3 hour prior check-in for a 1 hour flight!
Gotta love travel security rules. Thanks to them, I'm here at the airport at 5am and for a 7am flight with NOTHING to do but wait and eat.
German efficiency further compunded the problem because walking into the airport check-in and passport control took 7 minutes. 7.
Just so we are clear, this is not one of those "pitchers" you order at restaurants. This is a drink for one person!!
Made by king Ludwig II. This was his 3rd and final castle but he never finished it and died mysteriously.
This is supposedly the MOST visited castle in the world with over 1.5million tourists every year.
Walt disney modelled disneyland on this castle which made it immensely famous.
The castle is fine really. Although the rooms do feel a bit cramped (as palaces go)
The view from the top though is breathtaking. Especially if you (like me) manage to get here in the winters in the snow.
You must eat here but eat less on the main course because the speciality is the bavarian cream and you must try that as the dessert.
Its heavy but the 1+ mile climb to the castle will burn them off. If u STILL have some left then the steps in the castle will burn those off.
Ofcourse then there is also the business of climbing those steps down and walking down back to the car park.
Notice how the flower pots don't have plants but trees!
Nice clear sunny day today. Hopefully won't freeze to death. Outside temperature an hour ago was zero!
Apparently even the snow fall in germany is efficient.
All around the road but not on it. Life goes on.
He tells me its been snowing here. Snowing!
Cursing mumbai some more.
You cannot BUY serious warm clothing there!
I looked for 2 days!
See you on the other side. Hopefully.
Its been a while since I've done some serious fiddling with my laptop(s) so atleast a new OS install was due.Santana row seems to be a real nice place!
Called lorie's diner near union square. Don't miss the bike on the ceiling!!
People want to get a great computing experience wherever they are because they r using them in more and more locations for more and more things.
This is possibly the biggest reason of iPhone's success, great internet on the go capability. Ofcourse, this experienced over wifi coupled with 3G in their next version could hammer the nail in tablet and UMPC's coffins
Except that these probably cost an arm, a leg and your two kidneys all at once :)
Damn the weather. Its rainy all day today but thankfully sunny for the rest of the day!
Maybe the golden gates bridge won't be all cloudy although I do hear it looks rather dramatic that way - with the bridge disappearing into the clouds and stuff.
Just outside my hotel and damn! Its raining for the first time!!
Hopefully sfo will be better!!
Fortunately, travelling Jet so the experience is really good :) no one does hospitality like Indians, whether it is hotels, airlines whatever.
Strangely enough, a Jet brochure said brussels was rated as the best airport in 2006.
So far, I can see stained seats and dirty carpet making it look more like bhopal than brussels.
I guess no one bullshits like Indians too! :)
Gotta get ready and go to Gitex!
About the only 2 things I hadn't seen in Paris were the cemetery where Jim Morrison is buried and Notredame.
Now I just haven't seen the cemetery.
Notredame is famous for its artistuc stained glass which has survived despite the attack on the cathedral which almost demolished the building!
Better photos when I reach my next destination - dubai!
Dinner was at Royce, a terrific restaurant right off Champs de elysse.
Must go back when I'm not numb and tired!
Apparently this was built by launching a design competition at some French president's whim.
A danish guy won it and so now u know why it looks more like a hollowed pastry than a "monument'
It isn't even that tall! Ust a 110 metres. Propogandists say it looks like a 4 dimensional hypercube projected in a 3dimensional world.
That's absurdity of cosmic proportions!
To its credit though, despite being almost 20 yrs old, it doesn't look its age. At all!
The two vertical sides have offices and the rooftop has an exhibition centre.
Looks right at home in La defense and u could argue its the modern version of arch de triomphe but then, la defense is so out of synch with rest of paris that this along with the whole region is a monstrosity.
10 on 10 for urban planning but minus several million for architectural beauty.
No parisian architecture, just the regular high-rises with lots of glass so if you were to suddenly wake up here, you won't be able to tell whether this is Paris, New York or even London for that matter.
Even worse, this is the only place I have seen in Paris where the sky is grey and not the usual lovely blue.
I want to be out of here!
Lately though (past 2 trips) I've seen them being bitten by the "airport modernisation" bug. Perhaps we are exporting more than just silk and spices
On my way to the hotel to crash into bed. Have to go check out the la defense arch at night!
Oh and I'm famished.
While I don't actual figured CDG definitely seems bigger in size but most of that area is quite wasted and not really for use by passengers.
DIA on the other hand makes super use of the space available splitting the sitting and eating areas and the shops.
I wish they had somewhere to sit on the ground floor. I could sit and lust at the cars in peace without making my leg muscles give all hope of rest and aching beyond what I thought was muscularly possible..
Ok boarding time!
On Emirates this time and MAN do they know which planes to buy. The economy seat had so much leg space that the person sitting next to me could get up and move about without actually having to wake me up. This was really good for him because this flight being a 4am flight meant I was at my sleepy and cranky best and the last thing I wanted was for someone to ask me to get up cuz he can't hold it on a 2hr flight!!
Dubai airport, much like the city never ceases to amaze me. Built out of land reclaimed from the dessert, this place is living example of man's technical genius and a sensible government's will to make things better for its citizens and visitors.
Quick trivia - 40% of world's cranes are in Dubai!
1 hour stopover till my connecting flight to Paris.
I'm going shopping!! Would be crazy not to! :)
