This is one of the pictures I took the first time I've piloted a glider. We can see on the picture the city of Poitiers in second plan and the village of Pouzioux in first plan, we also could see the new line of the LGV ("Ligne à Grande Vitesse" or in English "Hight Speed Line", for the train. Also one the ugliest thing of the western of France) and, far behind Poitiers (between 20 and 40km), the nuclear power plant of Civaux. And I forget, the red lever is... the ejection of the canopy! But, fortunately, she never was used by a pilot of my club (a canopy is very expensive! that's why we never test her).
If I'm not totally wrong, I took the photo near of 750m (2460ft) of the ground. Max height where I went: 1400m (4593ft); Max speed: 140km/h.

I think I'll never forget the only radio conversation we've got with the control tower:
F-CVVP (ASK-21):"Ici Victor Papa à Poitiers, demandons autorisation pour atterrir" (Victor Papa to Poitiers, ask authorization for landing.)

Control Tower: "Poitiers à Victor Papa, dans combien de temps pensez-vous atterrir?"
(Poitiers to Victor Papa, In how many time you think you will landing?)

VP: "Victor Papa à Poitiers, dans environ 4min"
(Victor Papa to Poitiers, near of 4min)

CT: "Pensez-vous pouvoir rester un peu plus longtemps en vol? Nous avons un ATR-42 pour un atterrissage dans 4-5min."
(Do you think you could stay a little bit more in flight? We've got an ATR-42 for landing in 4-5min.)

VP: "Négatif, dites-lui de refaire un tour."
(Negative, tell it to do another turn)

CT: "Yankee Oscar, faites un autre tour, nous avons un planeur à l'atterrissage."
(Yankee Oscar, do an other turn, we've got a glider for landing.)

F-GPYO (ATR-42): "Yankee Oscar à Poitiers, Bien reçu"
(Yankee Oscar, received.)

VP: "Victor Papa, sommes à l'atterrissage."
(Victor Papa, landing.)

VP: "Victor Papa, nous quittons. Au revoir."
(Victor Papa, we leave. Good bye.)

CT: "Au revoir."
(Good bye.)

I'll always keep this impression of flights in glider, is just magic!