I'm in Palo Alto for a few days (I'll explain why in a later post). We've had some excellent meetings at The Institute for the Future and SocialText (where I saw Dan Bricklin chatting away - when I chaired T171 Dan Bricklin was one of the main characters in the history of the PC). But really this post is an excuse to show the obligatory Facebook shot:
It's the geek equivalent of the summer bay shot in Australia.
Tonight was the Notte Bianca (white night) festival in Como. Let it not be said that they don't know how to party. Unfortunately I had to be up at 6 to get my flight home. I managed to get some sleep around 2.30 but was awoken by bed-rattling fireworks half an hour later. Still it was a lot of fun, and I have enjoyed Como - I think I'll come back with my family when I don't have any of that work stuff to do (although maybe I won't stay on the main square during festival night next time).
Houses in Como remind me of children trying to peak over each others shoulders in order to gain a better view of a playground fight.
Travelling to Como made me reflect that as I have got older, and particularly since becoming a father, I have become more reluctant to travel alone. I have begun to resemble Anne Tyler's Accidental Tourist - I want to fly direct, get a taxi from the airport to the hotel, conduct business and get home. I also have the monoglots slight anxiety about travel in foreign countries. So having to get two planes and two trains to get to to Como was akin to a New world expedition for me. It all went smoothly, and like all Brits abroad, I sighed with admiration at the clinical operation of their train system.
Como is a lovely place. One aspect of travel I do enjoy is running in a new setting. It's a good way to see a place - five or six miles actually covers quite a bit of a tourist area. And what better place to run than alongside the lake? Maybe I could take to this travelling lark again...
