h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I didn't celebrate new year's eve

So what, I didn't celebrate xmas either

Thing is my daughter is travelling through South East Asia (Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand) after having studied at Singapore University these last months. So she wouldn't be home for xmas. So I said to my sons "this would be as good a time as any for you to start celebrating with your girlfriends or in-laws or both". And to my ex I said "maybe you would like to celebrate with your new friend?"

So we decided to postpone our traditional xmas-party until daughter returns late in january - and I bought myself a ticket to Rome

I went by train starting in the snowstorm of December 23rd that ruined many danish families' xmas-parties (lots of people got stuck on ferries, stations and schools for days and i feel very sorry for them of course ) but not mine. I had a sleeping compartment all by myself from Ringsted/Denmark to Basel/Switzerland and connected according to schedule with my trains from Basel to Milan and from Milan to Rome

But I got to Rome so late that I decided to stand the pope up instead of going to the midnight mass in Saint Peter's Basilica as originally planned. I said to myself "hey, I never promised him anything - and what has he ever done for me, eh?"

Instead I went to bed with a good book (Douglas Adams' "The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul") and a bottle of . Not a bad way to spend xmas, I tell you!

I went to see the pope a couple of days later instead, abut apparently he was not in, so I climbed to the top of his church instead. Boy are there many steps! Half way up I said to myself "they should have a cafeteria up here. And restrooms!"

Guess what: They do!

After days walking around in Rome and seeing sights (a gigantic Irish sports bar included) I took the train out of Rome at 8 o'clock in the morning of December 31st. 10 hours later I left Basel in my own sleeping compartment in the company of a good book and a bottle of . Not a bad way to spend new years eve, I tell you!

And now I'm looking forward to welcoming home my darlig daughter and having a real, traditional danish xmas party with her and the boys in 21 days

Doesn't sound half bad

Happy 2011

that sounds absolutely fantastic.

So you've been in Basel two times the last week?!

Romey romey romey, Rome rome ROMEY.

Sounds great.

Happy birthday to you.

Glad your trip went so well, Pierce.

I sang in Saint Peter's when I was in Rome. My hotel was very close anyway. I could see the dome from the lobby. The Pope didn't officiate at the service I was singing at. He's too busy with other things. This particular Pope seems to say things that annoy or offend *somebody*. His predecessor seemed to be a man of such stature that people respected him even when they didn't agree with what he said. John Paul II was a great man. He is said to be the main reason why Poland was able to get rid of Communism. I was extremely impressed with his ability to reverse more than 15 centuries of bad vibes regarding the Jews. That is epochal if anything is. I am not a Catholic, but it makes me happy to see the Catholic Church putting the past behind it and moving on. Pope Benedict seems to mean well, and I am not one to cast aspersions at people who are trying, even if they don't have all the skills they need. There is always the hope that fate will surprise on the positive side.

Did you have any pizza while you were in Rome, Pierce?

.. "Irish sports bar" .. are the glasses heavier there?

and -late- good birthday

* oh .. well .. it is in time for the next one, isn't it? *

what's wrong with me being in basel, ottox, you can't very well claim the city for yourself

i did not have any pizza whatsoever when i was in rome, but only the day after my returning here i was invited by a friend who offered me some very good home made pizza

i did have quite a lot of pasta while i was in rome. and a very tasty risotto

christmas eve i ordered a veal t-bone steak - and that is exactly what i got. when i asked why there were no potatoes, rice, pasta, sauce and vegetables the waiter said "you didn't order any"

lesson learned and now passed on: always make sure you get a full meal



ps: the upside was there was room for a delicious dessert, espresso and limoncello (lime liqueur)

thanks for all the good wishes, hope you will have a nice year too. i am now less than 2 years away from early retirement

in his new year speech our prime minister suggested we abolish the possibility of taking early retirement. he's not getting my vote

Some people would be unable to work past a certain point even if they wanted to. For them, early retirement is the only option that works. For others, work is so terrific, and their health so great, that they'd rather not retire at all.

Then there are people who *could* work longer, but the mechanism is in place for them to retire "early." Frankly, I do not think work is necessarily good for you. Retiring from a dull, routine job may well be an improvement. Or, retiring after working a strenuous job that has given you back trouble, ulcers, and bad knees is a necessity. Prime Ministers don't do much heavy lifting. How would they know how painful it is to lug heavy things around or do roofing work when the temperature is ridiculously high or low?

my points exactly

and here are the pictures:

http://public.fotki.com/pierce42/rome-december-2010/

I would like to see prime ministers lifting Galileo's balls, in out up down up down

iphones has a lot to answer for.

Does Galileo *want* them to life his balls?

Sorry, that should have been lift, not life.

I don't know really; I thought he was dead. But anyway I'm sure the politicians would like it dead or not.

I've heard that politics makes strange bedfellows, but this is ridiculous!

there was an exhibition about galilei in the bathroom/basilica

it was the catholic church's way of paying homage to the great scientist they had once accused and locked up for sacrilege

needless to say they pointed out in great detail how faithful galilei actually was to - well - his faith. he just did not believe in the way the church described reality

it was good to see him finally redeemed