Taking a break. Eurotrip
In two weeks, I will be heading off to Europe for a three week vacation touring Denmark, northern Germany, Benelux, with a brief stop through London.
No worries... I am going to queue up treatises of some very interesting topics as blog entries inside of Community Server to publish during that time period. Yes, I will clearly mark them as such. No, I obviously will not be responding to comments/questions during that time. And before you ask - no, I will be COMPLETELY "disconnected" during that time.
To Connect, or not to Connect, that is the Question...
I am intentionally not carrying a cell phone, not bringing the satellite phone or PDA (not that I have/use one...), not bringing a laptop, not hunting down any wireless Hotspots, not hunting down any wired Internet Cafes, not browsing the web, not checking any email, not IM'ing, not blogging... ok, you get the picture. Unless you know my itinerary, know my walkie-talkie frequency, and get within 10 miles of me, you are not going to find me.
It is a vacation, remember? ;-) That time period when one takes a break from the norm and does whatever relaxes and recharges the body, spirit, and soul? Uhh... yeah. THAT vacation.
In this increasingly "connected" society of ours, where the active cell phone allows anyone to locate and converse with you at any time, where email allows anyone to converse with you asynchronously, and every other convenience communications/connectivity gadget slowly but surely robs you of your own precious time... I believe it is important to perodically and intentionally "disconnect" from society; to savor and enjoy what life was like BEFORE humanity discovered industrialization, mass-production, and instant-communication.
No... I am grateful for the technological advancements since the Renaissance; I just think that our current-day lives are very "unnatural" and periodic "breaks" are necessary.
You think you know me...
I know, I know, it must seem strange to hear these sorts of thoughts from me... the supposed technologist who loves computers and related technologies... but aha, I caught you red-handed! You are simplying assuming and mis-labeling me, and I absolutely defy that! ;-)
For someone who works in/with the technology, I am remarkably conservative when it comes to adopting/using it. See this blog entry for examples. Nope, I have not upgraded (nor do I plan to any time soon) any of my gadgets, other than the digicam. In addition to the walkie-talkies, this will be the only other electronic gadget I will carry during this time period - a Canon PowerShot SD 630 - ultracompact 6MP camera with a 3" LCD and the usual Canon features. mmm... sleek style, bold function, and diminutive package... me like.
Anyhow... I am looking forward to the trip. I hope English will be sufficient because I have no clue about any of the native tongues spoken in the countries I am visiting... and will have no Euros on me - I am only taking a Visa credit card and ATM debit card. Europeans will SO think I am a Japanese tourist... I just need that random baseball cap and wave "V" with my fingers everywhere to complete that look. ;-)
Danish butter cookies, LegoLand, Belgium Lambic beers, Party-town Amsterdam, German Autobahn, medieval castles, Rhine river... here I come! :-)
//David
Comments
- Anonymous
April 30, 2006
if you need any assistance ... dont hestitate to ask
i am located between munich and salzburg
hannesp AT ppedv.de - Anonymous
April 30, 2006
About time man! just make sure you come back in one piece... :)
No stop over @ Amsterdam ? kekeke - Anonymous
April 30, 2006
Bernard - hehe... I'm crossing the English channel between London and Amsterdam on a boat, so there will be much reveling in Amsterdam... ;-)
//David - Anonymous
April 30, 2006
Hannes - thanks for the offer; I will keep it in mind when I am in the area! :-)
//David - Anonymous
May 01, 2006
Belgium Lambics!
While a little challenging from a tasting standpoint, Cantillon in Brussels is a must for lambic fans.
The brewery is old, dusty, and looks like it's in a garage, but when you look at the details, it's amazing. Beautiful copper brew kettles and tanks, rows and rows of oak barrels, and champagne bottles full of their beer all around.
From the traditional gueuze and kriek to their Grand Cru, all have interesting flavors that are different from year to year.
Each year's bottling is a mix of three years fermenting, blended by the brew masters to create he various beers.
Cantillon's beers are a historical trip into beer's infancy, and not really for Macro-Brew drinkers.
But if you appreciate a full-flavored beer, and are the least bit curious about brewing, Cantillon is a great visit.
I know I'm sounding like a tour guide, but for anyone who likes good beer, this place is a must.
http://www.cantillon.be - Anonymous
May 01, 2006
Have a nice trip. Let me know if you need any assistance in Denmark - I'm located in Jutland, quite near to LEGOLAND. :) - Anonymous
May 02, 2006
Christopher - cool. I will be sure to swing by Cantillon.
I'm not that sophisticated of a beer drinker (I have very little idea of the process, terminology, etc -- the terms "full-flavored" and "macro-brew" really has no meaning to me right now).
I was introduced to Belgium Lambics by a friend (coworker on the IIS team, actually... lots of IIS team members hang out and party/drink together) and found that I loved it, so I'm definitely going to take advantage and savor from the source, so to speak...
//David - Anonymous
May 02, 2006
Peter - thanks for the thoughts. I will definitely keep it in mind when I am around LegoLand. :-)
//David - Anonymous
May 02, 2006
The comment has been removed - Anonymous
May 02, 2006
Christopher - Ah, I see [stores the terminology].
Yeah, a good number of the currenty IIS team are under-thirty, and we hang out frequently. It is not unusual for us to chill on Friday afternoons around several bottles of wines or various micro-brews. We just don't go code afterwards. ;-)
//David