Basejumper.com - archive

looking at:

STAVANGER Norway<--- Choice
ROTTERDAM Netherlands
BRUNSSUM Netherlands
NAPLES Italy
HEIDELBERG Germany
MILDENHALL UK.
ROTTERDAM Netherlands

Is this a choice of military bases where you could be posted?

Actualy, i'm real interested in this topic cos' right now im making plans to move to the continent(EU)- so i can have access to better jumps. I'm planning on taking my girl with me- problem is we only speak english. Question for me is, where in europe is 'central' for base and where the language barrier is not that high ie:- where the people who can speak english, will speak it........I guess that counts out france doesnt it?

Any ideas????

Amsterdam. Everyone speaks english there and that good stuff is legal.

this is a wishlist of BASE places to live

France of course. Alpes Maritimes is English speaking area. And French basejumpers speak English quite well.

Why not use the opportunity to learn a new language, and a new culture! Going to place where they speak english, will not make you learn anything!

Whilst sticking to the usual protocol of not naming specific sites, would you tell me what you think is at the UK site you named that would single it out as a BASE paradise. I'm not sure what's there apart from an RAF base.

Your right.......ofcourse.
I work for two weeks of the month offshore, so the chances of me picking up a second language is quite remote. Whilst im at work, my girlfriend would be spending most of the time alone in that country.......... shes not a jumper and you know how it is??- think it might be more helpful (for me), if she could meet people and make new friends easier.

have i redeemed myself????

Cheers!- east france was my favorite option- base wise... i didnt realise that there were english speaking places in france. i knew the french could speak english quite well, but was under the impression that they chose not to.....guess i was wrong.

I don't know what BASE sites there are over there...but it's the ideal location to to head out to other countries such as Belgium, France, Germany.

There's some nice B's in Rotterdam but I don't know whether or not they are very accessible

You are working offshore!

What are you then waiting for, Norway Stavanger is the Oilcity you would like to take your wife to! Norwegian offshore have the best working terms in the world, 2 weeks on and 4 off (Service companies have some different terms, but overall it should be no worse than 2 on and 3 off) Everybody speak (funny) english, but you will survive!

cya

I believe I know who you work for! My wife works for the same. We're considering Stav as the best option. Stay in touch.
take care,
space

Yeah!- i thought of that and while it would be awsome, its not an EU country, so if i immigrated and registered over there id have to pay heaps in tax... nope i think ill stick to europe and then just head off to norway a couple times a year at least in europe i can spread myself around a bit.
take it easy!

Do you complain about our perfect tax system? It pays helirescues if you need one!

Denmark has some offshore aswell most people here can speak english,but as in norway in a funny way.
Denmark aint a BASE mekka through,objects here is mostlikely A´s

Iknow a person from theese boards who live in Swiss i think who also work offshore. Swiss has some great walls.

UK is close to water and heli,im sure they have loads of offshore,they speak english are freindly(atleast after a few pints) but BASE world in UK might wont be what you considder a BASE mekka aswell,but has easy travel to ALL places through airports in or near London.
Personaly i like their objects,but if your a slider up guy you might find yourself visiting other places to get jumps in.

BASE mekka in europe has to be Belgium,they however speak somthing i dont understand but most of them can speak english aswell.

If i had to go i would take UK but thats just me,and im often wrong

****************************
Cheers!- east france was my favorite option- base wise... i didnt realise that there were english speaking places in france. i knew the french could speak english quite well, but was under the impression that they chose not to.....guess i was wrong.

****************************

I know that there is at least one jumpable tower in Paris, but they don't only refuse to speak English - they are openly hostile to anyone who doesn't speak French. Paris is a wonderful place to visit except for 100% of the people who live there. I was not aware of such a stark contrast between Paris and East France. I thought the whole country was hateful toward visitors. I guess I was wrong too.

if i could just jump all the time, and pay no rent. i'd live anywhere. i should just move to norway and live in the "grundleson" castle. i heard theres a castle over there that my ansestors used to be hardcore vikings in and stuff like that.

alright. now. off to do better things than this.

If you find that 100% of Parisians are openly hostile then i would suggest the problem lies with you.

ian

Cheers!- I come to the Uk every month, so base is an option for me there as well, so if i move to the continent i can have 'the best of both worlds'....and the sun

---

Iknow a person from theese boards who live in Swiss i think who also work offshore. Swiss has some great walls.

---

Yeah, i think i know him too.

has to say that UK often has sh!t weather but hey they get loads of jumps in anyway

***************************
If you find that 100% of Parisians are openly hostile then i would suggest the problem lies with you.

ian
***************************

Very astute obversation Ian, but how then do you account for the 100% warm and friendly people of England? I'm the same in either country.

In all fairness you do run into the occasional Parisian who will condescend to speak English and smile, but not often.

I know him too
and we also have a couple of B's suitable for you, and a S or 2...

I will be trying them places soon... Should be starting from the famous S

My experience has been that the Parisians are much more insular than most of the other French I've met. I know other French guys who have trouble getting along with the Parisians.

You hear that a lot with any big city. A lot of Brits think Londoners are rude and aloof, and i've heard many American's describe New Yorkers in the same way.

That aside, i find that if you make even a slight effort to speak their language they respond in a much more positive way.

ian

My wife and I spent the first half of our honeymoon in Paris. Over 5 days we had many interactions with waiters, store clerks, people on their way to work whom we asked for directions, etc. Without exception the people we met were pleasent and helpful. We don't speak any French apart from what we learned listening to a cassette tape for about a month, but we were respectful and polite and that went a long way.

I utterly agree.

Up until this summer, the closest wind tunnel for us Brits was the aerokart centre in Paris, which i visited quite a lot (being in a 4way team you tend to).

Like most walks of life, what you put in you you generally get back, so if your are respectful and polite and slightly apologetic for not having the ability to converse in their language then you'll find parisians no different than any other metropolitans in the western world - slightly preoccupied and hectic but essentially friendly.

I have found rural French people to be amongst the most hospitable on the planet. The added bonus for us BASE jumpers is that whereas in the UK and the states where people are often concerned about their level of liability and how what we do might effect them, in rural France they just shrug and tend to take the view that if you're stupid enough to jump off a bridge then fair enough.

About 2 and half years ago I rolled up to a 350ft bridge in the south of france (a stunning bridge constructed very much in the Eiffel style) and explained to the owner of the Hotel at one end of the bridge, in very limited and inaccurate French that i wished to jump off it. They couldn't facilitate me enough, getting out timetables for the trains that passed over the bridge so i wouldn't get hit (or spotted by the driver). I then hiked to the landing area to explain to the landowner who again vaguely understood and just shrugged as if to say 'why you asking me'. I waited for a gap in the trains and jumped. Overdelayed a bit, got an instant 110left and ended up dangling from some trees about 3feet above the river. As i was spinning in my harness, amazed at not being injured or wet the old man i spoke to earlier came over to the bank, waved, said "bon jour" then walked off at a snails pace back to his house. I climbed out my harness, got a soaking up to my knees in the river and then stood on the bank wondering what to do next. The old guy re-appears with an axe and beckons me to use it on the tree - his tree - to free my parachute. I absolutely flatly refused and eventually got the canopy free by tugging and yanking on it. Not for a second did that guy look pissed or put out. He was smiling the whole time and couldn't have been more helpful. I dropped off a bottle of wine to him to say thanks and he was genuinely gob-smacked.

The owners of the hotel were great too, letting me spread out my canopy to check for damage and eventually pack it. I stayed in their hotel too where they went out their way to prepare me vegetarian meals (and nothing baffles the french more than non meat eaters).

Next to the Hotel is an old disused train station. The old guy who lives there is the old station master and as i was packing he came out and started gesticulating with frustration. I thought I was in trouble but what he was saying was he was annoyed he hadn't been in when i had jumped cos he would have loved to come and watch.

The hotel owner then gave me some info on a motorway bridge i was intent on jumping about 1mile away which proved to be very useful.

How's that for hospitality and tolerance. And remember, these were not legal jumps off legal objects.

So, Viva la France is what i say. We could learn a lot by taking the odd leaf out of the frenchies books.

When you're polite and no-one has been an a**hole before you, there's no real reason for the locals to be nasty after you.

You spread good karma, and it came back to you...