i summon one kim

Klaus and Bernd are NetBSD developers in Karlsruhe, who took me sightseeing (by foot) around the city yesterday, and then for a well-deserved beer and other nourishment. I had never visited Karlsruhe before, dispite having driven past it a number of times. I think it was about a year or maybe two earlier that Bernd and I tried to arrange for a meeting, but my schedule kept changing too much. I’m glad this time everything worked out perfectly.

It is now wonder that businessmen don’t complain a lot about the burden of traveling. Who cares if you have to arrive at the airport two or more hours early, if you can spend half of that time dining. On the plane you can then survive with a snack, instead of trying to operate a knife and fork in the tight space assigned to you. Not that the space is tight in business class…

After deboarding there is another excellent idea: the arrivals lounge. Unfortunately I had to hurry to a connecting flight, so I couldn’t visit it to enjoy a hot breakfast and a shower.

The second flight of the day (from London to Frankfurt) behind me I’m feeling a little bit well traveled for the day, especially after stewing for an hour in the sunny glass enclosure that is the Fernbahnhof at the Frankfurt airport. Here is a tip for anyone taking a train: go downstairs and sit by the tracks! It is nice and cool there, even if a bit noisy when trains arrive and depart. (more…)