Friday, August 18, 2006

Formula 1 Barge, revised version

This is the second version of a post about a barge in Formula 1 disguise. I hope the rather absurd vehicle comes across better now. This is a silent movie, as the sounds led to further misunderstanding.

For a few days preceding the Bavaria Formula 1 street races in Rotterdam, August 20 2006, this barge sailed up and down the river Maas for promotion purposes.


There are real Formula 1 race cars involved, the bridge around the corner is part of the circuit.
We'll either get out of town or make sure we have good ear protection.


It seems a huge number of visitors are expected, as can be seen here. The funny pointed things (urinoirs) are for men, the grey-green boxes on the right are meant for both sexes.
In this case I am really sure that they are mobile toilets . . .

38 comments:

Chaz said...

Not very fast is it lol, id stand a better chance in a Dinghy with Towelie on my head!

Anne-Marie said...

Wow, Koos, are the engines ever loud! We live just a few miles from the race track for the Indy 500 annual Toronto Grand Prix (or whatever they call themselves these days), and the roar is lousd even at a distance. That was the real reason we went to Europe- to get away from the noise!

Perhaps you can point the overflow tourists to the Belgian contraptions. (I actually wrote concraptions! Freudian slip, indeed!)

Have a lovely weekend, my dear!

Love,
AM

Vallypee said...

It wasn't fast, no Chaz, but it sure was impressive! Quite a sight to see a monster F1 racing car drifting downstream! There's going to be so much noise here on Sunday, I think we'd do well to get out of town. The actual racing is going to be on the bridge just round the corner from our harbour and if today's practice was anything to go by, we ain't seen nothing yet!

jillytee said...

Hi how are you? thanks for the comment. My 3 sons all grew up in the country and by the sea (see previous post) so the fields and beach were their playground and they had a wonderful childhood and knew how to play real games of make believe.
J

gypsy noir said...

god that was loud!...the ones in the background sound fast though..hmmm the pointy things look like toilets for the aliens..or is that the tourists..lol...

Chaz said...

What about formula one toilets with Michael Loomacher? Ok shyte joke *hangs head*

Koos F said...

Oh Bootsie we both laughed out loud rolling on the floor, you get the image.
How dare you suggest we do that for shyte jokes ;-)

bookworm said...

Hi Koos,
never before I saw such a bark. The idea to make pictures of the "Toilettenhäuschen" is funny. Hope you find some more.
All the best
Stefan

Dale said...

I have a difficult time getting the trailer load of port-o-potties out of my head, Koos.

There seems to be a common thread entwining our posts!

Dale said...

So, where can I buy a FAST barge?

Koos F said...

Hi Dale!

Lovely to see you are back.
Your sister did a magnificent job trying to fill the void.
Now that's solidarity for you.

Our synchronicity goes on. Don't think you'd find a poem about these plastic items, but I can come up with a few absurd images, like: 400 000 people visit the event, but the toilets are left on the trailers and must be climbed into to use them..
Just think of it...

Chaz said...

You mean you liked it????

*jumps out of chair* They love me they reeaally love me!!!

Anonymous said...

Looks like without the disguise there will remain a reasonable barge? Looks like a "Luxe Motor" to me.
Erik-Jan.

Dale said...

Sorry Koos...wrong me.

Koos F said...

Yes Bootsie, better get used to it, they really love you.

Errr, Erik-Jan, I could see the details clearly, and concluded it was a spits (the French standard sized barge).

Dale and a/Dale, you are both forgiven (makes grand gesture).

gypsy noir said...

there once was a man called koos..who had a fixation with porta-loos..he showed us some pictures...of these desirable shitters...and even turned one in to a papoos..ok ok its crap tis late you know!..

Lannio said...

loo, loo, skip to my koos ... oops intentional typo. People like to 'barge' right in on me when I'm using one.
Anne-Marie, I must not live that far from you, but I didn't hear any noise on the film - koos got me by taking the noise out.

Dale said...

Everyone is pronouncing your name wrong, Koos...

I know 'coos you said it rhymes with toes - in the English language, I assume!

Koos F said...

Spot on, Dale!
You're a real international.

Koos F said...

Sorry, must correct. Say 'close' and take out the L, so that's Cose.

Anonymous said...

Hi koos,
b.t.w. like the photograph of the 'mobile toilets'. You're beloved White House in the background while the truck was moving. Great vision!!!
Do you experience the feeling of 'being home' if you see the White House? We do strongly have this feeling with the 'Great Church' in Naarden. Not for religious reasons of course. Just the building.
Erik-Jan.

Koos F said...

Thanks Erik-Jan

It was quite a deliberate move, that picture.
Rotterdam has definitely become home to me. It has come full circle: most of my mother's relatives lived here, my dad's barge was registered in Rotterdam as well.

Ah, Naarden's chuch. We Dutchmen have this special collective passion for St Matthew's Passion. The most important performance of that masterpiece is in Naarden's church (well, you surely know, Erik-Jan, but I'm now addressing the people behind you).
Since you live there, you've probably never attended.
By way of comparison, for over 25 years I lived in a town that boasted
18 museums, never visited more than 3 of them.

Dale said...

Koos without the el, my computer refuses to communicate and will not let me see the clip...

BTW my employers' last name is Koos WITH the el... a la Kloos!

Koos F said...

Hi Dale,

The bad news is that your computer needs an update/-grade it is probably too old for.
Wonder if you can play the clips on http://www.youtube.com/ ?

The good news is that your only way is up ;-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Koos,
The actual bad news is that someone died in the party around this event. It really is a pitty.
Just heard it from the TV news. Didn't know.
Erik-Jan.

Lannio said...

Koos (comme Close en anglais sans le L)

Je pense que tu aime le cinéma francais. C'est bien - n'est pas? j'aime bien aussi.

A la prochaine,

Lannio

Koos F said...

Oui Lannio, c'est vrai.
C'est surprenant combien d'autres apprécient aussi les titres plus ou moins obscurs comme 'La vie rêvée des anges'.
Dimanche dernier j'ai visité la location à Lille (la gare d'eau dans le quartier des Bois-Blancs) où se déroule une partie du film !

Lannio said...

Formidable!

France me manque. En fait, toute l'europe me manque. c'est une distance lointaine pour moi. Mais lille non jamais visitée. J'était a Annecy pendant 9 mois en 1993/4. J'apprécie mes converations avec toi Européens ici.

vieren welput

Lannio

Anne-Marie said...

Et mmaintenant on va parler en francais? Super. Kos, tu aurais du me dire que tu parlais francais, on aurait pu bien discuter.

Lianno, on va pouvoir parler en deux langues, chic!

-AM

James Casey said...

How extraordinary.

I'd be more impressed were any of the cars riverworthy, though I suppose they are rather built with very, very specific conditions in mind.

I think it's notable that this would be good publicity in Rotterdam. I don't think a single city in England would pay so much attention to its main river.

Koos F said...

Anne-Marie
Wir hätten uns auch in deutschen Sprache unterhalten können. Aber Russisch, das leider noch nicht.
I admit, I'm showing off shamelessly now.

Hi James
It was such fun to see this silly oversized racing car on the river. An earlier version of the event was held in Maastricht. There too the barge was used for promotion, but when it had to travel to Rotterdam there was a problem: the racer was too wide for the locks. To solve the problem they had to deflate the tyres. Really!
Talking about promoting the river. September 2 and 3 we'll have the annual Harbour Days. Millions of visitors expected.

Lannio said...

Go ahead and show off Koos. The general linguistic skills of a large percentage of Europeans continue to astound me!

Koos F said...

Thanks for that reassuring comment, Lannio.
Next time when showing off, I'll read my own words extra carefully. It should have been "in der deutschen Sprache" of course!

Anne-Marie said...

Liebe Kos,
Ich wolde sagen, du soldest "der" benutsen! Aber, ich wolde wie kein "showoff" aussehen!

*curtsy*

AM

Koos F said...

Hi Anne-Marie
You have such a noble character, and good manners (curtsey) to match!

Anonymous said...

attends, peut-etre je peux parler et ecrire francais aussi.
Je vais le essayer.....
Eric-Jean.

Anne-Marie said...

Koos,
Thanks for not mentioning the atrocious spelling! I am sure my German relatives would be cringing at my writing.

Koos F said...

I'd just put it down to typos, my dear Anne-Marie.

It just goes to show, Eric-Jean, but we may need to warn our friends overseas that most of today's students find one foreign language (English mostly) more than enough.