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Sunday, December 11, 2005
The Trip Comes to an End
2:45pm ET - I'm about an hour and twenty minutes outside of New
York now. I had a nice and early 6:30am local time wake up call in order
to catch the train from Copenhagen center the airport. The flight from
Copenhagen to Paris was a breeze. I requested a window seat, which is
something I don't normally do. But I was rewarded for my selection as
I got to see Paris during our approach. There was a bit of haze in the
city today, but you could clearly make out the Eiffel Tower.
Getting to my second flight was not the easiest. There are six terminals at Charles De Gaulle airport, and none of them are small. To get from my terminal where I arrived to my departing terminal was a 15 minute walk at a brisk clip. Then, I had to stand in line for 20 to have my passport reviewed, followed by security. Was I there yet? Nope. You see, Air France is building a new terminal, which is only available by bus. So a 10 minute bus ride took me to the gate. Good thing I didn't stop along the way for food or something, cause I arrived just shy of departure time. The held the plane of course, but it still felt good to see it hadn't left the gate.
So ends 8 days on the road. Until next time... (seriously, I'll probably be back in February).
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Denmark by Day
12:15pm (6:15am ET) - It was dark when I flew from Copenhagen
to Karup, and then taxied from Karup to Silkeoborg on Monday. So the only
thing I could see was anything lit, which was not a lot. I now know why
as much of Denmark is farmland. On my 30 minute ride back to the airport
we drove through a rolling country side of farmland. Every so often I
could spot a wind turbine. The propellers (3) on these things are HUGE.
It is almost graceful how they turn in the wind, generating electricity.
The airport, now visible by day, is small and simply placed in the middle
of the country side. Karup airport only serves flights to and from Copenhagen.
There is just one runway, which I think at one time (and maybe still does)
served some branch of the Danish armed forces. Upon takeoff, I could see
what looked like military barracks, and some displays of military jets.
Flying over Denmark lets you see how vast the farmland is. Seeing a row of 8 wind turbines across a farm, seeming turning in sync is fascinating.
'Tis the Season
5:30pm (11:20am ET) - If you find yourself in Copenhagen in December,
and you can't get into the Christmas spirit, then there is something wrong
with you. The pedestrian walkway, where shops and pubs abound, was beautifully
decorated for the season. There were carolers singing, street musicians
playing, and a train driven by Santa spreading good cheer. In town square,
a circle of ice surrounded a statue of a Danish horseman, where young
and old were skating around and around. I'm off to Tivoli Gardens next,
where the line to get in is already tremendously long. I'm told it will
be worth the wait.
Winter Wonderland
11:15pm (5:15pm ET) - Tivoli was an experience like none I've
had. It was an amusement park turned winter wonderland. It was packed
with tourists and locals enjoying the holiday season. Young children dressed
in their snow suites were out in the cold riding the many rides. The park
was decorated like a Santa's village of sorts, lined with small shops
and eateries. You couldn't help but be in the Christmas spirit.
Friday, December 9, 2005
Country Road, Take me Home
6:30pm (11:30pm ET) - Today's work day ended early, as every
Friday employees at the bank leave at 3:00pm. So I had the opportunity
to walk the streets of Silkeborg center. It's beautiful this time of year,
with Christmas decorations everywhere, but not overdone like in may places
in the US. The town center has a tall evergreen tree decorated with white
lights, and a start on top. It's not as big as the one in New York, but
this one stays there year round, so one day maybe it will be. I got to
walk around under the many Christmas lights, stopping in many shops. It
seemed many danes had left work to do some Christmas shopping.
As I walked down one particular street, I heard singing in the distance coming from a local pub. It was a merry sound, but I could not make out the song. That is until I got closer, when much to my surprise I heard the familiar lyrics, "Country road, take me home to the place where I was born. West Virginia". How ironic to hear on my last day in Silkeborg.
Now I sit in the lounge of my hotel, with a half litre of Carlsburg Special, listening to a self playing piano play wonderful Christmas music. Tomorrow I leave for Copenhagen, where my friends here have mapped out my itinerary upon my arrival. My evening will finish at Tivoli, an amusement park that closes for the winter, but opens just for the Christmas season and is decorated with holiday lights. It should mark a fine end to an enjoyable week.
Thursday, December 8, 2005
Musings from Denmark
9:12pm (3:12pm ET) - It's been a very busy week thus far here,
so there has been little time for updates. In no particular order, some
random thoughts:
The sun comes up here between 8:30am and 9:00am. It goes down between 3:30pm and 4:00pm. I've not seen much sun since my arrival. I'm told in the summertime the sun rises at 4:00am, and sets after 10:00pm. My luck I came in the wrong time of year. But it's not too cold, and no snow. In fact it's colder and more winter like at home in CT. Go figure!
There are 10 TV channels in my hotel room. 2 are in English - MTV and the Discovery Channel.
The taxi I took from the airport on Monday was a Mercedes Mini-van with a stick-shift. That just does not seem right.
Cars
here are smaller than in the US. The only SUV I've seen is a smaller version
of the Volvo SUV. Station wagons are very popular, with cool looking models
from Toyota, Audi, VW, and Mercedes. Peugeot has a one with a glass top
that goes 3/4 the way back of the roof. Very cool, though the owner of
the one I rode in said it was very hot in the summer time.
Christmas beer is very big here. They have Christmas and Easter beer, which is only available the month before each holiday. People line up to buy it when it first comes out, kind of like the line at Best Buy before the launch of the new X-Box.
The only soda / pop to be found in bars or restaurants is Coke. The own the market here. You can buy others, but they are harder to find. Milk is very big here. There is always plenty of milk around for breakfast and lunch.
In the US, outside conference rooms in companies you usually find coffee, tea, and cookies or pastries or something like that. Here, it is a fruit buffet with apples, oranges, bananas, grapes (seeded of course), and carrots. Yes, large shaved carrot sticks.
Eating in a Mexican restaurant (a choice of the customer) in Denmark is a bizarre experience. At one point a rendition of Vivaldi's Four Seasons was played salsa style. I can't make that up.
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Where everybody knows your name
8:25am (2:25am ET) - It goes without saying that I slept well
last night. I found a nice local restaurant down the street from my hotel,
where a chicken burger (actually a pretty good grilled chicken sandwich)
and a few half litres of Carlsburg Special were just what the good doctor
ordered. I ran into another American, from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, who had
been in Silkeborg since August. A week and a half remained in his "tour
of duty", and by now everyone in the pub knew who he was...the bartenders,
the owner, the patrons. I got a few local pointers for the week, including
an important one about tipping (you don't except for exceptional service).
Monday, December 5, 2005
Ah, Paris
10:25am (4:25am ET) - The first of three legs is over. If you've
never been to Charles de Gaulle airport in France, I can sum up my first
impression in one word - massive. I don't believe I've been in an airport
as large as this one. For the first time in my travel experience I deplaned
to the tarmac to board one of several busses that transported us to the
terminal. An hour and fifteen minutes later I found my way over to my
departure terminal. Thankfully, I still have 90 minutes before I have
to board for Copenhagen. A cafe creme, a croissant, and a view of the
"sea" of white Air France planes will pass the time until I
depart.
Cruiser - Silver!!
Only Christopher may find this of interest, but as I walked outside
the terminal this morning and saw a silver PT Cruiser taxi drive by. Christopher
may be the cruiser spotting king, but now I'm the only one in the family
who's seen a Cruiser Taxi. How many points do I get for that?
Are we there yet?
5:40pm (11:40am ET) - I'm en route from Copenhagen to Karup.
It's just a short 40 minute flight. It will be nice to land and know I
have no more plane trips for a few days. All that will remain is a 45
minute taxi to my hotel. Having travelled so much in the past several
years, going in and out of airports has become routine. This trip has
been an interesting study in both culture and security at European airports.
There are many designated smoking areas, including in cafes and bars,
somthing unheard of in the US. Laptops are left in bags when scanned,
and there is no nead to remove shoes.
I think I'm the only non-Dane on this commuter flight, which is both and odd and a cool feeling. It should be a very interesting next few days.
Home away from Home, at last
7:20pm (1:20pm ET) - Just shy of 22 hours from the time
I left the house, and I'm here. My taxi from Karup to Silkeborg was cultural
experiecne in and of itself. I don't recall travelling in an area that
was so dark, and void of light. We left the airport, and it was black.
No street lights, very few houses. Those that were lit were only lit from
the inside, but for some which had holiday lights outside. Which brings
up an interesting observation. All holiday, well really Christmas, lights
are white here. With the exception of one blue lit tree, everything was
white. No green, no red, just white.
Within about 30 or so minutes we arrived in Silkeborg, a cute town (from what I could see). I had to laugh inside as we passed the McDonalds, and the Blockbuster just before turning into my hotel. My room is like a model from an IKEA catalog.
Think that's a wrap on today. Future updates won't nearly be as much in depth. But for tonight, FARVFEL!!!
Sunday, December 4, 2005
Silkeborg or bust! This evening I embark on a trip to Silkeborg, Denmark
on business, by way of Copenhagen, Denmark...by way of Paris, France.
I'll be overseas for a week, and figured I'd stay in touch with family
by maintaining a blog of sorts (short for weblog - that's what the kids
are calling it these days).
Caution, Baby On Board
8:45pm ET - Tonight I embarked on my 24 hour journey to Silkeborg,
Denmark. I'm flying from JFK Airport in New York to Paris, France. I'll
arrive in Paris at 8:50am local time (2:50am ET). From there I'll catch
a 12:55pm flight to Copenhagen. Once in Copenhagen, I'll transition from
Air France to Cimber Air (A Scandinavian commuter airline) and catch a
5:20pm (11:20am ET) flight to Karup, Denmark. From there, I've got a 45
minute taxi ride to arrive at my final destination, Silkeborg. What next?
Dinner and a bed I think.
I've done my fair share of traveling over the past 5 years, and during this time I've experienced both the good and the bad of air travel. One thing you always like to avoid when traveling on business is families with small children. Colds, crying...no good can come from them. I suppose I'm being tested tonight, 'cause I'm 2 seats removed from a 6 month old, who as cute as she is, will not shut her yap. And to make matters worse, she's crying in French.
Thank God for my iPod.
9:30pm ET - Someone is smiling down upon me. The contraption that acts as a baby bed that attaches to the wall in front of the parent's seat won't work. As such, the father and daughter are switching places with someone further back in the plane. Life is good.
You Know What They Say About Karma
10:45pm ET - With the American Airline industry abandoning
in-flight meals to cut costs, I've forgotten how little satisfaction one
can derive from airplane food. Now I remember.
On another note, my karma seems to be paying me visit. I've discovered my in-seat headphone jack is broken, so I have to make do without in-flight entertainment. That's ok, I'd rather see War of the Worlds on DVD anyway. The lady next to me (who happens to be French) is complaining to me that she's trying to sleep and that my elbow keeps touching hers. Apparently she's never flown in coach before.
Again, thank God for my iPod.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Final standings for the 2004-2005
Football Challenge have finally been tabulated and posted ('bout time).
Congratulations to Kevin Butler for coming out on top.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Five months later, and I'm getting around to making some updates. First
things first, I had to get the Football Challenge back in to gear. Now
that it is up and running smoothly, I can focus my attention on other
updates. More to come soon...I hope.
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