Amsterdam and birthday

I gave a presentation on September 28th at a conference in Amsterdam, where it was about 25C and very nice - once again. I must say I like the city, the atmosphere, the old houses, the people, the bars, you name it. I didn't have much extra time to spend, but the people arranging the conference had arranged a nice dinner for us presenters. They had heard that it was my birthday, so they also arranged a nice surprise for me - which I was a little too late to document, so no sparkling light any longer in this picture.

During that trip I also saw one of the nicest packaging I've seen for a long time, although this is isn't my favorite champagne. Can't say I hate it this one, either, though :-) My favorite champagne is still Nicholas Feuillatte Brut Blanc de Blancs Millesime. It's not the most dry champagne, and maybe not the favorite of some poeple who claim to know everything about champagne, but definitely worth a try, if you haven't tried it already.

Times Square and Manhattan

I spent some time in New York a week ago, participating in a bigger event, which took place around Times Square on September 22-23. I expected ridicolously rigorous security on the NYC Kennedy airport, but everything went surprisingly smoothly.
Some guys from our group popped up at the event without telling me in advance, which was a really nice surprise. Since we had some extra time, we walked (well, used the Subway) around sunny Manhattan. I didn't take too many pictures this time, but caught the Public Library, as well as the Statue of Liberty - although very far away... But also found the free WiFi in Battery Park, as well as in other parks in NYC - great!

Times Square with all the neon lights and people still keeps amazing me. When you've arrived with the flight to New York and taken the taxi to your hotel, wherever that is, and then take a walk to the area, well, you just get dizzy. I guess it's the travel, sleep on the plane, jetlag - and the combination of all that overwhelming noise. traffic, and lights.

LarryBay Party 2006

September arrived, so it was another year, another party. This was the 6th year in a row that we invited friends to our house, to catch up with what is going on in everybody's lives. The Summer temperatures of 20C+ ended about two weeks ago, but we were lucky having no rain, around 17C, and the sun shone in the afternoon, so all was well on that front.

All was well on other fronts, too. Sirpa had prepared a table filled with great food, both light and a bit heavier - not forgetting the tzatziki, of course. Her frends Ninnu and Jaana arrived earlier to help preparing the food and set things up nicely. Great gals - and really great food! And by 18:00 hours everything was ready, the first bottles opened, and the guests started dropping in.

I'll let the pictures tell the rest, but I just want to say that Sirpa and I loved to have you all in our apartment, and we hope that you can come next year, too! Oh, yeah, and special thanks to Yngve and Päivi for coming all the way from Turku for our party!