Life in Portland and Barcelona

 We are beginning to get settled in our new home. All our things from Ireland and Albuquerque are here now, very few broke, almost all of it is set up where it belongs for now, and the rest is stacked and stored in the garage. Anika's car, which we are borrowing while she has turned pedestrian in Barcelona, has its new license plate. We chose this one because it is pretty and a donation goes to Crater Lake. I've seen it many years ago and want to go back, but for now the license plate has to do.

 We know some people here who moved from Albuquerque years ago. It is good to reconnect with them and make new acquaintances. We had some of them over one night and made our first raclette in Oregon. Now the weather is starting to be perfect for it almost every day: rainy and dark! On the other plus side, people here love good food and drink. Lots of fresh items all the time and good things from far away places. For example, I was able to find Swiss raclette cheese for our meal. Few places outside Switzerland have that cheese, and when they do it is usually the French raclette.

 Speaking of food and faraway places. Last week I was in Barcelona visiting Anika. It was a nice, relaxing week with lots of walking around and good food. Often late at night, almost always outside on a plaza watching people go by, having enjoyable conversations, and feeling pleasant. It was great!

 This was my fourth visit to Barcelona. Two this year! So, we tried to find things to see and do that both Anika and I had not done yet. We went to Park Güell which Antoni Gaudi started building in 1900 for Eusebi Güell. (What a name, Eusebi! ;-) We also saw another of Gaudi's master pieces: Casa Batlló. I had seen Casa Milà on a previous trip, so we skipped it this time. Both are worth seeing and not far from each other.

 We also went on top of  Montjuïc, saw the castle there and learned a little bit about Barcelona history; including the time it was fired upon from the cannons on top of the hill. In 1848 and 1849 the Spanish government used the fort and its cannons to quell an uprising in Barcelona. To this day Catalan is planning to secede from Spain. There are Catalonian flags all over the city and around. Soccer matches between Barcelona and Madrid are among the fiercest.

 

 Nevertheless, Barcelona is a peaceful  and safe city. There are a lot of young women walking around alone, late at night, even in the darkest corners of the medieval center. There are pickpockets however, so watch your belongings. When Lee Ann and I were there earlier this year, someone sitting behind her reached into her purse, pretending to adjust his chair and jacket he had flung over it.

 One day we took the train to Girona, a city North of Barcelona and inland a little bit. When I retire, I think I want to move there! It is a beautiful town with a lot of its medieval structures still in place. It is clean and kept up well. There is great attention to detail integrating nice, new shops into the old buildings. The people are friendly and greet you even when it is perfectly clear that you are a tourist.

 There is great food to be had. We had Breton galettes (Anika is about to eat one in the picture above), and it was very tempting to buy something at the market we walked through. Local sausages, cheeses, and baked good were on display together with crafts, wine, honey, and other locally grown things.

 A long stretch of the old city wall still stands and it has been restored so we could walk on it and look down into the old city and across the river into the newer and larger portion. There are tons of parks and a nice hill behind the wall overlooking the town. I want one of those houses up on that hill, looking out the open window, work on my computer, and stroll into town for a glass of wine and some bread and cheese.

 Another cool thing about Girona is that it is on the train line that goes from Paris to Barcelona to Madrid. On the way out we took the commuter train which took way over an hour to reach Girona. On the way back we caught the TGV from Paris and were back in the heart of Barcelona in 36 minutes.

 When we were considering moving to Barcelona earlier this year, we learned that there is a public holiday at least once a month and many lesser celebrations throughout the year. It is no surprise then that we stumbled onto one of them when we visited Girona. We watched a small parade go by and the setting up of a stage for what promised to be a long night. We had to catch our train back, but it would have been fun to stay and participate. Maybe when we move there! ;-)

 As usual, the pictures from this trip are on Picasa.

Portland markets

We have begun exploring our new home. A few weeks ago, Dave, an old friend who has been living here for about fourteen years, took us downtown Portland. On Saturdays there are two main markets there: The farmer's market at Portland State University and the Saturday market near China Town.

We have been having very nice weather ever since we moved here. Although everyone is warning us about the upcoming doom and gloom season, and to stock up on candles.
The Saturday we went to the markets, it was nice and warm and we were there early enough to get some of the good morning light. It was late enough, though, that there was quite a crowd and it was difficult to get pictures of the stands without customers blocking the view.

Lee Ann buying something naturally grown

We have not been back to Portland since then. We're saving the museums and Powell's for when it is rainy outside. Instead, we have been learning about more immediate surroundings and exploring the neighborhood.

 

Our belongings from Ireland have still not arrived yet. They were supposed to arrive in Portland today. Then it takes between two days and two weeks to clear customs. Maybe later next week we'll get our things and can finish moving into this house.

We saw them raise the lower part of the bridge to let the sail boat pass

Anika calls Portland the city of mismatched bridges. I think that is true of many cities, but it is striking here because there are so many and so close together. The style, purpose, and age of these bridges is quite diverse which may explain Anika's impression.
Next month I'll go visit her in Barcelona and am looking forward to enjoy some homogeneous structures!
The link to the remaining, few, pictures is this.

Goodbye Europe; for now

 A few days before I left Ireland I went to Switzerland one more time to say goodbye to some friends and family. It'll probably be the last trip to Switzerland this year, but I'll be back and more frequently then when I used to live in the USA the last time.

 Although I had only four days and had to carefully plan my schedule to see as many friends as possible, I did have the opportunity to go on a day hike with Stef and Ursula. From the pictures here you can see it was well worth it. I've never been this close to the Matterhorn. What a fitting excursion to remind me to come back soon!

 We had to get up early and take the train into the Wallis. The week before it had been cold and rainy, and, it turned out, the week after was also cold and rainy. Ruining my brother's family's and many other's vacation. But, the day we went on our hike, it was gorgeous. It was also quite hot, in the 90s, but we were at a high enough altitude for most of the hike that that was not a problem. We even had a breeze for part of the way.

 Stef kept pointing out flowers and naming them for me. I like flowers to look at and to photograph, but I can never remember their names and pertinent characteristics. Stef tried his best, but it seemed to me he kept pointing out the same ones over and over. At least he was consistent and gave them the same name every time; except when Ursula corrected him.

 The hike was scheduled for seven hours, but because I'm not used to that altitude and long distance hikes anymore, we took it more easy and spent nine hours. Quite a bit of that extra time went into taking pictures. A map and some technical details about the Höhbalmen trail can be found here. The trail is also called the Edelweissweg, and near the end we were indeed rewarded with some Edelweiss along the way. They, and most other alpine flowers in Switzerland are protected. Don't pick them. If only a small fraction of the hikers did, most people would never see flowers along these trails.

 You can see all the pictures I took on this hike in this picasa album. For the remainder of this trip, I took much fewer pictures. Mostly of people and scarecrows in Trubschachen.

 On my way back to Ireland I got stuck in Munich for a while and got back home late a night. Something I had wanted to avoid, since I still needed to sell my car and get ready for the packers and movers the next day. I had two hectic days but finally managed to get everything done the last minute, load the cats onto an airplane, myself onto another, and find our way to Portland.

Our stuff leaving Ireland. Still need to sell the car.

 I thought I had sold the car, but when I met up with the would-be buyer he couldn't stomach the scratches and dents. I bought it with some and a bad paint job on one door, but then Lee Ann and I added quite a few more learning to park in narrow spots and driving on the left in Ireland. This guy, or I should say travelling circus -- he comes from County Clare with his wife, infant, pierced teenage son, and grandfather to Dublin to find cheap cars he drives back to Clare to sell to travel averse locals. So, he didn't like the scratches.

 Finding another buyer quickly was just a matter of lowering the price. A (I hope) deserving grad student at UCD ended up with a great bargain. Bye, bye Ireland. I'll miss you.

Another Life

We can explore lighthouses now

Remember how, at the beginning of the year, I told you we would start a new life in Barcelona, Spain? Well, it didn't quite work out that way. After some hard thinking we agreed to Barcelona and to accept my new job. Not too long after that, the company closed the site in Barcelona, so moving there didn't seem such a good choice any more.
Intel gave us several alternative options, including Hillsboro near Portland, Munich, and the Bay Area. We had hoped to stay in Europe longer, and Munich is a great city, but in the end we decided on Hillsboro in Oregon. Lee Ann thinks she has a better chance of finding work here, and I think it is a better career move for me.

Weather on the coast yesterday was not great

The cats and I arrived here a week ago. Lee Ann is getting ready to leave Albuquerque. She is getting our house there ready to be rented out. Our furniture and things from there have been picked up and are on the way here. So are the things we had in Dublin, although they might still be on a ship crossing the Atlantic. James is in Austin for another year of college and Anika is in Barcelona, planning to teach English starting this Fall.
Yesterday afternoon I drove out to Tillamook Bay to see the Pacific. It was 90 (32 Celsius) and sunny here in Hillsboro but when I got to the coast it was overcast and in the low 60s (16 Celsius) in the evening. Obviously, we'll be there visiting a lot in the future. There are a lot of hiking trails and things to see. It takes about 1.5 hours from here, but it is easily doable in an afternoon, have dinner in a seaside restaurant, and be back home for bed time.

On some beaches it is allowed to drive and get your car stuck in  the sand

Everybody here drives a Subaru and they are all into local foods and drinks. That sounds good to me. We'll miss Europe and will be back to visit frequently, but for now we have found a new place to explore. Pictures, as usual, are on picasa.

Munich

Last week I got to attend the ROSS workshop and the ICS conference in Munich. The prediction was for rain most of the week, but it was hot and sunny, and we won best paper for our workshop submission. Yay!
I did not have much time outside the conference but did take a few pictures walking there and back. On the last afternoon we sneaked out for a couple of hours into the English garden which was just a few steps away from the conference venue. My pictures are on picasa.

The Englischer Garten is one of the largest city parks in the world, but just a little over half the size of Phoenix Park here in Dublin. What it has, and Phoenix doesn't, is an artificially created water wave which surfers enjoy during the Summer. It is fun to watch the skill of these athletes.

The first night we went to a local beer garden for dinner. It had big round tables for eight or more people and we joined some people from Munich. The standard quantity of beer here is a Mass; about a quart. Together with the heavy glass mug it comes in, this is actually difficult to lift one-handed.
One of our table neighbors had brought an old-style ceramic one with a metal flip-top lid. He got a discount that way, and he needed it too. By the time he left, he had to pay for six Mass. He was at the table before we showed up, but six Mass is more than a gallon and a half of beer! This was also not the first time he was there. During the evening several people walked by and greeted him.

Another of the people we were sharing the table with was more talkative. He wanted to know whether I liked the goulash I was eating and whether I was gourmet enough to judge its quality. On my advice he ordered the same but requested the spicier version because I told him it was good but rather mild.
After we got to know each other a little bit, he asked whether I had a good sense of humor. I tentatively confirmed and he promptly called me a pig dog.

In Switzerland, calling someone a pig dog is a pretty bad insult and usually reserved for very mean people. After my astonished look, he began to explain. He said that in Bavaria, pig dog is actually a compliment. My quizzical face made him explain that dogs who heard pigs must be pretty clever to keep up and that in this part of the German speaking world, telling someone is a pig dog means that they think of you as highly intelligent.
Another Bavarian joined us later after the first one had left. We asked him about pig dogs and he confirmed the story. Of course, it is possible that it is all a big hoax by the Bavarians who most certainly have a sense of humor.

One evening, before dinner, the conference had organized a walking tour of the old part of Munich. It was quite informative and fun. We learned that the first Oktoberfest was held to celebrate the marriage of crown prince Ludwig and princess Therese. This did not prevent Ludwig to have an affair with Lola Montez. That was pretty common, but this affair cost the citizens of Munich a lot of money and even led to the closing of the University. In protest, a student wrote a letter to now king Ludwig, complaining about the affair. In the version we heard, the king was impressed with the letter and offered a large sum of money to meet the student.

The student, in need of money, turned himself in. The king was so impressed by this show of courage that he paid the student. Before the student had entered the king's residence, and after he left, he rubbed the face of the lion on one of the many statues in front of the building for good luck.
Ever since, locals, and tourists who heard the story, repeat the ritual. It did not take me long to take the shots of hopefuls above.

The conference dinner coincided with the start of the soccer world cup championship in Brazil. We sat with a group of Brazilians and Oldfield spent the night watching the game with them. It turns out one of them works here in Dublin for an HPC center.
I am back in Dublin too and it is time to start packing our things. We're moving soon!

Graduation

On May 17, 2014, Anika graduated from Mills College with her Bachelor's of Arts degree. I am very happy and very proud. Anika has worked hard and come a long way from four years ago. Part of that is just growing up, but a big part is the learning  and studying.

Mills is in Oakland, overlooking the San Francisco bay. The Bay Area is a different place than Edgewood in New Mexico where Anika grew up. That change alone took courage and will power. It was scary at first, but Anika has come to successfully navigate the place and love it.

The school made a video of the commencement. Anika receives her diploma at time stamp 1:21:48. Anika, her Mom, and I spent the day on the East bay and celebrated with an Italian dinner in Berkeley at the Trattoria la Siciliana. You can see the pictures I took during the day on Picasa.

At the end of the month Anika will travel to Barcelona in Spain, first to further her studies in teaching English as a foreign language, and then to live there for a year and teach.

Tokyo is far away

Origami on my bed in Tokyo

For the first time in my life, I got to go to Tokyo. We had scheduled a 1.5 day meeting there and I was excited to go, even though it was only for a very short time. Ordinarily, I would have tried to extend it with some personal days, but I could not this time. I had to be back in the bay area that Saturday for Anika's graduation from Mills College. More about that in my next blog post.

This looked really nice after a 50-hour trip there

The trip to Tokyo was a horrendous ordeal and took 50 hours. By the time I got there, I had missed the first day of the meeting. I attended the remaining half day and had an afternoon to see a little bit of Tokyo. Clearly not enough time, I was exhausted, and it started to rain later in the afternoon. The little bit I did see was very nice, exotic, and very interesting. The people are very nice and polite, and most speak at least a little bit of English.
A striking asymmetry. How many people you run into in Europe or the USA who speak a little bit of Japanese? Or another Asian language?

I did not use the WiFi (click on the image to enlarge)

The trip began ordinarily enough on Tuesday morning in Dublin. My flight to Chicago was delayed quite a bit, but I had plenty of layover to make the connection to Tokyo. I flew this longer route, instead going across the middle East, because after Tokyo I flew to San Francisco to celebrate with Anika, and then come back to Dublin from Albuquerque. Anika and I drove her car across the American West from Oakland to Albuquerque. I'll post pictures from that vacation week soon.
Because most of the trip was over the USA, the cost going through Chicago was a lot less, than the shorter route flying East from Dublin.

I wonder what that message lamp was for

We had almost reached Chicago when the plane turned around and we headed for New York city. The Pilot informed us that there had been a fire in a control tower. The evacuation forced Chicago to turn away flights and caused a major disruption in the air traffic flow over the US.
After we landed in JFK, nobody knew what would happen next. The only thing clear was that we would be sitting there for a while, since the crew needed to be replaced with one that was rested.

A little bit of Tokyo from my hotel room

I got a seat on a plane out of La Guardia the next day to get to Tokyo via Dallas. But, I would have to do without my luggage, since my bag was still on the first plane and they were not unloading it. That was too risky for me. By the time my bag would get to Tokyo, I would probably be already on my way to San Francisco. I already felt uncomfortable in the clothes I had on.

I got a beautiful, upgraded room in Tokyo

We took off from New York and flew to Chicago. We arrived amidst utter chaos. The control tower fire and the previous days' weather delays had left many people stranded. All hotel rooms anywhere near the airport were sold out. They said they would bring out 300 cots and toiletry bags for the people stuck in the airport.
I managed to change my flight from La Guardia to one that left Chicago for Los Angeles the next day, and then from there to Tokyo. I learned later that that flight from La Guardia got canceled the next morning. If I had been on that one, I would never have made it to Tokyo.

I was longing for that

It was midnight on Tuesday now; already Wednesday in Tokyo. I needed some proper sleep and a shower because I knew I had another long day ahead of me.
I booked a hotel room about 30 miles North and rented a car. My flight for LA would leave in the morning, but five or six hours in a real bed and a shower would still be infinitely better than sleeping on a cot in an airport with 299 fellow passengers.
It looked like going North along I94 for a while and turning left would get me there. So, I drove for a while. It's long past midnight, and I am very, very tired.

A luxurious bathroom

Concentrating on exit sign and traffic was difficult after the long day I had had.
At some point I stopped and called the hotel. I told him what exit I had just passed and asked whether I had gone too far already, or not far enough. He assured me they are far away from the airport and, unless I had already driven 45 minutes, I had not gone far enough. I had no idea how long I had driven.
He gave me an exit number that was much higher than the one I was at. I asked him whether he was sure that was the exit number or the number of the cross road. He said exit number.
I didn't trust him.
So, now I was trying to read exit numbers and cross road numbers, to see if anything matched the number and street name he had given me. Nothing matched, and I still had to be careful of other traffic.

A technologically advanced toilet

It is 3 a.m. and there is a lot of traffic! Several times I left the Interstate to stop at a gas station to buy a map and ask for directions. Just telling me where I was would have helped me immensely.
Nobody sold maps. I guess I was not in a touristy area. The people in those areas also didn't seem to know much about geography either. Concepts like North and South seemed to confuse them. Basically all I got out of them was that I was in Chicago. Somewhere.
At this point my brain was mush, so maybe it was not entirely their fault. But it was a weird place. It is 3 a.m. and I am stopped at a red light in front of a busy intersection. A lot of cars rushing by. At 3 a.m.
In the midst of all of this an old haggard women wobbling across the intersection in front of me with a Styrofoam cup in her hand. She knocks on my window and begs for money.
I can't think anymore. Should I ask her where I am? She must be really, honestly poor to be out at this hour begging. Would she know where she is?
If anybody deserves help, it would be her. Should I go further North or make another attempt at going South? How many times had I done this already?
The light turns green and I drive on North. Who was that woman? Did she have family?

A shrine seen from the top of Tokyo Tower

The exit numbers keep increasing and so are, some, of the road numbers. But not enough. I finally reach the border to whatever state is North of Chicago. The numbers are still not high enough, and everything resets to start with Exit 1, 2, ...
My Irish smart-phone is expensive to use in the States. At some point I give in, enable data roaming, and turn on Google maps. It is a very slow connection, but I am getting a map, although no clear indication where exactly I am.
I am, probably, traveling in the right direction. Is it this exit? This one? Why is my position not updating?
It took a while, but I finally realize that my pay-as-you-go phone had run out of money and no more map updates, or any other data, were coming in.
I know there must be a better way of dealing with this situation. I also know my brain wont find it that night, until I had some sleep.
Back to the airport to those cots.

View through a glass bottom window in Tokyo Tower

Drop off the car and back to the airport. Now I could sleep anywhere.
Just not on those cots. They are in the secure area and it is too early for me to get back in there, because the security check lines are not open yet. At least my flight to LA and the connection to Tokyo have not been canceled yet.

Another window, freshly cleaned

I don't remember much after that. Some wandering around in a Los Angeles airport terminal, finally landing in Tokyo. Take the train into the city and the subway to near the hotel. Only a short time wandering around and then finally, finally, the hotel.
I'm in the wrong tower but a friendly escort guides me through the labyrinth of corridors and stairs, around corners, up and down elevators. This seemed almost as long as the Chicago thing. He wants to know where I am from. Complicated to answer. First time in Tokyo. Please, leave me alone. I need a shower and a bed. Just ring him, if I want ice or need anything else. Here is some US money. Please go.

Hazy view from Tokyo Tower

It took longer to get there than the time I got to spend there. I need to try again. I hate Chicago. I love Tokyo.