There are many paths in life. I learned years ago that one chooses their path through their mental pictures which can be directed by focusing on positive images. I believe that I will always end up where I need to be if I just embrace the journey. This last week in London proved to be no exception.

Sunday I set out on foot to Piccadilly Circus for a theatre ticket but found my options limited. After buying a ticket for an evening revue called La Clique, I went in search of Shakespeare’s Globe theatre. I got caught in a sudden rain shower and sought shelter under the portico of Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Just as suddenly, the sun broke through and reflected on the rain drops which magically filled the air with thousands of tiny sparkles.

I was soon on the path to the Globe along the River Thames through a park and across the bridge to the south side. After a mile or so I found the Globe and was delighted that “Romeo and Juliet” was playing. Although I missed the first two acts, for £5 I got a standing only ticket and realized a life long dream of watching Shakespeare at the Globe.

Click here to see the pictures of my journey to the Globe.

The following days were full of customer visits including an all day visit to Plymouth where the pilgrims left for the new world. I spent a few hours wandering through the old town district called the Barbican and then along the ocean front. I found my way back to the train station and had a delightful trip back to London along the southern English coast.

Click here to see my Plymouth pictures.

There was a strike the next day which shutdown the London Underground. We allotted extra time but had to wait in a long queue for a taxi and then struggled to travel 5 miles through the London gridlock. We arrived late but were able to meet for several hours. Fearing that we might get stranded, I visualized a taxi waiting for us. Sure enough as we emerged from our meeting, there was an empty taxi stuck in the traffic waiting for us.

I wrote this post on the plane home after watching a wonderful movie called “Last Chance Harvey” which is set in London. I watched Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson stroll along the south bank river walk where I had wandered a few days earlier and reflected on my good fortune. After all, I always end up where I need to be.

Bon voyage, Jay

The week in Berlin began with the overnight train from Zurich and ended with a walk along the remnants of the Berlin Wall. I spent the first hours on the train in the dining car sipping wine, watching the country side and then retired to the sleeping car. The next morning I had a delightful breakfast with my cabin-mate, a retired Swiss plumber.

On my first day in Berlin I decided to wander around to orient myself before a week at the IDUG conference and was drawn to a crowd around a bandstand. I was pleasantly surprised to see a large group of cyclists zooming past the finish of the Tour de Berlin. Although there were few recognizable teams, I thoroughly enjoyed mingling with the German cycling crowd and was amazed by some of the Berlin youth with extreme hair, dress and makeup.

My stay in Berlin was marked by the 20th anniversaries of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the rise of Solidarity movement in Poland and the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing. Having visited all three countries, I was struck by the convergence of these events. The Germans celebrate reunification while the Poles seem to struggle with their new economy. The Chinese deny that the Tiananmen Square protests even occurred.

On my final day in Berlin I visited some of the local sites including the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie. I was struck by the similarities between the Berlin Wall and the Great Wall in China and overheard a tour guide quote President Kennedy, “a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war”. I couldn’t help but think that the Chinese Emperors must have thought something very similar. Has history proved this statement true, do walls really prevent wars? At the Brandenburg Gate, built centuries ago to enforce excise taxes, I saw a large portrait of President Obama at the Kennedy Museum. Does this juxtapositioning signify that it is time to break down the walls that separate us?

As I traced the path of the Berlin Wall past a Jewish war victims memorial and on to Checkpoint Charlie, the current global transitions took on a new meaning. The Germans have it right, we should celebrate (re)unification for we are one people sharing one planet with one destiny.

Click here to see my Berlin pictures.

Bon Voyage, Jay

Over the last week I have been exploring Zurich Switzerland. With the encouragement of my colleagues, we took trains and buses to all of our meetings. But the high point in this famous Swiss city was renting a bicycle for the weekend.

We got a head start on the weekend with a short workday on Friday. Four of us went out to explore the city and found the Kunsthaus Museum. As we approached the museum, we were inspired by a magnificent sculpture by Rodin called the “Gates of Hell” which features a figure reminiscent of Rodin’s “The Thinker”. Once inside we soon found the impressionists wing that is full of Picasso’s and Monet’s. We finished the evening stroll with a wonderful Fondue dinner and wine.

As I mentioned the highlight was the weekend of cycling. As it turns out a local Swiss colleague, Guenter is an avid cyclist and was kind enough to arrange to rent a couple of very nice road bikes from a local shop called The Bike Store. We went out for a Saturday ride down along Lake Zurich and up into the hills surrounding the lake. Although Guenter is a much better climber than I, he was patient with me as I spun up each hill until we made it the quaint village of Wald about half way out the mountain for lunch. We then took an alternative route back and were rewarded by some exhilarating decents and magnificent vistas.

On Sunday I went out by myself and decided to ride down the other side of Lake Zurich. The roads have excellent bike lanes and are full of cyclists. I stopped at the Zurich Horn to eat lunch and snap a couple of pictures. All toll it was one of the best weekends of cycling that I’ve ever experienced. I also rode my longest one day ride of around 120k (70 miles) and my longest 2 day ride of over 180K (110 miles). Thanks to Guenter for a terrific end to a terrific week in Zurich.

Zurich + Terrific = ZURIFICH!

Click here to see the rest of my Zurich pictures on Flickr.

Bon Voyage, Jay

Over the last few weeks I have crossed the US multiple times. First to Connecticut, then 5 days in Denver and last week was a 2 day trip to Detroit. Each weekend I’ve returned home to refresh and find time to cycle. Pam and I even spent a night on Calypso in Santa Cruz.

Here’s a little photo montage of my recent travels.

Today I am preparing for a 20 day visit to Europe. My itinerary includes Zurich, Berlin, London and Edinburgh. I’ve decided to fly to London and then take the train around Europe. I’m sure I will encounter many challenges but am eager to embark on the adventure. I’m bringing my cycling shoes and pedals in hopes of renting a bike over the weekends. I hope to have lots of stories and pictures over the next few weeks.

Bon Voyage, Jay

I’ve just returned from a trip to Hartford Connecticut, the insurance capital of the world. The weather during my stay was rainy and cloudy but cleared up the morning I left. We got a chance to walk around a bit each evening after work to a few restaurants in the area. The highlight was a small place on Trumbull St. called The Russell which featured a Cajun Tilapia that I enjoyed with a Coppola Merlot.

I had an early morning flight and was up before dawn to allow for the rental car return and typical Friday morning airport rush. On the drive to the airport I was rewarded by a beautiful sunrise with mist rising up from the fields and settling into the valleys. I found myself singing Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof as a drove in to return my car.

The flight home had a two hour layover in Dallas with a transfer from one terminal to another. After studying the map, I decided to walk rather than take the skytrain and was struck by the futuristic airport design as I wandered around. After a mile or two walk with my bags in tow and a couple of mis-turns, I navigated to my gate in plenty of time to grab a bite to eat and reply to some email. I felt refreshed by the exercise and was ready for a long nap on the second leg of the trip.

Next week I’m off to Denver for the International DB2 User Group (IDUG) where I am presenting. I hope the weather will cooperate and I’ll get a chance to see the town and take some pictures.

Bon Voyage, Jay

After 15 years on the waiting list for a slip in the Santa Cruz Harbor, I bought a 1979 Cal 27′ sailboat a few years ago. Although very seaworthy, she suffered from disuse. I had worked in a sailboat shop in 1979 and always admired this model. With 6′3″ of headroom and ideal handling characteristics for the Monterey Bay, she also fit into a 24′ slip. All in all, a great boat to hone my sailing skills while providing a romantic weekend get away.

I decided to recommission her as Calypso, named after the Greek sea nymph that lured Odysseus after the battle of Troy. As you may know Calypso was also the name of Jacque Cousteau’s ship featured in the sixties TV show that fed my boyhood dreams of life at sea. I feel like Calypso has been in my mind’s eye for decades. The purchase of Calypso was the first step in my journey that has become GreenWanderer.

Before I recommissioned Calypso, I took her out for a short sail and was rewarded by a beautiful sunset. Someday I hope to sail into that sunset, to exotic destinations like Hawaii, Tahiti, New Guinea and beyond.

Bon Voyage, Jay

I’m currently five to six miles up in the air, returning home from Chicago. Flying into O’Hare is always a challenge. This time my shuttle flight was canceled and I ended up renting a car to make the two hour drive after all.

In the spirit of GreenWanderer, I tried to make the best of it. The drive to central Illinois and back was uneventful, but the business activities were very successful. It’s always rewarding to train over a hundred people in technology that I had a hand in developing. Although I don’t write code any more, I still feel that I contribute in the design, packaging and roll out of new products.

The best part of trips like this one is meeting new people and connecting with old friends. I always enjoy talking to people from around the world on how they use technology to solve business problems. In today’s world of economic upheavals, it’s nice to see big companies doing business as usual.

Although I don’t have any pictures or interesting stories to tell, I do have some nice memories. I’m looking forward to returning to central Illinois in the next few months to get to know the people and area better. My travels around the world provides me with insights into many different cultures. But there is something about good ol’ Midwestern Americana that fills me with hope and sense of well being.

Bon Voyage, Jay

After six weeks of staying at home, I’m on the verge of an extensive travel schedule. Next week I’m off to Illinois. I come home for two weeks and then it’s back on the road to New England. Next is Denver for the International DB2 User Group (IDUG) where I am presenting. The last week of May, I’m off to Zurich, Berlin and London for three weeks.

I often struggle with the carbon footprint of traveling and try to minimize where ever practical. On this trip I had the option to take a shuttle to a regional airport or drive. I typically err on the side of minimizing driving so I can use the time otherwise.

After a bit of googling, I found GreenProgress.com that had a easy to use Carbon footprint calculator that reinforced my decision to fly versus driving which is about 50% more carbon emissions. Of course the train or bus will be even less, so something to add to the next adventure.

While contemplating my next trip to Europe I was reflecting on my favorite trips to Europe. I have to say that the trip with Pam to southern France stands out. The pictures are on Flickr and I thought I would highlight a few here.

Pam accompanied me on a business trip to Montpelier in southern France. Since this was my first trip to France, I didn’t know about the advantages of taking the train and there was a 6 hour layover in Paris. Pam and I took the train into Paris and spent the afternoon on a mini tour. We got off the train at the Eiffel Tower stop and found a charming little restaurant floating on the Seine River in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower for a romantic lunch.

After lunch we wandered over to the Arch de Triumph and took the train back to the airport. All in all it was the most amazing 6 hours of my life and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

Bon Voyage, Jay