Waar is Dan?

So I suppose everyone but Tom, who quizzes me daily about the number of productive work hours consumed by my blogging, may be asking "Where the heck has Dan been (blogwise)?". Madeline has been holding down the blogfort since way back in February. Dan, in the meantime, has been jetsetting across the region in search of tropical locales where the sunshine rivals Phoenix in the springtime! This was not to be found...

Swindon, England is located 130km west of London (pop. 155,000). In a brisk taxi jaunt it can be reached in just over an hour from Heathrow. The first thing that strikes one is that one is not being transported on the right side of the road. This is not to say the 'wrong side', but rather the left. The Citroen Picasso provides a nice mobile workspace during the ride, with airplane-like tray tables in the back that support a laptop.

I arrived in the unsprawling minilopilos early in the evening. I was invited to dinner at Simon's house, which was a great treat as we have had the opportunity to hang out with Simon numerous times in the US, but I never had a business reason to jump the ocean this way. A good time was had by all, pending comments to the contrary.

Overall it was a productive trip, regularly fueled by the in-house coffee joint 'Java'. Prior to my arrival I did not comprehend the importance of this landmark, but it became evident during my stay that this is the place to hold meetings. In Amsterdam the hot beverages are all free, but everyone still congregates near the 'best coffee' machine...so I guess it's a similar phenomena. Even in Chandler, I suppose many people flocked to their favorite conference room SB-1 (Starbucks...).

Nights in Swindon were consumed by consuming curries and local brews. Yum! Call me a beerlitist, but I don't think anything compares to the quality and selection of beers in England. A slow-drawn cask conditioned ale tops the list, served (eek!) only slightly chilled. The curries were, of course, delicious. I was introduced to curries in London, and the British haven't let me down yet. This section wouldn't be complete without thanking Tim for teaching me to lose with dignity at both billiards and, alas, darts.

I returned late on Wednesday night to find that Liliane had frequently been asking for "daddeeeeeeeeeee!". Madeline encouraged me to wake her to let her know I had returned. As I expected she responded just as daddy would...grunting gruffly (like the Grufallo?) and pointing back towards her bed. The next morning, though, she was eager to see me bright and early!

The next visit to Swindon is already being planned. Liliane has some playdates on the calendar, while mommy and daddy are seriously considering the daunting challenge of driving there!