My European sojourn continued this week with a trip to Paris. I arrived in Paris on Monday morning, just days after the Friday night terrorist attacks. I had been unsure whether or not to come to Paris, and I wasn’t sure what I would find when I got there.
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London Weekend
The D&O Diary is on assignment in Europe this week, with the first stop over the weekend in London. When I arrived at my hotel on Saturday morning I learned for the first time about the Friday night terrorist attacks in Paris, which had taken place while I was in transit. Since the primary purpose for my trip was to attend meetings this week in Paris (to which I planned to travel next after leaving London), these developments certainly put my trip plans in an entirely different and unsettling light. I spent most of my weekend in London trying to decide whether I should travel on to Paris from London or just return home after the weekend.
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A Visit to Prague
The D&O Diary finished up its recent European sojourn with a weekend visit to Prague. After a four-hour train ride northeastward from Munich through forests, farm fields, and low mountains, and a final stretch through the Vltava River valley (the river is known as the Moldau in German), we reached Prague, or Praha as the city is known to the natives. The Czech Republic’s capital and largest city is a bustling river metropolis with a rich cultural heritage and a vibrant night life.
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Munich in Summer
The D&O Diary is on assignment in Europe this week, with the first stop in the southern German city of Munich, to attend Munich Re’s Global Casualty Claims Conference. This trip represented my first ever visit to Europe during the summer months. My prior visits have all taken place during other months of the year. Here’s what I discovered about visiting Europe in July; it is a lot more comfortable walking a city in the summer warmth than in colder months, and, even more importantly, a summer visit allows for very late evenings sitting at outdoor cafes and beer gardens in the warm and comfortable twilight that does not turn to darkness until well past 10:00 pm.
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São Paulo Scenes
The D&O Diary was on assignment in São Paulo last week, for meetings and for a little bit of a look around. I had never before been to Brazil, or for that matter, to South America. São Paulo turned out to be a bit of a revelation. For one thing, São Paulo, the financial capital
Paris Arts Review
The D&O Diary rounded out its European visit last week with a quick weekend visit to Paris. In addition to a rendezvous with friends and family, the stopover included several long walks, two encounters with the Parisian contemporary art museum scene, and one extraordinary meal.
The best of the weekend’s walks was an energetic
Notes from the London Underground
The D&O Diary was in London this week for meetings and a couple of industry events. Though my schedule on this visit was full, I did have a little time between meetings for a bit of touristing. I have been to London many times before, but I always try to make a little time to
The New Zealand Edition
The D&O Diary continued its South Pacific sojourn over the weekend with a short stop in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, for meetings and for a brief look around. Auckland is located on New Zealand’s North Island, about a three-hour plane flight from Sydney. Because Auckland is located just inside the International Date Line, every
The D&O Diary Goes Down Under
The D&O Diary is on assignment in Australia this week. Here’s what you need to know about Sydney in late February – if you traverse the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, fly across the Equator and the International Date Line, and then finally arrive Down Under, when you get there, it is summer. Warm,
Germany in January
The D&O Diary was on assignment in Germany this past week, with stops for meetings in Cologne and for a conference in Frankfurt. January, it turns out, is a less than optimal month in which to visit Northern Europe. The conditions are generally cold, grey and dark. When composing their timeless folk tales the Brothers