[meteorite-list] Ensisheim 2011 info

[Zelimir.Gabelica at uha.fr]

ENSISHEIM ?METEORITE 2011? NEWS
(April 21, 2011)

Dear meteorite friends,

My recent relative silence on the mail is basically due to family  
health problems (through personally I am in good shape) that had  
required my constant presence in Belgium, far from Mulhouse (where I  
basically achieved teaching activities) and thus from mail contact  
facilities.
I want to apologize to you all who sent me messages that I haven?t  
answered yet. I?ll try to be in contact soon by answering specifically  
your questions or requests.

Please find heredown the official announcement of the 12th edition of  
our ?ENSISHEIM SHOW? that I traditionally use to forward to all of you  
who are on my mailing list.

Your recent requests and questions regarding this  
henceforth-unavoidable event argue for your intact interest that we  
all meet again in the little cozy city of Ensisehim that is housing,  
since almost 520 years, probably the most famous meteorite of the  
Solar system!
I am fully confident that many of us will gather again to celebrate  
the next Spring-Summer transition by sharing our (old, new or renewed)  
passions for extraterrestrial objects of asteroidal or planetary  
origin (meteorites) or from true terrestrial sources (tektites,  
impactites).

Yes, definitely, « Ensisheim 2011 » is well scheduled for next June,  
now 12 years in a row.

As every year, here you will find again, as a preview (only for you!),  
a summary of the main characteristics of this 12th edition.

-------------
SHOW DATES:

Saturday June 18 (9:30-18:00) and Sunday June 19 (9:30-16:00), 2011  
(the weekend preceding the famous ?Ste Marie-aux-Mines? mineral show  
that is held relatively nearby (~ 80 km).

SHOW MAIN THEME: ?NWA: The Saharan Meteorite Bonanza?
SIDE THEME: ?Electromagnetic properties of meteorites?

FRIDAY ACTIVITIES

Friday 17th is the "DEALER?S DAY" devoted for tables/booth set up. As  
last year, the Regency Palace rooms are exclusively open to dealers  
(14:00 - 18:30), and NOT to the public.
- Note 1: Entrance exceptionally allowed to occasional visitors for  
justified reasons, on request (entrance fee)
- Note 2: dealers can also (continue to) set up their booths on  
Saturday 18th morning (7:30 ? 9:30) before the official show opening.

New: This year the Regency Palace rooms as well as the entire  
electrical system are significantly renovated and modernized.

The Regency Palace rooms close on Friday 18:30 and all the opening  
ceremonies then start on the main square: inaugural address,  
enthroning ceremonies, friendly drink offered to dealers & invited  
friends?
This year, a giant cake having the rough shape of the original  
Ensisheim meteorite (!) will be baked. A portion is offered to anybody  
accepting to quench his thirst with a glass of fresh ?Pinot Gris??

FRIDAY DINNER PARTY

The traditional Friday Dinner Party starts at 20:00 on the main  
square, inside the large tent, thus almost in the open air (the mini  
cold wave experienced in 2010 is relatively unlikely, though scattered  
(thunder)storms are never excluded in hot Summer days (ask Bob Haag in  
2001!)

Two meals (appetizer + beef or fowl (poultry) + desert (cook?s  
surprise) selectively prepared by the owner of the nearby restaurant  
"Le Boeuf Rouge" are proposed for a friendly price, not yet specified  
but around 13 euro (about US $ 18-20), beverage not included (for some  
?obscure? reasons?)

Beer is unlimited (you bet!).
This year the ?Meteor? beer (though famous by name) is replaced by the  
excellent new brand ?Storky?: white beer, amber beer, as well as a  
?special meteorite vintage 2011?.
And there will be also some very pleasant fruit-based lighter and very  
refreshing beer ?for women? (but also strongly recommended for men,  
especially after midnight?).

The recommended wines always include our 2 traditional specifically  
labeled vintages "Ensisheim-Meteorite 1492" Pinot Gris (white) and  
"Ensisheim-Meteorite 1492" Pinot Noir (red), with the famous meteorite  
fall painting on label.
Other red wines that traditionally accompany meat-based menus  
(Bordeaux....) will be available.

Party can end any time (possibly before the "meteorite hot rush" the  
next morning....)

Everybody (kings, presidents, organizers, dealers, relatives, close  
friends, distant friends, desert explorers, unknowns, tramps, outlaws  
(?),... attending (or not) the dealer's day & enthroning ceremonies &  
the "friendly drink", is warmly welcome!
Special invitation to citizens from NWA! (fleeing dictators, please  
inquire first?)

Please, let me know (e.g. by mail) early enough, ideally before June  
12 (slightly flexible deadline), if you want to attend the  
dinner-party, HOW MANY GUESTS you will bring and WHICH MENU (beef or  
poultry) you would prefer.
THIS RESERVATION IS A MUST, for obvious reasons (total number of  
guests, menu selection and preparation). But please reserve only if  
you are (almost) sure to attend so that we can fully meet all your  
commitments, needs and comfort (I hate heavy and unnecessary  
administration, so please?.)

Fun is absolutely guaranteed during the party. I will maintain the  
tradition that the one who can't have fun pays ME a beer! (here I am  
sure nobody will be ?in ruin??)

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ACTIVITIES:

* General activities: ?Sales, trades, exchanges??of various  
extraterrestrial objects?(but is it really needed to repeat this one  
more time ?).
Please note: sales of terrestrial rocks, minerals and fossils are PROHIBITED!

* Side activities: up to your best inspiration. Here we are very  
flexible indeed but? please just stay under the elemental legal  
constraints.

* To help you having even more fun (in case?), we can offer:
- Permanent musical entertainment by the ?Ensisheim?s Accordion  
Association? (Saturday 18:00 ? 20:00)
- Country music by the ?world famous? ?Ansa Elsass Country Jumper?  
group. (you could appreciate a few surprises there?.) (Sat. 20:00 ?  
21:30)
- ?Younger? music (?techno? & related?) by the ?Ensisheim College  
Orchestra? teens
(Sunday late morning ? to be confirmed)
- Don?t forget that the main square is a permanent dance floor any  
time, anyhow, for every age!

SATURDAY DINNER

The Saturday dinner (not official but strongly recommended to all  
participants) can either take part on the main "dancing" square, or  
?anywhere else?.

- On the square, either inside the big tent or around the  
umbrella-covered tables (6 chairs per table), you may order the  
current meals served during the day, thus "tarte flambée", various  
snacks, cakes + "selected liquids", but also special show menus (meals  
based on grilled meat, sausages, ?merguez??French fries, salad?and  
?re-selected liquids?) as well as a special ?meteorite sandwich? (big  
enough to be served on a dish), all prepared by the organizers.

- For ?anywhere else?, we specifically recommend the option that had  
met a significant success in 2010: Go to the restaurant "Le Boeuf  
Rouge" located on the other side of the church, 20 m from the tents.  
More than 120 guests can sit inside, in case of cold weather (quite  
unlikely), but also in the friendly open-air courtyard. This large  
open resort is partly covered by a wooden roof (in improbable case of  
rain), partly just sun-protected by vineyard.

Meals are proposed there "à la carte" at very friendly prices (the  
owner is, since last year, our new Brother-Guardian of the Ensisheim  
meteorite): any kind of food (quality to price ratio largely  
positive); beverage variety unlimited!

The advantage of that option (?Boeuf Rouge?) is not only the excellent  
food (we had a very positive feedback in the last 2 years) but also  
its proximity to the main hotel "Domaine du Moulin" or to the "dancing  
square", whereto you could walk (or "creep"...?) any time in the deep  
night....

SATURDAY  & SUNDAY LUNCHES

Traditional lunches + all other specific snacks, including the very  
popular "tarte flambée" (Alsatian pie) as well as the new options  
(grilled meat and the big meteorite-sandwich) are permanently served  
outside (umbrella-protected tables) or inside (sun and/or  
rain-protected tent).
Lunches can be served to exhibitors in the Regency Palace on noon  
time, on specific request.

OTHER ?SURVIVAL? ACTIVITIES

All the other activities on the main square (beer, wine sale,  
fruit-beer, tee shirts, lager, snacks, beer, meteorite smuggling,  
Polish vodka (?), mugs, edible meteorite, white beer, pins, merguez,  
wine tasting, ?Storky? amber beer, French (or true Belgian!) fries,  
?Storky? vintage, discussions, Gewürztraminer, Russian brandy (?),  
dark beer, Columbus memories, lager-mix, Pinot Noir/Gris, tequila (?),  
beer, market trends, water (??)... and permanent museum visits are  
maintained (some highly recommended!).

EXIBITION/ACTIVITIES related to the show theme

1) Thematic display in the Regency museum: METEORITES FROM NORTHWEST AFRICA

The traditional meteorite display in the museum hosting the 53.831 kg  
?Ensisheim Queen? meteorite (please note once and for all the exact  
weight!), will involve the various types, subtypes, sizes, shapes,  
colors, shock grades, main masses, breccias, weathering grades? that  
characterize the 5350+ NWA meteorites so far officially classified or  
provisional.

Folks, yes, this is a CALL FOR SAMPLES!
This time, the exhibition is open to anyone willing to display a nice  
NWA wonder from his private (anonymous or official) collection.
The weirdest the sample, the better.
Particularly appreciated will be samples that have a (curious, tragic,  
funny?.) history or anecdote to tell.
Desert hunters, this call is for you!

If you wish to bring such samples, please notify me ?asap? (mail) and  
specify the name and all the scientific, anecdotic or personal data  
that characterize your specimen(s) so that I can prepare in advance  
the corresponding didactic labels.
Thank you to participate!

2) Thematic display in the Spiess hall (first room on the right side  
when you are at the top of the Palace spiral staircase): a bunch of  
stuffed animals living in hot deserts.

Note: many such LIVE animals, including snakes, scorpions and?a camel,  
will be wandering throughout the square, for the best kid?s (and  
adult?s) appreciation. Hide your hamburgers!

3) Side-theme: INTRINSIC MAGNETISM OF METEORITES AND THEIR BEHAVIOR IN  
AN ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD
An original prototype instrument home-built by one of our invited  
lecturers Guy VERLOOVEN, will be at your disposal to test your  
recognized meteorites but also your unknowns or meteorwrongs. The aim  
is to determine with great accuracy the type of your sample through  
measuring simultaneously their magnetic susceptibility (variant of  
Rochette?s method) and their electrical conductivity.

4) This year, we have 2 plenary lectures related to the appropriate themes:

1) Michael FARMER (USA):
"METEORITE HUNTING IN DESERTS: REAL DANGER! "
(Saturday, 15:00-16:00) (in English; if needed Zelimir can ensure  
French translation)
This lecture will warn you of the many dangers you may face when you  
hunt meteorites in hot deserts, in particular in the Sultanate of  
Oman. In particular, it is expected that Mike and Bob Ward are willing  
to tell us more about their incredible and horrific forced visit of  
Omani jails?

2) Guy VERLOOVEN (Belgium):
?THE DIFFERENT WAYS METEORITES CAN BEHAVE IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC FIELDS?
(Sunday, 11:00-12:00, in French + English comments if needed).
The lecture will satisfy your general curiosity about electromagnetism  
and its interference with matter, and answer your questions on how the  
new prototype works to specify meteorite types (?side theme? described  
above)

ACCOMMODATION

Warning!
The well known hotel "La Couronne" is now definitely closed!

The nearest hotel is now the  "Domaine du Moulin" where I?d urge you  
to make room reservation, should you wish to stay at a walking  
distance of the show.

The "Niemerich" (Pulversheim) and the "Cheval Blanc" (Baldersheim)  
hotels, both about 5 km distant from Ensisheim (excellent tip for  
those having a car) are also always welcoming you.

NEW!
An equivalent accommodation as offered by the ?Domaine du Moulin? can  
be found 5 km away from Ensisheim, namely at the ?ECHOMUSEE? resort:
Hotel Restaurant ?Les Loges de l?Ecomusée », BP 7, Chemin du  
Grosswald, 68190 Ungersheim (30 rooms).
All details and reservation on line on the following link:

http://www.gralon.net/hotels-france/haut-rhin/hotel-hotel-restaurant-les-loges-de-l-ecomusee-ungersheim-14163.htm

Everybody must arrange for his own accommodation!

You will find soon all hotel data (phone, fax, e-mail, web sites) on  
the flyer.
If you call, they all do speak English and German (possibly French?).

Should you need hotel data right now, please mail me.

Other features, data and remarks:

- TABLE PRICES: maintained as in the past (see flyer).

- ENTRANCE FEE:
* 4 euro for adults, allowing show and museums visits for 2 days  
(Saturday, Sunday)
* Children under 12: free
* Those (non-registered dealers) who exceptionally wish to visit the  
show rooms during table installment on Friday afternoon must ask for a  
special visit card (badge) and should pay a ?discouraging? 5 euro  
entrance fee.

- NUMBER OF TABLES: still limited to about 55.

- TABLE RESERVATION PROCEDURE.
Just write me! (mail is the most reliable contact, phone is more  
tricky as I am not always there).
My mail: ?Zelimir? <Zelimir.Gabelica at uha.fr>

- TABLE AVAILABILITY.
All the former dealers have full priority to reserve their last year table.
We still have a few free tables for newcomers but I recommend you  
reserve right now (or ?asap?)! First come, first served.

IMPORTANT CALL TO OUR FORMER GUESTS:
Those who did not yet send their traditional "hello, please can you  
reserve my usual place?", are urgently encouraged to confirm (or  
cancel) their wish to keep their usual tables at their preferred  
place. In any case, because of some slight differences changes in  
table arrangements, the organizers reserve the right to possibly  
change the layout of certain places.
So please hurry to reserve if you want to come again, as we already  
have newcomers on a waiting list!

- TABLE RESERVATION:
Please, can all of you who already reserved, CONFIRM me (by mail) your  
earlier made table reservation? (Except those who already did so a few  
days ago).
   Sorry for this trouble but it will greatly facilitate my  
administrative task (far easier for me to handle, and safer for you).  
A few words can do.

- CONSIGNMENT ROOM:
Some space in the consignment room is still available, free of charge,  
for those, especially guests coming from far away, who wish to sell  
some of their meteorites (ideally about 5-15 pieces).
Just write labels and prices and leave the pieces in the locked  
tables, with info on how you should be contacted by potential  
customers during the show. We will take care of your sales (all free,  
no commission).
Contact me personally.

- SHOW LEAVING BY DEALERS:
For public's respect, dealers are kindly asked NOT to leave the show  
tables before Sunday 16:00.  This is one of the rare restrictions we  
must impose. Priority can be given to dealers who are able to fulfill  
this request.
Should you have a major problem with this, please contact me.

- ORIGINAL DRAWINGS CONTEST:
Those who can bring proof they are still under age of 12  
(?administrative? age because we ALL have a mental age below 12!) and  
have an ?artistic soul? (who hasn?t ?), can propose us their best  
drawings related to the theme: ?METEORITE HUNTING IN HOT DESERTS?.
Yes, you can bring drawings from the young artists from all over the  
world! Just a name (signed painting) and age are needed to obtain a  
?reward? (contest results & awards: Sunday 15:00)

THE FLYER

The official flyer is now ready and will be available in a couple of  
days on the Ensisheim web site:
www.ville-ensisheim.fr
Just open the site and click to the link: ?Ensisheim-meteorite 2011?.

Those who wish to receive the flyer personally and rapidly, please  
e-mail me. I will be happy to send it, as attachment, in English or  
French version (please specify).

AS A (PROVISIONAL) CONCLUSION:

Needless to mention, the FUNNY (crazy ?), friendly and ever smiling  
show ambience, that is progressively acquiring an ever growing  
reputation, is absolutely guaranteed again (by YOUR simple presence)  
for this new 2011 ?blast?.

Should this 10th show bring to all again much meteorite passion, fun,  
faith and friendship!

Bring much nice stuff and/or have a happy hunting.
We hope the so called ?general crisis? and the $ versus ? random  
fluctuation won?t have any bad influence on your sales or purchases.

My ever growing best wishes to all,

Zelimir