Mike’s Digital Laboratory

Thursday I was quoted  in by Computerworld regarding some of my current research at Excellus.   I was a guest speaker at a webinar for hosted by Just Systems earlier in the day discussing various aspects of Enterprise mashups and how we might improve customer service by better empowering our service representatives with more powerful client applications.  Apparently Heather Havenstein from computerworld was in the audience and wrote up the event in blinding speed.  Literally a couple hours after the webinar I got a call from someone in operations telling me I’m in the news. Wow that’s fast.

20 hours of travel time later we have returned home.  This has been truly a remarkable trip but it is good to be back.

More pictures of Amsterdam are now available.

Yesterday (7/14) was a trip to the Zuider Zeemuseum in Enkhuizen, a historic “reproduction” of an old 18th and19th century village by the sea. Think “Dutch” version Sturbridge Village.

Today (7/15) was The Jewish History Museum, Portuguese Synagogue from the 17th century, still in use. An hour at the Botanical Gardens. A bike ride to Vondel Park for free music, juggling and dinner.

Quick update of our continued fun in Amsterdam so far: (Almost all of these we traveled to on bicycle. We rented a double bike for Dad and Lydia

July 12th:

• The flower Market by the "Singel" canal
• The Van Gogh Museum
• Harry Potter at the famous Tuschinski movie theater.

July 13th:

• Anne Frank House
• “Canal Bikes” (Pedal boats) with an exciting geocache hunt you can only get to by boat.
• Westerkerk (West church)
• Rijsttaffel (Rice Table) at Taman Sari resautant.

Yesterday we arrived in Amsterdam.  We were very happy to be be greeted by our good friend Asker, right on the train platform.  Asker guided us by tram directly to our hotel ( Hotel Rembrandt)  with ease.  We checked in and the had plenty of time for a walking  tour of the area around our hotel. 

Today we spent most of our day at the zoo.  We then had dinner at a local pancake house and then took a relaxing stroll along the canal. 

Tomorrow we rent bicycles and go touring around town with Asker.  We are here for an entire week so there should be more posts and photos soon from Amsterdam.

A particular challenge lies ahead us of as we try to get tickets to see Harry Potter. The movie has already started playing here in Europe and we all want to go see it!

This morning, before leaving Bruges, we took a cruise on a canal tourist boat and then had Belgium waffles for lunch.

In the afternoon we took the train to Antwerp. We enjoyed the sights riding on the top level of a fairly modern double decker train car. Great fun.

We have a nice room here in Antwerp somewhere in the city. Although we are feeling a bit clueless about what to do here and where to go I’m sure we’ll figure it out in the morning. We always seem to have fun wherever we go.

- Posted by MobiBlogr from mobile phone.

We just spent two glorius days in Bruges. New photos of Bruges are now online.

Tommorrow we are off to Antwerp

I uploaded some more photos of Bath and the Cotswolds tonight.  I will try to upload some photos of Bruges tomorrow. I also went back and linked up some names of towns to there corresponding wikipedia links.  In case you want to learn more about the towns we have been visiting just look back at the lasr few entries and click on the links.

By the way I love this hotel we are staynig at but the computer here uses the French/belgium style AZERTY keboard and it is very hard to get used to.  But hey I am not complaining for the free use of the machine and the Internet access is very convient.

After a full day of travel including 4 trains and a taxi ride we arrived in Bruges Yesterday. We stay here for 2 days then it’s off to Antwerp.

We are staying in hotel Adornes. The building dates back to the 17th century. It was originally a tin and copper smith’s facility. Later it became a storage building for a brewry next door. The original architecture is largely intact. We have beautiful view overlooking one of Bruges many canals.

- Posted by MobiBlogr from mobile phone.