Tuesday, May 27, 2008

My Parrot And A Mirror

The bird will fly there?

Saturday 24 in the morning, we start with a rental car towards the Eastern Townships, east of Montreal! A flick of Highway Number 10 and some minor roads later we are all 2 to Granby, a town in US-European accent, which extends primarily along the highway with malls, cinemas and restaurants in an atmosphere of post-industrial to Houston, then that cowers like a little French village around its church, its main street and the theater finally opened, just to the east, on his flagship, the lake.

Picnic and Swiss knives "pocket", we drive the "rank of the Mountain", a small road to the middle class suburb like California, which brings us to the feet of a tiny mountain like "Promontory" Perigord. There, between a tank of rainwater that bears striking resemblance to a grain silo in the American deep south (perhaps was it before?) And a small shed-like mistake to that of the Aviation Club Dad, extends Field Landing ... Paragliders and hang gliders!

A crowd of bon vivants Quebecois is massed around the picnic table of the club, the laughter can be heard from afar. Everybody - almost - has focused much of the area. With our small Parisian accent, you get noticed! As for Nicolas ... It is by its size it is remarkable! Upon taking his first course of hang gliding, few hours later, in tandem with a small québecoise my waist and assisted by two Quebecois not much bigger, it touches the canvas with his head ... And has no trouble lifting the glider despite its weight!

The beginning of the training
The result: you must be hang gliding ....


And run!


After 2 hours of ground school to run against the wind is waiting: be able to fly today?

Finally, the course will be delivered to Sunday: the wind is too strong, it would be dangerous to jump from the top of the mountain, which is more in tandem with the teacher: the weight of the glider would be too great.

Do not worry, we will rest a little. The B & B "La Fleur du Lac" is waiting nearby on the main street of Granby, with its walls painted red and all white room. Nap, reading, this is a long time since we did not have as much "for taking the time!

The day will end with a flourish by the discovery of a charming small grocer Algerian who served us tea mint and a baklava that he wishes to offer us and we enjoy the sound of Arabic music, surrounded by roses sand and fragrant spices. He talks in Algiers, problems of fundamentalism, his "escape" to Canada 8 years ago, his discovery of Brandy in midwinter, his crush on the village, his wife and installation children, the "quality of life" by house, car, etc. ... And the referendum of 1 June, which will tell whether the breakaway Bromon, the neighboring town of Canton will change ... Concerns worthy of a democracy without worry!

We take with us little of its history and spend the evening in a delightful French restaurant, the "plume", where we enjoy the comforts of home dishes, cooked with love by Norman converted in Québec for so long that his accent would have made me Quebecois many believe he was here. A turn to tell us his story as if we were crossing small boiled with confidence! It tells the abandonment of his bakery in Normandy, arriving in Quebec, his marriage to a Quebecer, children, the new trades cuisto, and passion ... Sweeping ... A job he could never have anywhere else to practice, he says!

In plume since 1956!

Sunday happens under the sun. Exquisite breakfast with eggs québecoise to "mirror" and "roasted" and, of course, homemade jam, served by our host Nicole, then it's off to the mountains again, where Nicolas hopes this time to fly . The late morning was warm, the club says "not before 16h" is therefore left for the expedition walk through the forest to the top of the "mountain"! Subdued light through the trees very, very high (although higher than the trees France or the Laurentians!), quietness of the forest, animal noises in the trees, meeting 2 or 3 woodcutters who cut their wood for probably sell it. A snake fear we will get on a passenger blue, but it will quickly run away with all our noise. Finally, it will be the mosquitoes by the thousands, we will suffer the most!

16h, returning to the club is waiting again. Will we be able to fly today? The wind had died this morning, but now he gets up again. Then it falls down. Then it starts again. In the uncertainty, about 17h, Alex the monitor decides to go to the top of the mountain and decide up there. Let's go for a ride pick-up in the forest on a path amid smashed mosquitoes (again!). After 15 minutes of flight, we arrived on a tray that resembles the promontory. To my amazement, there is a 10aine m long and 5 wide. We are about 100 m from the ground is breathtaking! The wind is terrible, but Alex thinks it will calm down. Alex and Nicolas strap themselves with the help of two men who rode with us. In their large wing, with their helmets and their "pocket", it almost looks like large flies :-) I wish close with the camera (on the blog soon!)

J2: hang gliding for real

It raises the veil of this giant glider
Again, this is pending. Ready to go, kept by two men for that sailing is not done away by the wind that steers decorin, Nicolas and Alex are at 1m from the edge of the cliff, ready to spring. We must watch for the slightest vibration in the trees below, even the surface of the lake is 4 km away, is a valuable clue. I am squatting died of vertigo, a few yards away, and I, too, 1m vacuum. We wait almost 45 minutes and ... But the wind will not go away :-( The Wind God willed that Nicolas will not fly today, as he says!



A little bitter but resigned our 2 guys will eventually not be "désarnacher" and take an appointment for next week ... hope the wind will be with them this time!

As for us, unfortunately we take the road for Montreal A little bit of "Granby" in our hearts ....

And for fun, here is how a hang glider arises:


The following Sunday if weather permits!

For more info on hang gliding and paragliding club "Free Flight" at St. Paul Abersford: http://www.dvl.ca/dvl/

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