|
|
Hi and welcome to my travel-page. Are you up for some exciting stories? Then you are at the right address!! 
Jun 08, 2005 06:00 PM Quality checking and partying
Because we had been copying data yesterday, we were finally able to quality check it today. This took up the biggest part of the day. The rest of the day we didn't do much, and waited till it got evening.
Than we left the camping for real. After 4 days of staying there, we payed our bill and searched for another parking spot somewhere downtown Annecy. We went to the local Quick where we met up with some guys of the group and went watching some stripbooks and authors.
It was about 21 hours when the party started in the park. We had been watching the building of the installation now and than. Because the party was open air and free to everyone, it also meant that everyone was there. From the most durty and crazy bums till old people till the most biggest weirdo animators.
The party was quite fun after all, even though the group wasn't really complete. We again, met Rebecca, this time whe brought her roommate, another nice girl, which the group seemed to appreciate :o)
After the party, there was a free after party in a local disco. There was even a free shuttle to it. We discussed the idea of going and even arranged a new meeting with Rebecca and her friend. They would first go to their appartment and get some booze, before they would meet us in front of the disco...But we eventually didn't go and haven't heared anything from Rebecca anymore...
The group went back to the camping, we parked outside on a parking and went to chat some, before we went to bed.
|
Jun 07, 2005 06:00 PM Filmfestival
Today we were already standing still technically unemployed that is) for a whole week. We had been getting some hard disk numbers of harddisks we should be having, and which we could delete in order to back other data up on them. But of course, the numbers we got were numbers of disks we didn't have on board. So we were still as much unemployed.
Also today we slept a bit longer. We couldn't do much, could we. We got up, ate something and went to Annecy around midday. In the tourist office we asked directions for the nearest cybercafe and we went over to it. Though it costed us quite a lot, we had read our mails and chatted some. We than went to a bar and sat outside in the sun.
A couple hours later we went back to the camping and started preparing the BBQ. We did this also with the group together. It was nothing really special, but it was fun. We ended up playing a drinking game while playing tabletennis.
During the evening, there was a show outside in a park in Annecy, for this filmfestival. We went seeing that, but after a while, we went to an inside event. Underway we met with Rebecca, she was there with a friend, but they had to go...
Normally you needed your ticket to get in this event. But Wouter and me, we didn't have one. So we told the doorpeople we had forgotten our ticket on the camping, but were together with the group and everything. They told us we shouldn't forget it, but let us in after all :o)
Man it's easy to get in somewhere when you are in group... :o)
We got to see a lot of short animation movies. Some were simply disgusting. That people can be even proud that they have made these things...I really don't get it. But the group had the same meaning as we did, so I think it wasn't "just" my opinion.
Of course there were also really nice movies. And those where there to be proud of :o)
After the movies we went to that Irish pub again, had a last drink and went to bed on the camping.
|
Jun 06, 2005 06:00 PM Discussion is opened
Because it was only 9 AM when we got in our beds, we slept till noon. Than we went for a good shower, cleaned up a bit and drove to a supermarket somewhere in Annecy to do our shopping.
When it got evening and we had eaten, we joined the group of my brother and started drinking lots of wine and having good discussions. Though sometimes someone from that group went sleeping, the discussion got better and better.
Eventually we stayed up till 5 AM with only 3 people left. We had been sitting all over the camping, because people started telling us we made a bit too much noice...what do you want when you're discussing...
But it was very interesting!! I liked that night.
|
Jun 05, 2005 06:00 PM THE most incredible day of all our projects together
We got up early in the morning, put on some clothes and drove to the parapenting school. We met up with HervÈ (our teacher-pilot) and another woman who's name I have forgotten. This made three people who were going to learn the very basics of parapenting.
First we got ourselves a helmet and a parapente, put it all in HervÈ's car and followed him to a field somewhere next to the big lake. The field was going slightly upwards. So we took our bags and went up the hill.
In the morning we learned how to unfold our sails, put on our bags (which are actually seats, so you would be comfortable during longer flights), get the sail in the air, start running with it, sometimes even get a little bit lifted and eventually get back down and break. Afterwards we learned to get the sail together, walk back up the hill and eventually, after a whole morning of trying, putting it all back into the bag.
We drove to the place where would be flying in the afternoon. HervÈ first took the woman up the mountain and went flying with her. In the meantime we had lunch and went to look at the landing of them.
Afterwards Wouter got up the mountain. At least...we all got up and I had to take HervÈ's car back down. Wouter and HervÈ got attached to the parapente and lifted in no time. I went back to the car and tried to start it. It didn't want to start...damn, now what. After trying a few times I got out the car and there were already a few people who knew they could help me :o)
So we tried pushing and everything, but nothing worked. I didn't understand...Eventually I couldn't think of anything else than trying to call HervÈ (during flight). After I found a card somewhere in his car with his cellphone number on, I called him. He told me I had to disengage the alarm...and he told me how to. It worked...
I drove the car back down, jumped in the camper to find my camera and some warm clothings for my flight. I was still in time to see the landing and take some pictures.
Wouter found it awsome...
Now it was my turn. Because I was a bit bigger and heavier than all the rest, we went to another jumping place, a couple kilometers from the original one. This time Wouter would have to take the car back down.
We set up the parapente, waited a bit for better wind conditions. Everyone around waited too, but we eventually did leave. You had to see there faces :o)
The feeling in the air was awsome. I can't express how it felt, it was incredible. If you ever get the chance to do it too, just do it, really!!
The weather conditions were quite good so we kept on using the warm rising air to climb some meters. The viewing was just amazing...
After about 50 minutes we landed again. I had been flying a bit, but the was quite some wind, so it wasn't all that long. The flight had really been awsome and he gave me the idea to follow the 5-day during course sometime during summer (if I still find the time).
We went to drink something, payed HervÈ and eventually left for a camping down in Annecy.
My brother had arrived on the camping because there was a big animation film festival going on and because that's what he studies for, he came down there with a couple of friends from his class.
We met on the camping and after the guys had been using our kitchen to make there spaghetti (and make a mess all over the camper), we deicided to still go out with the biggest part of the group. We went into Annecy city after quite a long walk.
There was a Leffe cafe (with all Belgian beers), so we decided to go there first. We started to get to know the group and had some good conversations. Even though the beer was very expensive :o)
Eventually we left for another place, but there didn't appeared to be anything open. Suddenly a girl came up to us and asked us if she could stay a couple of minutes with us, because she was being followed by two guys.
Of course she could and we asked her to be our guide and lead us to a good place to have a drink. Not much places appeared to be open on a sunday, but after crossing around town a while we found ourselves in an Irish pub (yiha...or actually, not really, the bartender didn't even speak English, and he had a bad mood.).
We started to talk more and more with this girl (Rebecca) and she appeared to like us. When the pub was closing, she offered us to come to her place and have a drink there.
It was a couple of kilometers walking and most of the guys didn't like that, but eventually we got there. We got into her appartment and had a few other drinks.
Rebecca had to work the next day and the guys started to be a bit too drunk and tired, so we asked if we could sleep at her place.
We slept all over the appartment, but did manage it to sleep for about 3 hours or so. Then we left Rebecca and found a bus which drove us at least a bit closer to the camping.
After another long walk uphill (over 12% rising...which is A LOT when you're tired and a bit drunk), we arrived and immediatly went to the shop to have a small breakfast.
It was 9 AM when I got into my bed...
What a day... :o)
|
Jun 04, 2005 06:00 PM Towards Annecy
We got up quite late and decided to go out, have our lunch in a restaurant.
After lunch we wanted to do some wine degustation and go to Annecy, the city we had to go to for the parapenting next day.
But because it would be a bit too dangerous to drive that far after been drinking, we eventually didn't visit any wine caves.
So we drove to Annecy and went looking for the school in the first place. We found it quite easily and so it wouldn't be a problem to find it again next day.
Than we went to the actual site where they did the parapenting. There were a couple of parapente-shops we visited and after looking around, we stayed in the camper.
It was already evening, so it didn't matter. So there wasn't really anything special that day.
|
Jun 03, 2005 06:00 PM Parapenting today?
Though my eye still hurted the next day, it was already a lot better. We got up in the afternoon and went drove to the same landing place we had been the day before.
There was only one girl, sitting in the grass, when we arrived. She told us she was a student from a parapenting school. But she was a bit ill and didn't fly today.
She also told us we could ask one of the teachers for a flight, the moment they would be on the ground.
A lot of students came down from the hill and though it was a teacher who landed first, he was coordinating everyone in the air from the ground by radio. We didn't want to disturb him.
After all the students came down, we went to the teacher and asked him if it would be possible to do a flight.
He told us he wasn't actually from that "airfield", but from an airfield in Annecy. He normally teached there. And he would be glad to give us a whole day introduction in parapenting, but only on sundays and in Annecy.
We were this close to flying, this oppertunity wasn't gonna pass us. We immediatly said yes and subscribed for it.
FINALLY, we have settled a date for a complete day of flying...this is going to be remarkable.
|
Jun 02, 2005 06:00 PM Damn, my eye
It was 2 (AM) and we had been sitting outside, enjoying the evening for a while. But after laying down in bed, my right eye started to hurt. It was like there were som eyelashes who got behind it and when I tried to open my eye, it hurted to so much that I had the reflex of closing it immediatly again.
This was driving me crazy, like I was getting blind or something. So I went out of my bed and tried to get the eyelashes out in front of the mirror.
I couldn't get any out, but what I could see was that my whole eye was swollen. It had this pudding mass which was getting thicker and thicker and I was getting worried.
So I woke Wouter and asked him if he would take a look. I convinced him quite quickly to drive to a nearby hospital.
The hospital was a couple of towns down the road, so it took us some time. And when we arrived in the city it even took a while till we found the emmergency entrance of the hospital.
We got there and the doctor helped me quickly. It was not all that bad, it was just an allergy. But it was good that I acted this way, it could be worse...
The doctor gave me a note on which stood what kind of medicine I would need. I needed to get it the same night, just in orde to stop the swelling. But to do so, I had to call the police office first. They would tell me which pharmacy would be open and how to get there.
So we drove to a citymap somewhere in the streets, called the police office and asked what to do. He told us to come down to the office with some legimitation and the note I got from the doctor. So we did.
The officer called the pharmacy to tell him I would be comming over and then told us that it was ... pharmacy. He didn't had a citymap and didn't explain much of how to get there. I thought I had seen the pharmacy because there was light burning on the outside. So he told me that would be the one.
We drove to the shop, but of course, it wasn't the one we looked for. So we started driving through the whole city on the look for the pharmacy we needed.
After an hour or so, we couldn't find it and called the police officer again. He told me not much more, but I thought it came down to the same as we looked for in the first place. But eventually, it wasn't...
So we again, called the officer and asked him more details. Again, he didn't give us all that much information, but we kept on looking.
Eventually...we found it. The lights weren't burning (as he told us they would be). The man opened the door of his shop and was kinda pissed. He had been waiting so long for me. I told him it wasn't my fault, but he didn't really listen.
He sold me the eyedrops and Wouter, also kinda pissed (and really understandable) drove to a parking spot a way out of the city. It was 5 (AM) when we got into our beds...
|
Jun 01, 2005 06:00 PM Parapenting in the neighbourhood?
Next day I went to ask the camping manager if he had any documentation on the area. Because we couldn't work, we better could do some exciting things.
He went to look for any information, but they hadn't delivered any yet. So he told us we would be better of going to the tourist information desk in town.
And so we left...
The woman at the desk did her very best to find a place where we would be able to go parapenting. That would be awsome.
She called a couple of places but only got answering machines or even nothing. So she told us to come back after 14.00 hour, maybe we would be more lucky than.
After a nice sandwich and some sunbathing along the Rhone river we went back to the office. The woman told us nobody answered and the cloasest one was closed on thursdays...this day of course.
She showed us the place and we decided to go over there. Maybe we would find someone anyhow. And because she told us the viewings were amazing, we didn't even hesitate.
After a short drive we went up the mountain. It was a very small path (not much wider than the camper was). So if we would have to pass another vehicle, it would be a problem.
Of course we had taken the wrong path up he mountain, but because the map said it would be beautiful on the top, we drove the whole way up anyway. And it was beautiful. The pictures we have taken with the camper in the middle of a grassfield are just awsome.
Afterwards we turned back (driving partly backwards on the road, because we couldn't turn the camper on the top).
We went back down and than took the other path up the mountain. After a couple of hundred meters suddenly a firemen-car shot right in front of us, comming from a small alley. The alarm sounded and they drove up the mountain, in the same direction we had to be.
We decided we would follow them because we wanted to go up anyway. After a kilometer or something we saw what had happened. Some dry grass had started burning because of the sun. Because the road wasn't really wide, we weren't able to pass the firetruck, so we had to wait till they had put out the little fire.
It went completely the French way...the firemen came out and first of all went kissing the ladies who were standing around the fire. It was only afterwards they decided to work on the problem.
After a short while they finished everything off and drove further on the mountain (they too weren't able to change direction because the road was to small). Eventually we passed them and drove on...This brought us to the start-strip for parapenters. We sat there for a while, took a lot of pictures of passing gliders and went back down the hill. We needed some cash in order to reserve a flight.
Back down we got ourselves some cash and drove to the landingstrip. Nobody around was from the club, so we couldn't ask anything. We decided to stay there for the night and ask for a flight the next day.
|
May 31, 2005 06:00 PM Full disks
Today we could only work about half a day. Problem was that our disks were full and we could not capture any more data. Or at least not enough to go straight on all day. So we decided we would stop after half a day and then go BBQ.
We had bought our BBQ and lava-rocks (in stead of carbon) and even a chair for me (Wouter already had one) the day before. So we would only needed to buy our meat (we had vegetables on board).
We quite fast found an awsome BBQ spot, it was next to the water, a rivir which floated a couple of meters further into the Rhone river.
After installing everything and making the salad, we went on heating the thing up. It worked, but the rocks didn't really give a lot of heatening. After eventually thinking it would be ok, we put on the meat.
But the thing got way to cold and it didn't want to grill. So we heatened it up again. But of course, the meat dropped onto the sandy ground. So we decided we'd clean it up in the water and then bake it again.
The BBQ was now more fire than BBQ, so the meat got burned and all got black. After trying to put it in a better position, it even dropped a second time. Which made us clean it in the river again...man man man, this was getting ugly...
Eventually the salad and the bread tasted good, but we haven't almost eaten anything from the BBQ.
We cleaned it all up and went to a nearby camping. It was the first time in a whole week that we were able to wash ourselves. It felt like heaven!!
|
May 29, 2005 06:00 PM Nope...nothing of it all
We woke up and it started raining. Damned, no parachutejumping, no BBQ today. What about Walibi? Nope that either...they were closed during the week...and it appeared that the rides weren't all that good after all. Well, we'll keep it in mind and keep it for another day.
So in stead of doing much that day, we had bad weather conditions...
We also called the office today, to tell them we would stop on the 24th of june. We would quit the job and start doing other stuff. They weren't really happy, as suspected, but what could they do?
|
Page:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
|
|
|
