Things you see on the train

by ezs | May 24, 2005 | evilzenscientist, travel, Uncategorized

(More catchup from last week – slightly delayed by events at the weekend)

I had to travel between Zuerich and Stuttgart on Thursday evening with John Mahon. We decided the best way to travel would be by train – so we took the DB ICE between the two cities – very relaxing, comfortable and a fraction of the cost of flying.

On the way just after we crossed the border between Switzerland and Germany we saw some old abandoned locomotives – late epoch steam and 60’s East German Diesel. Very eery – they were not preserved, but also weren’t in the decayed scrap stage either.

(Not my photo – but this is one of the locos we saw)

Now neither one of us would admit to being ‘an enthusiast’ 🙂 but I did note they were a lot of ex-DRG Class 52 sitting there rusting away. Google and some diligence on mapquest found me the answer.

It looks like this is a private collection at the Tuttlingen Railway Museum – and looking at the list there is a lot of rusting iron sitting on those sidings.

The Class 52 was built as a wartime workhorse – these engines are sixty years old – and most probably worked until the late 1960s across Eastern Germany.

Incredible to see these just sitting on sidings at the side of the main railway. It certainly made for an interesting conversation on the journey.

Sick in England – the benefits of social healthcare

by ezs | May 23, 2005 | evilzenscientist, travel, Uncategorized

I was in Europe most of last week – visiting customers and having meetings in Bracknell, Duesseldorf, Zuerich and Stuttgart.

On Wednesday morning I woke up with a fever and felt really achy – I put this down to jetlag. I noticed that breathing was difficult and my side hurt like hell.

On Friday I flew back to the UK after meetings with a partner in Stuttgart; I was in pain before the flight; during the flight I slept, in pain and in a daze; when I got off the plane I felt like I was drowning and about to die. I got my rental car and drove to Nottingham where I went to the NHS walk-in clinic.

I was immediately seen and referred as an emergency to Queens Medical Center; I went to casualty (ER) and was admitted.

Turns out I had fluid and blood on my lungs; a partial collapsed lung; bacteria in my blood and atypical pneumonia. I was on intravenous antibiotics and was kept in for treatment.

I’m out now – but on a vast amount of antibiotics and painkillers.

The best part – it didn’t cost a penny. When the National Health Service works – it works very well.

London – early morning

by ezs | May 14, 2005 | evilzenscientist, travel, Uncategorized

I went out late with Alan and got the night bus back.

It’s amazing how alive London feels at 4am – the sun is starting to rise; the sky is lightening; people are still on the streets – either returning home or heading to work.

The one thing that struck me that was different from home in Utah was the ‘dawn chorus’ – just so many birds singing and contending for their own piece of space. There are certainly many birds at home; but they just don’t seem to sing their hearts out when the sun comes up.

That’s enough from early-morning London..

Ottawa

by ezs | May 6, 2005 | evilzenscientist, travel, Uncategorized

I was in Ottawa the last couple of days.

Another interesting city – all the benefits of a capital (museums, parks, generally good looking and well kept) but in a handy size 😉