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My father is just like me: lazy!
From Cologne to Lake Garda it is a distance of about 1000km and he did
not want to drive that far. But because I wanted to join Amphib 2000 by
hard, we had to find a solution: We took the car on the train! That was
really comfortable, as not only me could sleep during the over night journey
but my parents as well. The very next morning we were already in Bozen
and it was only a catwalk to Manerba campside, our final destination. |
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When we arrived the campside
was already filled up with amphibious cars all kinds. Some people even
came with a whole armada, like the organizer Alberto Dubini. Click the
picture to see what I mean. He also brought a GPA, but that did not fit
on this picture anymore. Thank god he left his Schwimmwagens at home, otherwise
the Lake would have been filled with his cars already! |
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Some amphibians were really
huge, like this one with the nice flag. Dad says it´s a duck. That´s
the car I want! You can play on board during those endless watertrips! |
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But this one was my favourite
for its lovely flowers paintings. Dad says it is a converted Alvis Stalwart
and it is really well done. I do not know, I doubt the flowers will grow
when they get wet.. |
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Then this must be a "Mini-duck"?
"It´s a GAZ 46 a Russian copy of a GPA!" - Well, I think he means
I am right - it is a "Mini-duck"! |
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Then we entered the water! |
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Who says an Amphicar does not
plane on water? Here is the proof! It is only a question of speed. Watch
my Daddy entering Lake Garda in 4th gear with 35mph on clock.
Or load down a half size video
of this big splash!
 (zipped
.asf format, 225KB)
|
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Even if their cars were only
half finished, nobody wanted to miss this event. |
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During the water trips on the
Lake Garda, people passing by always tried to make me laugh. This guy really
was "riding" his car. |
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We passed the mountains... |
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... and other nice hills ... |
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... and an old Roman castle
in Sirmione. Finally we drove through its water ditch! That was fun! |
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The wild beast roasted its passengers
under a burning sun. |
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Look at this picture - that´s
me! And my Mum and Dad - you know they won´t let me drive alone. |
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From time to time we beached
up somewhere to cool down by a swim. |
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It was really hot end of June. |
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On the right that´s my
friend, the organizer Alberto Dubini. I loved his "briefings" every morning,
where he told us exactly, what we are NOT going to do this day. From the
high chair mounted on his Amhi-Ranger behind, he had everything under control.
On wheel that´s my friend Alain Roland, the worlds most enthusiastic
Amphicar driver! |
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Dreams in white resting for
lunch. |
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My daddy had some hard trouble
to get all vehicles on one picture... |
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... well. it was not that easy.
He finally got one, but he had to go that far away, that you can not recognize
the vehicles anymore. |
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On the way back we passed the
mountains again.
(on wheel that´s my friend
Zhu Hongyou, Chinas famous amphibious car producer!) |
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And then we stranded on a sandbank
between two islands! |
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Back on the campside we were
surprised by that prototype that really blew up several times. Most fascinating! |
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Do not ask me how many amphibious
vehicles have joined Amphib 2000. As far as I counted (do not believe me,
I can not count at all) there were about 9 Amphicars, |
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7 DUKWs (they did not fit all
on the picture), |
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5 Duttons, 3 GAZ 46, 3 Amphi-Ranger,
about 5 GPAs, 1 Poncin and the wild beast! So alltogether about 47 (I told
you not to believe me!) |
