Testing testing.

Hope to, in this way, keep Monologuer up to date when I go to Japan tomorrow. Let’s hope Wordpress on iPhone and Japanese wifi want to play.

Sayonara for now!

by Hans Adamsson.
Location: Svalbard, 2010.

A bit broken, abandoned and bold - Glasgow through my iPhone.

A view from the hotel room.

Wonder who John is and what he does.

Outside the Glasgow Science Center. No, it’s not me in a kilt.

One of the neater bridges I’ve seen, beautifully arched from one side to the other.

The conference center and exhibition along river Clyde.

You’d think I’ve been here a week. But these things are all spots I found on my 20 min walk from my hotel to the conference (except the accident sign). Which was basically all the time I had ‘exploring’.

One very very spicy Vindaloo and three flights later I’m looking out over Glasgow at night from the 16th floor.

But three flights from Gothenburg to Glasgow and arrival almost ten hours later and seven boarding card checks at Heathrow? Not really what I’d call functional logistics!

I’m here for the Posture and Wheeled mobility conference and I’ll try to keep you posted about haggis, shortbread and Ceilidh but most likely there will be more of that on my Twitter.

Cheers!

Out of the taxi window I try to capture a last glimpse of a super short trip. A different side of Budapest.

A virtual postcard from Budapest.

San Francisco was nice to me and served sunny, warm weather all five days.
Steiner street, remember the TV-series Full House?

Muir Woods and a slightly out of place phone booth.

Sausalitos homes on water.

Redwood trees.

Best dinner in the US, Shrimp tacos in San Carlos.

Goodnight. I will miss this view from Potrero Hill.

Work is over. Now I have some quality time with Charlotte and we did all the touristy must-do stuff around Seattle. Well, not all  but a lot and enough to fill the weekend!

Sidewalk above.

Sidewalk below.

Asian cafe in International District.

Shaved ice w/ red beans, lychee, fruit cocktail and fresh strawberries.

Seattle Art Museum.

Guess who’s in town? My best friend Charlotte and I decided to meet in Seattle and hunt down Agent Cooper and the other characters of Twin Peaks, the 90s TV-series she was a big fan of. We had 15 locations on the map and made 9 of them. Here’s a selection. The link under the pictures will take you to a shot from the series at that particular location.

Ronettes bridge.

Sheriff station.

The Packard sawmill.

The Double R Diner.

Backfire Burger.

Cherry Pie and a “damn fine cup of coffee”.

This is what it should look like. March 2008.

This is what is does look like. March 2010.

But I’m not complaining really. Apart from a minor storm going on outside I can work comfortably from my room and then take the shuttle to the mall. And hey. I’m in Vancouver and this is the place I feel the most Japanese I possible can outside of Japan.

A memorable hotel has very little to do with the amount of stars it has earned. The ones I remember the best are never the classic 5* or the sophisticated design hotels. It’s the places that had “it”. Simple.

It’s when you know someone put heart and soul into creating an atmosphere that’s there not to dress and impress but to remind the guests of history. And do so with care, respect and a smile.

This hotel, regardless of nothing being my personal taste, gets all that “it”-credit for being creative, thoughtful and consistent.

More about the hotel.

After some days in the desert basically it was a nice change to from brown to blue, from closed to open. And boy has the winter left Seattle and taken out some spring for us to enjoy. It’s so nice to be back and to see all the world colleagues get together.

Classic Seattle skyline.

Sunset over the Olympic mountains.

It looks as if I’m in Richland, WA. Because I woke up to this view 06.30 today and noticed how still the Columbia River was outside.

We’re here to visit a partner, the company’s technician and I. Get a tour around their facilities with the other international distributors. And tonight my very first all American…wait for it….charity dinner! I suppose I can die comfortably now. Knowing I’ve done it all.

The ever so fascinating thing about Washington state is the transformation of scenery after crossing the Cascade mountains. It’s spectacular to leave the busy city, drive through the snowy top Cascades and suddenly exit in desertlike steppe landscape where wine farms are all around. Less than 2,5 hours from Emerald City.

I did this by myself last summer in an old Volvo 940 Automatic. Hanging out of the window like a happy dog I cruised Yakima valley for the great red gold.

Tomorrow we leave for some days in Seattle and I’m really looking forward to visiting one of my favorite cities again.

Take care.

The Toren Hotel. A place with true character reached after traffic jams, rain and dodging Dutch bicyclers.

If you’re tired of uncharming hotel chains and in need for some really valuable service from the hotel staff this is a true find. And if you appreciate little surprises like in-room espresso machines and iPod docks you’ll be well off here. I’m just happy there’s a bathtub.

Goodnight from Amsterdam and see you soon in Göteborg.

I’m still struggling with the lighting panels in my room. There’s this master panel at the bed that controls all the lights: bedside, wake-up, TV, entrance, reading and on it goes. Not a single one of these switches work the way you’d think. I mean I love the idea of being half asleep and turn off all the lights in the room with one press of the button. But there’s no reading light that works so I have to turn on ALL lights in order to read at all.

After checking in yesterday I was certain that they’d given me the wrong room. I thought I had gotten Dayenne and Yessikas room and felt embarrassed by reading their little, intimate welcome card.

I was about to call the reception when I read a little further. It was a welcome message not to Dayenne and Yessika but from them both, being responsible for the house keeping.

I’m can be such a n00b sometimes.