15-VII-2007.
The wheels on the Corolla would vibrate at some speeds, so I guessed they needed balancing. Did that, and we went for a ride to Nags Head again, just to test them before going to Orlando, and better do that now, or else we may run out of time, what with upcoming trip to SFBC, of which David, Jan and I were talking all morning. Jan actually had trouble finding a flight, eventually managed to schedule one for 30-VII-2007., to return on 07-VIII-2007.. Will cost 1200€ for him, while mine was only 410$ plus the garage at ORF - and then I changed my mind and went for Newport airport, because the parking there is cheaper. We could have saved some if we'd be flying on a weekend, but Oliver would be visiting one of them then... so, cost it is. And we'll be there a couple of days before Jiang arrives, so we may cover some ground other then hers until then, but when she comes she's the star. Whatever she asks for, is priority. And we'll have a weekend in the middle, which is a perfect time to see Richard, Chalette and Alcatraz [that is the fat guy's clinic with a view of it].
Along the way we found a roadside fresh market, a tent with produce of farmers from the area. Except it was anything but. The stuff was just the same as on the green market in Virginia Beach, or in Kroger, Kmart, Walmart or any other place. The tomatoes were artificially ripened, but unified in size, and the price was just the same as in groceries. At least this should be fresh, right? Sure it's fresh, there are four refrigerator trucks churning and a fifth one providing electricity for the cooler boxes under the counters. Yeah, right. We didn't buy anything.
At Nags Head, we found the place where we stayed seven years ago, and it didn't look half fabulous as it did then, which wasn't much in the first place.
Somehow the idea of driving through corn fields until the last kilometer before the beach doesn't fit. We grew up with the Adriatic as The Sea, and there to get to the coast you had to drive through different terrains and climates, and the last hours of the ride took you through the mediterranean flora, with all the fragrances of conifers, olives, figs and whatnots. This is completely missing here, it's oak and pine all the way through, just like 100km ago, and even the sea itself is somehow wrong. Something's missing.
And the weather was light cloudy and somewhat muggy. At least we got lost on the way back, more or less hitting the right direction but along some zigzagging route, through residential areas, almost crossing through some local festivities... which was interesting, as if driving through a documentary movie of a neighborhood at the other end of town, where you never went though it was a spitting distance away.
Turned out the wheel balancing didn't help. Ender said it must be the tyres aren't round anymore, they weren't rotated for some time - and he was right about that. Well, new tires then.
Mentions: 30-VII-2007., 07-VIII-2007., David Berton, Ender Aquila (Ender), Jan Brenkelen, Jiang Wong, Oliver Byford, Richard Fauntlerault, SFBC, in serbian