A is for aaaaaaaarrrrrgggghhhh ! On the bobsleigh. and other Europe Sports Travel Tips

Theme: Extreme Sports

bobsleigh!!!......oh my god......yikes! S**T

The Bobsleigh / luge track at Sigulda, Latvia, run wheeled bobs in the summer. Even if you are not around at the prescribed times you can get hold of the people who run it and they will make arrangements.

They drive and break whilst you sit in the middle and get scared. It's actually incredibly smooth so you don't notice the G's your pulling so much. A cool experience and when I did it (about 3 year agos) only about $5.( 3 latis)

The rest of the town is delightful as well with some very nice walks and a cablecar across the valley. A couple of ski runs too - but not much use in the summer!


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Address: Silguda - then look for the monster!
Directions: Take a day trip on the train out of Riga

Theme: Surfing

Lehinch , County Clare, Irelans is trying very hard to become Surf-town Ireland. There are a number of surf shops around the village offering equipment and lessons. There is also a surf school right on the front in the car park. It claims that it is run by a ex-Irish surfing champion.

I do however wonder if the Irish are to the world of Surfing what Fiji are to international competative Ice Skating.

Sourbugger is of the firm opinion that full-body rubber suits should only be used for indoor sports with off-duty Brazilian lapdancers, but, whatever lights your candle...


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Theme: Rafting

Row, Row, Row your boat gently down the stream.

....belt off... trousers down...life is such a scream. (to Quote General Melchett during his rendition of the boating song in an episode of Blackadder Goes Forth)

Many hundreds take to the waters here in the summer. Most take the simple trip around the peninsular, fall in a few times and go back to the town.

There are however a variety of longer trips, with differing degrees of difficulty.

We took "Trip 5" which was a 15Km raft to Zlaka Koruna. If you put a bit of a sweat on it takes less than 2 hours.

It is a lovely piece of countryside to easily paddle through and there are always other boats about if you run into any problems - which is very unlikely.

You could even take a picnic, but I would advise picking it up after you have negotiated the weirs through the town itself as this is the place that if you can come off - you will come off !

It cost about 850Kr in high season which is quite good value considering the 'Tourist trap' ride round the town is 300Kr

Equipment: All provided but remember suncream, disposable camera etc

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Directions: Just look where the rafts are starting from upsteam at the narrowest point of the peninsular.
Website: www.ceskykrumlov-info.cz

Theme: Boating/Sailing

Just one cornetto...give it to me....

When I was up here we used to go punting out on the river. It was a very pleasant way to waste an afternoon, although sometimes it somewhat spoiled by the very wittly local youths who enjoyed singing the 'Just one Cornetto' song (how amazingly original of them !) from an old advert for walls ice cream.
Oh, that and then gobbing off the bridges onto the boats below.

As a tourist you can take out a rowing boat from Brown's boathouse, but beware of other boats who wish to use their boat as a battering ram, or indeed a college eight at full pelt down the river.

You can also take the leisurely option of cruising around the river bends on the 'Prince Bishops' boat which is run by the same company.


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Phone: 0191 3869525
Address: Browns Boat yard
Directions: Head for Elvet Bridge and down the steps

Theme: Fishing Trips

Beginners luck on Tory Island, Ireland

I am 35 years old, and this was the first time that I have ever taken my rod out (Fnarr-Fnarr)

We fished off the quay at the end of the island past East town and I bagged a fish on my very first attempt.

On the second cast I caught two fish together - to my astonishment..

I caught Coalfish - although I was really after Pollack (as in the picture) as it is lovely for breakfast.

It seemed that an hour before high tide was the best time to go, and I'm convinced that the streetlight on the quay helped as well.

Equipment: No bait needed just a shiny thing that looked like a prat on the end of the line (sorry I really did mean Sprat - thanks Tara)

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Address: The sea - big thing, can't miss it
Directions: Follow the road past east town and stop when you run out of road.

Theme: Other

A truly nutty form of tourism

Many people will have heard of Munroe bagging - the practice of trying to climb all the mountains in Scotland.

The Fenland equilvalent (fenland is an area of eastern England that is utterly flat as a pancake) is truly eccentric - you have to visit nearly 200 villages and settlements to gain a variety of rewards, leading to the "Full Fenland".

You can gain partial awards as there is a seriously complicated (and logically unfathomable) system of points for each of the settlement groups in the fens.

It could all be covered by car, but I think the spirit of the eccentricity is to do it on foot or at least on on a push bike.

This wierd world of eccentricity can be uncovered putting mfvcs into google. This stands for the Multiple Fen Village Collecting Society.

It's a wide weird world (W.W.W) out there, and this is one of the strangest bits!


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Website: www.mfvcs.com

Theme: Sports Watching

Fourth biggest stadium in Europe - Gaelic Games in Dublin.

The GAA claim this place, Croke (pronounced 'Crow') is the fourth biggest stadium in Europe. It's three tiers on the biggest stand certainly give it a dramatic feel.

Remember its Gaelic games here - hurling and Gaelic football - fast, furious and tough.

There is a museum here if you are into the history and a museum tour. You also get a chance to whack the slither (is that the right spelling ?)

Tickets are like gold dust for any big game - but you may get them if you nip in quick on the GAA website. If you get hold of some you will be going home to a heros welcome tonight!


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Address: Croke Park - north Dublin
Directions: Look on the map - and don't confuse it with Lansdowne road - thats for the proddy English games.
Website: www.gaa.ie

Theme: Sports Watching

Lose your shirt on this one !

The Galway races are one of the major events of the horseracing calendar.
They usually take place the last week in July
(in 2004 they will finish on Sunday 1st August)

They are unusual in that they last for a full seven days, with some evening, and some full-day events.

The course itself is quite hilly, but compact with a ruined castle in the middle !

The facilities are excellent, although the popularity of the meeting means it is very difficult to get a hotel room during the week, and the roads get completely clogged up.

Admission is quite steep, at 25 euro on the two biggest days - quite a loss even before you start betting !

The course was also the setting for a massive Papal mass when Pope John Paul II visited Ireland in the 1970's.

Equipment: Bags of cash !

If you go on Ladies day - then enter the spirit and dress up.

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Directions: Off the Sligo road (N17) about 3 miles out of town, near the airport.
Website: www.galwayraces.com

Theme: Sports Watching

Look out over the Hallowed turf of the Lord(s) - cricket at the MCC, London.

I remember hearing a recording of "Hankcock's half-hour" where Sid tries to con Hancock into buying an 'Urban farm' as Hancock is amazed at finding such a wide open space in the middle of London.

'Lords' is the spiritual home of Cricket, and although there is a stadium tour and museum, you really need to experience a game.

It is very difficult to get a ticket to a Test match (international) and it will cost of Fourty pounds upwards. You can however see a county (First-class) game for around ten pounds.
Children (under 16) always get in very cheap, as it is a way of promoting the game.
Check -out the website at www.middlesexccc.com

If you are a newcomer to the game then you might also like to check-out by VT tip on "Cricket explained to Foreigners" in my England section.

Lords itself feature a number of Interesting pavillions, including the space age Nat West Media Centre which give the appearance of a UFO hovering over one end of the ground.


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Address: Half a mile from St John's wood tube
Website: www.Lords.com

Theme: Other

Biggest running event in the U.K

The Great North run is an annual half-marathon that is run every year towards the end of September.

It is by far the largest running event in the UK, with nearly 50,00 odd (some very odd) completing the 13.1 mile course from just noth of Newcastle city Centre, across the Tyne Bridge (a great moment) and along the south side of the Tyne to the seaside at South Sheilds.

The atmosphere is terrific, and further enhanced by the large number of charity runners in exceptionally silly costumes.

I have run it a number of time, and usually start witha collection of giant Rhinos from Billericay.

If you are a runner, then don't expect a great time, the mass start is very slow for a mile or two - but do expect a truely great day out.


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Website: www.greatrun.org