California 2015 road trip

We have had a great time in California and below you can read a little about our road trip this spring.

Sunday 22 March

Arrival at San Francisco International Airport. Immigration went fast and we quickly got our rental car from Hertz Gold. We had booked a Corvette Cabriolet that was ready for us when we got there. We then left the airport and headed for Yosemite and to our hotel in the middle of Yosemite National Park. We arrived in the evening and had the time to take a little walk.

Monday 23 March

We started the day by checking out of the hotel and drove around Yosemite. We saw El Capitan, Half Dome, and some beautiful waterfalls etc. We parked the car a couple of places and took a few walks as well. We headed for Las Vegas in the afternoon and drove through the desert to get there. We arrived late in the evening when it was dark, and got to experience the Las Vegas Strip with all the neon signs and lights flashing constantly.

Tuesday 24 March

We spent the whole day in Las Vegas. We had a nice brunch at a French café on the Strip followed by sightseeing and some shopping at an upscale department store. We had dinner at a Michelin restaurant in the MGM Grand hotel in the evening. It was a wonderful dinner in a great atmosphere.  

Wednesday 25 March

Day trip to Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. We drove early and straight to Hoover Dam, where we went on the ‘Power Plant tour’ of the whole 'facility'. That was a nice experience which included some history and information about the engineering accomplishments when they planned and built Hoover Dam. Afterwards, we headed for Grand Canyon in Arizona, where we had some great views of the area. Grand Canyon was a spectacular place, at least from a Danish point of view.

Thursday 26 March

We left Las Vegas and headed for Los Angeles. Unfortunately we had to get a new car at LAX because of some issues with our Corvette. Fortunately, we got another Corvette Cabriolet similar to the ‘old one’, and drove to our apartment (AirBnB) in West Hollywood. Traffic in Los Angeles was a bit of a nightmare, but we survived. The apartment was located close to a WholeFoods store, where we did some grocery shopping for the next couple of days.

Friday 27 March

We parked the car in the Beverly Center and had a classy brunch at the Ivy. Afterwards, we went shopping in the Beverly Center. The shopping was followed by a short drive around Hollywood and Beverly Hills. We drove up to the Hollywood Hills and saw the Hollywood sign from a viewpoint. After that we went down the Hollywood Hills again and drove a little on Hollywood Boulevard and Rodeo Drive before we headed back to the apartment.

Saturday 28 March

Took a stroll on Hollywood Boulevard, where we saw the Dolby Theater and could not help noticing the Hollywood Walk of Fame obviously. We had a glass of wine on our balcony in the afternoon, where we enjoyed the sun and the nice weather.

Sunday 29 March

We left Los Angeles and headed for Solvang, where we had lunch. Solvang was a bit tacky, as Lonely Planet says, but it was funny to see ‘old Denmark’ in an American way. We drove north on Highway 1 after Solvang, and enjoyed the magnificent view along the way. We saw among other things elephant seals, and Big Sur National Park. Arrived at the hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea in the evening, where we took a walk to the beach.

Monday 30 March

We left Carmel-by-the-Sea and drove to Sunnyvale, where we visited and had lunch with a friend of ours, who lives there. Afterwards, we drove to Napa Valley. We drove over the Golden Gate bridge and arrived early in the afternoon at our hotel in Napa City. Relaxed the rest of the day in Napa City and went for a nice walk.

Tuesday 31 March

Went on a 3-hour wine tour – we took the Napa Valley Wine Train, and had a great lunch on board and tasted some great wines while we enjoyed the scenery in Napa Valley. We drove to Mumm Napa after the train ride, where we took a 1-hour tour of the facilities. We also visited some other wine producing estates afterwards.

Wednesday 1 April

We checked out of the hotel and drove to the airport in San Francisco, where we returned our Corvette. Then, we went to our apartment (AirBnB) in downtown San Francisco. Our ‘city-part’ of the holiday had begun.

Thursday 2 April

We took the boat to Alcatraz and went around the island. Very exciting to experience the island/ the 'rock'. Afterwards we took a stroll around Fisherman's Wharf and took a ride on one of the famous old cable cars in San Francisco. Shopping and relaxation the rest of the day. 

Friday 3 April

Went on a shopping spree and a beer afterwards with two friends. The four of us had dinner at a nice restaurant in the evening.

Saturday 4 April

Enjoyed a homemade ‘Easter lunch’ (roasted leg of lamb) with friends in our apartment.

Sunday 5 April

Sightseeing in San Francisco - including Telegraph Hill, the Castro disctrict and Lombard street.

Monday 6 April

Goodbye San Francisco - back to Copenhagen by air after a wonderful holiday :-)

Quotes of the month - 2014

December 2014: To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace (George Washington, 1732-1799)

November 2014: We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon (Konrad Adenauer, 1876-1967)

October 2014: Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind (Virginia Woolf, 1882-1941)

September 2014: The American dream does not come to those who fall asleep (Richard Nixon, 1913-1994)

August 2014: Pennies don't fall from heaven, they have to be earned here on earth (Margaret Thatcher, 1925-2013)

July 2014: It is true we have won all our wars, but we have paid for them. We don't want victories anymore (Golda Meir, 1898-1978)

June 2014: Strength and wisdom are not opposing values (Bill Clinton, b. 1946)

May 2014: The right to change the government by the ballot box and not the barrel of a gun; perhaps the best definition of a democracy (Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, b. 1926)

April 2014: We can only protect liberty by making it relevant to the modern world (Tony Blair, b. 1953)

March 2014: I think my biggest achievement is that, after going through a rather difficult time, I consider myself comparatively sane (Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, 1929-1994)

February 2014: A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination (Nelson Mandela, 1918-2013)

January 2014: Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning (Albert Einstein, 1879-1955)

 

Book recommendation NO.3: "Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography, Volume One: Not For Turning", by Charles Moore

My book review: I read the book this summer, and think that it is extremely well written and never less than interesting. It also provides the context for the events in which decisions are made, but concisely.
Furthermore, this book provides original material in the form of Thatcher's comments on various documents relating to important political decisions, which in themselves tell us a lot about her and her style of managing and controlling - indirectly and critically. The author, Charles Moore also includes comments from former ministers, political advisers and civil servants, some from written sources and some from interviews all pulled together in relation to events.
The book is balanced. It gives credit to others for aspects of Thatcherite policy, in particular Geoffrey Howe. If you did not like Thatcher before - hectoring, arrogant, know-it-all - you will not change your views. If you liked her determination and stubbornness and grasp of the people, you will not change your view.

Details: Author, Charles Moore: "Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography, Volume One: Not For Turning. Published by Allen Lane, 2013. 

Roadtrip Italy, August 2014

Piazza San Marco, Venice

This year, we went to Italy on a roadtrip, but also stayed a week in a house we rented in Umbria (near Perugia) with friends.
Saturday 16 August: Departure from Copenhagen Airport and arrival at Munich Airport. We rented a BMW 640d, M styling convertible in Munich and drove straight to Venice. We drove through Austria and enjoyed the scenery and arrived in Venice late in the afternoon. We had a lovely dinner at a restaurant and had a nice walk around town, where we saw the Piazza San Marco (square) etc.
Sunday 17 August: Waterbus on the Canal Grande. We saw the Ponte di Rialto (bridge), and a lot of other Venice sights as well. We departed Venice and drove to Lake Garda, where we had a nice lunch in the sun. Afterwards, we drove to Milan and checked in at our hotel in the Eastern part of Milan.
Monday 18 August: We saw the Duomo of Milan (cathedral) and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (shopping mall).

Relaxation, Empoli house

Tuesday 19 August: We departed Milan and drove to Cinque Terre (rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera, comprised of five small villages). Afterwards, we drove to the house near Empoli in Tuscany that we had rented for a couple of days. We were greated by the owners of the house (who occupied the house next to ours) and were given a tour of both the house and the magnificent vegetable garden, which we were encouraged to use.
Wednesday 20 August: We drove to Pisa and picked up one of our friends and relaxed the rest of the day at the house.
Thursday 21 August: Trip to Florence. We saw the Ponte Vecchio (bridge) and walked around the old part of town.
Friday 22 August: Trip to Lucca. We walked around the old walled part of the town. Late in the evening, we welcomed some of our friends.
Saturday 23 August: Departure from Empoli and then we all traveled to the next house close to Lake Trasimeno (4th biggest lake in Italy), near Perugia.
Sunday 24 August: Relaxation at the house.

Stelvio Pass

Monday 25 August: Short trip to Lake Trasimeno.
Tuesday 26 August: Trip to Perugia and Assisi (know for St. Francis of Assisi).
Wednesday 27 August: Relaxation at the house.
Thursday 28 August: Trip to the "wine town" of Montepulciano and Bagno Vignoni (hot springs).
Friday 29 August: Relaxation at the house.
Saturday 30 August: Departure from the house and travel towards the Alps (Bormio).
Sunday 31 August: Trip to the Stelvio Pass (mountain pass in Northern Italy, at an elevation of almost 3.000 m). Afterwards we drove to Munich and handed back our car and then went back home to Copenhagen by air.

Independence for Scotland - Yes or No?

A referendum on whether Scotland should be an independent country will take place on Thursday 18 September 2014.
My opinion? I think Scotland should vote No.

A little history: Scotland and England united to form the "Kingdom of Great Britain" in 1707, by virtue of the Acts of Union. From 1801, the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland" and from 1922 the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".

Why Scotland should vote no:

• Scotland gets the best of both worlds: A powerful Scottish parliament with power over things like schools, hospitals, police and transport and Scotland gets the strength and security of being part of the UK, one of the biggest economies in the world
• Influence and impact: As part of the UK, Scotland is on the UN security council + more than 250 UK embassies and consulates worldwide help Scots companies and travelers
• More security: The UK armed forces are one of the best trained in the world. As part of the UK, Scotland is protected by an army, navy and air force far bigger than Scotland could pay for on its own
• Keep the pound: Today, the UK pound is the currency in Scotland and the mortgages in Scotland are backed by the Bank of England. If Scotland leaves the UK, it would have to set up a new currency from scratch or join the Euro, leaving the Scottish people with higher mortgage bills and trade with the rest of the UK will become more costly
• More jobs and more customers: Scotland is a country of 5 million people, and sells its goods and services to a home market of 60 million customers. The SNP government's own figures show that Scottish firms sell twice as much to the rest of the UK as to the rest of the world combined
• Strong ties: There are strong historical and contemporary ties between Scotland and the rest of the UK from the Reformation and Union of Crowns to Scottish involvement in the growth and development of the British Empire and contribution of the Scottish Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution. Almost half of the Scottish population have relatives in England, almost a million Scot-English live and work in England and 400,000 Anglo-Scots now live in Scotland

source (facts above): bettertogether.net

Book recommendation NO.2: "The Shah", by Abbas Milani

I have just finished reading "The Shah". It is very recommendable.

My book review: This biography is about the last Shah of Iran and traces his rise and fall and his role in the creation of the contemporary Islamic Republic. The author brings a new set of facts from a variety of sources, such as recently declassified British, American and Iranian documents and hundreds of interviews which makes this book relevant to the current democracy movement in Iran and to U.S. –Iranian relations. The book is also a deeply researched portrait of the shah’s private life, which included three wives, alleged mistresses and extravagances in palaces etc. The author lets the reader make up his/her own mind and establishes a base for readers to form their own opinions. Sum up: This book is about a man who modernized Iran and in doing so ensured his own downfall.

Details: "The Shah". Author: Abbas Milani. Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan, 2012.

Quotes of the month - 2013

December 2013: The only way to do great work is to love what you do (Steve Jobs, 1955-2011)

November 2013: Be yourself; everybody else is already taken (Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900)

October 2013: If you put the government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there would be a shortage of sand (Milton Friedman, 1912-2006)

September 2013: Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. When you stumble, keep faith. When you're knocked down, get right back up. And never listen to anyone who says you can't or shouldn't go on (Hillary Clinton, b.1947)

August 2013: Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon (Winston Churchill, 1874-1965)

July 2013: We will stand on principle or we will not stand at all (Margaret Thatcher, 1925-2013)