WesWorld

Reasons:

1) A while back I saw this big book about the 1665 Zeven Provinciën, the flagship of Admiral Michiel de Ruyter. It was quite big to take along so decided not to buy it. I regretted it and when I was at the store about 2 weeks later, it was gone. Talking with Bruce about it yesterday, I decided to take a look at the store's website and saw that some of the other stores had it and the result of today's hunt is...

... it was just waiting for me there behind glass but at the same time, but it did not want to leave because the store alarm kept on going off despite the saleslady moving it over the magnet numerous times. It wasn't cheap though (down from 199 Euros, it was 120 Euros, ~ 159 USD, 162 CAD) and it feels like it weighs a ton.

2) Just in case they did not have the book in Haarlem, I had already decided before I departed this morning to buy a return ticket to Amsterdam (they had a cheaper normal hardcover version of the book there according to the site, but I really wanted the one I got now with the blueprints). Since I had the book, I made use of the ticket to go to the Maritime Museum there which was quite a nice musuem.

3) At the end of the Week, on Friday and Saturday, I'll be going to the Air Force Days. Some nice stuff supposed to come and looking at the weather (if I must believe that stuff) it should be dry those days (overall in the Netherlands it is 40% chance of rain on Friday and 80% chance on Saturday, but for Volkel it is indicated that it is 30% for Friday and 6% on Saturday).

4) Next week is the week of the Paris Airshow. I will be there as well at the end of the week when it is open to the public. That looks to be interesting as well. I will be in Paris from the 15th until the 25th.

5) At the beginning of next month, I will be going to Paris again. This time for the Japan Expo/Comic-con as well as Bastille Day. Leaving on July 3, I will return on July 15. Last year, it was neat to see the planes fly past in preparation of the Aerial part of the Military Parade so this time I hope to see it all.

All in all, lots of opportunities to take lots of photos these coming weeks.

Sounds like you're off to a good start to the summer

Ooh, now that looks like a pretty cool book. Very shiny... thanks for showing it!

I'm glad that you didn't give up on hunting for a copy.

Quoted

Sounds like you're off to a good start to the summer

Definitely. Just hope the weather stays good.
Planes/teams expected at Volkel:
http://www.defensie.nl/english/air_force…s/participants/
Planes/teams expected at Paris Airshow:
http://www.paris-air-show.com/GB/TRADE-V…rcraft-list.htm

This alone is enough reason for me to go to the Japan expo/Comic-con.
^_^

... and the fact that R.A. Salvatore and Mike Deodato Jr. will be at the Comic-con is awesome as well.

Quoted

Ooh, now that looks like a pretty cool book. Very shiny... thanks for showing it!

It's just shiny because the light above my desk is being reflected by the golden letters and lines on the cover.
... oh wait, it is just gold colored.

Quoted

I'm glad that you didn't give up on hunting for a copy.

Stupid thing was that, until yesterday, I never thought about checking out the store website to see if any of their other stores might have a copy of that book. The one I got was the only one of that type they had and it was in their store in Haarlem, which is less than 30 kilometers or so from where I live. I'm quite happy they still had it when I got there. Still if they didn't have it anymore, I still had a chance in their Amsterdam store for the lesser version.

Yes its a good feeling when a purchase of something you want finally comes off. I've had that sinking feeling a few times when a book you go back for is gone. Even so other chances often arrive and sometimes unexpectedly.

Looks like a great summer of touring for you.

Time for me to sleep as I have to get up early again tomorrow, so quickly a few pics from today...

Nifty swifty!

Nice shots!

Great to see a flyable B-25

Very nice. Love airshows, wish I could get to some more often.

Great shots!
Nice to see the Sukhoi too, funnily enough I was reading up on the Su-17/20 series yesterday!

My viewpoint of the Red Arrows opening the Show on Friday...
[img]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg240/WvRooijen/Airshows/Volkel 2013/P6141702s_zps17a9b9ba.jpg[/img]

My viewpoint of the Red Arrows opening the Show on Saturday...
[img]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg240/WvRooijen/Airshows/Volkel 2013/P6152949s_zps563f2c2d.jpg[/img]
Ouch! My neck!!!
[img]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg240/WvRooijen/Airshows/Volkel 2013/P6152953s_zps26717a7f.jpg[/img]

Frecce Tricolori's Big Apple separation on Friday...
[img]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg240/WvRooijen/Airshows/Volkel 2013/P6141349s_zpsb358c07e.jpg[/img]
Frecce Tricolori's Big Apple separation on Saturday...
[img]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg240/WvRooijen/Airshows/Volkel 2013/P6154277s_zps99a7761e.png[/img]

Pony 4, Cpt.Pil. Bortoluzzi, from my Friday position...
[img]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg240/WvRooijen/Airshows/Volkel 2013/DSCN3174s_zps8837f8a6.jpg[/img]

While I really dislike the fact that at Volkel the Static is between you and the runway, it was neat that the planes of Frecce Tricolori were on the static line as well.

I have returned from Paris. To think that next week, I'll be going back there...

A few pics from the airshow as well as the museum at Le Bourget. This was the A350 's 3rd testflight and the first public appearance. Ka-52 and Su-35 made their first appearance at an airshow in the west.

Great pictures!

Sad to see the old Soviet-era origin An-70, Su-35 and Ka-52 still struggling to get into service after twenty years of development and financial struggle.