the blind leading the blind. Our plight wasn’t helped by the local police chasing us with whistles blowing, having aroused their suspicions with the use of our walkie-talkies! Apparently they’re the must have accessory of every dangerous criminal this season.

So we were all more than happy to eventually escape the hustle and bustle of the city for the Ceram testing track in Mortefontaine. But when Sara finally got behind the wheel of the CR-Z none of us knew whether she’d really be able to stick two fingers up to all the doubters that have told her she can’t drive. Having never had any lessons before it could easily have been an afternoon of false starts and kangaroo jumps. Instead it was completely inspiring.

Cheered by Misha from the sidelines, Sara completely owned the track with the help of her brilliant instructor for the day, Olivier. Overwhelmed by her natural control of the car, Olivier even challenged her to take the wheel alone – with just some guidance over the radio! It was incredible to watch. Even more amazing was her top speed of 80km/h. A record for a blind woman we believe!

Let nobody ever say this girl can’t drive again!

It’s definitely true that no two days on this road trip are ever the same.
One day you’re seeing someone brave the cold of Paris in just a pair of pants – the next you’re seeing somebody brave the seemingly impossible and overcome what Sara simply terms as her ‘inconvenience’. We could happily have spent another week with both Sara and Misha (though not the dodgy French accent, Misha!). Instead they’re off for a day exploring the joys of Paris and we’re off to Normandy! As the trip nears its end, another story has to begin? +> LP

How did you spend your 26th birthday? Mine’s a distant memory but I’m pretty sure I didn’t spend it naked on the streets of Paris dripping in blue paint to the tune of Je t’aime? However that’s exactly how Agent Lynch chose to spend hers.

And what a star she was. As soon as the rain clouds cleared around Sacre Coeur, Lynchy strode into the middle of Place de Tertre and immediately became the main attraction.

With a kick of her vintage heels she performed her entire routine (yes, including pouring a tin of les bleus paint all over her body) in front of thousands of eager tourists who nearly choked on their croque monsieurs. With a French flourish of her (almost) naked body she added the final blue touch to the French tricolore.

And all this with not a gendarme in sight.

A paint-splattered Lynchy then piled into the back of Fred’s getaway CR-V and sped off to her next adventure – an afternoon with Europe’s undisputed Queen of Burlesque, Immodesty Blaize. Recently dubbed ‘The Goddess’, Immodesty imparted her heavenly wisdom on Lynchy with advice on all things chic and glamorous. It’s been a birthday that Agent Lynch will undoubtedly never forget. And neither will I! Especially as the results will be on Youtube forever. Au revoir…+> LP

Over the past 4 weeks, the Live Every Litre circus crew have dipped their toes into the oceans of music, culture and adrenaline-filled craziness.

However hats off to Agent Lynch for introducing us all to the burlesque world of pastiche, parody and wit. Flooding our lives with a glamour of times past, yesterday saw Agent Lynch give a stellar lesson in the basics of burlesque dancing. In glamorous lingerie, Lynchy sashayed her way across a bohemian artist’s residence, tearing off elbow-length satin gloves with her teeth and swinging strings of pearls around her perfectly coiffured mane. Quite frankly, I’m not sure how Claudio and Rob managed to maintain their composure during filming; after all, it’s not every day they get to shoot such an enticing goddess as our gorgeous Agent Lynch! Not that the Metallica lads or the School boys weren’t dazzling in their own way…

As we strolled through the labyrinth of Parisian backstreets, Agent Lynch was attracting a phenomenal amount of attention with a fashion photographer leaping into the path of an oncoming Renault Kangoo to snap away at the burlesque beauty, much to the delight of Claudio who followed him right into the middle of the road.

Wandering down the lanes in the late spring sunshine we were lucky enough to experience this iconic city at its best. Bustling, vibrant and super stylish, we weren’t complaining when we managed to squeeze in a quick dash back to the hotel to shower and change before we hit The Crazy Horse; so great to see everyone all dressed up – and with somewhere to go! We were there to support Agent Lynch as she fulfilled her dream to see the girls perform at the cabaret super club – and what a performance! Lights, French maids outfits and sequined thongs (to name but a few of the many highlights) offered us all an exceptionally tantalising and provocative end to our first proper day in Paris. Je t’aime…+> LP

Yesterday we drove 758km from Pamiers to Paris and it rained. There’s not a lot more I can say about that. Bring on the burlesque beauties a demain…+>LP

I called Timian (our intern, if you don’t know him by now) yesterday on route to France about 2 in the afternoon to find out how he was getting on at the airport -“yeah, fine” was his response. Chatty as ever then. Now, bearing in mind Timian’s job yesterday was to escort 3 Estonian beauties to a remote village in the Pyrenees, I’d say he was playing it pretty cool. When I called again last night for an update, again he was “fine, yeah”. This morning, as I drove Tahti, Lina & Kristi to Mas D’Azil, they let it slip they had in fact spent the afternoon in search of a swimming pool. Seriously, too cool for a guy that spent an afternoon watching three gorgeous girls get into a water fight under the guise of chaperone.

Having just finished school, the girls decided a while ago to mark the occasion by scaring themselves stupid – they wanted to bungee jump. As they jumped one after the other off the side of a cliff, they scared us stupid, that’s for sure. I am in awe – barely a second’s deliberation (AND they went backwards).

I think we were all a little thrown back to burning our copybooks and planning our first Summer of freedom today. It’s got to be one of the most exciting times of your life and we had a blast spending a little bit of it with these very fun (and very brave) mademoiselles today.

BUNGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Until tomorrow peeps…we’re off to Paris with Agent Lynch +> SB