Backtracking...

Ok. Technically i am back in Brooklyn now and will be for a couple of weeks with not more work trips booked until Fort Wayne, Indiana (Woo Hoo!!) but i have been really crap at this blog malarchy so i'm going to back track.

20th - 21st Dec - Paris, France. A two day trip from London courtesy of the Eurostar, quite a different experience to the last time i visited some 16 years ago. I now know that the French do bath occasionally, don't all wear berets and are quite nice people. Well some of them are anyway

Paris is lovely, even when it's foggy. My favourite building would have to be the La Basilique du Sacre Couer at Montmarte, though not a happy clapper, i still found the building to be quite beautiful and the view from the park over Paris is something else. We were staying in Montmartre so spent most of our time in that neighbourhood the first day and evening. We found we were quite close to the red light district which was handy. We thought long and hard about spending 97 Euros each to see a troupe of topless women perform the Can Can at the legendary Moulin Rouge but then found we could shell out 5 euros each and see couples doing it at the SexOdrome. Unfortunately we were shattered from all that deep thinking and opted on a plate of cheeses, cheap french wine and an early night.

The second day started off quite nicely at the Eiffel Tower. I was especially pleased as i dusted off my high school french and managed to secure tickets for the two of us to the summit without anybody getting offended. I could tell Kelly was impressed.

Then it all went pearshaped. We were walking down some steps when one of those irritating fellows who want to draw your picture so bad they mock your accent because they are sure you find it charming ,called out to me. I turned, stepped back on to uneven ground and my ankle gave way. I screamed like a little girl. I didn't find it helpful when hopping around close to tears the irritating guy decided to tell me how unstable the pavement stones were. Several times. I wanted to punch him. Hard. In the ballbag.

The champ i am (or possibly the martyr/idiot i am), i muscled through it. I decided against a hospital as i didn't want to spoil the trip and bought an ankle support instead . We stopped for lunch and more cheap wine and the pain seemed to be a little duller. I managed to limp around Cathedral Notre Dame, did some shopping and had more cheese.
Back on the Eurostar the pain started to come back, i took off my sock and as i burst into tears, Kelly burst into laughter. I had a comedy foot. It had blown up so much my toes protruded out of the bandage like bloated pork sausages and my ankle was missing. I called an expert, my sister the vet. Apparently walking around and wearing a support sock were big no no's. I needed to soak it in ice water ( a little difficult for the Eurostar) and to elevate it. I also needed to go to the hospital to check for a hair line fracture.
Anyone who knows britain knows the emergency room at any hospital is pretty appalling. The time of year and time of night mean't it would be full of pissheads who had fallen over and cut their heads open before passing out in thier own vomit. I could of waited for hours so i didn't. I got home, iced it, elevated it and cried some more as i desperately tried to sleep. It helped when i thought how things could be worse. I thought of that man who had to gnaw off his own arm after it was trapped under a rock while out climbing and how the pain wasn't nearly as bad as that.

Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire

It's been a while. I'm not posting while i'm back in NY, this blog is specifically for my travels and most of the time i have nothing interesting to say anyway.
I'm in the U.K for the holidays and after a wedding in rural Somerset, i zoomed up the M4 to Berkhamsted hang out with my bestest friends Lisa and Jamie.

Milwaukee,WI

I like Milwaukee, It has a nice vibe to it, it also has great beer, cheese a very impressive art museum and most importantly Milwaukee has Bridget . I met Bridget through Tina aka swissmiss, like me she likes the wine which makes her fab in my book. I spent some quality time with her this year when we went to Tina's wedding in Switzerland . Great fun. Shame i didn't have a blog then.
Unfortunately due to a 100 outstanding emails for me and family in town for her, we won't be causing any mischief. Milwaukee is safe for tonight.

I'm staying in the Holiday Inn Downtown. I prefer boutique hotels but i'm also a priorty card member and the temptation of going from Gold Level to Platinum is too great, i only have 6 qualifying nights to go.I don't even know that i'll use the points for free hotel stays i only know that loyalty cards are like crack. I can't get enough.
A Gold member gives you a certain amount of priviledges. After i checked in, I stepped into a packed elevator and saw a sign "please enter room key for access to 10th floor". I look at my key and my rooms located on the 10th floor. All eyes turned to me as i swiped my key and the 10th floor button lit up. I know that just like me everyone in that packed elevator was wondering what joys the 10th floor held. A penthouse suite with floor to ceiling windows and a personal butler, perhaps a hot tub and a masseur on hand? A happening VIP party with free drinks and a celebrity chef about to whisk me up a 5 course meal? The anticipation was building as i 7, 8 and 9.
Alas, i fear the only thing different from my room to the 9th floor rooms is that i get a complimentary pack of Chex Mix and i don't have to pay for the bottled water.

A relatively easy travel day. After my meeting i drove the same route back to Madison that i took last night and then out the otherside about an hour to Downtown Milwaukee.

Miles Travelled:175

Temperature: 11 f

Time Zone: Central

Listening to: I forgot my ipod so had to rely on radio which was tough but sometimes you can find some jewels. I found a great indie station that played some Super Furry Animals and Pavement before it faded out to be replaced by a Kenny Chesney soundalike. NPR is always good but it was Magic 98 that gave me the belters. I sang my heart out to Eric Claptons - Layla, air punched my way through Def Leppards - Pour some sugar on me but i turned 15 again as i car-seat-swayed to George Michaels - Careless Whisper.

Dubuque, IA

Some may see it as a shame that i embark on this bloggercize at this point in my travel history. Just this year alone i've been to Belize, Spain, London, Munich and Switzerland any of which would of made fantastic first postings. Instead i start with Dubuque, IA. It's a work trip, as nice as Dubuque may be (neatly settled on the Mississippi River) i don't think i'd of taken the trip unless i was being paid to take it.
To be fair, at this point i have only seen Dubuque, IA under the cover of darkness and several layers of snow so it may be the stuff of dreams out there.
Dubuque has an airport but only American Eagle flies into it via Chicago only 4 times a day. None of these times fit into my schedule so I flew from La Guardia to Madison, WI via a connect in Detroit. (My reason for this will make sense eventually) I flew Northwestern, a first for me. According to the President & Ceo in his welcome statement, NWA have had a challenging year but aim to 'go global' in 2006. I only hope they upgrade the planes first. A 70's throwback if ever i have seen one, the overhead storage bin above me had to be taped down with duct tape as it kept opening.

I land in Detroit. i've never fancied the Motor city but i have to say the airport is 'da bomb. Very modern, slick and bright with talking travelators. Along with a Sushi restaurant, it sports it's own hotel. Right there in Terminal A around gate 34 is a Westin. Handy for layovers and anonymous airport rendevous i'm sure.

They have a flash tram that flies down the gates overhead but i was so taken with this airport that i decided to walk the 50 or so gates to my connecting flight. It dawned on me that i only have one weekend free to finish my xmas shopping and how i might have to resort to airport gift shops for some pressies. So far i have spied a Detroit Snow globe, Michiganopoly and the latest Nicholas Sparks novel....

A short 50 minute flight to Madison, WI and then a two hour drive to Dubuqe that had me gripping the steering wheel as i drove down US 151 South still icy from the previous days snowfall and no street lights.
The stars were out though which was nice, don;t see many of them in NYC.

Miles Travelled:972

Temperature: - 3

Time Zone: Central

Listening to: The National - Alligator, Supergrass - Road to Rouen, Van Morrison - The Best Of