Auteur: Con

On November 26, 2023 we will have a ride in Brussels.

Brussels you say? I know that, don’t I?… Of course, everyone knows Brussels. The Grand Place, the Stock Exchange, Manneke Pis, the gay scene behind the town hall, the cathedral… All of us have been to Brussels before, for business or pleasure.

But do you really know Brussels? I want you to be surprised by our real city tour with Romanesque buildings, Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance, Art Nouveau and Art Deco. And because of the many, many green areas.

Because Brussels is spread over 19 municipalities, each with their own character, each with their own policy and insights into environmental planning, each with their own view on mobility. So don’t be surprised: in one municipality it is “priority from the right” everywhere, 50 meters further in the other municipality there are priority streets and side streets.

You see now that Brussels is a mix of everything and anything.

Where does the ride start?

We start at 11.30 am just outside Brussels in the Flemish Region.

This time there is no coffee and cake, but a Burgundian dessert buffet à volonté (unlimited) with coffee (worth €10.95; included in the participation costs). Of course there will be plenty of time to get to know everyone during this penultimate ride of the year.

At 12.30 we start our engines and will stay in Flanders for a very short time. Then we will drive into the city. Large avenues, along parks, the 19th century belt, will take you to the highest point of the city: Altitude 100 (100 meters above sea level) crowned with a church. Then we go past ponds, churches and castles back into the Flemish Region to have a brief stop at the Africa Museum in Tervuren. You have plenty of time to visit this museum and admission is €12 (own expense). Or you can simply marvel at the beautiful gardens, which are free. When we drive back into Brussels we pass our kings Philip and Mathilde (literally pass, we are not going to say hello) and the Atomium, which is known to everyone. We will end where we started, and there we can also have a meal.

Verder lezen Brussels With A Difference

On Sunday, October 29th, our GCCC members Paul and Marchel will take the GCCC Gentlemen to the Achterhoek region. Ladies, don’t worry, you are also very welcome, of course.

The Achterhoek is characterised by peace and space. Arable farming, livestock farming and forests alternate continuously during this ride. Lots of narrow roads winding through nature and taking us to the most beautiful places. Well, at least, the places that Paul and Marchel have labelled as the most beautiful.

Groenlo

Halfway through the route we pass through Groenlo. This fortified city was founded at the beginning of the 7th century.

Over the years, the name has been written in different ways in books and on maps: “Groenlo”, “Groenloo”, “Groonlo”, “Gronlo”, “Grol”. This last variant is where the popular beer brand Grolsch gets its name from. Grolsch originated in Groenlo. Nowadays one can find another small beer brewery “Brouwersnös” in Groenlo. Just before entering the old centre we pass the tasting room.

This tasting room is a great place for lunch.

Verder lezen GCCC Autumn Ride: Gentlemen in the ‘Achterhoek’ region

On Saturday, September 23, it is time for the Night Ride again. But as organisers we thought that the title evening ride would be more appropriate this year, the reason being that we would like to slightly increase the number of participants by bringing the time forward.

Salland

The natural surroundings in Salland and the Overijssel Regge valley offer plenty of space and truly are a gem.
We meet at around 3:00 pm at a restaurant in Ommen and when the weather is nice we can, of course, sit outside on the terrace along the river Vecht. A nice quiet place with a view of the river, the (locally) famous hotel De Zon and the bridge that we will cross later. Upon arrival, coffee and a petit four await you and it is time to catch up. Of course, we will explain what the purpose of the ride is.

Verder lezen Night Fever Part 3

Sunday August 27th, is not only the day of the Grand Prix at Zandvoort, but it is also the day of a fun GCCC ride The Petit Prix!

The Riff

The theme initially was Land Art in Flevoland, but due to the slightly too large distances between the various objects, we have, instead, found a beautiful route, more suitable in kilometers that passes at least one Land Art object: The Riff, a wonderful piece of land that has been pulled up from the bottom. At least, so it seems.

The route

The route starts near Biddinghuizen at a good restaurant with ample parking space for our dear beauties.

Verder lezen The Petit Prix Ride

On Sunday 30 July, the familiar but always surprising picnic ride will be on the programme again. The theme this year is La Vie en Rose and we hope that everyone who comes along will give a colourful interpretation of this again.

We have found a great starting point for this edition in Noordwijk.

Normally, this location is not freely accessible to visitors, but we will be welcomed there on July 30 between 11:30 and 13:00 with coffee and tea, cakes and open arms.

The main building, the historic garden and park located on and next to the site, the residential house annex herb drying house, the garden dome and the coach house all have the status of national monuments.

A small but fine number of old and young-timers worth seeing can be found there shining gracefully to us.

This space is covered, so if the weather is bad, the coffee can be drunk dry.

Verder lezen Picnic Ride: La Vie en Rose

Everyone is welcome in Southeast Groningen on Saturday 24 June!

From 1 pm we will have our traditional coffee and cake at a campsite in Sellingen.

Then the ride , organised by Frank and Herman, starts which will take us past old farms, beautiful nature reserves, and fortress Bourtange (where you can take a break at a nice terrace).

Probably a ‘Terra Incognita’ for many of us! That is why there is no competition this time, but we will tour in a relaxed way using a more extensive route booklet with cultural-historical information.

Afterwards we can catch up during a well-prepared BBQ, ending with an ice cream buffet at the same campsite where we started.

Verder lezen Summer Night Ride

Have you always wondered where petrol actually comes from? Or the electricity for your electric car? And where in Europe that car drove off the boat?

You will see that – and much more – during the ride on Sunday 28 May. The event, organized by Paul, takes us through the Rotterdam port area, via Botlek and Europoort to the most recent land reclamation, Maasvlakte 2.

Right next to this unreal industrial landscape is the island of Voorne-Putte. Also a kind of land reclamation but from centuries ago. We drive over narrow, medieval dikes, through Brielle fortress and through pious villages.

The ride starts and ends at a restaurant in the Oostvoorne area. You can be sure the kitchen brigade can manage the extensive BBQ with buffet. When the weather is nice, the roof opens!

Does this ride sound familiar to you? You are right!, it is a variant of the 2010 October tour. The difference is that Maasvlakte 2 has now been completed and is largely in use. And the beautiful beach road, with a view over the North Sea, is now open again. We have now cut off the piece through the endless potato fields of Farm Frites. This time you will not see where your chips come from!

What time does it start?

From 12 o’clock you are welcome for coffee or tea with apple, chocolate or cheesecake. Around 1 pm we leave for Maasvlakte 2.

What does the BBQ with buffet consist of?

BBQ with choice of chicken satay, hamburger, salmon from the oven, pork tenderloin mushroom sauce, vegetarian snacks.

Buffet with twelve different salads and raw vegetables, baguette with herb butter, chips, mayonnaise and other sauces.

Dessert with a choice of dame blanche, vanilla ice cream, ‘kaat-mossel’ or coupe caramel.

How much will it cost?

Taking part in the ride, including reception with coffee & cake, costs €9.50 for members and €11.50 for guests. The BBQ costs €30.

Are dogs welcome?

Dogs are allowed in the beach pavilion. Leashed, quiet, clean and only on the floor.

Register

You can register until Sunday 21 May via the registration form.

Disclaimer

GCCC excludes any form of damage whatsoever. Photos and videos are also taken during the ride. If you do not appreciate this, you are responsible for this yourself by kindly asking the photographer or videographer not to take any images of you or your car (number plate). The photos and videos are generally shared on personal Facebook and Instagram pages of individual participants and the GCCC Facebook page.

On Saturday, April 29, 2023, Erik and Aldrin have organized a culinary ride for us with a visit to Metropole Druten, a major car museum.

We will meet in Winssen at 11.30 am for the traditional coffee/tea and cake and, of course, a nice chat after the long winter break. The ride will then take us to Druten for a visit to the amazingly beautiful car and truck collection. More than 300 classics and trucks are displayed on 20,000 square meters, not only for viewing but also for sale! You can find a preview here: About Metropole Druten

Being the opening ride of the year, this is a day not to be missed for lovers of classic vehicles.

Verder lezen GCCC KING’S RIDE

Now that Christmas and New Year’s Eve are behind us, the period of the New Year’s drinks has arrived. The board would therefore like to invite you to the New Year’s drinks 2023.

We will continue this beautiful tradition and raise a glass together on Sunday 15th January on the outskirts of Utrecht.

This beautiful and for us new location will welcome us with a free bar from 4 to 6 pm so that we can discuss the past and the coming year over a snack and a drink and catch up with each other outside a ride. We will also give you a sneak preview of what we will all be doing together in 2023 and that promises to be a lot!

What will it cost?
For a mere € 15 p.p. (GCCC will pay the remainder of the costs) we will be pampered by them for two hours in this unique setting and we will make a great start to the new year.

And our four-legged friends?
Your four-legged friend is also welcome, provided he is well-behaved and kept on a leash.

Event arrangement
This event has not been registered for the events scheme.

As you know, it is the members who make the club, so we expect you in large numbers (with the old-timer?) at this kick-off of 2023!

Until then!

The board: Mick, Rob, Cees, Jerry and Wilfried

Disclaimer

The GCCC excludes any form of damage whatsoever. Photos and videos are also taken during the ride. If you do not appreciate this, you are responsible for this yourself by kindly asking the photographer or videographer not to take any images of you or your car (number plate). The photos and videos are generally shared on personal Facebook and Instagram pages of individual participants and the GCCC Facebook page.

What started as an experiment last year will lead to a sequel this year on Saturday December 17th. Apparently we, Gert-Jan and Mick, as organizers managed to create something nice at the time, because there will be another one. Thanks for the enthusiastic sounds last year!

But how do you follow up on such a night ride? We asked ourselves that question. And we found the answer in expanding the team. Jeroen turned out to be a perfect addition with his knowledge and experience.

Because, gentlemen, as you know: a night ride challenges you! We are going one step further from last year. This time the ride requires an (even) greater involvement from the navigator. Communication between navigator and driver is of great importance, but perhaps even more important is the intelligence of the navigator. So choose him wisely…. (By the way, we don’t want to cause any awkward situations within a marriage here….).

Start

We start in the centre region of the Netherlands and expect you at a restaurant in Soest at 2:30 PM.

If you don’t come alone, but you want to come with your dog, it is of course also very welcome.

While enjoying a snack, Jeroen will give you a brief explanation about the different ways of route description. You should actually use some of these on this ride.

Verder lezen Night Fever, the sequel! Premiere on December 17th

On Sunday November 27th Ton and Piet will take us from Bocholt to the Lower Rhine region. The ‘Weihnachtsmarkten’ (Christmas markets) start here at the end of November (and they have all gone right after Christmas). We will visit two or three.

We will also visit two castles, with unique collections of modern art and art from the past. There is a lot of ‘go as you please’ at this event.

It will be crowded everywhere. No routes have been worked out so driving from place to place is done just using your own satnavs.

You can choose to come on Friday or on Saturday. You can also go home on Saturday or stay until Sunday. If you go home on Saturday, you have to book your hotel in Bocholt yourself. However, we have reserved 26 double rooms (€79 per night) and 8 single rooms (€64 per night) at this hotel until November 1st.

The hotel for the overnight stay and how to book will be in the separate email sent to members.

Breakfast is always € 10 and there is plenty of free parking space. If you leave booking late, there is a (more expensive) alternative which can also be found in the members’ email. (You can still have breakfast with the others at the other hotel). Bocholt is one of the nicest places in the Lower Rhine region and is a 60 kms drive from Arnhem or 70 kms from Nijmegen or Boxmeer.

Verder lezen CHRISTMAS MARKETS, CASTLES AND ART

On Sunday September 25, Joris will take us to Belgium again for a ride of about 83 kilometers.

We are going to take a ride through the gently rolling hills of Pajottenland and the Flemish Ardennes, crossing the language border several times to our French-speaking compatriots in Hainaut.

Language border

The language border is an imaginary line between the Dutch-speaking community and the French-speaking community. It runs from the French border in the West, right through Belgium, to the German border in the East. It was instituted in 1962/1963, after much political turmoil, and enacted into law after 10-year “language counts”. In addition, the language of a community sometimes simply changed according to preference: in 1940 the city of Enghien (which we will also pass) still had 51% Flemings in 1940 and 11% in 1947. A choice that mainly had to do with collaboration or resistance during the Second World War.

Verder lezen LANGUAGE BORDER RIDE BELGIUM

The first joint ride with the guys from Queerlenker (DE), Motorboys (DE) and GCCC will take place on the last weekend of October – just before Halloween.

We will stay at a hotel in Bad Bentheim. The hotel has a special package deal for us, consisting of overnight stay, breakfast, extensive evening buffet, free drinks (beer, house wine and soft drinks) between 5 pm and 8 pm, free use of the wellness area and free parking.

Arrival is on Friday 28 October in the late afternoon with a welcome speech and a small speech at 6 pm, dinner at 7 pm.

Afterwards there is an optional evening walk through historic Bad Bentheim.

Saturday

On Saturday 29 October a tour is planned through picturesque Münsterland with its historic towns and beautiful moated castles. Our destination is the Hoeing old-timer museum in Stadtlohn, which houses many unknown Audi vehicles, including special car bodies by the likes of Treser, Picasso and Crayford. In addition to the Audi vehicles in real size, the museum, with more than 35,000 models, shows not only the history of Siku, but also that of Auto Union, DKW, Horch, Wanderer and last but not least Audi in miniature. Wearing a facemask is required for the museum, so don’t forget to take one with you!!!

We spend the evening together at our hotel in Bad Bentheim.

Verder lezen FROM OLDIE TO AUDI

It’s always nice when you can take a ride in another part of the Netherlands. Every time you think “oh I’ve seen it all”, but this time you will still see things that you probably haven’t seen before. During this ride on Sunday 28 August you will see a lot of beautiful outdoors such as various forests, rivers and streams, but also a number of nice picnic areas and cafes or restaurants where you can enjoy yourself on the terrace. In North Brabant everything is just a bit more Burgundian and the roads are really longer.

Start and finish

The ride starts in the middle of Oosterhout in North Brabant where we will start at 12.00 with coffee/tea and a Brabant sausage roll. We will leave and we end the day at this location.

Where will we go?

From Oosterhout we will go to Gilze-Rijen, where we’ll drive past Gilze-Rijen Air Base. We go From Gilze-Rijen we’ll head for the direction of Breda along nice villages around that city, such as Bavel, Ulvenhout, Teteringen, Langeweg, Dorst and Terheijden. We cross a highway several times via bridges and tunnels, but this ride is completely free of motorways.

Verder lezen Brabant roads are long

After a fantastic Eurotour Holland in beautiful North Holland, we will ride our traditional, legendary and very cozy Picnic Ride again on 17 July.

A great opportunity for our new members to get acquainted with GCCC. We’d say: why not come too?

We are very happy that this year yet again we can end up in the meadows of our hosts. Thank you for that!

Since this year it’s the British Queen’s Jubilee, we want to end this ride with a Picnic in style. Unpack your trunk in style and enjoy the most delicious quiches or scones, either home-baked or not,and much more. And toast together!

Decorations should, of course, not be missing. There will be a prize for the most beautiful, original picnic ensemble, so do your best. An extremely professional jury will judge the lot.
A special area at the site will also be set up for the most special classic cars of the day. And to keep the long-standing tradition fresh, this time we’re adding a Picnic Bingo with a shower of prizes.

So, enough entertainment for those who like that sort of thing. For members who have never been to the farm, we would like to point out that in bad weather we can sit inside the stables. So possible bad weather will be no problem at all……

Verder lezen Picnic Ride: Touring between cows and water

On May 17th, our beloved association will be 30 years old!

And we as a board cannot just let that pass by, even more so: we just step on the brakes to dwell on this.

How do we do that? By doing what we are good at on Saturday 21 May (= organizing a ride to explore a beautiful part of the Netherlands with our old and young timers) and then expanding this with a party. Yes, you read that correctly: a real party to mark this milestone! In our humble opinion, we have chosen a beautiful location for this, right in the heart of Gelderland. We have reserved an entire wing of the restaurant there, together with the conservatory and a terrace, so we hope for good weather to make this anniversary a blast.

Verder lezen GCCC Jubilee 30 Years

Finally we can do it again! On Sunday 24 April, Bart and Arnold will take us to the area between Zeeland, West Brabant and Flanders, also known as the “Brabantse Wal”. An area where nature, monuments and culture are intertwined. For those to whom this doesn’t mean anything: today we are driving in the Bergen op Zoom region.

Where?

We start at a restaurant in Hoogerheide, where we will meet from 12:00 pm for a reception with coffee or tea and some sweets, to start the day well.

This day we will drive a bit through Zeeland, across to the municipality of Reimerswaal, where we will stop at what you can actually call THE specialist in the field of rotary engine technology: RX Garage / Hoebeke Auto’s.

Verder lezen Zeeland (and a bit more) Ride

After just being able to hold the 2020 AGM on location, and having to postpone the physical 2021 AGM with it eventually becoming an online AGM, it’s finally time again for a proper one this year!

Where and when?

On Sunday 27 March 12.30 pm the AGM will be held on location again. The exact address will be sent to you by email.  Entry is from 12 noon.

At this general members’ meeting we look back at the events of the past year and provide insight into the ins and outs of our club. In addition, there will be a glimpse of the national and international events of 2022.

Of course, the board also gives a look at the financial situation of the club and an explanation of the expenses and income. In addition, the budget for 2022 will be presented. Of course, the members present have a vote in determining the budget and the contribution for 2023.

Voting

As a member and as a partner member of the GCCC-Benelux you are of course welcome and you can vote. However, this general members’ meeting is not open to guests.

Voting by proxy

If you want to vote, but are unfortunately unable to attend the AGM, you can give a proxy. You can submit your proxy by e-mail, which clearly states to which (partner) member you are giving your proxy to vote for you. Proxies can also be handed over to the secretary or the chairman prior to this meeting. This power of attorney must then be signed.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome, provided they are on a leash and do not cause a nuisance.

This first GCCC activity of the year will take place on Saturday 12 March between 13.00 and 15.00.

As an experiment, Wilfried and Thom are organizing their first GCCC Cars & Coffee. The idea behind this is to be able to meet each other completely Corona proof at a meeting that is simple in design and only takes up part of a day. It is mainly focused on the social aspect with a lot of room for personal initiative. After our hibernation we can meet again. We can have a nice chat and go a little deeper into the ins and outs of our vehicles, without making an extra 100 kms. So it’s about having fun and admiring each other’s cars.

You can decide for yourself what the route to and from the C&C location will be, how long you!ll stay and with whom you’ll want to drive there. You can also take friends who are not members. For this first time, we have chosen an easily accessible location in the middle of the country. For enthusiasts, there is also plenty to discover in the area before or after. We also opted for Saturday for the first time because it is a lot quieter and there are fewer cyclists than on Sundays.

So:

1. Reserve the time and date in your calendar.
2. Registration is not necessary. If you have not received an announcement email and would like more information, please send an email.
3. Pack your picnic basket and don’t forget a thermos with coffee.
4. Do the daily inspection and hit the road.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome, provided they are trained and on a leash.

Disclaimer

GCCC can never be held responsible for any damage whatsoever as a result of participating in this event. Participation is  at your own risk and expense. During this event photos and videos will be made.  If you don’t want to be in these, it is your own responsibility to ask the photographers/film makers to refrain from making images of you. In general these photos/films will be published on personal Facebook or Instagram

We, Daniel and Mark, try to honour and continue the wonderful tradition of the biennial Christmas Crib Ride, created by Con and Koos, on Sunday 19th December. Most Christmas cribs, visualising the nativity scene usually with lifesize figures and often live animals, can be found in the Southern part of The Netherlands and Flanders and that will probably remain so, so everyone will again descend to the Southern parts.

Due to the corona restriction measures, we have not planned a dinner this time, but a lunch. Arrival and registration are therefore followed by a joint lunch.

Lunch consists of:

Mushroom soup or vegetable soup (vegetarian), a chicken sandwich and a salmon sandwich. Of course you can also opt for two chicken sandwiches or two salmon sandwiches. If you want a vegetarian sandwich, you can of course also indicate this with dietary wishes.

There will be a contest, but it will not be about the nativity scenes. These forms will be handed in during lunch or reception and the prizes awarded to the winners when they report to the ‘oliebollen’ (deep fried doughnut balls) moment.

The ride will lead us through Moergestel. Moergestel is traditionally known for the shoe industry, the well-known brand Van Bommel is still present here today.

From Moergestel we continue south to Diessen. We continue on the road to Hilvarenbeek, known for the Beekse Bergen, but we are not going there this time. At De Vrijthof (not to be confused with Het Vrijthof in Maastricht), there is plenty of catering, so plenty of opportunity for refreshments and a  sanitary stop.

Verder lezen Christmas Crib Ride

There are some fairly obvious explanations for “night fever” – the tendency for fever symptoms to be magnified during the evening hours. First, it’s normal for body temperature to creep up at night, adding proverbial fuel to the fire.

Or ‘night fever’ in good Dutch… two words, with which the Bee Gees managed to score a big hit. You can undoubtedly sing along easily:

Listen to the ground

There is movement all around

There’s something goin’ down

And I can feel it Verder lezen Night Fever Ride