Dream come true

Leila was upgraded to the front of the plane!
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Partying with Sir Elton

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Aloha!

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Fun at SFO

A picture is worth a thousand words.....

Next stop: DC

The first leg over the Atlantic went fine, and now I am on the plane to SF. However, I am wondering why there is an "Environmental Emergency Response Team" truck parked in front of our plane!

Morning in Paris

Another shot from the back of a taxi on the way to the airport. This time is different though because I will meet Melané and Leila in Hawaii! This trip will take me literally half way around the globe and take 45 hours of travel.

Welcome to Belgium

Today I drove from Walldorf to Brussels. It took about 4 hours as I passed through beautiful forested hills. I entered Brussels at 6pm, but did not get to the hotel until 8:30. Apparently there was yet another strike here, like I have experienced in France, Greece, etc, etc.

Fortunately, my perseverance was rewarded in the hotel restaurant with a selection of a dozen Belgian beers, including the Rochefort 8. I have been wanting to try this one for some time, and am glad I did. Think Chimay Blue with more meat on the bone - it is a meal by itself!

Next stop: Germany

My "Big Deal Summit" roadshow heads to Germany next. I decided to drive to Walldorf, the SAP HQ near Frankfurt. It took about 5 hours from Paris and was mostly rolling farmland until I entered Germany which was more forested.

Something else odd happened when I entered Germany. France has speeding cameras, so I watch the GPS closely to make sure I am not driving faster than the limit, especially in areas known to have the cameras. After entering Germany the GPS showed my speed, but not the limit. I was confused until I remembered that the *autobahn* does not have a speed limit!

Well, I decided this was the opportunity the see how "Silky" (as named by Leila- our little Mini clubman diesel) performs. The photo here is of the speedometer at 160 kph (that's 100 mph for you state-siders!). A bit later I got her up to 178 kph before I ran out of road, and she was very stable at that speed. I still do not know what her top end is. Not bad for a car that gets 45 mpg and fits into Paris' smallest parking spot!

Back at CDG

This is the fifth day this week that I have been to CDG terminal 1. However, this time I am not flying, but rather dropping off Melané and Leila to fly to LA, then onto Hawaii. I have meetings in Germany and Belgium, then will meet the girls in Hawaii next week.

Breakfast in Athens

The pool looks great, but unfortunately it is closed this time of year (see the no-swimming sign on the left).

Back in Paris

After the last picture of Paris Poop, I thought I would share something nicer with you this time: the Arc de Triumph. As you can see from the sunlight, we are enjoying unseasonably nice weather here for February.

SAP Spain

In an attempt to make these shots a little more personal, here is a picture of me outside the offices in Madrid.

Madrid

Another city, more beautiful old buildings.

The Matterhorn

I am flying from Switzerland to Spain and noticed the Matterhorn out the window. It is the tall, dark peak.

Welcome to Wisla

In the mountains of Poland. It is kinda like Whistler, but Polish.

Italian Alps

Lake Como in the foreground with the town of Bellagio on the point.