ivan's dream come true

Put on your best Russian accent

Dream come true.

I got these nightmares for the last two weeks before trip to Europe: I am late for my flight, I am missing connection flight, my tickets, passport and money were stolen, my glider is too heavy and they wouldn’t take it, my bag have been lost and combinations of the above.

So I wasn’t really surprised when baggage belt in Madrid airport went empty, crowd disappeared and I was still standing there without my glider. I guess it even out the fact that I didn’t miss any flights, money or documents, despite the real chance of being late for departure in Brisbane. Road to airport was parking lot and after half of hour sitting in it, my wife took service road and scenic route.

It still made the whole trip pointless, as I can’t fly without glider. I am trying not to think about Simon’s harness and Hollywood’s radio, it is just a bit too much for me at the moment.

I can’t buy local sim card in airport, so I don’t have a chance to find Geoff Wong with his car. I still need to let him know that I am sleeping in here for the next week or until my glider arrive, whichever comes first.

After getting rough direction to closest shop which sell sim cards (apparently you can’t get there by foot), I discovered that Spanish language is actually quite different from English. To my surprise you couldn’t understand not just most of it, but mostly all of it. Needless to say, that despite friendly attitude, locals could not work out my accent and sign language either.

I recon if anyone would open sim card shop in every major airport, they would become a millionaires. And they can open money exchange inside of Chinese airports, so you don’t need to apply for the visa, if you want to buy drink or food (that two are royalties applicable).

Paris was rainy in the morning, but Madrid was quite pleasant 27 degrees, with a fresh wind. A bit strong for flying, not if I need to care.

On the way out I suddenly stumbled on Geoff and Dave Gibbs. Boy, I glad to see you guys! Dave’s glider didn’t arrive from London either. And the van he bought for traveling and living in it blew up 5 minutes into his trip.

So it could be worse after all…

By the way, maps here are in Spanish too. But because we don’t have any, we don’t need to worry. My GPS don’t have maps of Spain, so it is useless as well.

After weighing our options, we decided to go to Piedrahita, which is only 1.5 hours away, rather then trying to find accommodation in Madrid. I left Dave phone number and my email address for lost baggage office and explained to smart looking women as best as I could importance of finding my glider. Letter from HGFA office did the trick.

Roads in Spain looks pretty much like our highways and well signed. Wind is on fresh side, so landing would of been vertical. If we would of have our gliders that is. Ground seems pretty dry btw few patches of green here and there. We are driving along fairly sizable ridge line about 1500 meters with some bigger mountains behind it. It looks like old rounded hills, similar to Bright landscape with Spanish flavour. Flats looks rugged, cut by deep little creeks, littered with big rocks, not unlike area around Armidale. Sky is pretty clear with few small cu’s, some lenticular and cirruses.

As we come over notorious pass about 15 km before Piedrahita, it does look complicated. Wind getting stronger and blowing along the valley. I am not keen on getting low in this area.

In Piedrahita we try to get accommodation in famous La Residentia, but at 6 o’clock it was too early, so we have to come back after 7 o’clock. I wouldn’t understand that ever, but Geoff does speak Spanish! And he understand it as well! From now on I have to stick with Geoff no matter what. I still don’t have SIM card, address or internet connection, but we got Geoff, so, we should be OK!

Finally we settled in La Residentia and even done some shopping in local supermarket. Prices a bit better than in Australia, so we will survive.

By 8 o’clock we could see a dozen gliders above the launch. Mostly parked, they didn’t go anywhere in a hurry. By nine they all came down for beer in local pub. We recognise few faces, good to chat to people you met 10 or so years ago.

Piedrahita is something hard to describe. If you been to Manilla (who hasn’t?), it is nothing like it.

Buildings, roads and even fences build out of rocks. Some big rocks! About 800 years ago! Some of them anyway. And they looks that way as well. Tiny wiggly one way streets between stone walls. Big timber doors with century old handles. Most of them need adjustment (it’s renovator speaking). And a lot of storks, probably more than ibises on Gold Coast or flying foxes in Logan. And their nests are huge. And they are everywhere, including mobile tower.

All these baby stories are lies after all, otherwise Piedrahita would be at least size of New York.

I was told that storks are crap at termalling, but their nests are pretty good termal markers…

Spain is good place to be. Especially if you like beer or coffee. Not so good with tea. Most of the time people don’t understand why would someone want tea.

La Residentia is empty and echoed at the moment. View out of our window is much better than you would expect for 10 euros, including breakfast.

Dave got phone call. His glider arrived. Lucky Dave! Today is Wednesday, they promised to deliver it on Monday, in 5 days time. Apparently tomorrow is national holiday. I love the way they think and count! I also love Siesta. We have to have it in Australia!

At midnight we check my glider on internet – no traces of it. In my nightmares that night my glider deliverd to my home.

At 6 o’clock in the morning good news arrived. My glider in Madrid as well.

We drove back to Madrid, picked both gliders and got to Portugal without much drama.

On the way Geoff got us into camping shop in Salamanca, so Dave got his home now.