http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/jonolester/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from jonolester en-us Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:16:39 +0000 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:16:39 +0000 My last night in Europe was spent in a swanky suite in the Raddison Blu Hotel in Brussels which Dom and I got for a steal with Europe's cheap Sunday night accommodation rates that allows us to live like Kings even if it was just for a short timeUnfortunately we didn't enjoy much of it we just slept and slept and slept. We had been at Spa for the past day and night after allWe took the j http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Belgium/Brussels-Capital-Region/Brussels/blog-422355.html Dom and I were today destined for SpaFrancorchamps for the epic 24 Hour endurance race. While our plans have slightly changed and we're instead heading off in the early hours of Saturday morning for a lunchtime arrival with the race starting at 0400pm the excitement to see the famous circuit in the flesh hasn't.I've also been told by many many people of the need to sample to iconic Belgian http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Buckinghamshire/Milton-Keynes/blog-421769.html It sure has been a busy couple of days here in the UKSince my last entry Dominic and I joined A1GP Team New Zealand driver Earl Bamber in catching up with Colin Giltrap and a number of influential businessman at a casual evening in London on Monday night.This gave me a great opportunity to mix with friendly but powerful people and more importantly the 'casual' aspect allowed me to feel relaxed http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Buckinghamshire/Milton-Keynes/blog-421168.html Three weeks ago I left New Zealand on a tour of Europe to pursue the next step in my motor racing career.It's gone by in a flash and now I'm just a week from boarding the big silver bird to make the return journey but there's still a whole lot to look forward to in the coming weekDom and I have spent the last three days at Donington where he had his debut in British Formula 3 an extremely tou http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Buckinghamshire/Milton-Keynes/blog-420284.html I've made it to London in one piece taking the Eurostair train through the Chunnel underneath the ocean and into England on Monday evening.It was a bit of a let down to be honest. I had myself so excited about going in an underwater train that's the reason I didn't fly in the first place and wasn't really aware that I'd just be in a dark tunnel for 15 minutes and emerge in another countryEven http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Buckinghamshire/Milton-Keynes/blog-419256.html At this time of year Europe enjoys its Summer months. But the Hungaroring preferred to keep thing Arctic for my brief but exciting visit.I departed Faistenau and the rest of Austria at 0400am on Thursday morning in a minivan with the team for the 800kmjourney to the historic Nurburgring for the ninth round of the Formula 1 and of course the latest Porsche Supercup event with Lechner Racing.I k http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/North-Rhine-Westphalia/Cologne/blog-418131.html It's still raining in Salzburg I'm beginning to wonder whether the sun has permanently shut up shop and shifted elsewhere. Hopefully it's Germany as that's the next stop on my Europe itinerary tomorrowI've spent the last couple of days in at the Lechner Racing workshop as the cars have been prepared for the 800km journey into the Motherland. They're leaving in an hour or two however myself an http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Austria/Salzburg-State/Salzburg/blog-416382.html As I write this Irsquom feasting on a few snacks I picked up at a small supermarket in Fuschl am See yep Irsquom back in Austria now.As I saddled up on the Lechner Racing Aprilia scooter to take the 4km journey through the windy forest roads to Fuschl from my motel The Steinbrau I was quietly excited to sample some of the foods on offer here. Then I realised as I walked in the door of the http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Austria/Salzburg-State/Salzburg/blog-415713.html ...Let's go racing boys as NASCAR would say.Since my first blog entry I've travelled to Hungary for my two days of Porsche Supercup testing with Lechner Racing at the Hungaroring Grand Prix circuit.Yesterday we embarked on the eight hour road trip to Hungary from Austria stopping on the way only to attend to a Btrain truck that had literally taken a lie down across a sixlane highway and st http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Hungary/Central-Hungary/Budapest/Pest/blog-414184.html Thirty five hours of travel and three plane rides later Irsquove made it into Europe. It wasn't without its moments while the Thair airways flight to Bangkok was bloody good in all aspects the twelve hours I spent on Lufthansa en route to Frankfurt was like pulling teeth in all facets of the word.Even so now that I've seen my destination I realise it's well worth the effort. I was picked u http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Austria/Salzburg-State/Salzburg/blog-413387.html