Louise

Thank you all!! Generally speaking I'm not keen on celebrating my birthdays but last nightwas actually a good one (just wish I hadn't had to work all day yesterday!)! Got some great gifts, had a mostly fun evening with my friends... Not a bad one! Thanks for all the birthday wishes!

Robb, "A Little Respect" from 6000 miles away was an AWESOME birthday present, I loved it, thank you guys!! And the quality was really good, I could hear you guys yelling to me, the crowd singing, AND Andy singing!! I'd totally forgotten what an awesome song "Stop" is, I really need to dig out the Greatest Hits album now!! You just got instantly 406% cooler for saying that you like Depeche Mode. Another of my old favourites. Depeche Mode, Erasure, Tears for Fears, Duran Duran, the Police, Wham, Dexy's, Spandau Ballet, Foreigner... God I love the '80s.

It might be the vodka I've consumed tonight, but that update seriously just brought a tiny tear to my eye! The last couple of days of the trip are always so bittersweet, you know how much fun you're gonna have and try and make the most of it, but it's sad knowing it's all coming to an end and you have to say goodbye to people. I really want to echo Hector's thoughts in thanking Robb and Elissa for another amazing trip, and giving equal thanks to all the AWESOME people I hung out with both in Spain and in Germany/the Netherlands, it was great to meet you all/see you all again, and I had so much fun. Thanks for the mini updates Robb, looking forward to seeing the big ones!

I was planning to, but not if it's this Friday!

I was told that X:\WTF was barely any better after it's [insert figure] million pound refit. Having ridden Troy, I'm now seriously considering starting a major "Alton needs a GCI woodie" campaign. And I'm usually far too lazy to campaign for anything. We need to think of some campaigning techniques that haven't been used before, ones that will actually *work*. And shut up the Ropers.

*saying nothing*

Wow Robin, insane pics!! I'm assuming you scanned them into your computer: do you have higher resolution bigger versions?? There are one or two I think would make AWESOME desktops!! Thanks for sharing, a really great unique report.

Wow Robin, I *love* the way these are processed!! I didn't even notice that you were snapping with an actual film camera, shock horror! Was wonderful to meet you, hope we'll end up on another trip together at some point! Looking forward to seeing the rest of the pictures!

^ Talocan is INSANE, one of my favourite flat rides of all time. It's the combination that makes it so great: the effects are amazing, and the program is good too, especially compared to most of the Spanish top spins, which seemed to have pretty tame programs in comparison. You feel the heat from the fire, especially in the front, where the jets are timed perfectly with your view a you flip, and your feet get splashed, but you don't actually get wet the way you do on some. If you begin facing the back, you can get VERY misted, but again, not actually wet. I really really hope that the ride is maintained well and the effects and program aren't diminished as it ages... I'd hate to go back next year or in five years and feel "meh" about the ride, as I really did love it.

Agreed. Tornados hit over here, they make the news bigtime. Especially if they hit some kind of attraction or tourist destination. Not that Flamingoland is our biggest and most popular park but... Yeah, I'm thinking it's a funnel cloud too.

^^ LOL, I didn't even notice that in that picture!! Sangria helped me to forget. I think it only happened maybe three times. Just too many cameras around on every occasion.

Talking to yourself is the new black, I guess. My first kiss was with Steve Guttenberg when I was about 9. In my dreams of course.

^ I understand that in some circumstances even being around alcohol can be difficult, but as an example, I only drank alcohol two maybe three nights, most of the time many of us were on soft drinks, and out of 48 people, I'd say most nights there were only about 20-25 of us in the bars. There's always plenty of activity going on elsewhere, in Madrid people would walk down to McDonald's, in Benidorm we all sat around/in the pool, on the UK trip last year there were several nights where people congregated in hotel rooms, either in large groups or in twos and threes so we could chat quietly... Obviously the temptation will always be there, but I'd say no more so really than in daily life.

^ LOL, you beat me to it!! I was just about to say, regarding this caption: We WERE both calm! Both of us were loving it up there, as we were waiting in the queue I kept waiting to get nervous and it freaked me out when I didn't, until Robb sat in the seat in front and I kid you not, the whole thing rattled! THEN we were worried! And hell, as much as I can make "Robb is fat" jokes all day, he really isn't *that* fat, certainly not big enough that he should make a Starflyer wobble. But anyway. My laughing face in that one pic says it all, EGF just made me giggle! Dave Lawrence described the first drop as a "religious experience", which I agree with, but those trims... Yeah, it's trimmed hard, and you REALLY feel it in the back. Still an incredible coaster though, I can imagine how amazing the whole ride would be if the trims were lighter.

Regarding my scared/comedic face on that slide, as I came around the corner I realised that John was still standing there about to lift his mat off the slide and I was going to collide with it... or more to the point, I was going to collide with HIM, as he was leaning into the slide to pick the mat up. He moved just in time, and I then had to leap out to avoid being slammed into by Jeff behind me.

Great pics Jamez!! I'm so glad we got to hang out a bit more on this trip, I have vivid memories of conversations while waiting in line for Condor. Can't believe you have so much hate for Baco that you say it "fails at life"...!! After the first day I really liked it but didn't love it, but the two rides I got on the last day I REALLY loved it! It's not in my top ten or anything, but I really liked it a lot! A Fabbri Airdiver, is that what that thing was?? I so wanted to do that. But I wasn't gonna take 45 minutes or more to wait in line for it, sacrificing a bunch of other stuff. There were a good half a dozen things on this trip that I failed at actually riding mostly due to poor time management and/or me not realising I wanted to ride them until about half an hour before we left the park, LOL. Just gives me a reason to go back!

Jon, Jamez bought pants either in Germany or just before we left Spain. I think he'd finally reached his limit with the shorts. Fixed that quote for you Dave.

Umm, no, the price is in US Dollars. I just clicked again and actually watched my address bar, and when I click that link it takes me to this address: http://www.uk.abercrombie.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?colorSequence=02&storeId=12406&productId=328772&parentCategoryId=12202&categoryId=12236&langId=-1&catalogId=10901 ...which is the UK site and which has the price listed at 398 GBP. Which means if I buy them from the UK site I pay twice as much as if I buy them from the US site! WTF!!

Yeah, I gotta say, with no disrespect to anybody else or their cameras, it really does pay to carry around the stuff Hanno does, these pictures are amazing. I also like that they're almost exclusively candid shots, even though sometimes it makes for less flattering photos, it's great to see the *real* people as opposed to how we all are when we're posing and being silly. Thanks for sharing, Hanno, keep 'em coming!

^ LOL at your signature!! That's awesome!!!

Umm, guys, that's the UK Abercrombie site, it's £398. As in, 398 POUNDS. So in actual fact that's almost $800 in US money.

^ I tried to blackmail you guys into coming along, I told you!

Yeah, as far as *other* flat rides go, Talocan is by far the best Top Spin and certainly one of the best flat rides that I've ever been on. But basically, Bouncy Bouncy > every other flat ride. Well, Bouncy Bouncy > sex, so... Yeah. Bouncy Bouncy > everything else on the planet.

OMFG, I just literally BURST out laughing at that for a good two minutes!! LOL at the whole accent discussion. I'm sad that Jow was able to understand me, and that he didn't sound more Southern. I kinda figured our night in Dusseldorf would be entertaining if neither of us could understand a word the other was saying. Klotten was fun. Shame it isn't bigger, but I'd rather have a small park where everything is fun than a big park with lots of filler rides. I never did find out why you guys were calling them "Sea pigs"... what did I miss?! Oh, and Dave, I think cheating slowed down your momentum. Honesty always pays.

70+ pages, and still my favorite quote thus far. Scott "Yeah, what's with British folks having a British accent?" B. Hey, it might be funny to you, but for me, that kind of revelation is rather traumatic!! I had no idea I sounded British, and finding out from a stranger on an internet forum... that's just cruel.