Not-So-Safe Rides in Luna Park, Fréjus

All the talk about Luna Park in Fréjus on the internet was true. It wasn't a glorious amusement park with a great number of safe rides. My friends and I had a good time there, although we all agreed on one thing: the whole place was a total rip off and the rides were lacking safety.

Olympic City was probably the only ride that felt secure, haha! It surprised us by strawberry-smelling gas and its canopy which appeared right above our heads during the ride. By the way, You can check out the video of Luna Park over here. Now let's go on to the more ferocious rides.

Loop Zone has to be one most awful rides on which I've ever been. I was screaming like the last day for the whole time. It really goes 360 degrees and even stops for a while when upside down! Magic Mountain would have been alright if our necks had not been banging against the seats all the time... Especially while being upside down, the ride felt very insecure. UFO Speed was something I did not try myself. My friends tried it, however, and they weren't that excited about it. People stand inside small cabins while the ride spins in an upright position. My friends told me you had to hold on to the barriers extremely tight if you  didn't want to be flung back and forth. Ouch.

Last but not least is paintball! I was in two minds whether to play or not but I decided to watch the Italian's game instead. The suits and masks and everything looked fun! As a conclusion, I'd say Luna Park is really expensive seeing what it offers. One ride cost 2-5 euros. Luckily there are some discount vouchers for the rides that you can easily find from different kinds of shops and restaurants nearby. Better luck next time, I suppose! This summer I'm going to Linnanmäki amusement park in Helsinki as I haven't visited it for some years.

A bouncy boat with paragliding

Hey everyone! Haha, I should really figure out another way to start my posts... Anyway, this time I wanted to tell you about one of the best things on a beach holiday. The beach is not only about catching rays and swimming but also about exciting activities. Since I'm afraid of diving, I had to rule out all the options that involved anything to do with it. Luckily we found something else fun: paragliding! This is what we decided to do with my good friend a.k.a room mate Tora. It cost 75€/30min for two.

The whole thing started off by hopping into a boat, which was by the way wobbling recklessly the entire time. We cruised around at full speed and dragged behind us some people who were seated in a giant, rubber life buoy. At that point, I was struggling to hold onto my precious camera as the boat bounced up and down in the waves. I tried to grab onto something that would have kept me from falling out of the boat. Not to mention, we sat on the edges which were really slippery.

Tora said my face looked funny because I looked so terrified. Oh sweet memories... Before we were raised into the sky, I shouted to the men steering the boat if they could please be careful with the landing, as I didn't want to end up being underwater. It must have been hilarious because they had absolutely no intentions to drop us that low! I just had to ensure it, as usual.

High up in the sky...

...and after that down to the sea level so that we could run on the water. Cool!

It wasn't perhaps the smartest move to leave on my skirt, which got soaking wet when they lowered us down. I wouldn't mind doing this all over again but I'll see if I find some new activities in Anfi del Mar. Something similar yet different.

In any case, this is amazing. You get to see such beautiful views, just like a bird!

French taxis are crazy

Okay, so maybe getting around in a new place isn't the easiest possible thing. Especially under some circumstances it can get a bit... interesting, to say the least.

It's 10:45 PM. Strolling around the beach with the Finns, I just realise I haven't really seen my room mates or neighbours anywhere. Apparently we all just missed the 10:10 bus, so we have to go home by taxi. This is when I start to feel a bit left out, since the other girls are together and I'm alone sitting at a carousel. Luckily one of my friends calls me and tells me not to move anywhere, they can pick me up from that place.

I saw familiar faces through the window. I feel absolutely relieved. It's great to get into the taxi after all that waiting. Not that I couldn't have waited for longer, but I was starting to feel quite lonely and it's dark. I realise that the taxi is slightly full and count quickly that there are 7 people now sitting in a 5-seat car. No big deal, I guess. The driver is a polite, young guy who just laughs and asks if everything is okay. Of course everything is perfect, we are in France!

Calvin Harris ft. Ellie Goulding - I Need Your Love (Remix) French taxis drive fast. And I mean it. To make matters worse, the roads are short and have roundabouts at the end of each one. Opened windows, music blaring on full volume and neon lights on both sides of the road. Then again I just think about the moment. This is what summer should feel like. I might never go back this  place so I have to enjoy every moment of it. It's lovely how the taxi driver keeps talking yelling to us, asking where we come from etc. I love little small talks in another language, even if you're not so good at it. The local people can be so sincere of your language skills.

I smell trouble coming. Everyone notices straight away some policemen at a roundabout, not far from our home. And no one can miss their long looks since there are three sitting on the front and four at the back in the car.  Just after a few minutes we continue normally until we hear merde and are stopped by the police. Party's over now.

All I understand of the polices' and taxi driver's conversation is that the driver says it's an emergency and he's really sorry. After some time (feeling like eternity) we find out, that the driver has to pay some fines. It think we all feel kind of guilty. Luckily the fines aren't so high, because all us girls are underage. I don't know what that has to do with it. My Swedish friend and I hop out and wait for the taxi to pick us up again. Surrounded by some policemen, standing on the side of the road it all looks like we've done something wrong. Luckily everything ends well.

I guess that's just the way the cookie crumbles. At least in France. There's always something new to learn!