let me start like this:
I HAVE A DREAM! i want to own an original PONG arcade machine one day
they sell from time to time on ebay.com for a fair amount of money, but bringing the cabinets over to Europe is what kills the deal most of the time - some have been lucky though
and i'm sure i'll get my PONG eventually!
when "time pilot" toralf put up a
for sale thread for a very rare pong clone called RALLY, i couldn't get that game out of my mind. So eventually a deal was struck with the seller! thx a lot, torald, for making the necessary arrangements!
PLUS i had just recently sold an OUT RUN MINI to a guy from a german arcade forum, who didn't have the means to pick up the game in person. since the buyer was based in southern germany as well, i offered to deliver the game to him. this would make for a nice roadtrip round - one going OUT, one going IN!!!
here's what's coming up
the roadtrip actually started one day earlier when i went to
The Storage™ to load the game into my car
in it goes
that cab is really MINI - no problem at all to fit in the car and still a lot of space!
the next day, nothing new weatherwise when looking out of the window
europe (and therefore germany as well) is still under the grasp of the artic cold
no need to start early, but damn cold!
the first stop isn't too far away
fortunately, both the autobahns ...
... and the main roads have been cleared of the snow - so no problems driving at all!
i've never been to the university town of tübingen before - so here i come (shaking because of the cold?)
because the buyer lives on the second floor, he has ordered professional help
it's a relief to watch other people carry those heavy games for a change
that's where it has to go
and here's the dirty out run mini next to a nice clean neo geo cabinet (which is running m.a.m.e. inside)
after a nice chat with the buyer and a cup of hot tea (thx), it's time to head off to my next destination! you may wonder: 1h45m for 100 kilometers - where the heck is he going? well, i was told that the town i'm going to next is THE TOWN in germany which is located furthest away from any autobahns exits!
on my way out, i spot this sign by the side of the road: are those teenagers planning a riot because i'm going to get an atari clone?
just as i'm leaving tübingen, the sun breaks through the clouds
wonderful winter scenery with castle hohenzollern on the hill in the background - gotta love it
after almost two more hours on the road, i have reached my destination
the seller is already expecting me and opens up the shed where the game is located
a first glance from the back
and here it is: a stylish combination of wood and fiberglass from 1973!!!
i know that the game is not working, but i want to do some inspections nevertheless
i manage to knock off a couple euros from the asking price and everyone seem to be happy - so let's bring this game out for loading it into my car!
the out run was mini, but this game is
TINY 
still lots and lots of space in the car
time to head home - still under blue skies!
as the golden sun sets in the rear view mirror ...
... something even more golden rises in front of me!
i haven't eaten anything since breakfast, so bring on something
BIG 
every time i look at that picture, i'm getting hungry again! that burger rockzzz
nothing spectacular during the rest of my journey back except for a nice melancholic sunset on the autobahn
the (by now) well-known avenue leading up to my home town
statistics
everything's peaceful and quiet in good old lauda! the RALLY has to spend the night in the car for the unloading / detailed inspection process tomorrow - sleep tight!!!
one country, one county, 508 kilometers, 8 hours 2 minutes on the road - this roadtrip is OFFICIALLY OVER!
