I have myself well oriented by now, and things are going very smoothly. I haven't done much recreational touring yet, other than to find some fantastic restaurants for dinner, which is my main meal of the day, and the walks to and from the restaurants along cobblestone streets are very pleasant.
I've spent full days at the show since arriving. This is the closest I've come to a "real" job (i.e., wearing a suit and tie, writing, conducting and then transcribing interviews) in 23 years!
I spent part of Saturday in the lower level of one of the halls among the "moles and trolls" in the tools/supplies/machinery departments. This is just to see what is going on behind the scenes, where the real magic occurs in making the part of the watch that actually makes it work. Both Grobet and Bergeron are here with beautiful hand tools and smaller electrics. The fabrication tools are also here. From a company called Bumotec, I saw a marvelous "Milling Center" machine that turns a brass blank into a fully milled plate (both sides) with all screw, jewel, and stem holes, in 45 minutes. The machine is fully computerized and robotized, so it can run 24 hours per day. Cost? A mere 500,000 Euros! In the old days, a human operator had to stand by the milling machine, turning cranks and pulling levers for each of the 100 or so individual holes and cutouts that comprise the plate, which is essentially the "backbone" of the watch movement upon which all the moving components are mounted.
Saturday night, I had a marvelous dinner at a Thai restaurant of all places, which I guess are pretty big in the larger urban areas of Germany. This place is called "Chang," and was another "Lonely Planet" best pick. I am not a huge fan of the traditional yellow curry, so I went with something called a green curry, where the base or broth of the mixture is made with Thai basil and green chiles, which gives it the namesake color. Coconut milk is then added to give it that essential "Thai-ness" (Sorry, Dawn, I can hear your stomach lurching from across the Atlantic!), as well as lemon grass. So the broth does have some "heat," but not so much that it overpowers the delicate flavors of the flash-fried veggies that are added, as well as your meat choice, which in my case was prawns (shrimp). The other veggies included sweet red pepper, zucchini, asparagus, and green beans. The concoction comes in a large soup bowl, and is served with steamed rice on the side. It was one of most flavorful dishes of any kind I've had in a long time. I also had an appetizer of Thai spring rolls which were very good. With 2 beers and tip, the bill came to 17 Euro, which I thought was a bargain. For dessert, I stopped at an Italian gelato parlor, and had a warm waffle topped with vanilla gelato and fresh strawberries in a glaze. Mmmm.
Today was my busiest interview day, with two interviews nearly back to back. One was with Shinola, and I got to talk directly with Steve Bock, the CEO of the company, which I thought was quite an honor. I thought I would merely get to speak with one of their PR flacks, but here I was speaking with the head honcho! I spent most of the 15-20 minute interview talking to him about the possibility of Shinola making a mechanical watch (they only make quartz now) and there were generous "hints" that a mechanical watch is on the radar screen, and Steve said to check back with him in 3-4 months and he might have some specifics.
My other interview was with Eberhard, which makes absolutely fantastic mechanical chronographs for a very small and discriminating niche market for people who recognize quality, but don't necessarily need to flaunt their wealth. For this interview, I got to speak with Mario Peserico, general manager of the company, who I found to be an absolutely fascinating gentleman. We got into a discussion on what exactly defines "luxury," and I think it will make a great story if I can get through the transcription (he has a very pronounced Italian accent). The gist of his philosophy is that you don't have to be rich to have "luxury." Some of the wealthiest people in the world are the most "poor" when it comes to enjoying the true "luxuries" of life.
Tonight I enjoyed a pizza with artichokes, mushroom, ham, and salami, accompanied by a small salad and a draft of Ganter. The bill was 10.80 Euro, making it the cheapest meal I have had so far here! I stopped at the Gelato place again, and got one scoop of coffee/mocha gelato in a wafer cone for 0.80 Euro. Just enough for a small treat.
I think tomorrow (Monday) will be my last day at the fair. My brain is overloaded with so much information, I don't think I can take any more! I will spend the next couple of days after that(Tues./Wed.) exploring Freiburg with the free city transportation pass the hotel gave me, and/or taking a day trip to one of the other region's more famous cities, like Stuttgart or Baden-Baden. We will see. I'm booked here in Freiburg until Thursday morning, but like I said I think by tomorrow I will have had all the Baselworld I can possibly consume!
Take care everyone,
Bruce
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
An Exhausting Day
Friday March 28
One of the reasons I said I came here was that I am not getting any younger, and today I really felt this, and was positively bone tired at day's end, with the capper of having to stand during the 35 minute train ride from Basel to Freiburg because the 5 p.m. train was packed. So I really do believe I made this trip not a moment (or body weight) too soon!
The day started similar to those before, with an ample breakfast at the InterCity Hotel. I arrived at the fair and set up at the media center and infused a nice cappuccino into my system and proceeded to write and transcribe. I visited with a few vendors today, including Enicar, Eternamatic, and Doxa.
I was singularly unimpressed with the folks at Doxa, who directed me to their website for information on their heritage, despite a beautiful display of vintage pieces at their pavilion. Enicar and Eternamatic were slightly better, presenting me with media kits (on memory sticks) and beautiful hardcover books. I also visited Ernest Borel (I seem to have an "E" theme going here) and spoke with a fellow by the name of Nicolas who had no recollection of my recent article in the NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin. Further, and the media contact I used for the story is no longer with the company, so this is indeed a fickle and capricious business to say the least. As for me, one moment I'm feeling like my name carries a little cache, and the next I'm Mr. Nobody. It's perfectly OK, though. I was good enough to get a media pass to Baselworld with some very nice perks, including admission, superb Wi-Fi (lacking at my hotel in Freiburg by the way), and snacks and caffeinated beverages (the latter surely worth $30/daily at the prices I've seen in the cafes for the paying customers. I bottle of Coke is euro 5, for example, or just shy of $7 U.S.)
Speaking of food/drink perks, the soup du jour for the media was a delicious Asian shrimp dumpling in a savory broth with noodles and shredded vegetables.
Later in the day I ran into Bert and Marcy Kalisher, who run Chronos magazine, which recently published an article of mine on Tavannes. Now in his mid 80s, Bert is kind of the last man standing among the old school watch people of an era before the industry became so hyper-marketed. He claims he's ready for more stories, whenever I'm ready. Yeah, OK, Bert, whenever you're ready to break out the checkbook and pay me something. (Which for the last 30 years has been never! My last article on Tavannes was sponsored in full by the watch company itself).
Arriving back at the hotel tired and sweaty, I changed into more casual clothes and headed into the old city for dinner, all the while talking to Dawn on her cell phone as I walked (I finally got through) and got caught up on the Aunt Pat saga. My dining destination tonight was Kleiner Meyerhof, where I promptly downed a glass of Riegeler pilsner, brewed in Donaueschingen, and promptly ordered another, allowing the alcohol to work its magic. I ordered a platter of kalberwurst (veal sausage made on premises), boiled potatoes, and sauerkraut. A bread basket arrived ahead of time with some braunschweiger for spread. Total with tip came to euro 20.30, which is about $28 U.S., a modest meal by Europe prices, and certainly less than the splurge last night!
The walk back to the hotel proved to be my Waterloo, and after a coffee and the last of my Camille Bloch "Ragussa" chocolates (my gift from Edox) I poured myself into bed.
Bruce
One of the reasons I said I came here was that I am not getting any younger, and today I really felt this, and was positively bone tired at day's end, with the capper of having to stand during the 35 minute train ride from Basel to Freiburg because the 5 p.m. train was packed. So I really do believe I made this trip not a moment (or body weight) too soon!
The day started similar to those before, with an ample breakfast at the InterCity Hotel. I arrived at the fair and set up at the media center and infused a nice cappuccino into my system and proceeded to write and transcribe. I visited with a few vendors today, including Enicar, Eternamatic, and Doxa.
I was singularly unimpressed with the folks at Doxa, who directed me to their website for information on their heritage, despite a beautiful display of vintage pieces at their pavilion. Enicar and Eternamatic were slightly better, presenting me with media kits (on memory sticks) and beautiful hardcover books. I also visited Ernest Borel (I seem to have an "E" theme going here) and spoke with a fellow by the name of Nicolas who had no recollection of my recent article in the NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin. Further, and the media contact I used for the story is no longer with the company, so this is indeed a fickle and capricious business to say the least. As for me, one moment I'm feeling like my name carries a little cache, and the next I'm Mr. Nobody. It's perfectly OK, though. I was good enough to get a media pass to Baselworld with some very nice perks, including admission, superb Wi-Fi (lacking at my hotel in Freiburg by the way), and snacks and caffeinated beverages (the latter surely worth $30/daily at the prices I've seen in the cafes for the paying customers. I bottle of Coke is euro 5, for example, or just shy of $7 U.S.)
Speaking of food/drink perks, the soup du jour for the media was a delicious Asian shrimp dumpling in a savory broth with noodles and shredded vegetables.
Later in the day I ran into Bert and Marcy Kalisher, who run Chronos magazine, which recently published an article of mine on Tavannes. Now in his mid 80s, Bert is kind of the last man standing among the old school watch people of an era before the industry became so hyper-marketed. He claims he's ready for more stories, whenever I'm ready. Yeah, OK, Bert, whenever you're ready to break out the checkbook and pay me something. (Which for the last 30 years has been never! My last article on Tavannes was sponsored in full by the watch company itself).
Arriving back at the hotel tired and sweaty, I changed into more casual clothes and headed into the old city for dinner, all the while talking to Dawn on her cell phone as I walked (I finally got through) and got caught up on the Aunt Pat saga. My dining destination tonight was Kleiner Meyerhof, where I promptly downed a glass of Riegeler pilsner, brewed in Donaueschingen, and promptly ordered another, allowing the alcohol to work its magic. I ordered a platter of kalberwurst (veal sausage made on premises), boiled potatoes, and sauerkraut. A bread basket arrived ahead of time with some braunschweiger for spread. Total with tip came to euro 20.30, which is about $28 U.S., a modest meal by Europe prices, and certainly less than the splurge last night!
The walk back to the hotel proved to be my Waterloo, and after a coffee and the last of my Camille Bloch "Ragussa" chocolates (my gift from Edox) I poured myself into bed.
Bruce
Friday, March 28, 2014
Baselworld By the Numbers
Thursday March 27 Day two at the expo, and opening day for the general public
Some numbers and other info from Basel:
* an estimated 100,000 people will attend the show;
* There are approximately 4,000 journalists here from all over the world;
* 22 billion Swiss francs of watches were exported from Switzerland in 2013, making watches the backbone of the Swiss economy, even ahead of tourism;
* a room at the Ramada Hotel, across from the fairgrounds, starts at 640 Swiss francs (about $755 US) per night, and goes up from there, and they are sold out. By comparison, my room at the InterCity is $148 per night, plus $58 daily round trip for the train ride between Frieburg and Basel.
* The mayor of Basel, attending opening ceremonies, declared Baselworld the city's most important (read $$$-producing) event; and
* the new buzzword this year is "Swissness," a noun to designate a singular origin of a watch to Switzerland. The Swiss watch industry successfully petitioned the Swiss parliament to trademark the word, which will give the industry group the right to sue any non-Swiss company that might try to use the word.
I tried to get an earlier start this morning and may have overcompensated slightly. Sleep came quickly Wednesday night, but I woke up around 3 a.m. and never got back to sleep before my alarm went off at 5 a.m. The nice thing was I had the breakfast bar nearly all to myself when it opened at 6 a.m. More of the same, but tried some brie with my scrambled eggs, very good. Tried the public computer in the lobby, but the SD slot was disabled. I may be fucked on the photos until I get home. Technology marches on, and I guess SD cards are the latest media to be left the dust. The preferred removable media seems to be the USB thumb drive.
Bought my train ticket at a vending machine today, and it worked. The German vending machines must be wired into a different (and U.S.-compatible) network than the Swiss, where I had no luck on Wednesday trying to buy a tram ticket to the media party. I bought an all-day tram ticket in case I needed the tram for anything. Arrived at the expo center a half hour before the media center opened, so I had some time to kill, and what better place to kill it. And speaking of kill, smoking is very big here. You walk through a cloud of cigarette smoke upon entering/exiting the hall entrances; guess they haven't heard the news yet over here.
I had two "events" here today. One, I snagged an invite to a press conference/lunch at the Frederique Constant/Alpina booth; and had a pre-arranged interview with a rep of the Edox Watch Co. Here is a photo of me, rare moment in a suit, with my all-important press pass:
The press conference at FC/Alpina was mildly interesting, with the segment on Alpina announcing their latest sponsorship of two adventurers: Norwegain Borge Ousland, and Frenchman Vincent Colliard, who are in the midst of a mission to cross the 20 largest world glaciers together. This section of their journey, under sponsorship of Alpina, will take them across the Severny Island glacier in Russia, and Grant Ice Cap in Canada, all the time wearing the Alpina "Alpiner 4 Chronograph" strapped to their wrists. I guess no matter what your passion, if you are savvy enough, and your idea is "marketable" enough, you can find someone to give you money and a nice watch to wear. The expedition's mission statement is "Believe, preserve, transmit," and these guys are doing research and drawing attention to world governments to increase efforts to fight the disappearance of glaciers.
What a job. I mean, how does this go over at cocktail parties?
"Good evening Mr, Ousland, what do you do for a living?"
"I cross glaciers on foot and on skies with a man approximately half my age."
Anyone have a response for that? Anyone? Anyone? Beuller?
Anyway, we got to meet the intrepid adventurers, and after the speeches, we were plied with champagne, canapés, and delicious one-bite desserts, all served by waiters and waitresses walking around in starched shirts and feigning happiness. It was all very fun, but I gleaned precious little about Alpina's history with regard to their beautiful dress watches and supplying movements to some of the worlds great watch brands during their heyday in the 1920s and '30s. They are moving in an entirely different direction, making Alpina the sportier brand compliment to their luxury fashion brand of Frederique Constant.
The afternoon interview with Laurence (female) Weimer of Edox was congenial and went well. But once again, as with Alpina, they were very short on information about their history, as all historical records were thrown away in the 1980s when the company moved from Biel. What I got mostly was the story of their current mission to create sport watches (which were always the company's bread and butter) that somehow separates them from the "pack" by virtue of unique construction materials, and sponsorship of "offbeat" and obscure sporting events, including curling and power boat racing. Laurence was a good, relaxed interview, and she presented me with a box of REALLY good chocolates as a small thank-you for my time, which I consumed half of back at my hotel room.
Upon return to my room, I decided to splurge on dinner (since breakfast and lunch were "free" and went to the restaurant Kreuzblume, recommended by the Lonely Planet travel guide series. It is fusion cuisine, or as it's known by its detractors, "little food on big plates." The emphasis is more on contrasting flavors and textures, to be savored by the palette, than on huge portions to be sucked up like a Hoover vacuum cleaner. Nathan, had you been along, you would have hated it. Chris (Nathan's spouse to those of you who don't know Nathan), had you been along, you would have loved it.
First course was a beet salad with fresh greens, fresh orange segments, a long sliver of brie, topped with crème fraiche and sprinkled with almonds. A bread basket was also provided complimentary with three toppings. My main course was strips of ribeye steak prepared medium-rare, served with browned potatoes and a compote of caramelized onion. Surrounding the plate was a puree of fennel, making an interesting "dipping sauce" for the steak and potatoes. For my app/bread course, I had a glass of the house Reisling, and with dinner a half liter pilsner glass of Ganter, the local brew mentioned previously. The bill with tip came to $75, and I didn't have dessert or coffee, opting instead for chocolates and coffee back at the hotel room.
Bone tired, I hit the sack at about 9:30. At about 12:30, I awoke and figured out the message I had heard earlier on Dawn's voice mail at work stating she would be out until April 7. A check of my emails confirmed the news that Aunt Pat had passed away earlier in the day. Dawn and I were prepared for this possible (and likely) event, and the plan is for me to remain on this trip. I did say my goodbyes to Aunt Pat earlier, and I will go to Maryland soon after my return to pay my final respects.
Bruce
Some numbers and other info from Basel:
* an estimated 100,000 people will attend the show;
* There are approximately 4,000 journalists here from all over the world;
* 22 billion Swiss francs of watches were exported from Switzerland in 2013, making watches the backbone of the Swiss economy, even ahead of tourism;
* a room at the Ramada Hotel, across from the fairgrounds, starts at 640 Swiss francs (about $755 US) per night, and goes up from there, and they are sold out. By comparison, my room at the InterCity is $148 per night, plus $58 daily round trip for the train ride between Frieburg and Basel.
* The mayor of Basel, attending opening ceremonies, declared Baselworld the city's most important (read $$$-producing) event; and
* the new buzzword this year is "Swissness," a noun to designate a singular origin of a watch to Switzerland. The Swiss watch industry successfully petitioned the Swiss parliament to trademark the word, which will give the industry group the right to sue any non-Swiss company that might try to use the word.
I tried to get an earlier start this morning and may have overcompensated slightly. Sleep came quickly Wednesday night, but I woke up around 3 a.m. and never got back to sleep before my alarm went off at 5 a.m. The nice thing was I had the breakfast bar nearly all to myself when it opened at 6 a.m. More of the same, but tried some brie with my scrambled eggs, very good. Tried the public computer in the lobby, but the SD slot was disabled. I may be fucked on the photos until I get home. Technology marches on, and I guess SD cards are the latest media to be left the dust. The preferred removable media seems to be the USB thumb drive.
Bought my train ticket at a vending machine today, and it worked. The German vending machines must be wired into a different (and U.S.-compatible) network than the Swiss, where I had no luck on Wednesday trying to buy a tram ticket to the media party. I bought an all-day tram ticket in case I needed the tram for anything. Arrived at the expo center a half hour before the media center opened, so I had some time to kill, and what better place to kill it. And speaking of kill, smoking is very big here. You walk through a cloud of cigarette smoke upon entering/exiting the hall entrances; guess they haven't heard the news yet over here.
I had two "events" here today. One, I snagged an invite to a press conference/lunch at the Frederique Constant/Alpina booth; and had a pre-arranged interview with a rep of the Edox Watch Co. Here is a photo of me, rare moment in a suit, with my all-important press pass:
 |
| "I'm with the media. Do you have any swag or free food for me?" |
The press conference at FC/Alpina was mildly interesting, with the segment on Alpina announcing their latest sponsorship of two adventurers: Norwegain Borge Ousland, and Frenchman Vincent Colliard, who are in the midst of a mission to cross the 20 largest world glaciers together. This section of their journey, under sponsorship of Alpina, will take them across the Severny Island glacier in Russia, and Grant Ice Cap in Canada, all the time wearing the Alpina "Alpiner 4 Chronograph" strapped to their wrists. I guess no matter what your passion, if you are savvy enough, and your idea is "marketable" enough, you can find someone to give you money and a nice watch to wear. The expedition's mission statement is "Believe, preserve, transmit," and these guys are doing research and drawing attention to world governments to increase efforts to fight the disappearance of glaciers.
What a job. I mean, how does this go over at cocktail parties?
"Good evening Mr, Ousland, what do you do for a living?"
"I cross glaciers on foot and on skies with a man approximately half my age."
Anyone have a response for that? Anyone? Anyone? Beuller?
Anyway, we got to meet the intrepid adventurers, and after the speeches, we were plied with champagne, canapés, and delicious one-bite desserts, all served by waiters and waitresses walking around in starched shirts and feigning happiness. It was all very fun, but I gleaned precious little about Alpina's history with regard to their beautiful dress watches and supplying movements to some of the worlds great watch brands during their heyday in the 1920s and '30s. They are moving in an entirely different direction, making Alpina the sportier brand compliment to their luxury fashion brand of Frederique Constant.
The afternoon interview with Laurence (female) Weimer of Edox was congenial and went well. But once again, as with Alpina, they were very short on information about their history, as all historical records were thrown away in the 1980s when the company moved from Biel. What I got mostly was the story of their current mission to create sport watches (which were always the company's bread and butter) that somehow separates them from the "pack" by virtue of unique construction materials, and sponsorship of "offbeat" and obscure sporting events, including curling and power boat racing. Laurence was a good, relaxed interview, and she presented me with a box of REALLY good chocolates as a small thank-you for my time, which I consumed half of back at my hotel room.
Upon return to my room, I decided to splurge on dinner (since breakfast and lunch were "free" and went to the restaurant Kreuzblume, recommended by the Lonely Planet travel guide series. It is fusion cuisine, or as it's known by its detractors, "little food on big plates." The emphasis is more on contrasting flavors and textures, to be savored by the palette, than on huge portions to be sucked up like a Hoover vacuum cleaner. Nathan, had you been along, you would have hated it. Chris (Nathan's spouse to those of you who don't know Nathan), had you been along, you would have loved it.
First course was a beet salad with fresh greens, fresh orange segments, a long sliver of brie, topped with crème fraiche and sprinkled with almonds. A bread basket was also provided complimentary with three toppings. My main course was strips of ribeye steak prepared medium-rare, served with browned potatoes and a compote of caramelized onion. Surrounding the plate was a puree of fennel, making an interesting "dipping sauce" for the steak and potatoes. For my app/bread course, I had a glass of the house Reisling, and with dinner a half liter pilsner glass of Ganter, the local brew mentioned previously. The bill with tip came to $75, and I didn't have dessert or coffee, opting instead for chocolates and coffee back at the hotel room.
Bone tired, I hit the sack at about 9:30. At about 12:30, I awoke and figured out the message I had heard earlier on Dawn's voice mail at work stating she would be out until April 7. A check of my emails confirmed the news that Aunt Pat had passed away earlier in the day. Dawn and I were prepared for this possible (and likely) event, and the plan is for me to remain on this trip. I did say my goodbyes to Aunt Pat earlier, and I will go to Maryland soon after my return to pay my final respects.
Bruce
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Immersed in Watches
The day started late, as I caught up on bit more sleep. After a shower and shave, I made my way to the included breakfast in the lobby restaurant and was pleasantly surprised by the variety of protein-packed choices, including eggs, sausages, a variety of cold meats and cheeses, fruits, muesli, yogurt, pastries (including my favorite ... croissant), and juices and of course good strong coffee.
A 45 minute train ride ($50 Euro round trip), put me in the downtown train station, one of two in Basel, and about a five-minute walk to the expo center. I missed the 11 a.m. press conference, but heard it wasn't much, and my absence allowed me to arrive early at the Baselworld sponsored luncheon. And it was a good thing too, because when the conference ended at about 12:15, the media descended on the multiple buffet lines like locusts, and suddenly there wasn't a place to stand or sit. I had a slice of quiche, broiled white fish in julienne vegetables, breaded chicken, and a tomato/mozzarella Caprese salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Washed down with a glass of white wine. All very delicious.
From there I checked out the media center, which the expo pointed out was newly designed and expanded for 2014. And good thing, too, because it's a proverbial media circus here, with every conceivable publication, from the well known to the "I just made it up last week." The media center is an oasis for the press, with wi-fi, printing capability, work stations, rest rooms, and a snack bar with complimentary beverages and snacks. Finger food is available at set times (breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea), and beverages are available, including the all important coffee, cappuccino, and espresso, until the center closes at 8:30 p.m.
I went exploring in two of the expo halls until my dogs started barking, and then went back to the media center for tea and snacks, and to catch up on emails.
I decided against the media party because it is off the Baselworld grounds, and besides I could not get the tram ticket dispenser to accept any of my credit cards. I did not wish to risk getting stuck in Basel due to missing the last train back to Freiburg. It's just as well because my dogs are barking pretty loudly by now anyway. I accomplished quite a bit today, and should take it easy and pace myself.
I saw media people here from all over, but lots of Europeans, and TONS of Asian folks, who are brandishing every conceivable form of high technology, including a couple of guys who are lugging around a "portable" video broadcast station (complete with spotlights) and are streaming live video from the show to God knows where.
I made contact with one additional company, Glycine, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, and finally convinced someone at Alpina to see me after a couple of unanswered email attempts starting more than a month ago.
I am back in my hotel room now, having arrived at the train station shortly after 8 p.m. and grabbing a sandwich, pastry, diet Coke, and a coffee from one of the train station restaurants. Not very glamorous, but it's too late for dinner out. There was a mob of people checking in tonight, so I must get up earlier tomorrow to avoid a crush at the breakfast buffet, and get to Basel earlier.
Sorry about no photos. I will try the hotel business center tomorrow and see if they have a computer with an SD drive.
Bruce
A 45 minute train ride ($50 Euro round trip), put me in the downtown train station, one of two in Basel, and about a five-minute walk to the expo center. I missed the 11 a.m. press conference, but heard it wasn't much, and my absence allowed me to arrive early at the Baselworld sponsored luncheon. And it was a good thing too, because when the conference ended at about 12:15, the media descended on the multiple buffet lines like locusts, and suddenly there wasn't a place to stand or sit. I had a slice of quiche, broiled white fish in julienne vegetables, breaded chicken, and a tomato/mozzarella Caprese salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Washed down with a glass of white wine. All very delicious.
From there I checked out the media center, which the expo pointed out was newly designed and expanded for 2014. And good thing, too, because it's a proverbial media circus here, with every conceivable publication, from the well known to the "I just made it up last week." The media center is an oasis for the press, with wi-fi, printing capability, work stations, rest rooms, and a snack bar with complimentary beverages and snacks. Finger food is available at set times (breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea), and beverages are available, including the all important coffee, cappuccino, and espresso, until the center closes at 8:30 p.m.
I went exploring in two of the expo halls until my dogs started barking, and then went back to the media center for tea and snacks, and to catch up on emails.
I decided against the media party because it is off the Baselworld grounds, and besides I could not get the tram ticket dispenser to accept any of my credit cards. I did not wish to risk getting stuck in Basel due to missing the last train back to Freiburg. It's just as well because my dogs are barking pretty loudly by now anyway. I accomplished quite a bit today, and should take it easy and pace myself.
I saw media people here from all over, but lots of Europeans, and TONS of Asian folks, who are brandishing every conceivable form of high technology, including a couple of guys who are lugging around a "portable" video broadcast station (complete with spotlights) and are streaming live video from the show to God knows where.
I made contact with one additional company, Glycine, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, and finally convinced someone at Alpina to see me after a couple of unanswered email attempts starting more than a month ago.
I am back in my hotel room now, having arrived at the train station shortly after 8 p.m. and grabbing a sandwich, pastry, diet Coke, and a coffee from one of the train station restaurants. Not very glamorous, but it's too late for dinner out. There was a mob of people checking in tonight, so I must get up earlier tomorrow to avoid a crush at the breakfast buffet, and get to Basel earlier.
Sorry about no photos. I will try the hotel business center tomorrow and see if they have a computer with an SD drive.
Bruce
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Arrival in Freiburg
Tuesday March 25
I'm sitting in my cozy hotel room, starting this blog at about 8 p.m. local time, or 20:00 hours as it's called here. I had a delicious dinner of sauerbraten (marinated beef roast), rotkraut (red sweet/sour cabbage), breit nudelin (wide noodles), and washed down with a Ganter pils, brewed here in Freiburg. All consumed at Zum Deutschen Haus in the old section of Freiburg, along cobblestone streets, about a 10 minute walk from the InterCity Hotel. The original building was built in 1386, so talk about your concept of "old" (Dawn, per our conversation about this). The dinner plus beer was euro $18.30, about $25.25 U.S., and considered a moderately priced dinner here, and I tipped euro $3.
I arrived very tired and somewhat disoriented from the overnight plane ride. My seat mate on the Boeing 777 was very fidgety, and the passenger in front of me let loose with a near constant barrage of farts that actually prompted me to move to an empty row of seats by the mid-cabin lavatories in mid-flight. You know the flatulence is bad when the seats next to the lav are an improvement.
The hotel put me in a room right next to the elevators, and I immediately had them switch me to a room at the end of the hall. I made this reservation nearly a year ago, and requested a quiet room, and so I made them keep their promise, especially since I will be here eight nights!
After getting into my new room at the end of the hall on the 6th floor, I hung up all my dress clothes from the wardrobe suitcase (Mario, this is a wonderful suitcase, by the way) and immediately laid down for about a 2.5 hour nap. I then walked along Eisenbahnstrasse east to the old section of town, where I had a coffee at one of the many cafés that line the streets. The coffee here at the cafés is strong; about midway between coffee and espresso, and I like it very much. After dinner on my way back to the hotel, I paused briefly at Freiburg Muenster (Minster), the most predominant cathedral (and probably most famous landmark) in the city, dating to the year 1200. It is a beautiful and impressive structure, with grand spires and flying buttresses that support the main structure.
Well, tomorrow is "media day" at Baselworld, and we can pick up our press kits and badges as early as 8:30 a.m. There is a press conference from 11 a.m. to noon, a lunch from noon to 1:30, a preview of the exhibit halls, and then a cocktail party from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. So it will be a full day.
I hope every one is well.
Bruce
I'm sitting in my cozy hotel room, starting this blog at about 8 p.m. local time, or 20:00 hours as it's called here. I had a delicious dinner of sauerbraten (marinated beef roast), rotkraut (red sweet/sour cabbage), breit nudelin (wide noodles), and washed down with a Ganter pils, brewed here in Freiburg. All consumed at Zum Deutschen Haus in the old section of Freiburg, along cobblestone streets, about a 10 minute walk from the InterCity Hotel. The original building was built in 1386, so talk about your concept of "old" (Dawn, per our conversation about this). The dinner plus beer was euro $18.30, about $25.25 U.S., and considered a moderately priced dinner here, and I tipped euro $3.
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| Zum Deutschen Haus |
I arrived very tired and somewhat disoriented from the overnight plane ride. My seat mate on the Boeing 777 was very fidgety, and the passenger in front of me let loose with a near constant barrage of farts that actually prompted me to move to an empty row of seats by the mid-cabin lavatories in mid-flight. You know the flatulence is bad when the seats next to the lav are an improvement.
The hotel put me in a room right next to the elevators, and I immediately had them switch me to a room at the end of the hall. I made this reservation nearly a year ago, and requested a quiet room, and so I made them keep their promise, especially since I will be here eight nights!
After getting into my new room at the end of the hall on the 6th floor, I hung up all my dress clothes from the wardrobe suitcase (Mario, this is a wonderful suitcase, by the way) and immediately laid down for about a 2.5 hour nap. I then walked along Eisenbahnstrasse east to the old section of town, where I had a coffee at one of the many cafés that line the streets. The coffee here at the cafés is strong; about midway between coffee and espresso, and I like it very much. After dinner on my way back to the hotel, I paused briefly at Freiburg Muenster (Minster), the most predominant cathedral (and probably most famous landmark) in the city, dating to the year 1200. It is a beautiful and impressive structure, with grand spires and flying buttresses that support the main structure.
Well, tomorrow is "media day" at Baselworld, and we can pick up our press kits and badges as early as 8:30 a.m. There is a press conference from 11 a.m. to noon, a lunch from noon to 1:30, a preview of the exhibit halls, and then a cocktail party from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. So it will be a full day.
I hope every one is well.
Bruce
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