Archive | Germany

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It’s snowing in the UK! Plus some skiing in Germany

Posted on 13 February 2009 by admin

This is the view outside my window as we speak (or as I blog I suppose)

Yes – The UK has had some more of that white stuff that always happens to be the wrong type or the wrong quantity, giving everybody a brilliant excuse to take a day off of work and go play like big children.

The orange glow, of course, comes from light pollution and low flying clouds (the ones that are currently dumping snow across our region). Light pollution is a pain, but tonight it created a surreal atmosphere, where you really would believe that the yobs in the yob estate next to us had finally set fire to the ugly tower block – and you thought I was going to get all surrealistic on you! Ha!

I’m not going to go into one of those rambles about why adults turn into big snowball lobbing, sledge dodging kids whenever snow arrives, they just do. FACT - now deal with it.

What I will say though is that it has also snowed all across Europe, which is brilliant because next week I will be skiing in Germany!

Germany? Skiing?

Yup, many people I speak to somehow find it hard to comprehend that there is actually a veritable feast of ski resorts in Germany. The fact that the Tirol Valley, which hosts such delights as St Anton and Kitzbühel is only a stone’s throw away is something that most people seem to forget!

You will find that that ski passes in Germany are also a fair amount cheaper than their Swiss, French or Austrian counterparts.

This price difference is also reflected in the food and accommodation costs. The old adage that if you’re a vegetarian you will have the option of “bread, salad or bread and salad” is slowly dying away. Not that I am too bothered really, there is nothing better than a Currywurst mit Pommes! In fact I believe almost 90% of my food budget is spent on this option!

As for accommodation, well, I am holidaying with my parents this time round and we are taking the ultimate holiday wagon with us! We will not be staying in a campsite thought. Oh no – we will be staying in a car park, a car park that has eclectic hookup and about a hundred other vans! Welcome to Stelplatzes. I honestly can’t think of an English term for it. “Pitch” is the literal translation but “Stay Place” is more on the mark.

These places are awesome. With a camper van you have most of your facilities with you, so staying in a campsite defies the purpose of your wagon. These places have become incredibly popular all across Europe and you can find one in almost every town, city or place of note! Except in the UK, of course, we don’t like them slow travelling folk, oh no!

So there it is guys and girls, I will be staying in a car park near a place that in slang translation means “Burning Penis” next to the village of “Wank” and they say the Germans’ have no sense of humour!

Also – here’s a wee note to go have a look at a blog from Jennifer L Price, a traveller based in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where I skied only last month! (LINK) If only I knew then. We truly are a global community.

Welcome one and all.

As usual, please click here to leave a comment -If you don’t I’ll send the wrong kind of snow to your town!

(A FEW MORE PICTURES WILL BE COMING ONCE BLOGGER IS WORKING PROPER AGAIN)

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Rule Number 6, Euro Travel and Skiing

Posted on 17 December 2008 by admin

Wooo – so I have finally managed to tear myself away from applying for jobs, packing for my skiing holiday, trying to build a better template for this blog and my normal daily work to bring you guys all an update – see the things I do for you ey! haha!

(That was of course sarcasm, unfortunately the internet does not have a sarcasm button – I think I might invent one)

So – how are you wonderful people?

First stop is a little life lesson. Don’t worry I’m not gonna get all self help on your ass!
I have just one thing to say… Rule Number 6. This is the only rule you really ever need in this life.

This rule comes from Benjamin Zander you can watch the video here. If you are having a crap day, or just an ordinary day, or even a good day. Go and watch this video. You will feel good afterwards. That I promise you.

I shall tell you all what Rule Number 6 is in the next post – it will spoil the video other wise.

After that life afferming lesson, how is the hunt for jobs going I hear you ask?

Well – I have found out that getting an overland job is going to be a lot harder than I thought (I never thought it would be a walk in the park by any stretch) and that some of the companies that were interested in me were a little “shady” and were known about the internet as bad payers, poor on safety and a whole host of other issues.

Since then, and after some replies to my post on the Thorn Tree Forum, I have decided to focus more on starting off within Europe. First hit on this was Busabout.com

These guys offer a “Hop-on-Hop-off” service throughout Europe and pretty much looks like a bloody good job.

You can download their 2009 brochure here (click clunk)

I don’t know about pay or anything as yet, but I’ve never really been in it for the money. Which is possibly one of the biggest problems I have being a salesman as I am currently!

So – a slight change to the original plan, but I told you it was going to be a long journey. I am most probably going to start off in a non-driving job whatever path I choose. Most insurance policies start from 23 or 25… which is just a mighty pain in the rear!

I’m off now to find more of these types of companies and keep the fires burning, but before I go….

There probably won’t be anymore blog posts until after the New Year. I’m off skiing!

We shall be driving down to Garmisch Partenkirchen and staying in the Alpencamp Wank – yes you did hear that correctly. We shall be skiing on Mount Wank.

I will offer a prize of 100 Entrecard credits to the person who gets the best joke about skiing in wank by the time I return – the 8th January 2009! Post your entry in the comments section below.

Oh and below should be the daily webcam image from where we are staying in our campervan in Wank… I’m starting to wonder if the use of this word will increase the search engine statistics or just get my blog blocked by all this NSFW stop things. OOPS!

And here’s another image of the pistes we shall be on…

I am hoping that these images will keep refreshing. They are taken from the webcam’s feed and that location is put into blogger directly. So you never know. I suppose the only way to find out is to keep coming back!

Well, I’m off back to work now – and to planning the ski-trip.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Happy Travellin’

Overland Si

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