On the Road again...

[Kristof]

02-26 Cayo Coco/La Havane (part1.)
https://advbannedcamp.com/viewtopic.php ... 140#p68410

02-26 Cayo Coco/La Havane (part2.)

[campfire]

Love IT!

[Kristof]

Last week, I took the TGV to Nantes and then a car.
After two days in Nantes, I took the road again to go and have lunch at my friend Yannick's place near Rennes. I thought I would continue to Brest, but I had a little change of plan, I went back to Paris to give my passport...

Normally my visa should be ready by the end of next week, so I hope to be able to leave for new adventures by the end of the month.

My destination? An interesting project in an interesting country...

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Planned road:Paris/Nantes/Rennes/Saint-Malo/Brest


Reality: Paris/Nantes/Rennes/Saint-Malo/Caen/Paris/Brest


Noirmoutier:



BMW Brest:




Close to Brest:


Price are changing everyday, it's already more...

[Delicate Snowflake]

Your trains are great, wish we had them here.

I recall in 2014 going from Paris to the Mediteranean coast, in something like 4 hours! Comfy too



p.s. omg 2014 is 8 years ago... time flies...

[Kristof]

03/20 - France, Brittany:
My passport is back with my visa, next week I should join a new project in an interesting country...
This time I hope to be able to ride a motorcycle, I put some of my equipment in the suitcase.

Brittany, Argenton:


A part of the Atlantic Wall


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Wall

Argenton

[Kristof]

one week between these two pictures:


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Tractors and trucks are blocking oil depots in Finistère and Morbihan to denounce the soaring price of gasoline and diesel fuel. Fuel is becoming an issue in the election campaign.

Never seen before. The price of fuel exceeds 2 € per liter at the pump for several days. And it’s not over yet. What to worry all those who use a lot of fuel to work.
This Tuesday, March 15, 2022, a few dozen vehicles have blocked two oil depots in Brittany. In Brest, there were about 200 demonstrators displaying signs that read: “Gasoil too expensive, ship to shore” or “Gasoil too expensive, we’ve got it in the butt”. The same thing happened in Lorient where 200 demonstrators blocked the entrances and exits of the depot with vehicles and wooden pallets. The same desire to alert the authorities to the exorbitant price of diesel.
https://frenchdailynews.com/economy/431 ... n-brittany
--------------------------------
Coming from Cuba where I was limited to 20 liters at the gas station, when there was fuel, to see the gas stations closed here "at home" was still a little strange...

[Kristof]

Hello everyone,
I have been in Riyadh for a week now, as part of one of the "Vision 2030" projects.
https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/v2030/v2030-projects/
For sure, it changes me from Cuba...

During the week it is rare to see motorcycles because the traffic is dense and let's say a "little special".

Some pictures:












My new playground at one hour from the camp where I am in the North of Riyadh:

[Delicate Snowflake]

[Kristof]

Riyadh 04/23
For the moment I have not yet been to the historical center. The city of Riyadh is very large and crossed by many highways. The construction of the metro is finishing and it should open soon.
At the moment during Ramadan the traffic is more fluid, but in two weeks with the return of the usual working hours it will also be the return of traffic jams, as far as I am concerned the road is clear in the morning because I go out of the city but in the evening it is different.

Since my arrival, the temperature is increasing and we are heading towards the hottest months >110°F
During my travels I don't meet many motorcycles, there are some dealers, Yamaha, KTM, HD...







Lotus bike behind the Ferrari and a monkey:


They were Filipinos bikers, in front of an accessories store "NorthBound"


In a Mall:



Some sand winds, like this one on thursday in the late afternoon, I had to stop because I couldn't see the track...



More on Riyadh:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riyadh

One of the "attraction" in Riyadh the "Boulevard", I will try it next month.


Dakar 2020 - Closing ceremony at Qiddiya
Every day (to work) I pass by this place.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Vision_2030
https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/v2030/v2030-projects/
In fact we are using some of the asphalt done in 2020 as a car park for 2 of the projects.




Some geologists on the site:



There are no direct routes between the upper and lower parts of the Qiddiya project, at least not at the moment.

[Delicate Snowflake]

[MrKiwi]

[Kristof]

Riyadh 05/04
Ramadan ends with the festivities of Eid-al Fitr, here there are four days off, two "mandatory" for all and two "optional" (it depends on the company), but for many it is at least 4 days, moreover knowing that work resumes on Thursday just before Friday which is the day of rest, in fact some take a total of almost a week ...


04/25 rain:



04/29 Uwais and Taybah markets



Yamaha and Honda (big showroom but mostly for the cars)






"East and South" Car Markets








"Red Sand Dunes", South of Riyadh (just went to have a look from "outside")

[MrKiwi]

[Kristof]

Riyadh 05/20

Here you can discover many interesting places inside the country:
https://www.youtube.com/c/EpicEverydayA ... s/featured

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The Kingdom Tower


View from the bridge at 300m





Sand sand and sand, last week I add only 2 days with a "clear sky" in the morning.
For tomorrow (05/23), meteo alert:
"It is expected that large parts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be affected on Monday and Tuesday and directly by a wave of high dust Density, accompanied by a significant decrease and almost absence of horizontal visibility in many areas."
https://www.arabiaweather.com/en/conten ... ts-details

[MrKiwi]

I could never live there

[Kristof]

I could never live there

June 21st

Me too...
I could not stay in this city in the long term, I am sure there are more welcoming places in the country, especially in the areas near the sea.

In one month, only a couple of weeks with a "clear" sky without seeing sand in the air...
-------------------------------------------
Since June 15 we are in the hot season and until September 15 it is forbidden by the government to work outside from 12 to 3 pm.
https://www.arabiaweather.com/en/daily-weather
When the base camps are near, there is a big break, then a resumption of work, but as we are far from the bases (+1h drive) the workers come from 5am to 12pm (meal) then back to camp at 1pm.

I prefer these times, even if I have to get up a bit before 4am, at least the traffic is more "fluid" especially on the way back.

This week, I have to go back to France for my visa, but it is very likely that I will not come back here, I accepted a contract that starts in September in another country, a "big island" (among the 5 biggest islands of the planet)

To be continued...





Site offices:


GMC Yukon XL, Tahoe, Patrol, F150



There are still some CATs left but more and more I have to work with heavy equipment from China...
(yes the blade is "inversed" it was a narrow place and he was in reverse...)

[Kristof]

After a short stay in France, here I am in the South of Russia for a few weeks before leaving for a project on a "big island"...
With the sanctions, it is not only impossible to reach Russia from Europe, but once there, the southern airports are closed, except for the one in Sochi.
As there is a connection with Istanbul, 1h30 flight. That's where I went" before going back by road to Novorossiysk. There is a little more than 300km but it takes almost 9 hours to make the trip...

Paris




Istanbul , funny to see a car from Saudi Arabia (KSA on the plate)



Taksim square:


View from the hotel restaurant:

[Kristof]

Russia:
Novorossisyk:




American culture still alive in Russia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimist_(dinghy
The Optimist was designed in 1947 by American Clark Mills at the request of the Clearwater Florida Optimist service club following a proposal by Major Clifford McKay to offer low-cost sailing for young people.



The name is gone but it's still the same:



Now Abrau-Durso, famous for the Champagne:
https://en.abrau.ru/
Name of the boat "Champagne"

[Delicate Snowflake]

[Camp Director]

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