TOURIST OR DELEGATE
A skilled chameleon, she made her way down to the beach, sidestepping past the many deckchairs and sunshades. Swiftly, she headed inland past the Club Med, all the way along the Westin’s pool, still in her tourist camouflage outfit. Did the real tourists bad an eyelid? The pool staff came up with a jug of water as she briefly reclined on a sun bed by the fountain. Finally, Cinderella at the ball, at the chime of ten, she crossed security, hid the shades, put the watch back on, slipped into the (John Travoltaesque white suit) jacket put on the high heels and dashed down the corridor to the contact group on technical matters of the Basel Convention. A true Swiss, she arrived before everyone else and even persuaded the staff she needed an extension cable for her laptop. Deep down in the conference bag, the ray bans waited for tomorrow.
Friday, June 13, 2008
FORZA AZZURRIIIIII!!!!
After Switzerland's sad defeat a couple of days ago, I am now bracing myself for tonight's Italy match. If they play like they did last time against the Dutch, I might contemplate giving up my passport ;)
In the interim, here is a picture of poppies. They are nearly all gone now as it rains cats and dogs and blows gales.
After Switzerland's sad defeat a couple of days ago, I am now bracing myself for tonight's Italy match. If they play like they did last time against the Dutch, I might contemplate giving up my passport ;)
In the interim, here is a picture of poppies. They are nearly all gone now as it rains cats and dogs and blows gales.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
A QUICK TRIP TO CENTRAL ITALY
Nancy thought she was going to sit back and relax when she came to visit us after the FAO conference on food security in Rome. Little did she know that as soon as she arrived on Sunday we had planned to whisk her to Cortona to meet Santa Margherita (according to the book, Margaret had actually had a child by her lover when she found him dead at the Pentimento in Petrignano where she repented before making her way from Laviano up to Cortona to live with St Francis and his mates in 1277!!).
On the Monday, Nancy braved the Castle walls in the morning and me in Montepulciano in the afternoon. Then she got a fair dose of calcio at the Pepe Rosa (where she repented for wearing orange -- yes, Holland thrashed Italy) and was in top form to go round Perugia on Tuesday and do a spot of gardening before leaving again on Wednesday lunchtime for a rest in Rome.
Nancy thought she was going to sit back and relax when she came to visit us after the FAO conference on food security in Rome. Little did she know that as soon as she arrived on Sunday we had planned to whisk her to Cortona to meet Santa Margherita (according to the book, Margaret had actually had a child by her lover when she found him dead at the Pentimento in Petrignano where she repented before making her way from Laviano up to Cortona to live with St Francis and his mates in 1277!!).
On the Monday, Nancy braved the Castle walls in the morning and me in Montepulciano in the afternoon. Then she got a fair dose of calcio at the Pepe Rosa (where she repented for wearing orange -- yes, Holland thrashed Italy) and was in top form to go round Perugia on Tuesday and do a spot of gardening before leaving again on Wednesday lunchtime for a rest in Rome.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Monday, June 02, 2008
A POLLINATOR AND MANY DELEGATES
CBD COP9 - where next?
Mega team, shame about the waitress' photo-taking skills, but with the noise we were making, she probably did it on purpose :)
And so it was that we returned victorious from Bonn, clutching high-seas protected area criteria in one hand and a near moratorium on ocean fertilization on the other. But I pause to wonder, does the outside world really get in-situ fertilization of the seas?? or should all this jargon be translated into basics abc language?
And this is where I can tell that it has not been long enough from getting back (traumatic trip home, with delays, missed flights, departing buses, traffic jams and many mad rushes) to write a decent blog, so you will have to excuse me!
Will try again soon. Promise.
CBD COP9 - where next?
Mega team, shame about the waitress' photo-taking skills, but with the noise we were making, she probably did it on purpose :)
And so it was that we returned victorious from Bonn, clutching high-seas protected area criteria in one hand and a near moratorium on ocean fertilization on the other. But I pause to wonder, does the outside world really get in-situ fertilization of the seas?? or should all this jargon be translated into basics abc language?
And this is where I can tell that it has not been long enough from getting back (traumatic trip home, with delays, missed flights, departing buses, traffic jams and many mad rushes) to write a decent blog, so you will have to excuse me!
Will try again soon. Promise.