There is something about the Mediterranean attitude, the latin mood, the relax, la vida loca, the laidback-ness.

Also the always and ever present abrasos (hugs), the kissing of the friends, the warmth amongst its people.

And there are colours, kids everywhere. Terraces are full with people having a tapa, chatting in the evening breeze, a stroll in the park with the family, and the friends, the neighbours, tremendous.

But you have to make an effort and go out, meet the spanish, meet the spanish life-style.

Don't go to the 'Dick Turpin's '-bar, don't go to the quiz, don't go karaoke, have something else than beans on toast.
Look, check out, what Spain has to offer, and you will not be dissapointed. It's fantastic.

Of course the sun has lots to do with it. It makes life so easy, so warm.

Life starts at 5 pm, a la cinco de la tarde, that's also when the bullfights start and this since ages.

That's when we are out to play. Spread our wings and have fun over the mountains. From 5 pm, temperatures are more mellow, thermals are more inviting.

On the photo the fun we had today. And all this fun, after enjoying the Med, the beach, the food, the siesta.... . It's fantastic.

Foto by Allan (www.glide.dk)

Cliffs of Santa Pola. Lot less pilots today monday. Conditions were thermal dynamic, not so strong as yesterday. It all eased down at 7 pm, all landed near the beach-bar for the refreshing coronita on the beach.

Flying with the sea breeze, temperatures in the upper 30's. We were the

first to arrive at 5 pm, immediately flying.

Soon more pilots arrived, at 8 pm, ther were about 25 pilots in the air. Verano !

Foto's, take off Niviuk Artik, Boomerang Sport, and then the flights over Onil.

Life is like a nose as I told you before, you have to get everything out of it.
We did. We left for Reconco, probably the site where we could have been surprised with some convergence. South in the valley and east up high. But it wasn't epic.
The nice thing was meeting the pilots from the other valleys lets say and spend the flights together. Thermals got bitchy at some point although only +3 m/s. Hard to find them, and not easy to follow.
Champ of the day, who else ¿ Rafa again, took off first and landed last, transition towards Santa Anna.
We had a plan to follow the ridges to Santa Anna, Biscoy. We took off together, but as soon as I saw him getting low I headed out to try the lee-side thermals (off the western faces in the sun at that hour, sheltered from the eastern winds) and then the thermals of the industrial zone of Onil. Managed to climb out a bit, but soon after plan b to get to the industrial zone it was a mistake, only sink and cobblestones. When landed for the first time, I saw Rafa still very low over the ridges. Very low, thinking he would have to land on the slope any second now.
When I got back up again we all flew, conditions got somewhat better. The air got cooler, the sea breeze crawled under the hot air of the day. It was a matter of taking off fast and find the uprising air on the front ridges. Had some good thermals but nothing epic as said before. After half hour fighting headed down for the rewarding freshdrinks after a hot day.
And who all of a sudden showed up near take off, Rafa of course.
When he saw me he was a bit dissapointed that I hadn't followed him scratching those hills. Sorry Raf, next time I will tiptoe with you over the ridges, you are a champion, a natural. We all know, there is no doubt.
(Rafa never reads this blog, don't worry, but actually why worry, he's not the redneck type at all)

See you tomorrow !

Morning, midday, late afternoon, evening.
An ordinary day of flying in Alicante in summer,
it doesn't get much better.

Relax and fly.

As a result of my cameralens not opening fully I took these shots. Not bad eh ? Above Nick senior Brit, Achim German pilot, Hendrie ex-international rugby player from Holland. Alex your foto will be on it tomorrow, today's was not the cutest.

We flew at Carrasqueta, mainly because we wanted to change sites. We were planning to fly to the peak of Jijona, see picture 4. But thermals were too weak, inversion, high pressure.
Only Rafa managed to make the transition to the village and bummed trying to find thermals over the valley.
I was turning every little climb I found, because as I saw everybody bumming out, it would have been a nightmare to walk up. My Niviuk Artik did the job.

Look closely at this picture, isn't there something wrong ?
I see the pilot flying backwards with leading edge so behind him. But risers are not twisted ? Hm... who the hell would that be.

Never could understand why people talked so much about après-ski. Everybody tired, all dressed in big pullovers, boots, hats, just getting drunk, listening to out-fashioned music in caves or unpleasant hotel-bars.

I prefer the après-fly !
Ok you have to pack the glider first, and this in the heat. But with some assistance it's ok. And after that there is a refreshing drink with your friends. And the obligate jump in the pool !

One of the foto's is taken by Rasta Scott !

Happy people at Cabo again.

On the foto below, the container near my house. Yes, even grandma's wheelchair has to be dumped.

Sea breeze kicking in. We will wait till temperatures die off, wind dies off to go fly again. Guaranteed. 5.30 see you there.

I was just having a coffee at the ciosco Susy this morning and I DID IT !!

Spanish tend to leave rubbish behing. So this morning again, I saw the whole terrace wiping off their faces after their morning tapa and throwing the napkin on the ground. No not even laying it on the table.

With the wind, all napking were blowing around, on the street, in the palmtrees, nobody took notice but me, I think. Weird behaviour. It's one of the things hard to understand down here. But you have to get used to it, although it is sick.

But I DID IT !!

I had a tapa, wiped my face, and threw the napkin on the ground myself. Looking around with a bit of a guilt feeling if somebody saw it. Nobody gave me the evil eye. Uf ! DID IT !

Minutes later I was in my car heading back home. In front of me, young men, early twenties. At the red light. Throwing out a plastic bag with rubbish, just like that on the street.

I used to talk to those people, in my (very) broken spanish. They always looked at me, what the fuck¡s he talking about. A couple of times I picked up the filth they threw out, and threw it back into their car. Instead of getting angry, they looked at me as if I was an alien.

Anyway I stopped doing this, don't worry.

But it is very common to see people throwing things, plastic bags, filth on the street, it is very common to see baby napkins on the beach. Filthy, showing of no self-respecting behaviour.

Last night I was having a walk with Paco and Kath on the beach. Everywhere filth, even glass beer bottles just laying in the sand. No, not one, but several all over the beach. Unbelievable.

Something ecudational should change, but when, it is already 2007, and we're all Europeans. Spite all rock-concert trying to save the planet, environmental conscience is very very low down here.

A blog is personal, and I don't care if I write down words which could offend people, although it will never be my intention. It is and should be a personal view on things, to be read by all who is interested.

I love it down here, don't misunderstand. Just in case the ministry of tourism is reading this -hey if you hire me in as a tourist guide, I will be critical !!!

Fantastic summer evening. All day too much wind, very hot. Beach weather, with every 15 minutes obligatory jumps in the water to cool down. Feeling alive.
At 6.30 pm, I took off with Rafa, it was great at the Cabo.
Tandems, lots of pilots, good fun.
Again a fantastic summer evening of flying.

See you later in the season or early next year Doogle !

A day off, too much west wind. Toix was probably flyable, but a bit out of our league with the present pilots.

I get late bookings lately, by pilots who live up north. The weather in England and Scandinavia really has been a nightmare since april. I understand they want to come down, see some sun, beach, and gets lots of flying in.
Some of them ask if there are things to do for the family.
Well I tell you what, I think this is one of the best regions in whole europe to bring your family down.
Without selling the Costa Blance of Spain as a tourist guide, I like to sum up what families can do, whatever they prefer :
- culture, Elche , biggest palmtree- park in Spain/Europe, cathedral, Alicante castle and old parish.
- culture/history, castle route, Castalla, Sax, Peter, Villena, Biar, Novelda, all with their own castles, not overrun by tourism (yet !)
- leisure, beach, beach and more beach
- leisure/sport, amusement parks like Terra Mitica, Terra Natura
- watersport, one of the bigget Aqua-parks in Europe in Benidorm, 30 minutes away from us

What else ? Kite surfing, Santa Pola is the site where in August the nationals are held. Go karting, diving, sailing, jeep safari's, mountain biking, paintball, rock climbing ....

You want to shop ? Elche is shoe city number TWO, Milan Italy is number one, but you'll sure find your thing at spanish prices by the way in Elche. Many malls with all kinds of boutiques.

Food ? Well Paella is our main dish. Gambas, calamares, ensaladilla rusa.
Drinks ? SANGRIA !!
Olé !

Magy and Pep (oh the body !....) and Bob (but an old foto, couldn't resist Bob) the bushman of Santa Pola.
Magy and Pep stayed a couple of days, they are pilots from Tarragona up north in Catalonia. Hope you will be back guys, see you take care.

In the afternoon we left for inland flying again. At 5 pm, already flyable. Toni Blacker, Kath, Nick, Erwin, Eric, Dave, Toon, John in the air.
Struggling at bits, to get into the thermals. Cloudbase not the highest, but playing till 8 pm.

I had a tandem flight with my Paco, my 8 year old at Palomaret. We flew at the coast already, and now did it inland. It is always different flying with your kid. Always a little bit more nerveus, challenging.
I never asked him to fly with me, I waited till the day he asked. And the first time that was when he was 6.

Hot day, waitingfor thermals to calm down. Flew at 5 pm, solo first, too rough for tandem. But pleased passengers with superflight later on.

When it died off we still registered thermals

+ 5 m/s. Although cloudbase was only 400 m above take off, it still was big fun. Especially for first time visitors at Alicante.

More flying at Palomaret today. As wel at La Molla and Carmen had her flight on her own at Cabo.
It was special with special friends.
Rafa managed to fly from Palomaret to La Molla where most of our club members flew. At La Molla on this dates you fly over the procession carrying the wholy virgin around town. Then you all go land and celebrate her arrival at the little chapel.
Fiesta, the spanish way.

Hi mom !

Had a day off flying. I know my buddies were flying inland from afternoon onwards. I took my family out to the wonderful theme park near Benidorm, Terra Mitica.

If you are down here for a flying trip with us, you should visit this park on our rarely non-flyable days.

Great rides, wild togobans, scary wild water rides, hair rising rollercoasters, etc... .

On the side the karting track of Finestrat, where you can race.

'Hang' they called it in the scandinavian countries. Means soaring. And that's what we were up to at the cliffs of Santa Pola.
But for some of us the winds were too off to the south, so more thermals than 'hang' actually.
Enjoyed it though, scratching and circling the tiny bits.
But hot, humid, sweaty today And inland such a big inversion couldn't dream of walking up Hondon. Another day for that.

You couldn't see El Cid from the coast. Early morning fog, high presure. Inversion.

Left in the afternoon to fly tandems with Paul and Claudio from Argentina.

Their first time in the air, under a paraglider, loved it. Gonna follow a course in Valencia, cause that's where they live.

Cloudbase was not so high, but it all gave us opportunity to circle up the thermals and refine our skills.

God, if we practice that much, knowing up north they still don't fly, we're gonna be champs be the end of summer !