Yes, I travel a lot. Lots of locations, international cities, etc. Many people ask if they can come along, it sounds so exciting and exotic.
I just came back from working our annual conference in Barcelona. This was a 4 day conference in which I had to set up and man 4 demos in the exhibition hall, speak at the seminar twice for 2 hours each, and participate in what we call a BOF (Birds of a feather) session. Basically an open discussion forum on a specific topic.
Barcelona is a lovely city and has a lot of great things to see, at least as far as I can see from the back of a taxi. This is the second conference I've worked there, each trip being a week long. Last year I had 2 hours on the last afternoon to go see the old city. This year none.
So, here's my pictures of Barcelona. All of them are taken from my hotel, either from my window or from the windows in the elevator lobby on my floor. The final picture was taken the evening after we tore down the demos. My colleague Lars and I went to the grocery stire to get our wives some chocolates. He was carrying a router from the demos, and the security guard made him check it as she had no idea what it was.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Richmond Park in Winter
This is the coldest winter in the UK in 10 years. From about mid-November until early January, we had only a few days where the high temperature rose above freezing. Also, here in the UK, you occasionally get really heavy fogs. When the fog and the extreme cold meets, you get what they call hoar frost, and it looks like a snowstorm came through.
You've seen the seasons in Richmond park in other postings:
Autumn
Summer
Spring
Here's some pictures from Winter. The first several pictures were taken on a brutally cold day with lots of frost everywhere. The last few were taken exactly 1 week later. What a difference a week makes!
There was also a large heard of deer we were able to get very close to. I thought I'd shoot them in video
You've seen the seasons in Richmond park in other postings:
Autumn
Summer
Spring
Here's some pictures from Winter. The first several pictures were taken on a brutally cold day with lots of frost everywhere. The last few were taken exactly 1 week later. What a difference a week makes!
There was also a large heard of deer we were able to get very close to. I thought I'd shoot them in video
Monday, January 12, 2009
Bath
James and I and the boys spent a week–end in Bath . We found a dog friendly B&B called the Pratt House.
We again took the train up. We were able to get first class seats for a reasonable price. Bath is famous for
its roman baths which still exist today. We were only able to see the outside of the baths. We found out
early in the week-end that Bath was not so dog friendly. We only found two pubs that we could take the boys
into. And being right after Christmas the shops were full with people looking for bargains. We spent a lot of
time outside walking along the river Avon and canal and playing ball with the boys. The weather was very
cold, the boys even got cold in their sweaters. We found a patch of green to play ball with boys it was near
Pulteney Bridge. It was a kind of a walking maze pattern.
Some info about Bath I found of interest.
Romans built a magnificent temple and bathing complex that still flows with natural hot water.
One of the largest buildings in Bath is it’s Abbey,
Bath Abbey is the last of the great medieval churches of England.
The West Front is unique as it depicts the dream that inspired the Abbey's founder, Bishop Oliver King, Over
the past twelve and a half centuries, three different churches have occupied the site of today’s Abbey: An
Anglo-Saxon Abbey Church dating from 757 pulled down by the Norman conquerors of England soon after
1066. Worship has taken place on the site of today's Abbey for over one thousand years.
The Royal Crescent is one of the world's best known landmarks. Built between 1767 and 1775
and designed by John Wood the younger, the crescent contains some 30 houses,
Pulteney Bridge, together with the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, is one of the world's most beautiful bridges.
Like the Ponte Vecchio it is one of a handful of historic bridges in the world with shops built into it. Built for
William Pulteney by Robert Adams, the bridge was an attempt to connect central Bath to land on the other
bank of the River Avon and make Pulteney's fortune. In spite of its practical origins it is surely the most
romantic bridge in the world, best viewed from Parade Gardens park by the crescent weir.
Over all it was a pretty low key week-end. We walked pretty much all of Bath.
We again took the train up. We were able to get first class seats for a reasonable price. Bath is famous for
its roman baths which still exist today. We were only able to see the outside of the baths. We found out
early in the week-end that Bath was not so dog friendly. We only found two pubs that we could take the boys
into. And being right after Christmas the shops were full with people looking for bargains. We spent a lot of
time outside walking along the river Avon and canal and playing ball with the boys. The weather was very
cold, the boys even got cold in their sweaters. We found a patch of green to play ball with boys it was near
Pulteney Bridge. It was a kind of a walking maze pattern.
Some info about Bath I found of interest.
Romans built a magnificent temple and bathing complex that still flows with natural hot water.
One of the largest buildings in Bath is it’s Abbey,
Bath Abbey is the last of the great medieval churches of England.
The West Front is unique as it depicts the dream that inspired the Abbey's founder, Bishop Oliver King, Over
the past twelve and a half centuries, three different churches have occupied the site of today’s Abbey: An
Anglo-Saxon Abbey Church dating from 757 pulled down by the Norman conquerors of England soon after
1066. Worship has taken place on the site of today's Abbey for over one thousand years.
The Royal Crescent is one of the world's best known landmarks. Built between 1767 and 1775
and designed by John Wood the younger, the crescent contains some 30 houses,
Pulteney Bridge, together with the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, is one of the world's most beautiful bridges.
Like the Ponte Vecchio it is one of a handful of historic bridges in the world with shops built into it. Built for
William Pulteney by Robert Adams, the bridge was an attempt to connect central Bath to land on the other
bank of the River Avon and make Pulteney's fortune. In spite of its practical origins it is surely the most
romantic bridge in the world, best viewed from Parade Gardens park by the crescent weir.
Over all it was a pretty low key week-end. We walked pretty much all of Bath.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Wraysbury Walk
We didn't spend our entire winter break cooped up in the house, eating and drinking too much. We got out almost daily for good long walks and playing with the doggies. We had about 3 days where it warmed up a few degrees, and on one of them we took off to Wraysbury. This is a town about 15 minutes from home on the train.
You can find the map of the walk here
As it was a little warmer, everything was very muddy, and I think we both had mud up to our knees!. But the walk was along several waterways full of birds and other wildlife, plus some historical markers. We even passed Runnymede, where the Magna Carta was signed (the English still don't have a constitution, but the Magna Carta is the closest thing they have).
At the end of the walk was a lovely pub where we stopped for s Shepherd's pie and pint before riding the train back to Richmond. It was a great day!
You can find the map of the walk here
As it was a little warmer, everything was very muddy, and I think we both had mud up to our knees!. But the walk was along several waterways full of birds and other wildlife, plus some historical markers. We even passed Runnymede, where the Magna Carta was signed (the English still don't have a constitution, but the Magna Carta is the closest thing they have).
At the end of the walk was a lovely pub where we stopped for s Shepherd's pie and pint before riding the train back to Richmond. It was a great day!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Christmas 2008
Our First Christmas in London England, we stayed home and vegged from our whirl wind tour in Germany and eat light ie. the salad. The Christmas holiday lasted over 2 weeks. The boys were so confused that daddy (James) was home so long, what a long week-end. We took long walks and played lots of ball. When James did sit down at the computer the boys immediately jumped into his lap.
We were able to get a small Christmas tree and wreath for our place. We picked up some German Christmas decorations to decorate the tree and have some memories of our trip to Germany Christmas markets tour.
A few days before Christmas we got tickets to a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. It was a called Carols by Candlelight. The music was by the Mozart Festival Orchestra and the Mozart festival chorus. The Orchestra was dressed in period dress. Our seats were amazing 3rd row from the stage. The hall was absolutely amazing to experience a concert in. The only sad part is that they did not allow photos to be taken during the concert so we only had time to get a few before the start.
I got a new hair do for the concert and we both got dressed up for the night out in London.
We made reservations at a local pub/restaurant (The Duke) for a proper English Christmas lunch/dinner. Most places were closed Christmas day and the next which is called Boxing Day. Boxing Day was a day for charity putting things or money in a box. Not the fist fights that happens in the USA when we return unwanted gifts.
James and I chose different options from the menu so we can taste different things.
The meal was great, we liked most things. The staff and owner of the Duke spoiled us (Americans) and we had not tried some of the things on the menu before especially the desserts and the chutney’s. James had the consommé and the roast turkey I got the tart and the beef Wellington. We tasted the Christmas pudding, bread and butter pudding and the crumble and the mince pies.
The boys exchanged gifts with Vicky and Cosmo their wonderful pet sitter. She is a
great friend. The boys get very excited when we mention her or Cosmos’ name and they seem to look for them when we’re out on walks.
New Years Eve we went to our local pub called The Crown. We’re now regulars there. The owners Jo and Paul are wonderful people and have made us very welcome. I can even go there by myself with the boys and not feel uncomfortable. They had a DJ who played 70-80’s disco music. I danced a lot. The only thing at was unusual was that they did not have champagne or noise makers or funny hats.
Cassidy was able to come over for a few days in the New Year. This winter has been very cold like freezing as a high and 2-6 below at night. She figured out fast to wear layers and wearing hat gloves and scarf. We exchanged Christmas gifts. And pretty much had low key days and we planned some evening entertainment. We took her to the Hyde Park winter wonderland and had German bratwurst and beer. Then we went to a theatre in Greenwich via a ferry to a panto (Pantomime) (not to be confused with a mime artist referring to a theatrical performer of mime) is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in Great British , and is usually performed during the Christmas and New Year season. The show was from the Jack and the Beanstalk tale, but was for both kids and adults. A must do if you all have a chance to see a show. We also went to a walking Jack the Ripper tour, we had many layers on and still we were cold we even saw some snow flakes fall. It was great to have Cassidy here for a few days and catch up. James and I have missed seeing and talking to her.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
German Christmas Market Tour
Still catching up. Seems like we're always doing that.
So in order to get into the Christmas spirit, we decided to go to Germany. We wanted to visit our friends Frank & Heike, Diana's Tante Hannelore and her family, and go to the German Christmas markets. I wanted Diana to see some other areas of Germany, as most of her experience has been in Bavaria.
So we hit 5 cities in 4 days. We got some cheap flights round trip from London. I used hotel points and we stayed in the Hilton in Cologne and Munich, and Diana found an awesome deal on the German railways, so we traveled as 1 cheap person rather than 2.
So we started in Cologne. beautiful city, and we were staying right beside the Dom, the big cathedral. It's been incredibly cold in Europe this winter, since about the middle of November, it's rarely gotten above freezing, so we were traveling heavy, taking lots of warmth.
In Cologne, we hit no less than 5 or 6 markets. The most interesting was the Mittlearts Markt, or Middle Ages market. This was right beside the river, everyone was dressed from the Middle Ages, and there was no electricity, so the only lights were by candle and firepot.
Also went to Dusseldorf. It was a bit disappointing. The markets have become somewhat commercialized, and there are several shops you can find at all of them. Most of the markets offer some truly unique shops that are local and you can't find elsewhere. The markets in Dusseldorf didn't offer such. The local beer is sold in small glasses called alt beer, not James's favorite beer.
After 2 cold days in Cologne, we hopped the train to Aschaffenburg, where our friends Frank, Heike and Kai live. I've known Frank and Heike since 1991, and they are mine and Diana's oldest friends. They were closing down their summer place and we got in on the end of season party. there was lots of dancing! And, of course, we hit the local Christmas market on the way out.
We left there on the train to Munich. German trains are so great, they run on time and are very clean, safe and fast. We were in Munich about 1 1/2 hours faster than we could have driven it under best conditions.
The whole time we were in Cologne and Dusseldorf, we were hearing that it was snowing in Munich. We didn't get any snow there, but Diana found some on the ground. We saw several patches of snow, but none fell. I think it was too cold.
The Christmas markets are full of food and drinks. Bratwursts, fried potato cakes, roast pork sandwiches, candied almonds and other treats are everywhere, and we ate our way through. Also, Gluhwein, a hot mulled wine in lots of variants, schnapps and other drinks are in abundance. We sampled some of them as well. Finally, I tried the feuerzangenbowle, a mulled wine drink topped with 70% rum and a sugar cube, then set on fire. It warmed me :) and how, not a drink for Diana. She enjoyed the gluhwein.
Leaving Munich we took the train to Nurnburg to finish our visit at the oldest market, the Nurnbrug Christkindlsmarkt, and see Diana's Aunt. We had a great visit, saw the christmas angel, and had some nurnberger brats, the little ones. Nuremberg market is also famous for selling figurines called Zetschgenmannie made from nuts and dried plums. Then it was time to head for Frankfurt and the airport to come home.
All in all it was a wonderful trip. We had bought a small tree before we left and we picked up unique decorations and ornaments for it on the trip. We'll show those pictures in a later post. We tried to label the pictures as to where they were taken, then a comment about them.
So in order to get into the Christmas spirit, we decided to go to Germany. We wanted to visit our friends Frank & Heike, Diana's Tante Hannelore and her family, and go to the German Christmas markets. I wanted Diana to see some other areas of Germany, as most of her experience has been in Bavaria.
So we hit 5 cities in 4 days. We got some cheap flights round trip from London. I used hotel points and we stayed in the Hilton in Cologne and Munich, and Diana found an awesome deal on the German railways, so we traveled as 1 cheap person rather than 2.
So we started in Cologne. beautiful city, and we were staying right beside the Dom, the big cathedral. It's been incredibly cold in Europe this winter, since about the middle of November, it's rarely gotten above freezing, so we were traveling heavy, taking lots of warmth.
In Cologne, we hit no less than 5 or 6 markets. The most interesting was the Mittlearts Markt, or Middle Ages market. This was right beside the river, everyone was dressed from the Middle Ages, and there was no electricity, so the only lights were by candle and firepot.
Also went to Dusseldorf. It was a bit disappointing. The markets have become somewhat commercialized, and there are several shops you can find at all of them. Most of the markets offer some truly unique shops that are local and you can't find elsewhere. The markets in Dusseldorf didn't offer such. The local beer is sold in small glasses called alt beer, not James's favorite beer.
After 2 cold days in Cologne, we hopped the train to Aschaffenburg, where our friends Frank, Heike and Kai live. I've known Frank and Heike since 1991, and they are mine and Diana's oldest friends. They were closing down their summer place and we got in on the end of season party. there was lots of dancing! And, of course, we hit the local Christmas market on the way out.
We left there on the train to Munich. German trains are so great, they run on time and are very clean, safe and fast. We were in Munich about 1 1/2 hours faster than we could have driven it under best conditions.
The whole time we were in Cologne and Dusseldorf, we were hearing that it was snowing in Munich. We didn't get any snow there, but Diana found some on the ground. We saw several patches of snow, but none fell. I think it was too cold.
The Christmas markets are full of food and drinks. Bratwursts, fried potato cakes, roast pork sandwiches, candied almonds and other treats are everywhere, and we ate our way through. Also, Gluhwein, a hot mulled wine in lots of variants, schnapps and other drinks are in abundance. We sampled some of them as well. Finally, I tried the feuerzangenbowle, a mulled wine drink topped with 70% rum and a sugar cube, then set on fire. It warmed me :) and how, not a drink for Diana. She enjoyed the gluhwein.
Leaving Munich we took the train to Nurnburg to finish our visit at the oldest market, the Nurnbrug Christkindlsmarkt, and see Diana's Aunt. We had a great visit, saw the christmas angel, and had some nurnberger brats, the little ones. Nuremberg market is also famous for selling figurines called Zetschgenmannie made from nuts and dried plums. Then it was time to head for Frankfurt and the airport to come home.
All in all it was a wonderful trip. We had bought a small tree before we left and we picked up unique decorations and ornaments for it on the trip. We'll show those pictures in a later post. We tried to label the pictures as to where they were taken, then a comment about them.
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