Thursday, June 30, 2005
Acqua Alta
What better way to arrive in Venice than by boat? Cruise along the Grand Canal, step ashore at a member of the "Small Leading Hotels of the World"...
The city is of course totally surreal. Laundry leaves the hotel in the morning by boat. A DHL delivery barge glides by...
The journey here is not so smooth. Alitalia decides to cancel the flight from Milan so we go by bus instead. Stop for a break half-way. Before we leave the driver asks "Siamo tutti?" No answer, so off we go...
Iron will-power is required to resist all this food. But what the heck...
A city at least as romantic as Harry Lyme's Vienna. And in full technicolor too...
Only 6 more meals to go...
Since when did the gondoliers sing the Beatles? (Discussions with natives of Cambridge on which is the most inefficient means of transport: that or punting).
The city is of course totally surreal. Laundry leaves the hotel in the morning by boat. A DHL delivery barge glides by...
The journey here is not so smooth. Alitalia decides to cancel the flight from Milan so we go by bus instead. Stop for a break half-way. Before we leave the driver asks "Siamo tutti?" No answer, so off we go...
Iron will-power is required to resist all this food. But what the heck...
A city at least as romantic as Harry Lyme's Vienna. And in full technicolor too...
Only 6 more meals to go...
Since when did the gondoliers sing the Beatles? (Discussions with natives of Cambridge on which is the most inefficient means of transport: that or punting).
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Schroedinger's Cannes
"The Pearl of the Riveria"
"An (urban) blot on the landscape"
Can these two somewhat conflicting views be simultaneously be true?
Some say that the south of France is like California. Despite being absolutely nothing like California, nevertheless there are occasionally flashes of similarity.
Cannes - and Nice even more so in some corners - has a strong Italian influence. As good genuine Italian ice cream / pasta / hams / cheeses.
Even the excellent Taleggio that I spotted in Bologna as a possible Reblochon substitute in Tartiflette. And it works well - at least in that lesser known variant 'Tartipates' (tm).
How does the fish compare with life-changing Bari? Well, the baked sea bass with beurre blanc has survived the test of repetition very well...
Has Cannes also changed my life? Well maybe not, but its been a place I have kept going back to over many years. Not only just before moving to CERN (visit Digital in Valbonne to learn about VAXClusters...) but years later to discuss Oracle RAC (frighteningly similar in many respects...)
Shades of Groundhog day...
"An (urban) blot on the landscape"
Can these two somewhat conflicting views be simultaneously be true?
Some say that the south of France is like California. Despite being absolutely nothing like California, nevertheless there are occasionally flashes of similarity.
Cannes - and Nice even more so in some corners - has a strong Italian influence. As good genuine Italian ice cream / pasta / hams / cheeses.
Even the excellent Taleggio that I spotted in Bologna as a possible Reblochon substitute in Tartiflette. And it works well - at least in that lesser known variant 'Tartipates' (tm).
How does the fish compare with life-changing Bari? Well, the baked sea bass with beurre blanc has survived the test of repetition very well...
Has Cannes also changed my life? Well maybe not, but its been a place I have kept going back to over many years. Not only just before moving to CERN (visit Digital in Valbonne to learn about VAXClusters...) but years later to discuss Oracle RAC (frighteningly similar in many respects...)
Shades of Groundhog day...
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
What a Wonderful (Wireless) World
Its amazing how wireless has changed our lives. Take meetings for example - people used to drift along anything up to 20 minutes / half an hour late.
Now they are on time - even early!
This is not because they are any more interested of course - its just to make sure they can get an IP address...
And then relax, read some e-mail, write a blog...
Now they are on time - even early!
This is not because they are any more interested of course - its just to make sure they can get an IP address...
And then relax, read some e-mail, write a blog...
