I know I normally write about bikes, surfing, kiting and other activities, but its no surprise that Im a fan of beer! Real ale and strong Europeans especially!
SO myself and a mate have been saving up a few rare and exotics ales recently, and finally decided that we had enough to justify opening them...and making a little evening of it at that!
So here is the main line up...
Ranging in strength from 5% to a massive 15% YES! You read right a 15% beer, this was the motely-crue of beverages we battled through.
KILL YOUR DARLINGS 5%, this Vienna style ale wouldnt be my usual tipple, with its orangey taste its too sweet for my liking, but was a greatly refreshing and tasty surprise. certainly not one to drink 5 or 6 pints of, but a great ale to have with a meal, or on a summers day, sat in a beer garden.
BREWDOG-HARDCORE IPA 9.2%- This is no special brew copy. Although it comes in at a solid 9.2%, its a full of flavour fizzy style real ale, thats bursting with hops. It almost tastes as if your drinking hope flowers neat out of the bottle. Ive bought this quite regularly, and its a cracking brew. A few of these will chill out the most stressful of days. If you havnt tried it, you should, or even one of brewdogs lighter ales. I really think this is the future of ale drinking, cold fizzy and full of flavour!
So beer no3, after a half a pint of Peroni to cleanse the pallet! Here it was, the much awaited...
BREWDOG, PARADOX JURA 15%!
Brew dog, love their novelty ales and also make a approx 30% and 40% beers. Prices arent cheap at around £15 a bottle for this one and the 30 and 40 percenters cost thirty and forty pounds respectively. These clearly arent designed for drinking by the pint!
Anyway, as it states on the bottle, this is a Stout brewed in Whiskey barrels, and it pretty obvious when you taste it. I can only describe the flavour as smokey, so imagine drinking a stout with a smoked cheese and whiskey flavour and thats as near to its taste as I can get. Weve all heard the saying "It'll put hairs on your chest", but this will put hairs on your tongue! Certainly reaches parts other beers cant, but not one to be added to my shopping trolley again!
The finale...
PUY D'ENFER 8.5%
Im not sure of the full translation, but Enfer certainly means hell, so I nicknamed this Hell beer. :)
This award winning French beer, is certainly up there with the strong ones, but its taste doesnt lead you to believe that. It's certainly full of flavour, but its clever brewing has left it smooth and easily drinkable...maybe to drinkable considering its potent strength!
It was certainly the winner for me out of the above four ales, and one Ill buy again...if I can find it!
All in all a fun evening of beer tasting, Id like to say educating, but I think that would be pushing things a little far :P
It may be nearly November, and the temperature, at night especially has dropped considerably, but we've had some great weather; and it'd be rude not to make the most of it!
Weve also had some great surf as well, everything form huge 10 foot beach break to perfect peeling point break. So Ive been liberating a few hours during the day and getting myself wet.
As per usual the GoPro has been coming along to document the fun.
Heres one from my first session using the GoPro surf mount on the nose of the board, taken at a session at a really sheltered reef break near Aberdyfi.
The VW T25 got itself a night out as well recently. The forecast for both weather and surf looked good, so we nipped down to Tywyn and spent the night parked up on the sea front. After a gorgeous sunset and an evening in the van having fun we woke up to small clean surf, that continued to build through the day. Sol had some great waves as well, but was shocked by the change of temperature, as his last surf was in France in August!
Free Camping at its best!
The view from the v-dub was just as good in the morning as well
The day wasnt over after the beach tho, we headed straight to the skate park for Sol to work on his ever increasing bag of skate board tricks, and then capped the day off with a walk to the bearded lake.
All in an awesome weekend!
Heres a little footage of the surf from the weekend
So, Ive kindly had a Starkites Taina 9 meter to play with over the last couple of weeks. Weighing in at 88 kilos, given a pie or two Im no light weight and my usual day to day kite is an 11 meter Caution Mayhem, so a 9 wouldnt be my daily choice, but Im always up for a change and through working with kites for over 10 years now Ive flown a lot of kites and always enjoying trying new ones.
First impressions
So, the initial package set up looks great. The well designed bag is ample in size, and easy to get the kite out of and more importantly back into. I have a huge dislike for bags that are to small to easily get a kite back into after a session without extracting every last piece of air from the bladders, so a good start! The bag is nicely styled and could easily be mistaken or a quality ruck sack.
Open the bag and your greeted by a good quality sail cloth, still nice and crisp, even though Id been told this particular kite has had a good amount of use.
Im a big fan of keeping things simple and not over complicating matters, and the bar set up is just this. Simple twin control straps for depower and trimming the kite, which work easily, both in light wind and under pressure in stronger winds. Theres a large amount of throw on the bar, and those with shorter arms will certainly want to adjust the trim if they dont want to spend the whole session getting their arms stretched. The throw incidentally, works brilliantly in fully depowering the kite, but Ill speak more about this later.
Set up
The kite flies on four lines, and has a really simple bridle system. Once more, this is right down my street, keeping the simple is best principle alive! The rear lines attach directly to short leaders and the front lines attach to the minimal pulley system.
The kite pumps up quickly through the non return inflation valve, and deflates equally well via the deflate valve. The one pump system is solid, and inflates the kites three struts with no bother or need to twist tubes. The only factor I did have with the one pump system was that the shut off valves kept popping back open when trying to shut them off to lock the air into each chamber individually. This took a few attempts to get right and it would be very easy to not realise that the clamps hadnt been shut off properly.
The main depower activator on the bar is a solid plastic push away device. I worked well in tests, and was simple to re load and re launch. I personally preffer a textile mechanism, as Ive had sand jam units like this on other kites, but on my own tests here, this model worked well. Definitely worth giving your bar and especially this area a good wash down after sessions to ensure any sand is removed.
Flying
Launching
Self launching was pretty easy. My current kites are set up with a side line re ride system for safety, and the star kites use a centre line re ride. This means that you cant self launch using my preferred (leash around the foot strap, board covered in sand method), without attaching the leash directly to the chicken loop itself. This works well though, and launching is simple.
Self landing is simple. The push out on the bar de-powers the kite pretty close to 100%, maybe even a full 100%, I tested this in a solid and gusty 25 knots and it sat out of power with ease. (see video later).
The safety of landing the kite and de-powering it will fill any new kite surfers with masses of confidence!
UP in the air, the 9 meter Taina looks deceptively small, in my opinion for a 9 meter kite. Probably due to its lowish aspect ration compared to my Mayhems. Get it flying though and its power is far from small kite!
On my first session on the water, I knew I'd be pushing the kites low wind ability. With an agreed wind strength of 10-12 knots, (3 of us at the beach, the other 2 decided it wasnt worth even blowing up big kites), I set off into the flat water of Ynys las estuary on my crazy fly 132 x 41 twin tip, and after a couple of serious dives was up and riding. I really was shocked at the low wind grunt the kite produced, and wished now that Id set up the kite with the faster turn option on the kite itself to help produce a bit more power via quicker turning ability. After a longish down wind run, I amazed myself more by managing to carefully pilot my way back upwind, (much to the amazement of the two guys sat on the beach watching). So this was a 13.5 stone rider just about staying up wind on a standard twin tip in 10-12 knots. Pretty impressive.
Next session
Having tested the kites bottom end I now wanted to test it nearer the top of its capabilities. Sunday the 30th of September and weve got 20 knots gusting to 25 knots. Id normally not start to use my 9 meter Mayhem to 25 knots, unless I was using a surf board, but it would be ample for a solid sesh anyway.
On the water, the kite is stable and solid, the long throw on the bar coped well with the big gusts, but I did find the throw a little bit to much on standard setting, so de-powered a little to take a bit of this out.
With the kite being a lower aspect to what Im used to flying, I dint expect anything special from jumps, but on cranking my first well powered one in, I was pleasantly surprised and saw myself looking down from a good 25-30 foot within seconds. The other factor that stands out is how floaty it is on the way down. A lot of smaller kites can really drop you compared to bigger models, but this kept me hovering nicely, before a quick pull on my front hand had me landing smoothly. Jumping using this kite is so simple and really fun. It will get new or progressing kite surfers reaching heights they've only dreamed about within a couple of sessions,and the back up of the kites great de-power will furthermore fuel their confidence when doing so.
For wake style tricks the kite has heaps of pop and again is super stable. One hand can easily control the kite, and they seem to sit at 45% with little effort.
I did find the dumpier shape, slightly effected how far into the wind I could fly and sail, but it really wasnt a problem.
All in, a really good little kite with a great wind range. Jumps are big floaty and simple, and the kites stability is one of its big plus points. Build quality looks good, especially as the one I flew was a well used kite. The right areas are reinforced well, without being so heavy that it affects flying, with excess weight. I didnt get a chance to use the kite in surf, which is a real shame, as I think it would excel here. Its an ideal kite for people learning to progress quickly, learn new tricks or just have a plain easy kite to keep them powered. Personally I prefer a slightly higher aspect kite, and expect the Arawak model would probably be more my kinda kite. As already mentioned though, this is a smaller kite than Id normally use and a larger model could be a different kettle of fish.
I may have forgotten stuff here, as I prepare Sunday dinner in between typing, so please ask if theres any relevant areas of this kite your interested in.
Ill upload a video to go with this very soon. (and a few screen grabs from the GoPro)
Back form our epic French summer, and really need to add heaps to our travel blog...but it will have to wait while I get caught up with work!
Ive been doing more and more marketing work, so Im experimenting with adding links and feeds to you tube videos using 3rd party servers and software. SO here goes!
So I should be sat in a beach side camp site in Lacanau right now...but poor old Bessie the T25 had a little issue last night on the way home from an epic kite surf sesh at La palmyre. Teh clutch peddle has stopped working! I managed to get us home..just about, changing gear occasionally without the clutch, and praying that lights would turn to green in time to prevent stalling! The RAC are coming out tomorrow to see what needs to be done, so its xed fingers here that shes back on the road very soon.
Its not all bad though and it gives us some extra time with my parents.
I was gutted to find out yesterday that kite surfing has been banned on all of Royans beaches, so its no more kitesurfing on the door step form the folks's gaff. Just as well theyve sold it! On finding out I couldnt make the most of Royan's beaches I headed up the coast 20 mins to my so far fave French kitesurf spot, la Palmyre. Its a massive lagoon, probably about 3 square miles, and at high tide is all about a foot deep. heaps of others kite surfers but theres plenty of room. The wind was a solid 17-18 knots so I headed out powered up on the 14 meter Caution Mayhem for an epic afternoon of kitesurfing in Board shorts!
The rest of oour time if you hadnt guessed has been spent eating French food, especially these crevettes which I cooked up with chilli and garlic oil yesterday and taking the kids to the beach. Sols skim boarding is coming on leaps and bounds, and Dharma is clocking up some serious miles on her bike
Wanting a change from the beach, we visited Talmont today, which is the village next to Barzan plage where were staying. Its a beautiful village with an amazing church,( not that I'm really into churches).
So, heres hoping that next time I write will be from back in the van, parked up somewhere similar to this, next to a beach and taking a break form driving in the shade!
So we've been here a week already. Shocking how quickly time goes, but at the same time we've had some great fun!
A few shots I took from inside the shore break, just before it all unloads up the beach!
I finally got myself some surf yesterday, and obviously took the GoPro with me to get some footage. It was classic powerful close out hitting the beach French surf. Not great, but made all the better to be out there wearing boardies and getting a tan at the same time. Cote Sauvage is a great area, with long sandy beaches and plenty of trees to shelter under if you need to get out of the sun.
Sol has been loving his skim board, and is getting out daily. he must have had a five hour session yesterday, and pretty much collapsed and slept the second we got in off the beach in the evening.
here he is...
Faye and Dharma have been loving the beach and sea as well. Dharma has really enjoyed playing about in the smaller surf and Faye has been taking regular cool down brakes, but isn't letting it effect her tanning time ;)
Bodhi has been chilling out and keeping out of the heat a bit at my Parents house. With daily temps usually topping around the high 30's walks are strictly first thing or late evening. Theres plenty of choice of cliff tops or beaches and we've also managed a couple of mountain bike sessions to keep him up to pace!
Taliesin and Bodhi enjoying a cool evening walk
Were all a bit beached out today, especially the kids. SO were having a lazy day relaxing at the folks and will probably take a dip in the sea this afternoon to chill out a bit.
The plan was...to cross over to Lacanau area this weekend, but the wind is due to go onshore which will wreck the surf, so to maximise water sport conditions I'm planning on staying her for a few extra days to hopefully kite surf at St Georges de didonne.
I'm still extensively researching 9% plus European lagers, its a tough job but some one has to do it, a sample of the best ones will be coming back to Wales with me, so people of Pennal prepare yourselves for a surprise :D
So, after 700 miles of driving, a 8 hour ferry and a some serious prep, were finally chilling out in France. The weather is absolutely perfect, and all is good :-)
The final 2 days of preparation were manic, packing, getting the van ready and other various bits, like money, insurance, etc, etc ,etc.
By the time wed driven 300 miles to Portsmouth the van was clearly ready for a stop! I was pleased to see the next morning after sleeping at the port, that wed used hardly any water or oil so far and the engine was sounding great after a rest.
We jumped on a earlier ferry than planned an did the day crossing, to Caen. This was spent in the following order:
* Cooked breakfast
* Pint
* Sleep
* Cinema
A view looking out from Talmot, the village next to my parents home.
The 8 hours flew by, Bodhi coped well in the van down in the hull, helped along by his new bone, and before we knew it we were travelling down through France.
We spent the first night camping at a small and very pretty village called Veigne just south of Toures, and then as soon as we were up the next day continued down to My parents in Barzan plage, near Royan, and the first fixed stop of the trip at my parents house. Made even better as we havnt seen them for 3 months since they moved out here.
The T25, (now named Bessie, by Faye and the kids), Parked up at St George, near Royan
The t25 really did us proud on the way down. faye wasnt well due to a bout of man flue! So I navigated and drove the whole way. I spent a lotg of time drafting lorries to save on fuel and cut down wind noise. Thsi worked really well, and we maintained a steady 60mph most of the way down. Although shell happily sit at 70mph, I didnt want to push things, so we plodded along, and even had the heaters on a lot of the way with the windows open, just to help keep the engine cool.
SO....Were hearin Royan for a while, mainly chilling out, walking the dog/s, cycling the local cliff path and of course doing three of my favourite French things.. eating, drinking and sun bathing!
No kitesurf or surf action yet...there has been wind, but usually not until the sea breeze kicks in around 5pm, by which Ive normally started getting stuck into 9% European ales! This will change, and theres some things I just have to get out of my system :-D ha ha.
One of the local farm crops here is Sun flowers. The miles and miles of fields are awesome to drive by
Its my Birthday tomorrow, and it looks like the only place locally with good wind will be La Palmare, which is one of my favourite French kite spots, so Ill be heading up there to get some blue juice if the forecast does what it says.
Weve owned our F reg 1989 VW t25 camper van for about 4 months now. Weve done a lot of overnight and weekend trips locally in it and everything is pretty much set up as it is.
Ive spent many an evening removing any rust, treating the metal and rebuilding up the body work, and it seems to have all paid off. Its all smooth and sealed now, it is in need of a spray job, but thatll have to wait until we get back and start saving again!
Ive added a bolt on 3 bike rack to the rear of the van, as were all keen cyclists, (this will be for 3 bikes and Dharma's 4th little bike, which Im going to magically balance on the others...I hope!
Its been to the garage for new brake pads, a bearing adjustment and a new fan belt, the oil is fresh and she seems ready to go!
The only thing thats been giving me stress is were to store or carry surf boards! As a surfer of about 20 years, thered be no point in owning a camper van if I didnt surf boards on it to take to beachy destinations. This particular camper has an especially high top, which slopes, so a conventional rack cant be used. SO..once again it means I have to retro fit or make a rack to fit it. Ive played with canoe J bars on the side, but I wasnt happy with the extra width and wind resistance, so its back to the top!
Im planning on getting this done on Saturday so when its all done, or so I hope Ill add some photos of what Ive done to carry my 9foot surf board on top of the van!
Weve stripped out the cupboards and relocated everything in a manner that will hopefully suit a month long trip and 4 people living in the relatively small space.
Other than that, all I need to do is get a water container and pack it ready to go! Im limited to 2 x kites in one bag, so itll be the 11 and 14 meter cautions and one kite board.
Dharma insisting she shows off her own bedroom window.
Mission find sun and surf is now only 6 days away!
I havnt posted for a good few weeks, as Ive been pretty much all blogged out!
Ive got a new part time post, running social media and co-ordicating online marketing for a Ski instructor school based in Valdisere. SO my own blogs loss has been another blogs gain. Its going well and I really enjoy it, but Ive slacked off on my own work. Heres a link to the company Im optimising for...
Find out more
SO! This is where I'm at!
Ive been working hard on various projects, and as the kids and the Wife are all going to be off work as of next Wednesday, we've decided to take most of the summer off and go touring France in our 1989 VW t25 camper van. Not some peoples idea of fun, but its certainly ours.
Well be keeping ourselves a blog diary of events and what we get up to on here, so if your interested please follow us. Ill probably link it all through Twitter on @shemKSW
Obviously Ill be taking the GOPro, so Im hoping therell be lots of footage of all sorts finding its way on to here. Ill be carrying on with marketing work, so Ill be online a couple of days a week to upload fun stuff and keep the blog going.
Where do I start?
Weekend of 9/10th June 2012. Weve just come back from a dry weeks holiday in Scotland, during which back home Wales got a week of battering from rain and wind.
On our first day back, we realise just how wet its been; the drains arent coping and rivers are all bank high. The next day, things are worse. Our village, Pennal has suffered its worst flooding in over 20 years, and the local pub and our good friends house have 2-3 foot of water inside them, as well as a selection of other houses set near the river in the village.
Saturday is spent knee deep in water, clearing the pub and home next door, then hosing them back down and starting other clearing such as ripping out carpets and other furnitre. Glyn the local land lord puts on 2 barrels of ale, and every one has a few beers and mucks in. Community spirit was high, and amazingly people even commented on enjoying the day, that real spirit for you!
Heres a picture of the quarry on the day, taken by Martyn Dickinson, that had cycled up to take a closer look!
Sunday morning and a sunny start to the day, all must be good! Oh no, theres 2 helicopters flying around the village mountain, police in 4x4 vehicles and so on. Having an enduro motor bike I shoot up the mountain to see whats happening, and it turns out the old village quarry/damn has had a land slide, filled up with water and has 6million gallons of water suspended above the water...to top it off theres a split in the supporting wall! NOT GOOD!
To cut it short, were all evacuated, (I hang around wanting to watch), Village turns into a media circus of tv crews and has more security services than the Queens jubilee had!
By 7pm, a local contractor has done a 10 hour digger shift and the pressure is eased..and we all get to go home, phew, what a weekend.
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