Visiting the charming coastal
Dublin suburb of Howth
There was a time, not too long ago, when the romance of travel still felt real. The lead up to the actual day of travel in the knowledge that the world was about to reveal itself in ways unimaginable, as flight attendants poured a welcoming glass of champaign. There were visas, traveler’s checks, hotel bookings – it was all quite thrilling. Well up to a point I have to admit. However, not so much these days. Indeed, there are times when regrets are involved in lieu of days you would consider the material that fills the pages of travel books.
For nearly a month, from the last day of May through to the end of June, Margo and I squeezed in visits to Dublin, Ireland, London, Paris with a side of Bordeaux. We managed to fly, uber, train and sail and through it all there were numerous anxious moments involving a shrinking selection of clean clothes as well as a declining interest in the local cuisine.
The journey
Back when it was exciting a lot more, seasoned travelers would recall times spent on the Seven Seas but for Margo and I, it was about the Four C’s. Or, might we add just three more to round it up to seven, as we look at Conferences, Clients, Customers and Colleagues. As for the other three well it came down to Castles, Chateaus and Churches. But for now, I will focus on the Four C’s that drove our itinerary.
There was the flight with Aer Lingus,
the TGV out of Paris and the
River Cruise with Viking.
The Conference
What was the catalyst for this journey, yet one more BizCation as it were, was the annual European Conference for the HPE Nonstop Compute community. Otherwise known as the E-BITUG European NonStop Symposium, Dublin 2025. There’s a long story behind the official name for NonStop changing to Nonstop Compute but more of that I will cover in excruciating detail across a number of business-related blog posts and magazine articles. Suffice to say, the community lost its mid word capital S.
What was the primary reason for the month away from home all happened in the first week. Attending a Nonstop Compute community event is always a time to celebrate as we get to mingle, that is network, with a vibrant cross-section of customers, consultants and companies including senior managers from HPE. Yes, it was tiring given the usual pattern of conversations going long into the night. But for Margo and me, it was a chance to reacquaint ourselves with folks we had lost touch with through the years.
Mingling, speaking and a
quiet chat with Winston
The Clients
It would be fun to admit that this is where some of the romance of travel begins to wear thin but in reality, for all of those of us who are caught up in this hyperactive world of technology, there is still something that manages to attract us to such gatherings, whether we are enthusiastic to attend or not.
For Margo and me, it is the thought of building an itinerary under the banner of BizCation that both excites us as it does forewarn us that bundling may be OK when it comes to insurance, but bundling work uptime with our own leisure downtime has become very much like mixing oil and water.
As for the “clients” in the photo below, they just happen to be our good friends and former neighbors, Don and Ann Marie, whose company we enjoy wherever we come across them and who for me, in particular, consider provide me with a mentorship.
It was a hard job but working with customers,
we always found somewhere to dine
The Customers
Ever alert to what was occurring around us at all times, there was still ample opportunity to escape. It would be very easy to jump into a detail description of all the folks we met but, in all seriousness, whenever the opportunity arose to head towards the exit door, then yes, we took it. Work was very fulfilling at this year’s conference and our primary client was happy with what we delivered, both in the hosting of a welcome soirée and in the plenary session I provided, but then again, the city selection held attractions of their own.
How could you not enjoy London and the opportunity to walk into a hotel speakeasy? Or find a French brasserie that exuded charm? Wondering the streets with no particular goal in mind, whether it was Dublin, London or Paris, we ignored the unexpected summer heat and just absorbed the atmosphere. And don’t let the headlines mislead you. At no time were we concerned with our own safety or whether we walked on the wrong side of the street, life as we had experienced in past visits continued unabated. We were very pleased with the overall atmosphere each city provided and this let us truly enjoy some of Europe’s finest capital cities.
to all conferences
Colleagues
The reality here is that it was a dear friend, indeed one I can readily identify as a colleague with a shared interest in the business world that made the suggestion that we should not just spend a weekend in Paris but to take the French TGV down to Bordeaux for a leisurely sail on the Garonne River where we could visit a selection of wineries. Again, it was Don and Ann Marie who made the suggestion and we didn’t disappoint. Nor did they – it was a time to simply ignore the outside world for the briefest of time and enjoy the local French "Joie de vivre."
There was plenty of zestful living that followed as we walked through a number of townships. Viking did quite the show when it came time to visit the wineries. Being told every passenger had to vacate the ship for the afternoon, no exceptions mind you, as a deep clean was undertaken. Who knew?
There will be readers who know some of
these places intimately but suffice to say,
we did get to see these amazing sights.
When it came time to dine at a Chateau, much to our surprise, it was the ships chef and support staff that put on a fabulous dinner complete with an excellently prepared Filet Mignon. It came out perfect medium rare for all and how they managed to do that for 190 guests was quite a surprise. We had spent an afternoon touring Médoc and Margaux where we stopped at the front gates of the Château Lafite Rothschild and the Chateau Margaux, among others. This also included wine tasting at Chateau Dauzac as well as the diner at Château Kirwan.
For the wine lovers (and direct from Google):
The Médoc and Margaux are both key wine regions in Bordeaux, France,
with Margaux being a specific appellation within the larger Médoc region.
The Médoc is a peninsula on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary,
known for its gravelly soils that are ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon,
a dominant grape in the region.
Margaux, as an appellation within the Haut-Médoc, is particularly
celebrated for its elegant and perfumed red wines,
also predominantly made from Cabernet Sauvignon.
Colleagues and business acquaintances help set the scene and we were rarely far away from what was taking place across our industry.
Regrets? As they say, we had a few. But not enough to detract from the time we spent in Europe that more or less came about over conversations among colleagues and clients. For that, Margo and I are most appreciative.
The simplest of items can make beautiful art
as we observed in Bordeaux
Castles, Chateaus and Churches
We cannot finish without a passing reference to the many castles, chateaus and churches we visited. A month provided plenty of opportunity for sightseeing on a grand scale. We lost count of how many riverside ramparts we walked. We were never bored nor were we even left wondering if perhaps we missed something. Europe remains a beautiful place to visit and we certainly weren’t disappointed with the itinerary that finally came about for us with the help of clients, customers and colleagues.
However, it did come at a time when we had just moved into our new home that we were only able to enjoy for a couple of weeks before packing up and leaving. Now, back here in Longmont, Colorado, we are preparing to drive back, doing so with an interstate moving van following closely behind as the last of our goods and chattels relocate to Panama City Beach, Florida. Yes, the road does go on forever and the story never ends and yet, for Margo and me, upon reflection (even as we did suffer sightseeing fatigue, occasionally) we certainly are grateful and indeed thankful that the opportunity arose.
Flying into Denver we were greeted with an evening sunset that put the finishing touches on what prevailed as a great time to travel. Do I miss the days when there was clearly a romance of travel? Not in the least as it’s not the travel or even the destination. It’s not even the journey. What strikes Margo and me today and where the impact occurs is the people. And for that, we are truly thankful to all who share our journey, our story and, occasionally, abide with us on the road!
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