news update links
May 23, 2009

Gainsville, FL - White Springs, FL - 70.3 Miles

By Valerio;
Valerio 23-05-2009 Hi people this is Kenny V. again, more and more in love with Florida. We are in the beatiful Edd's house!! what better than a jump in the swimming pool before breakfast!?!what better than wafels and scrambled eggs for breakfast?what better than..I could keep on very long but ok! let's see wath we did after. The phone, radio and camera batteries are charged the car is still in progress in a beatiful place surrounded by horses ..I was almost envying Sunny (car's nickname). Josh has a splinter in his foot, but salted water made the job. Thanks to the help of Edd's neighboor, a really nice hyperactive ex-neurologist. We are leaving but oh oh...run out of juice!!!Not sun this time but gasoline for the van!! Stop at the gas station!!441 north direction the Jacksonville but we wait a minute..we have to go further direction Savannah but wait a minute again..Mr Old Sexy has an idea!!There is a folk festival along the way..the 57th Florida folk festival in White Springs. His mother was already there and she organized the passes and spoke with the orgainzation to advertize it I tell you absolutely the best experience of my american trip!!Never seen so many so happy and friendly people no matter the age, the clothes, the job. And the music man..It was everywhere anytime..it was american folk. Time to jam, to relax and for me to experience american tradition!!! I saw something similar only once, in Folkswood Festival in Eindhoven when we played with my band L'Chaim. We took so many pictures. Everybody seems extremely enthusiastic. The gurds of the park help us a lot. We switch the time for checking the car and walk around in that fairy tales place!!!Finally my turn! Edd, who came along with us, takes me to the beer corner I got my first crab burrito for dinner and Sierra Nevad..in the meanwhile musicians are playing all around. Nice chat with Edd and his friend Robin (good wine tuning with garlic and basilicum Robin!!). Only one thing to do after dinner..some folk dance. Josh Marcelo and me all dancing. There we met Klaire who started dancing with Marcelo I had to find another one so:"Hi what is your name wanna dance with me?" so I met Chelsea an acordeon player great!! They told me that there were going to be jam sessions all night long. nice to know!! "Time for a swim" somebody says!! I said "what?" They reply "Yes in the river down there!!". Awesome!!! it was freezing!!!but incredibly cool. It is not common to swim in rivers but at night even less!!! Great everybody underwear and go!!! On the wet way back I spoke with Courtney!! Oh man it was great!Never met a girl playing mandoline and clarinet, doing circus and performing folk dance..perfect no!?! I have been talking a lot with her. it was really funny. There was a really good feeling. She told me she is coming to Europe this summer. I definitely hope to meet her again somewhere..man I really liked her but I told her a bit too late!. Josh and me jumped in the back of a Jeep with some guys and ended up in the middle of nowhere in the forest. The idea was to jam together but finally it turn out in just... watermelon and? cigarettes! We ask them to drive us back and we join some other people for some jamming. Nice, never played american folk music and I actually played really bad ..but much fun!! Especially the baby garden spinning games..man!! Josh was frickying out!!too funny!!Courtney climbed the all route with her hands ..we were impressed mates!! Music does not stop! Courtney Josh and me spent other 2 hours at a jam session. It was superb!! better than a CD. Many nice people and everybody knows Courtney!!It is 5 o'clock we would like to stay there untill the end but probably there's no end! We walk back..say good night to Courtney and try to reach the van. 0.4 second..sleeping!!See you in a couple of hours!!!ahii!! Kenny V.


By Marcelo da Luz;

Overcast, rain - Sun where are you?
It was a very unusual setting to wake up at the Florida Folk Music Fest but again what is unsusal with the solar car. The place feels almost like utopia,

By Laura Peruzzi;
5:45p after tossing a frisbee with Leif and Dustin,  the three of us pick up a snack and they mention a solar car spaceship has arrived at the festival.  Whoa! I need to see this and tell them I'll catch up with them later. They direct me to it and all I see is a small crowd of people. Closer and closer I peek through shoulders and feet to see a sleek and sexy black and yellow bee-mobile with ohhs and aaahs all buzzing about. This is no car, this is the future! It seems like she hovers off the ground, where are the wheels? how do you get in? who? how? what? so many questions, so many thoughts and such a big smile on my face- solar power is real and it is right in front of me! I can only listen to the others fire question after question at the man in blue. I hear how it goes 75mph, can go up to 300miles on a sunny day... I bend down, turn my neck, walk around, find a license plate in the back...this is street legal?!  How much did it cost to make?
 50,000 man hours... put a price on it and it’s at least a million. As all their questions are answered the people step back to bask in the sheer awesomeness and eventually Marcello walks over to me and introduces himself and we start talking.  He mentions how the project is to drive for the world distance record and from here they are heading north...to the arctic circle. "We are always looking for volunteers." he says. My eyes widen and my enthusiasm oozes out "I'd love to help any way I can, how do I become a volunteer?"
"Welcome to the team!" Marcello shakes my hand and it is done. I am on the Xof1 solar car team.  Within the next five minutes I meet Josh and Valerio, the other volunteers, and we are all walking to the van to unload some supplies.
Marcello asks me about a toolbox and if I can bake panatoni. I'm one of those girls who knows a flathead from a philips and I love to cook so I seem to fit in well so far. We take the stantions from the trailer and place them around the solar car to protect it from onlookers getting too close and curiously touching the delicate solar cells. Josh hands me the video camera and I film Marcello answering questions while I share a snack with Valerio. Yummm- a frozen slice of chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick and he tells me they were just in the Florida Keys a few days ago.  After the video camera battery dies I hand over the camera to Josh and tell them I will meet up with them before they leave tomorrow. The adventure of a lifetime begins here and how spontaneously it came about!

By Josh Holton:
I woke up feeling rather sick, and with an infected foot. Fortunately Ed’s neighbor is a retired veteran and a doctor. He gave me some good medical advice, which ended up helping my foot in no time. Nothing a little hot water and Epsom salt won’t fix.! Marcelo decided that we should try to go see the 2009 Florida Folk Festival in White Springs, FL. What a great idea! The solar car was incredibly popular there. My mom got us in for free because she’s a folk DJ at WMNF 88.5 FM Tampa. We raised over $50 in donations, and the car was even given a highly secure spot for storage. I announced the arrival of the XOF1 on the main stage, which drew much attention to the car and the project. We also met a nice girl named Laura who expressed interest in joining the XOF1 team. My family met Ed, Marcelo, Valerio and I at the beer garden. We listened to a bit of music, and then we all went dancing! It was so fun spinning around and changing dancing partners mid way…what a blast! Two sisters, Claire and Lucy, whom I danced with, considered joining the solar car team. Afterwards, we all jumped in the Suwanee River late at night. Even though it was freezing, it was way worth it. Valerio and I continued after to play music through the early hours in the morning.



Early in the morning waiting for sunshine. Lots of space at the pasture
Tall trees sheltered the van and trailer
Drying sunny's cover. Luckly the electric fence was deactivated
The early sun rays got covered by somber clouds
Flowers, bugs, fire ants, etc...watch out where you step
Ed and Valerio, rio;
I was wondering where was the mother ship or the green martian that came with it
Ed showing doc the article on the Gainesville Sun
Valerio, Ed giving moral support to josh as doc examine his foot.
- doc - "Yes, it look like a chicken feet"
- Josh - "How much longer do I have doc?"
- doc - "if you don't eat my cooking you will live for a long time"
Neigbours come by to check out the solar car,
Hola everyone!
thanks for moral support!
Beautiful trees, plants, garden and bridlepath troughout the property. The tall tree provided a colin refuge
A burst of sunshine, 5.2Ah. WOW! keep on shining!
It's time to "on the road again!"
Daniel, his wife and a firend stopped by to check out the solar car. We met Daniel two days earlier in Orlando at the Green Cities convention
Lots of rain, lightings and thunders made for an interesting drive.
The rain continued until we arrived at the Florida Folk Fest
Arriving at the Florida Folk Fest, people gathered by the solar car
Robin (wearing a hat) e
Marcelo talking about the solar car, just before jumping all over the place like if he was dancing on hot coal, he stood bare feet on a fire ants next. It was a funny funky dance
Laura, checking out the solar car, 10 minutes later became a team member, jumping right into action helping out set up the stentions around the solar car
Valerio artistic photo of the water font with the solar car on the back ground
Sunny supporting sunny. Making a donation to the project. Thanks!
Sun down, time to store tuckle the solar car for the night, people gathered by the solar car to see it drive
It drives in the dark?
Yes, batteries!
We'll be back tomorrow morning!
Valerio, at the back of the park ranger electric car
-"Mama mia; da Terni alla Florida!
(hey mom, fom Terni to Florida)
The team was shiy at first, watshing people dance but didn't take long they were all in the dance floor having a wonderful time
Great music,
Claire and Marcelo (left) trying not to step on each others foot
Valerio,
Vuoi ballare con me?
(would you like to dance with me?)
Marcelo and Ed looking like a deer in the headlight
Music until wee hours of the night