On July 4, we all went to Kimball Farm northwest of Boston. It had a range of attractions for families, including food, a craft shop, animals, and bumper boats. There was something for everyone, including miniature and “pitch and putt” golf, as well as an arcade. The weather was warm, but it didn’t slow us down too
much. Janice and I left her folks after dinner at T.G.I.Friday’s and made it home in time for Needham’s fireworks.
Melinda had to leave early on Monday for Amanda’s swim class, but Janice’s parents joined us for a pancake breakfast, Needham’sannual parade, and lunch at Wild Willy’s Burgers. The food theme continued after they left, as Janice and I ate leftovers and watched Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations on the Travel Channel.
Unfortunately, we missed the Minuteman Model Yacht Club’s “Independence Day Open” regatta
on Rosemary Pond. My Pathfinder: Holy Steel/Dragonslayers” teleconferencing team and the face-to-face role-playing gamers didn’t meet this past weekend, but we hope to get back on track after assorted scheduling disruptions. As I’ve recentlyposted, we’re gearing up for a new adventuring party in the virtual fantasy group and my “Vortex” space opera campaign.
In a previous post, I blogged about the first few days of Janice’s and my vacation in England. The Internet enabled us to act as our own travel agents, conducting research on sites to visit and helping us book travel through Expedia. The London Pass program allowed Janice and me to get into museums (although most were free) and other attractions without waiting in line/queue for tickets.
On Wednesday, 23 June 2010, Janice and I went to the Tower of London. Janice remarked that it isn’t so much a tower as a castle (based on a Norman keep). We saw the crown jewels and Traitor’s Gate, and I noticed that the armorexhibit had changed since my previous visit 24 years ago. We had lunch at the Armories Café and then walked past the Golden Hinde (Sir Francis Drake’s ship) to the reconstruction of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater.
We weren’t able to tour the theater because a production of Macbeth (the “Scottish play”) had just begun, so we walked across the MillenniumBridge to St. Paul’s Cathedral, observing a range of architecture on the way. The church is as much a testament to British nationalism as to the Anglican faith, having been redesigned by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of 1666. St. Paul’s magnificent crypt contains grave stones of numerous notable scientists, artists, statesmen, and military leaders.
Janice and I then strolled by the antique stores of Portobello Market and Notting Hill, made famous by movies. Many of the stores were empty, but the pubs were overflowing with fans and spectators of soccer’s World Cup. The Wimbledon tennis tournament was also occurring that week, but we couldn’t tell if it affected traffic or tourism. We later enjoyed Indian cuisine at Masala Zone, which I liked even more than Wagamama because of a friendly and informative staff, healthy and tasty food, and reasonable prices.
The next day, Janice and I went to the grand British Museum, which had a special exhibition of Renaissance drawings. We also checked out the significant collection of artifacts from ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt (such as the Rosetta Stone, mummies, and statuary related to my Pathfinder: “Holy Steel” campaign), Greece (including the Elgin Marbles or contested sculpture from Athens’ Acropolis), Rome, and several other civilizations. We could easily have spent more time exploring London’s many museums and palaces, just as there are other sites in the U.K. that would be worthwhile destinations for day trips.
Janice and I had dinner at Pret a Manger, which is similar to and slightly nicer than Au Bon Pain in the U.S. We then walked through Bloomsbury and Soho (no relation to Manhattan’s Soho, other than being a neighborhood frequented by artists). Among other things, we stopped in at some comic book shops, including Gosh!, Comicana, Orbital Comics, and the multimedia extravaganza of Forbidden Planet, which has few equivalents here at home.
On Friday, June 25, I mailed two boxes of books and a few souvenirs home to lighten our luggage for our return. Since Janice and I had been unable to get inside the Globe Theater two days before, we returned for a tour. Whenever we return to England, Janice and I would like to try to take in a show.
Janice and I flew back to Boston on Saturday, June 26, watching most of Up in the Air on the way. (I screened the OK juvenile fantasy Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief on the flight to Chicago.) After “comfort food” at Wild Willy’s Burgers in Needham, Massachusetts, we began catching up on chores such as mowing the lawn, doing laundry, and grocery shopping.
In addition, I’ve enjoyed the latest episodes of Doctor Who (continuing our Anglophilia) and Leverage. I’ll have to try to post more soon about the end of the regular television season and this summer’s genre shows.
On Sunday, June 27, we met Janice’s middle sister Shelly, her husband Melvin, and our nieces Rebecca and Laura for lunch at a Chili’s in Worcester, Mass., after they dropped off our nephew David at a summer camp for kids with diabetes. We had seen them a few weeks ago at Becky‘s high school graduation party in Utica, New York.
This past week, the “Holy Steel/Dragonslayers” teleconferencing team and face-to-face group skipped more sessions, but we’ll soon be getting back to the fantasy game, a few more one-shots, and the upcoming “Vortex” space opera (about which I’ve been blogging).
This coming weekend, Janice’s parents and the family of her youngest sister Melinda will be visiting us around Independence Day. College chums David I.S. and Dexter V.H. also hope to visit the Boston area. So much to do, so little time!
I then took one of San Francisco’s famous cable cars past Lombard Street (the “crookedest in the world”) up to the Cable Car Museum near Nob Hill, which is similar to Boston’s tony Back Bay. Unfortunately, my recyclable camera ran out of film just as we reached that high point and as the sun came out.
After walking through the shops of the Westfield mall and Union Square looking in vain for a summer fedora and cheap blue jeans, I later took the 71 bus to the hippie neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury. I enjoyed the colorful people and, of course, independent bookstores such as Booksmith, Comix Experience, and GameScape. The combination of street musicians, boisterous youths, and liberal sensibilities reminded me favorably of Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but with a more casual
vibe.
On Sunday, May 16, I had brunch at Mel’s Drive-in, a diner that Dave had also recommended. After catching part of the festivities and costumes (or lack thereof) around the annual Bay to Breakers Race, I took a shuttle bus to the airport. I raced through security and was put on standby for an earlier JetBlue flight than the one I
was originally scheduled for, but ended up just waiting for the later flight home.
My first impressions of the city by the bay were positive. The business district reminded me of those in New York or Boston, with varied architecture, good urban energy, and a diverse population. I grabbed lunch at a Del Taco, which is similar to Taco Bell, then registered and attended the welcome reception. All of my meals for the next few days would be provided through the show.
Since this was my first time attending this conference as an associate site editor, I had a lot to learn. I went to the keynote addresses, breakout sessions, panel discussions, and laboratory demonstrations of virtualization technology with about 4,700 attendees (more than in past years).
I found the crowded sessions and vendor hall informative, but I didn’t get to interview as many users and prospective columnists as I had hoped. Fortunately, reporters Jo M. and Bridget B. and blogger Brian M. more than made up for it, and I visited TT’s offices near my hotel. I also enjoyed meeting peers at the press dinner at Ducca on Wednesday, May 12, including foreign correspondents Tony S. from England, Jolein de R. from the Netherlands, and Valery M. from France, as well as fellow New Englanders Carryl R. and Shelly F.
I didn’t get to see much of the host city in the first few days because of conference sessions, but I did talk with executives from Citrix and Intel. For the final night party on Thursday, May 13, we were bussed out to Treasure Island, which had an impressive view of San Francisco’s skyline. Comedian and “closet nerd” Sinbad was the headliner and was pretty funny. An open bar, live band, and several dining options made for a festive night in the large pavilion tent, making up for the fact that I knew relatively few people there.
Coming soon: Robin Hood review, sightseeing, and more!
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