Mid-June travel update

Well I don’t think I’ve ever had this kind of a travel schedule. I’ve basically been on the road non-stop since April 14, including 5 weekends! A couple of those were our choice, tryin to take advantage of where I was for Diana to get out, but the rest were purely due to business travel. During that time I’ve hit 12 countries, including the US (which ate up 2 of the weekends).

Generally, travel days run about 14 hours each, trying to do your job as well as meet with partners and customers. It sounds exotic, while in fact it’s exhausting. You’re doing con calls in airports, working on documents in hotel rooms, eating too much and exercising too little. Never getting enough sleep.

Had my first trips into Eastern Europe in the last couple of weeks. Spent 3 days each in Prague and Bucharest. Eastern europe is the only part of europe still cheap. In Prague, 4 of us had a very nice dinner with drinks and desert for about $60. One person could not eat in the same level of restatraunt for that price in London.

Everyone says Prague is lovely, and they are correct. We had about 2 hours the last afternoon to spend in the city before I had to get to the airport. Baeutiful old architecture, well maintained, pretty safe feeling. Only down side is tons and tons of tourists. People from every nation there in tour groups wandering about. The prettier areas are very crowded with tourists.

Bucharest on the other hand is different. As soon as you arrive, you know you are in a poorer, eastern country. Just a little shabbier, not as well maintained. Lots of new buildings, but lots of older, very rundown buildings too. Not much pretty old architecture. Also, it has some vague, not very safe feeling. We never felt threatened, but you knew you needed to keep your guard up.

Everything went well in Bucharest. We always try to find a resatraunt that serves local food, and we found one. Lots of grilled meat, polenta and bread. As we were sitting there, I saw an old Byzantine church. Stopped in for a look. Romanians are Orthodox. I’ve never been into an Orthodox church before, and this one was just wonderful. Very small, no pews or benches, apparently everyone stands during these services. Lots of ornate icons of madonnas, saints and other figures I don’t recognize. In the rear, there was this quaint Greek garden. I didn’t have a camera with me, so can only describe it.

Sitting in Berlin now. First trip here since right after the wall came down. Very cosmopolitan, new and dynamic city. Realize that during the almost 40 years between the end of WWII and reunification in 1990/91, the Russians prevented the Germans in Berlin from rebuilding. When I was here in 90/91, there was still rubble in East Berlin from 1945! Bullet holes in buildings, etc. Now all of that has been razed and replaced with modern, glass and steel buildings.

Only 1 more trip left, Amsterdam next Tuesday. Will be glad when it’s over and I can stay home for a bit. Of course, as soon as I get off the road, Diana is going back to the US for a visit.