A wee sleep in this morning after another night awake due to jet lag - just as I am coming right, it will be time to head to the US. The hotel's "discount" cab to Gard du Nord was €10 more than the trip the other way - disappointing, and the one black mark on an otherwise supurb property. Utrecht is the Netherlands 4th city (think Dunedin), but it comes across as a city with real prospects - it is a mini Amsterdam with out the downsides - much more compact and "cute", and being only 30-40 minutes from the big smoke, they're not far from the action. There are no recent immigrants (locally known in Amsterdam as "der szwartz's" or the "black ones" trying to sell drugs (and worse). As with Amsterdam, the ubiquitous bicycle is the primary mode of transport - there are 10's of thousands of them, and every one different. Most have a bell (to warn any errant foot traffic to move it, and fast), and all have a heavy chain (not some namby pamby bike chain - a real, high tensile job) to deter would be bike borrowers. The "centrum" has all the old stuff you'd imagine, but unlike Amsterdam, the canals a lined with old warehouses at just above water level, and these are now restaurants - very cool.
The locals appear in the main to be tall and attractive, slim and blonde... Just an observation. Having said that there are a smattering of full veils and the like, indentifying that Muslim community is front and centre - the massive new mosque just across the road from My hotel is as impressive as it is imposing. A couple of tourist hot spots - passed, photographed, not visited. Having been to Paris quite a few times I've been and seen these previously. Hotel Fabric is a fairly typical slightly upmarket Parisian hotel, very professional staff, nice rooms and a bar / lobby with a twist. Depending on the time of day, the very trendy and designer decorated area transforms from a breakfast area, then a cafe, then finally a bar - all self service! Fancy a bar with no staff, you help yourself (as I did with my colleagues last night), then fill in a form and it gets charged to your room - very civilised. After a fairly early night, I woke again at 1am, couldn't get back to sleep so killed time doing emails, reading my book and watching BBC tv. I managed to get a bit of free time today and set out for a walk - my Fitbit (and sore feet) tell me that I covered 19.29kms, so I should sleep tonight. Paris is enjoying a very hot summer, with a beach being installed on a road along the Seine (yes, the road has been closed for the holidays). The Tour de France finishes on the Champs Elyesse on Sunday, and the construction of temporary grandstands is going flat out. Temperatures here over recent days have been 25-29C, so I was very thankful for the shade created by the avenues of quintesential plane trees. Being out in the sun was tough going. Time for a shower then another walk, a very short one, to find a cold beer. Tomorrow I head to Utrecht in the Netherlands. I must be in Paris, guys playing boule. It is nearly 9.30pm and still some way off dark. Hotel Fabric is quite satisfactory, and I appear to have lucked in - apparently my room is the best they have, certainly much bigger than you'd normally expect in Paris. Clients have come and gone, business done. I faded fairly quickly and am thinking about bed, having enjoyed dinner at a typical Parisian cafe, watching locals wind down their days. As anticipated the hospitality of long time client and good friend Jag was overwhelming. A few drinks at a local pub became the starting point for a great night as friends and family joined us- an intimate group of about 14-15 people. Eventually Ashers Restaurant in Birmingham was chosen and we set off, arriving for cocktails (as per last nights post) and a fabulous meal- best described as treandy Indian. It was a very busy place, and chocka on a Monday night, although as we left at after 1am, there was just the cleaning crew in attendance. The back seat of Jag's Mercedes proved very comfortable for this tired traveller, and thankfully his wife is a non drinker, and a better driver than son Anish (the driver of the battered and bruised Mercedes described yesterday). It is always humbling to be the recipient of such hospitality - Jag and I have known each other for over 20 years and have shared many adventures together - a great guy, and I shake his hand knowing that his word is his bond. An early start after fairly short and restless night, a train to catch Coventry to London, then the Eurorail train theough the Chunnel to Paris for meetings this evening. Virgin Atlantic lived up to expectations, another full flight. The bar in Business Class saw little use from me, with a light Dinner and a couple of drinks being my limit- desperately trying to fool my brain into accepting European time zone. I settled down for sleep and managed a few hours before relenting and watching another movie. Customs and Immigration into UK was much better than previous experience- collected my bag then caught the express into London (tickets varying from £9-21 depending on where you bought it). The Tube was a mess, with serious delays and breakdowns forcing circuitous routing, jammed in with the populous, but Euston Station finally appeared and I could again enjoy the comfort of an air conditioned carriage. Ticket pricing for the fast train to Coventry was again quite interesting - £16 advance purchase or £66 on the day (business class). I was met in Coventry by one of my clients sons. The all round damage and dings apparent on his near new Mercedes gave early warning poor driving skills. We were soon taking on a bus head on as we negotiated a round about on the wrong side of the road. Hmmm. Straight to the office for a series of meetings before being dropped to my hotel to freshen up before dinner. Coventry is a city that has never appealed to me. An ancient city famous for Lady Godiva (who ride naked on horse back through the town). Devastated by bombing during the war it is a hotchpotch of all sorts, none of it with much appeal Hello from LAX I am in the Virgin Clubhouse Lounge, freshly showered and waiting for a hydrating antioxidant fruit juice from the very attentive wait & bar staff. NZ2 was very full and I can't remember why I am changing to Virgin here rather than going all the way on Air NZ. A movie and half a dozen episodes of Longmire (much recommended by those with better tv than me), accompanied by too many drinks and a few restless hours on the lie flat bed saw the time pass fairly quickly. Rather ironically, our flight was on track to arrive early due to favorable conditions and was asked to slow down. As always when arriving in the US there are hoards of people, and a quite bit of waiting around, but i know better than trying to buck the system - anyone who expresses signs of frustration can expect a fairly rough ride, with US Customs and Federal authorities notorious for their lack of humour. So, having arrived and "entered" I transfered and "exited", shoes off, belt off, body scan, swabbed for explosives ( although the last mirror I saw reflected a tired, middleaged traveller, US security must think I have the look of a bomb chucker about me. Looking from the lounge over the tarmac is a typical "big" airport scence, organised chaos, little wagons whizzing about with apparent purpose - hopefully one will be transfering my bag from Terminal B to Terminal 2. Next stop London, then straight on to Coventry from a meeting with clients, which is usually (inevitably) to be followed by a late night - they are night owls, very generous and hospitable. D Barfoot and Thompson, the real estate company who had it's data stolen by an employee who then passed it to Messer's Twyford and Little have taken prompt action to identify and dismiss the thief. Twyford rather mysteriously describes this person as a "whistle-blower", a term used to describe someone who exposes an illegal action - -surely this is not the case.
It is interesting to consider what reaction would have been evoked if it was John Key, or Whaleoil who used information (stolen or otherwise) to racially profile child bashers or beneficiaries. Whether Tywford and Little are charged with receiving stolen material remains to be seen |
Don MalcolmA perfect day involves being on my Harley with a long ride ahead.
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