part 5 French alps

This is going to be the final post of the holiday. I can't believe how long it is taking me, but I have the kids home and other commitments taking my time.

Since I already posted some about the Alps and bikers and flowers, I can say that it was a lovely drive back to Günter's fathers airfield (he doesn't own it but lives there for 6 months of the year--it is very small). Just to clarify, since some people have asked, Manfred did NOT go with us on the trip to the Riviera but we just did things with him when we were at his airfield--so there are pictures with him in the car with us.

We had planned to take a small aircraft ride but the pilot didn't show up. I guess there is a joke about the laid-backness of the French on matters like this but when he did arrive we made the apointment for the next day and he set an alarm on his cell phone so he wouldn't forget!

We watched some others take off in the plane we would fly in.

It is a French sports monoplane Remo 180 that is used to pull the gliders up into the air. Then we went over to take a look at Günter's father's glider.

The kids had fun sitting in it and Niki even pulled the stick and pulled the microphone to his mother "to call Oma". Funny.

img src="http://www.karpworld.com/pictures/IMG_5080.JPG">

There are some restrictions to flying gliders: kids ar not allowed to fly in the gliders until they are 12 years and there is a weight limit also for adults.

Manfred showed us how he has an engine to help lift him to better air currents if needed.

After that Günter and his father took the kids shopping and go-karting and I took a much needed nap (it is not very restful to sleep between these two kids that toss and turn all night).

When they came back we drove up the nearby Alps and hiked around.

We were there until dinner time and went to Barcelonette to a resturant (you saw the pictures of my fish and Günter's wurst in the post about French Food).
Afterwards the kids enjoyed following the lights build in the ground aound past store shops as we made our way back to the van. Apparently it was a French holiday so there were fireworks going off too.

The next day we DID get to have our airplane ride. I sat in the back with Niki by the window. He enjoyed the taxiing and take off, but I had to keep up his enthusiasm through the site. At times Jenna got bored and started bugging him so I tried to disarm that quickly. Günter was up front with the pilot. Günter's father actually made the flight plan so we would go by his favorite sites. It was lovely seeing places you can't go by car or foot.

After landing we said goodbye to Günter's father and hit the road.

While driving through Switzerland I thought the Alps look a lot like the Rocky Mountains. So even if you never get to travel to the Alps, if you have been to Utah or Colorado, you have a good idea.

There. The post is finished. Of course there were several days of unpacking, laundry and groceries.

Posted by Krista at July 29, 2008 12:05 PM