Road Trip

Normally, I perfer trains and airplanes to get to work: More time to think. Taking the car to work generally means getting stuck in traffic.

But last week we drove 2800 KM across the Alps. A drive on which we visited the SIOUG, Venice and Salzburg. All Highly recommended. Work can be such a pain...

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Driving towards the Alps takes a while, but on approach, you get these rewarding views:

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The SIOUG is held in a very nice location on the Slovenain coast. A great place to take your other half. I'm already pondering my submission for next year (The barely visible conference venue is located on the far-right corner of the picture):

The SIOUG can be blogged on the "work blog", but for a seemingly small country, it is a surprisingly Large Event with 500+ delegates. On a personal note I can say it was a Good Idea to bring the Mrs along. She was able to take valuable notes at sessions where I could not attend myself, and provided me with some interesting comments on my own presentations.

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Venice was Beautiful, Romantic, and wet. The Mrs bought a pair of wellies on day 1. For someone from a country where the sea is an ever-waiting menace (link to 1953?), it is ennerving to see how the Plazza San Marco simply inondates during high-tide. I am glad I've seen Venice before it risks sinking into the sea (it does give that impression!).

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Salzburg, the birthplace of W.A. Mozart, is simply Beautiful. Highly recommended. Very well kept and organized. And a lovely place to take your Partner.


nb: the Mrs has the camera and all the pictures are stil on Her laptop.
But then, no matter how careful you take the pictures, there are always nicer ones on the web.

The Angel of the North

Had you not seen it yet then ?

It looks like it will finally happen. I now have an appointment with a fellow-DBA to go visit "The Angel" to have my piccie taken.


The folks here up north are mighty proud of this gignormous statue. although some say that the iron could also have been used to lay an extra railway track all the way to London. This welcoming Angel stands ready to embrace any Geordie thas has dared to venture down south and is now returning Home.

The structure is extremely visible from both road and rail, and is a great icebreaker. Especially on a busy train, the visiting foreigner should show admiration and awe when passing the Angel.

I tend to say something like "Wow, Indeed, it is Impressive. And Bigger then I thought it would be." One or more of the locals sitting around you will generally react along the lines of "Had you no seen it yet then ?", "you should visit it you know, Like." And this classic: "When it was only just put up, one night they dressed it in a Newcastle United footbal shirt, you know, with the black and white stripes like. Greet Stont, like."

And to show how friendly and open the folks here are, I had several invites: "It is very special you know. And, like, If you want, I can drive you up so you can have your picture taken."

Well, I now have one of those invites set in my agenda. And I hope to be able to show "me piccie" soon. Like. Looking forward to this memorable event!

sitemap

Here are the introductions to PdvFirstBlog and SimpleOracleDBA,

Intro - if available - This is where I started my my blogging era

Simple oracle DBA - The main topic.

Various Oracle Tips and Rants and Opinions, all to do with practicalities.

Simple Oracle DBA - Availability, Scalability, Manageability... It has to be Simple

Bitmap Indexes on an OLTP system - ORA-00060... Classic Deadlock

Backup on a different Level - in the SOA layer.

How To Pool Connections - One of the challenges

Databases Everywhwere - Systems and Databases, how many databases.

ILM, Information LifeCycle Management - another Three Letter Acronym.

Index Organized Tables - Many Benefits

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UKOUG - I do value my usergroup events.

Various Rants, all to do with practicalities.

In times of Crisis you call the DBA - Who you gonna call...

Rationalize TOAD - Toad will find a way...

M O O W - Miracle Oracle Open World...

My blog-plug for the Conference - UK Oracle USergroup...

Travel related stuff.

Angel of the North - My most visited leasure page...

Inconvenience of Leeds Bradford International Airport.

Eurostar is Perfect - Very comfortable and reliable.

Colorado - Winter Park, actually.

Back to Normal - on the train.

Climate - Enjoy while it lasts....

Cricket - I have no clue.

Work, Dinners, Fun - and lots of miles on the train.

Angel - of the North, my most searched for picture.

UKOUG - my excuse to travel.

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The usual links to groups etc..


my agenda (normally at the right hand side of the blog)




UKOUG main url



Miracle BV



the home of Oracle-L : Best Mailing list



link to Oracle Forum.



My own linked in profile (shameless plug)


Dont believe me ? Google

See you Somewhere, and say Hi if you feel like it!