Every year the Eurocon organisers find an interesting place to visit for guided tour. Last year it was the Wings To Liberation museum, this year “Fort Eben-Emael” in nearby Belgium. Built just before the second world war, the Germans captured it in just 37 hours.

The fort was designed to withstand a frontal attack and had huge cannons to defend it ant he surrounding area. To capture it, the germans landed gliders on the top of the fort (The fort is built into a limestone hill) and attacked it with infantry from above, a clever and effective tactic.

Earlier I wrote how my journey to the Eurocon had taken quite a long time. Having arrived in France so early I drove for a few hours throught he night until I felt tired then stopped to sleep for a few hours in the car. I arrived in Liege at about 9am so went looking for a swimming pool partly for the chance to swim but mostly for the chance to have a shower and freshen up before the Rotary meeting. After the swim I followed the SatNav directions to a nearby tourist attraction, listed as a Fort. Fort’s are good destinations for tourists – they normally have good views over the area and this one did too.

Just outside was a memorial to soldiers who died during the first world war. This fort, at Chaudfontaine, was also used during the second world war along with the new, larger fort at Eben-Emael

Already it is Saturday morning. It’s been lots of fun. Shortly, we’ll be off to see a nearby Fort. That is, those of us that awoke this morning. For some, the liquid experience of last night may mean they’ll need a few more hours to sleep it off.

I’ve taken some of my photos of the camera now. If you remember reading last years postings you might recall about a player from Monaco that reduces his PC to only the essential items in order to save weight. Carrying a PC case on a plane is very expensive. It is almost a regular feature of Eurocon – Ninja and his naked PC.

Another regular feature is late nights and lots of conversation. It was 3am local time when the last 10 of us left the con room for the night. We must be getting old, last year we were up to 4am!

I delivered Dhyran’s amplifier as promissed. and every so often he and others have been putting out a little tune. One of the things I’d forgotten about Eurocon from last year is the atmosphere created by music. Not dhyran playing, but the ongoing selection of songs played over the PA system. I can’t recall hearing a bad track.

Speaking of music, the indoor ski slope had a sound system too. Listening to the latest pop music while going up the chair lift was very pleasant. Going down the noise of the skis was too loud to hear the music.

This year I also brought a little present for my euro friends. Being that beer is a popular beverage at the con, I brought some from the local Faversham brewery appropriately called “Spitfire”. One of the players, Sweepy, has always created pictures of the event and put humour speach bubbles on them. I thought his take on the Spitfire drinking was hilarious so I’ve put the picture here too. Maybe it’s an aquired humour though. Click on the picture to see the full size version so you can read the text.