Distance: nine hundred and thirty six kilometres
Duration: twenty eight hours and twelve minutes
Idiot drivers: one.
Accidents: many.
Snow most of the way.
The actual driving was only eleven hours and twelve minutes, but added to that I waited by the side of the motorway (and nearly froze), I spent the night in Passau, visited four different garages in Passau, and found new bolts to put my wheel back on.
After all of that, I still have no clue what Passau looks like.
Very white, I'd say.
On the way I saw two cars slip but pull their car back into their own lane, I saw 5 cars stranded (3 of them badly damaged), I heard about many terrible crashes on the radio, had two slight slips myself, and saw lots and lots of snow. And a lot of trucks.
I also heard Lady Gaga on the radio 9 times and Dancing Queen twice.
And now I am home.
Showing posts with label Driving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Driving. Show all posts
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Stuck in Passau
In a perfect world, this post would have been called: driving by numbers: Graz-Berlin.
But I didn't make it to Berlin yet. I am in Passau.
One of my wheels came loose and I lost two bolts.
I blame the man in Sweden who put the tyres on two weeks ago. Wouldn't you?
By the time the mechanic came to help me (it took him an hour and a half to arrive), the garage was already closed so I couldn't get those two bolts.
So I need to wait until tomorrow morning.
While I was waiting by the side of the motorway for the mechanic to come and fix the problem, I did this:
So the van is now a little less generic, and a little more NIE.
Saturday, 6 February 2010
Driving by numbers 19: Berlin-Graz
Distance: nine hundred and thirty six kilometres
Duration: nine hours and seventeen minutes
Idiot drivers: none
Snow during the last 5 hours.
Duration: nine hours and seventeen minutes
Idiot drivers: none
Snow during the last 5 hours.
When I arrived in Graz, the Moberg family, Alex and Bob were already there. I got there at 6pm and after showing off my new van we headed to the festival hub to get some food. We met Ossi who had invited us there and whose theatre we were about to perform in. He was in great form.
Graz was covered in snow and cold. But the festival atmosphere made up for the cold. Colombo was there as well - Sgaramusch had performed the day before and he stayed behind to be in the jury of the Jungwild section of the festival.
Jungwild are young people who make theatre. Three of them would win a prize to help them develop their work further.
Jungwild are young people who make theatre. Three of them would win a prize to help them develop their work further.
We had some drinks with old friends and new friends, and then headed back to the hotel to get some sleep after a long travel day and before some long festival days.
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Travel by numbers 18: Oslo-Berlin
Driven distance: seven hundred and twelve kilometres
Driving time: eight hours and twenty eight minutes
Sailing distance: four hundred and seventy three kilometres
Sailing time: fourteen hours
Idiot drivers: two enormous ones
So I tested my new friend and learned a few things:
1. I can drive uphill without slowing down.
2. a cup holder is crucial, but even more crucial is the right place to put one.
I got the tyres changed in a very small garage in Gothenburg, run by a very nice Iraqi man. He told me he'd been living in Sweden for 26 years, and almost never went back to Iraq because he found it too difficult and dangerous there. But his elderly parents still live there, so he does go back every couple of years to visit them. He made me coffee and we talked about the weather.
The biggest surprise there was the toilet. It was a tiny little room, painted in a very bright pink. I thought that was quite unusual for a garage.
Then I drove to the ferry.
I saw a truck lose its load in front of the check-in gates. First there was a loud crashing noise, and I didn't know what it was, then I looked over and saw the truck.
The trailer had come off the cabin and had hit the ground. Seconds later, the driver jumped out of the cabin, saw what had happened and grabbed his head with both hands. I felt really sorry for him.
He couldn't move, as the trailer was still lying partly on the tail end of his cabin. (I'm sure these things have proper names, but I'm not a trucker and I don't know them.)
Then a forklift came.
He lifted the trailer off the cabin and drove off again. To me it seemed like he could have been useful in putting the trailer back on as well, but what do I know.
The driver was on the phone running back and forth, into the building, back out, circled around his truck for a while.
All of this took about half an hour (check-in hadn't opened yet, so I was stuck there waiting - it's not as if I'd parked especially to witness the events unfold).
More truckers came to see what had happened, and they probably offered some advice.
This is the last thing I saw: the man trying to get the trailer back onto the truck.
Once I was on board, I could see the truck was no longer there, so he must have succeeded.
Driving time: eight hours and twenty eight minutes
Sailing distance: four hundred and seventy three kilometres
Sailing time: fourteen hours
Idiot drivers: two enormous ones
So I tested my new friend and learned a few things:
1. I can drive uphill without slowing down.
2. a cup holder is crucial, but even more crucial is the right place to put one.
I got the tyres changed in a very small garage in Gothenburg, run by a very nice Iraqi man. He told me he'd been living in Sweden for 26 years, and almost never went back to Iraq because he found it too difficult and dangerous there. But his elderly parents still live there, so he does go back every couple of years to visit them. He made me coffee and we talked about the weather.
The biggest surprise there was the toilet. It was a tiny little room, painted in a very bright pink. I thought that was quite unusual for a garage.
Then I drove to the ferry.
I saw a truck lose its load in front of the check-in gates. First there was a loud crashing noise, and I didn't know what it was, then I looked over and saw the truck.
The trailer had come off the cabin and had hit the ground. Seconds later, the driver jumped out of the cabin, saw what had happened and grabbed his head with both hands. I felt really sorry for him.
He couldn't move, as the trailer was still lying partly on the tail end of his cabin. (I'm sure these things have proper names, but I'm not a trucker and I don't know them.)
Then a forklift came.
He lifted the trailer off the cabin and drove off again. To me it seemed like he could have been useful in putting the trailer back on as well, but what do I know.
The driver was on the phone running back and forth, into the building, back out, circled around his truck for a while.
All of this took about half an hour (check-in hadn't opened yet, so I was stuck there waiting - it's not as if I'd parked especially to witness the events unfold).
More truckers came to see what had happened, and they probably offered some advice.
This is the last thing I saw: the man trying to get the trailer back onto the truck.
Once I was on board, I could see the truck was no longer there, so he must have succeeded.
Monday, 25 January 2010
THE NEW VAN
I'm here to steal the focus of the guys in Peterborough, because I think this is headline news: I've finally met my new van. I went to pick it up in Sarpsborg with Kjell, and then we drove straight to a car tools shop.
We bought a light because there is no light in the back of the van, and when we tried out the lamp we'd just bought, we found that there was a light in the back of the van after all, it only didn't ignite automatically.
If you look closely at picture number two, you will spot an airpressure horn. I simply cannot tell you how excited I was about that. It's been 4 years now I've been asking for a horn in my car. (If I drive like distances like a trucker, I should have (some of) the trucker gadgets. So now I do.
Mind you, that still doesn't make me a real trucker.
Then we went off to the office to get all of the set.
It started like this, empty apart from 4 summer tyres (which we will need later).
I forgot to take a picture of how it finished, so I will do that tomorrow. Suffice to say that there is still space left. We could have put all of our sets in there if we wanted to.
But we didn't want to because that would mean we'd have to unload all of them as well, and we don't need all of them, we just need the two biggest ones.
So what happens next?
Tomorrow I will get the spiked tyres changed for non-spiked tyres, as spikes aren't allowed in Germany - and that's where I'm going. Then I will drive to Goteborg to get the overnight ferry to Kiel.
On Wednesday morning I will arrive in Kiel and will drive to Berlin, where my new friend will have to wait another 10 days before going to Graz.
In the meanwhile, keep your eyes peeled for anything that could liven up my new friend. It's quite grey/white/dull at the moment.
The wall of the cabin behind my head can have things taped to it, the ceiling can have things safety-pinned to it. On the dashboard I only want things that will really support me on very long trips.
The loneliness of the long distance driver can be alleviated by objects that offer moral support and inspiration.
But for now: come to Graz to see the square outside TAO shudder when I arrive and blare the red horn.
If you look closely at picture number two, you will spot an airpressure horn. I simply cannot tell you how excited I was about that. It's been 4 years now I've been asking for a horn in my car. (If I drive like distances like a trucker, I should have (some of) the trucker gadgets. So now I do.
Mind you, that still doesn't make me a real trucker.
Then we went off to the office to get all of the set.
It started like this, empty apart from 4 summer tyres (which we will need later).
I forgot to take a picture of how it finished, so I will do that tomorrow. Suffice to say that there is still space left. We could have put all of our sets in there if we wanted to.
But we didn't want to because that would mean we'd have to unload all of them as well, and we don't need all of them, we just need the two biggest ones.
So what happens next?
Tomorrow I will get the spiked tyres changed for non-spiked tyres, as spikes aren't allowed in Germany - and that's where I'm going. Then I will drive to Goteborg to get the overnight ferry to Kiel.
On Wednesday morning I will arrive in Kiel and will drive to Berlin, where my new friend will have to wait another 10 days before going to Graz.
In the meanwhile, keep your eyes peeled for anything that could liven up my new friend. It's quite grey/white/dull at the moment.
The wall of the cabin behind my head can have things taped to it, the ceiling can have things safety-pinned to it. On the dashboard I only want things that will really support me on very long trips.
The loneliness of the long distance driver can be alleviated by objects that offer moral support and inspiration.
But for now: come to Graz to see the square outside TAO shudder when I arrive and blare the red horn.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
The end of a caravelle...
This blog post is not related to New Arrivers, which is obviously the main thing happening at the moment.
But I can't shut up and today I received an email from Kjell which I want to share with you:
Your good old friend was sold to two Chechenians with golden teeth today. It will be rebuilt to fit a Chechenian family of eight people, and the father in the house told me he wants to paint the ceiling gold(!) I think its the perfect end for this car!!!!
Best Kjell
But I can't shut up and today I received an email from Kjell which I want to share with you:
Your good old friend was sold to two Chechenians with golden teeth today. It will be rebuilt to fit a Chechenian family of eight people, and the father in the house told me he wants to paint the ceiling gold(!) I think its the perfect end for this car!!!!
Best Kjell
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Pimp our van
Hello one and all.
NIE (Kjell) have almost bought a van for NIE (me). It looks like this:
As I will be spending a lot of time in there, I want to have it decorated in true NIE style.
There's plenty of space to decorate as you can see here.
I got this two weeks ago (eagerly awaiting the new van):
If you are around any of our future destinations (Graz being the first), please have think about how you could pimp our van. But keep the following in mind: I still need to be able to see the road and both mirrors.
Kjell pointed out that the back wall of the cabin is fairly big, so maybe you have some pictures that would look good there? Or maybe you're a very good airbrusher and would like to do something cool on the outside (like our logo...)?
Bottom line is: as I cruise back and forth across Europe, I want to know that I'm driving the funkiest van on the continent.
(I will veto any type of air freshener.)
So see you in Graz!
NIE (Kjell) have almost bought a van for NIE (me). It looks like this:
As I will be spending a lot of time in there, I want to have it decorated in true NIE style.
There's plenty of space to decorate as you can see here.
I got this two weeks ago (eagerly awaiting the new van):
If you are around any of our future destinations (Graz being the first), please have think about how you could pimp our van. But keep the following in mind: I still need to be able to see the road and both mirrors.
Kjell pointed out that the back wall of the cabin is fairly big, so maybe you have some pictures that would look good there? Or maybe you're a very good airbrusher and would like to do something cool on the outside (like our logo...)?
Bottom line is: as I cruise back and forth across Europe, I want to know that I'm driving the funkiest van on the continent.
(I will veto any type of air freshener.)
So see you in Graz!
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Travel by Numbers 17: Ghent - Berlin
Distance: seven hundred and eighty six kilometres
Duration: seven hours and fifty three minutes
Idiot drivers: one (in a Porsche)
This journey is actually part of a longer trip from Plymouth to Oslo, but as I have several homes in several European countries, I'm breaking it up into smaller bits. So this is part 2 of 3.
On this trip I was particularly shocked by the amount of people who throw rubbish out of their car windows. I though those days were over, but I knew I was wrong when I saw various wrappers, cans and plastic bottles being flung out of cars in front of me, especially in Germany. (This is not a racist comment, it is just a report of my observations).
The next thing we're going to do is the trip on the cargo boat.
For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about: 8 of us will travel from Le Havre to Martinique on a cargo ship.
When? Departure is on November 13 (it's a Friday, but I'm not superstitious), unless loading the ship goes faster than anticipated in which case we'll leave on the 12th.
How long? 10 days, if all goes well.
Why? Research for a show we will make in 2010.
Who? Alex, Kjell, Tomas, Elisabet, David, Kieran, Margit and I.
I don't know what the boat will look like, but I think it could be this one.
As we are in the middle of a non-touring period, I have a special treat for you.
During the last couple of months some of you have met Boris and Boris, but prior to that quite a few of you must have met the Ivans as well.
The Ivans posed with audience members during My Long Journey Home, and here is a collection of some of the Polaroids they made. (Unfortunately Polaroid stopped their production of cameras and film. We have some film left, but not a lot...)
Duration: seven hours and fifty three minutes
Idiot drivers: one (in a Porsche)
This journey is actually part of a longer trip from Plymouth to Oslo, but as I have several homes in several European countries, I'm breaking it up into smaller bits. So this is part 2 of 3.
On this trip I was particularly shocked by the amount of people who throw rubbish out of their car windows. I though those days were over, but I knew I was wrong when I saw various wrappers, cans and plastic bottles being flung out of cars in front of me, especially in Germany. (This is not a racist comment, it is just a report of my observations).
The next thing we're going to do is the trip on the cargo boat.
For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about: 8 of us will travel from Le Havre to Martinique on a cargo ship.
When? Departure is on November 13 (it's a Friday, but I'm not superstitious), unless loading the ship goes faster than anticipated in which case we'll leave on the 12th.
How long? 10 days, if all goes well.
Why? Research for a show we will make in 2010.
Who? Alex, Kjell, Tomas, Elisabet, David, Kieran, Margit and I.
I don't know what the boat will look like, but I think it could be this one.
As we are in the middle of a non-touring period, I have a special treat for you.
During the last couple of months some of you have met Boris and Boris, but prior to that quite a few of you must have met the Ivans as well.
The Ivans posed with audience members during My Long Journey Home, and here is a collection of some of the Polaroids they made. (Unfortunately Polaroid stopped their production of cameras and film. We have some film left, but not a lot...)
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Travel by Numbers 16: Plymouth-Ghent
Driving distance: five hundred and eighty six kilometres
Driving time: six hours and fifteen minutes
Tunnel time: twenty minutes
Total travel time: eight hours and two minutes
Idiot drivers: none
Doing the get-out in Plymouth we were parked next to a big truck. And we could easily image what our name would look like on a big truck.
I took the Eurotunnel, which has become very clever since I last took it. Last time I had to punch in my reservation code to get a letter to hang from my rearview mirror. This time, I pulled up at the check in booths and the machine automatically displayed my name. It must scan my licence plate or something, and I found it very clever and efficient.
Then again, I love the Eurotunnel. I think it's a fantastic piece of engineering. But I think I've mentioned that before...
Driving time: six hours and fifteen minutes
Tunnel time: twenty minutes
Total travel time: eight hours and two minutes
Idiot drivers: none
Doing the get-out in Plymouth we were parked next to a big truck. And we could easily image what our name would look like on a big truck.
I took the Eurotunnel, which has become very clever since I last took it. Last time I had to punch in my reservation code to get a letter to hang from my rearview mirror. This time, I pulled up at the check in booths and the machine automatically displayed my name. It must scan my licence plate or something, and I found it very clever and efficient.
Then again, I love the Eurotunnel. I think it's a fantastic piece of engineering. But I think I've mentioned that before...
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Everything Kept Falling Apart
We have been immensely busy this week, hence no blog posts. I'll try and catch up with this post.
So this is what happened since Horn:
Friday night: a wild night for some
Saturday morning: a rough morning for some, combined with driving from Horn to Prague.
Saturday afternoon: some more NIE people arrive in Prague. Kjell, Iva, Alex, Cat and I had a meeting about the meeting.
Sunday afternoon: NIE meeting in cafe Montmartre in Prague about making a new Montmartre agreement and working out how our mental touring could stay as mental as it is without killing anyone.
Monday morning: get-in at La Fabrika in Prague
Monday afternoon: play the first show at 5pm
Monday evening: play the second show at 8pm
Monday night: strike at La Fabrika
Monday was not such a good day. We were told that the company that would take us across the Atlantic in November is going bankrupt and cancelled our booking on the banana boat. Alex phoned Cat and asked if she could fix something.
Tuesday morning: drive to Jindrichuv Hradec.
Tuesday afternoon: get-in in Jindrichuv with the same brilliant technicians who helped us in Horn.
Tuesday evening: dinner and an early night in Jindrichuv.
Wednesday morning: 10am show to teenagers of Jindrichuv. It was great fun.
Wednesday lunchtime: get-out at Jindrichuv.
Wednesday afternoon: travel home (for me: five hundred and fifty four kilometres, nine hours and seven minutes, three idiot drivers).
And Cat found us a new cargo ship to sail across the Atlantic with. Top job! I've ordered myself a singing saw to celebrate. I will try to learn and play it on the boat, but I might try a little bit before we set sail, otherwise Alex might kill me (or saw my head off) before we see land.
Today I've been chasing a lighting desk for hours. It wasn't fun. I ended up letting go and getting a different one that didn't have to be chased.
Tomorrow I will go back on the ferry to Norway, to rehearse with the guys from the Song of Lost Treasures. On Sunday we're going to the UK with the Dogs.
Three different shows in four different countries in just over a week. You have to admit that's pretty good going.
So this is what happened since Horn:
Friday night: a wild night for some
Saturday morning: a rough morning for some, combined with driving from Horn to Prague.
Saturday afternoon: some more NIE people arrive in Prague. Kjell, Iva, Alex, Cat and I had a meeting about the meeting.
Sunday afternoon: NIE meeting in cafe Montmartre in Prague about making a new Montmartre agreement and working out how our mental touring could stay as mental as it is without killing anyone.
This is the meeting.
This is NIE at Montmartre.
(when I have time in the near future, I will do a photoshop job and put in all the people who couldn't make it last Sunday: Lenka, Henrik, Margit, Kieran, Tuan, Honza, Bara, Tarek and Hannah)
(when I have time in the near future, I will do a photoshop job and put in all the people who couldn't make it last Sunday: Lenka, Henrik, Margit, Kieran, Tuan, Honza, Bara, Tarek and Hannah)Monday morning: get-in at La Fabrika in Prague
Monday afternoon: play the first show at 5pm
Monday evening: play the second show at 8pm
Monday night: strike at La Fabrika
Monday was not such a good day. We were told that the company that would take us across the Atlantic in November is going bankrupt and cancelled our booking on the banana boat. Alex phoned Cat and asked if she could fix something.
Tuesday morning: drive to Jindrichuv Hradec.
Tuesday afternoon: get-in in Jindrichuv with the same brilliant technicians who helped us in Horn.
Tuesday evening: dinner and an early night in Jindrichuv.
Wednesday morning: 10am show to teenagers of Jindrichuv. It was great fun.
Wednesday lunchtime: get-out at Jindrichuv.
Wednesday afternoon: travel home (for me: five hundred and fifty four kilometres, nine hours and seven minutes, three idiot drivers).
And Cat found us a new cargo ship to sail across the Atlantic with. Top job! I've ordered myself a singing saw to celebrate. I will try to learn and play it on the boat, but I might try a little bit before we set sail, otherwise Alex might kill me (or saw my head off) before we see land.
Today I've been chasing a lighting desk for hours. It wasn't fun. I ended up letting go and getting a different one that didn't have to be chased.
Tomorrow I will go back on the ferry to Norway, to rehearse with the guys from the Song of Lost Treasures. On Sunday we're going to the UK with the Dogs.
Three different shows in four different countries in just over a week. You have to admit that's pretty good going.
Saturday, 26 September 2009
Travel by Numbers 15: Berlin - Horn
Distance: five hundred and ninety eight kilometres
Duration: ten hours and four minutes
Idiot Drivers: one, and one cyclist on the Czech motorway
Duration: ten hours and four minutes
Idiot Drivers: one, and one cyclist on the Czech motorway
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Travel by Numbers 14: Oslo-Berlin (Hot hot hot)
Total travel time: twenty seven hours
Driving time: six hours (the motorway was closed at Ludwigslust)
Driving distance: three hundred and eighty one kilometres
Total distance: one thousand and one kilometres
Spending 20 hours in captivity on a ferry is sometimes a blessing. This ferry has it all: a gym, a swimming pool, a theatre, a casino, shops, bars, restaurants and a conference centre.
This is what the shopping promenade looks like. Every half an hour or so, they dim the lights and do some spiel with moving heads and smoke machines, and sometimes a scantily clad lady sings from the walkway across the shops. It's quite strange.
For me though, all that matters is doing nothing. I read an entire novel and caught up on sleep. And I didn't get into a fight this time, so I was quite rude to some drunk man who wanted to know my name. Well, I just walked away.
I had a room with a (restricted) view. Which means I had a window. Normally I don't have a window because it's a lot more expensive, but this cabin was apparently a bargain.
This was my view.
At 10am the boat docked, and I headed for Berlin. In the car that was declared dead a few weeks ago. Now it suddenly still has enough life left in it to go for a last trip to Austria and Czech Republic.
The car overheats and prefers driving 90km/h. I'm not too impressed with that and prefer driving 120km/h. So we found a compromise where I can drive 120km/h with the heating on full and the window open. This is what we do until I overheat and then we go back down to 90km/h with the heating off.
Fifty kilometres on, I went for petrol and an oil-check. The oil was fine, but when I tried to put the stick that holds up the hood (there's probably a name for it but I don't know it), it wouldn't fit back into place. I looked at it and noticed it was completely bent. The metal had gone soft because of the heat. By the time I'd noticed, I couldn't bend it back. So I pulled it out. It didn't seem to hurt.
Tomorrow we're going on a much longer trip and the big question is who will overheat to the point of damage first: me or the Caravelle. The annoying thing is that I look after the Caravelle, but the Caravelle doesn't seem to care much about me. Which is why we've come to the end of this relationship. I feel betrayed.
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Travel by numbers 10: Linz - Berlin
Distance: seven hundred and thirty nine kilometres
Duration: seven hours and five minutes
Idiot drivers: none
I crossed the Danube several times on the way home. And somehow I felt some ownership of this mighty river...
Yesterday we played our last show on the boat. According to people who've seen more than one show, it was our best one.
Afterwards we put the boat back to the way it was before we adjusted it to our needs. We needed some help from Mr. Hoffmann, as we couldn't remember which tables went where.
After that we said goodbye to our favourite hangout in Linz: die Alte Welt.
Things I will miss:
- the boat
- Bob's German
- the Saturday siren of Linz
So now I can stretch my legs while the others work hard in Stuttgart. In the meanwhile I will plan a holiday and do some experimenting with silicon and lightbulbs.
Duration: seven hours and five minutes
Idiot drivers: none
I crossed the Danube several times on the way home. And somehow I felt some ownership of this mighty river...
Yesterday we played our last show on the boat. According to people who've seen more than one show, it was our best one.
Afterwards we put the boat back to the way it was before we adjusted it to our needs. We needed some help from Mr. Hoffmann, as we couldn't remember which tables went where.
After that we said goodbye to our favourite hangout in Linz: die Alte Welt.
Things I will miss:
- the boat
- Bob's German
- the Saturday siren of Linz
So now I can stretch my legs while the others work hard in Stuttgart. In the meanwhile I will plan a holiday and do some experimenting with silicon and lightbulbs.
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Travel by numbers 9: Ghent - Leeds - via Cambridge
Distance: nine hundred and thirty two kilometres
Driving time: seven hours and ten minutes
Plus: twenty minutes channel crossing
Plus: twenty minutes unloading van in Cambridge
Plus: half an hour chatting to Cat
Driving time: seven hours and ten minutes
Plus: twenty minutes channel crossing
Plus: twenty minutes unloading van in Cambridge
Plus: half an hour chatting to Cat
Monday, 16 February 2009
Travel by Numbers 8: Berlin - Ghent
Distance: eight hundred kilometres
Duration: seven hours fifteen minutes
Idiot drivers: none
This is the same trip I did in December (check Travel by Numbers 2). This time it took me slightly longer because this time the van is full.
One very bizarre thing happened though: as I was passing Bielefeld, I was overtaken by a fleet of police vans. One hour later, passing Recklinghausen, another convoy passed me. They weren't the same ones - these ones all had Recklinghausen licence plates. Half an hour later: another 10 police vans. This time from Gelsenkirchen, and these ones all had little blue flags attached to the front of their vans.
Why?
Tomorrow I will go on the fantastic Eurotunnel again. It's the best thing about going to the UK. I get to drive the car on the train and sit in it while I get driven under the North Sea.
Duration: seven hours fifteen minutes
Idiot drivers: none
This is the same trip I did in December (check Travel by Numbers 2). This time it took me slightly longer because this time the van is full.
One very bizarre thing happened though: as I was passing Bielefeld, I was overtaken by a fleet of police vans. One hour later, passing Recklinghausen, another convoy passed me. They weren't the same ones - these ones all had Recklinghausen licence plates. Half an hour later: another 10 police vans. This time from Gelsenkirchen, and these ones all had little blue flags attached to the front of their vans.
Why?
Tomorrow I will go on the fantastic Eurotunnel again. It's the best thing about going to the UK. I get to drive the car on the train and sit in it while I get driven under the North Sea.
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Travel by numbers 7: Milan - Berlin
I didn't return from Parma because after the last show Bara and I took off on a roadtrip through Tuscany. It was fantastic.
So after 5 days I dropped her off at Milan Malpensa airport and drove back to Berlin
Distance: one thousand one hundred and twenty three kilometres
Duration: thirteen hours and forty five minutes
Idiot drivers: five (three of which were Italian truck drivers)
Traffic was hideous, as you would expect on a rainy Friday.
Which is why I will start my trip to the UK on Saturday, with a little stopover in Ghent.
So after 5 days I dropped her off at Milan Malpensa airport and drove back to Berlin
Distance: one thousand one hundred and twenty three kilometres
Duration: thirteen hours and forty five minutes
Idiot drivers: five (three of which were Italian truck drivers)
Traffic was hideous, as you would expect on a rainy Friday.
Which is why I will start my trip to the UK on Saturday, with a little stopover in Ghent.
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Travel by numbers 6: - Oslo-Parma
Driven distance: one thousand seven hundred and forty two
Travel time: forty eight hours
Ferry time: fifteen hours
Driving time: twenty hours
Idiot drivers: five
This trip was probably the most exciting so far. Apart from the fact that there were no problems with traffic (which, considering the distance, I find quite amazing), the end of the journey was spectacular. After having driven through Norway, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and part of Switzerland, I suddenly hit the Alps. And suddenly is really the right word: two hours of a quite boring drive through the flatlands of Switzerland, out of nowhere the Alps appeared. It was dark when I got there, so all I saw was the snow-covered peaks of the mountains. I drove up and up and up and once I got to the top, I found a small hotel where I spent the night. I wanted to drive down by daylight, so I could at least see some of the impressive landscapes.
Once into Italy, things were not so nice though: traffic around Milan was manageable but mad, and fog/smog made the Italian motorway and everything around it look grim and depressing. Having said that, the coffee cheered me up completely. When I got to Parma it was bright sunshine and some sort of warm.
Travel time: forty eight hours
Ferry time: fifteen hours
Driving time: twenty hours
Idiot drivers: five
This trip was probably the most exciting so far. Apart from the fact that there were no problems with traffic (which, considering the distance, I find quite amazing), the end of the journey was spectacular. After having driven through Norway, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and part of Switzerland, I suddenly hit the Alps. And suddenly is really the right word: two hours of a quite boring drive through the flatlands of Switzerland, out of nowhere the Alps appeared. It was dark when I got there, so all I saw was the snow-covered peaks of the mountains. I drove up and up and up and once I got to the top, I found a small hotel where I spent the night. I wanted to drive down by daylight, so I could at least see some of the impressive landscapes.
Once into Italy, things were not so nice though: traffic around Milan was manageable but mad, and fog/smog made the Italian motorway and everything around it look grim and depressing. Having said that, the coffee cheered me up completely. When I got to Parma it was bright sunshine and some sort of warm.
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Travel by numbers 5: Berlin - Oslo
Driving Distance: six hundred and seventy four kilometres
Duration: twenty four hours (of which 15 hours on the ferry)
Idiot drivers: one
Not included in distance: the ferry from Kiel to Göteborg.
This is what the ferry looks like:
When I arrived in Oslo, I went straight to Kanonhallen to join Elisabet and Siri to build some Oddvar chairs.
At this stage the space was still entirely empty, a view none of us will see again until Sunday the 25th...
These are the chairs we built. Some ladies meet on Sundays to chat over coffee and cake, some build Ikea stools.
Duration: twenty four hours (of which 15 hours on the ferry)
Idiot drivers: one
Not included in distance: the ferry from Kiel to Göteborg.
This is what the ferry looks like:
When I arrived in Oslo, I went straight to Kanonhallen to join Elisabet and Siri to build some Oddvar chairs.
At this stage the space was still entirely empty, a view none of us will see again until Sunday the 25th...
These are the chairs we built. Some ladies meet on Sundays to chat over coffee and cake, some build Ikea stools.
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Travel by Numbers 4: Ghent - Berlin
Distance: eight hundred and twelve
Duration: seven hours and eighteen minutes
Idiot drivers: none
I will not drive for 10 days now. Then it's off to Oslo for our adventure in Kanonhallen.
Duration: seven hours and eighteen minutes
Idiot drivers: none
I will not drive for 10 days now. Then it's off to Oslo for our adventure in Kanonhallen.
Monday, 29 December 2008
Travel by Numbers 3: Ghent - Cambridge - Ghent
On Saturday I went to pick up the set for Everything Falls Apart.
Distance: seven hundred and thirty eight
Duration: fourteen hours and forty five minutes
Idiot drivers: innumerable
Includes:
The Eurotunnel is a fine piece of very cleverly designed machinery. If you haven't been on it yet, you should try it.
Tomorrow I will drive back home to Berlin.
Distance: seven hundred and thirty eight
Duration: fourteen hours and forty five minutes
Idiot drivers: innumerable
Includes:
- one hour of fitting everything into the car
- one hour lunch
- half and hour waiting for the train on both sides
- half an hour on the train on both sides
- a lot of sitting in traffic
The Eurotunnel is a fine piece of very cleverly designed machinery. If you haven't been on it yet, you should try it.
Tomorrow I will drive back home to Berlin.
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