Back to the Hytte in Tyinkrysset, Norway: Celebrating 20 Years
November 11, 2022
We began in Bergen and made a side trip to Fondsbu on the way to Tyinkrysset. Well maybe we started in Bergen. Nobody seems quite sure.
We’re visiting Norway again (having lost count of our numerous visits) and the swanky new hytte where we spent some restorative time last year. The cabin is a magical domain of peace, conversation and easy access to lots of great hiking and skiing. Gøran and I are lucky to have known eachother for 20 years!
Read more about our side trip to Fondsbu here.
Nova was in the house, and on the trail, and in the car. Superstar!
The back yard where some hiking is as easy as walking out the door. Read more about our back yard hikes here. After the wild night and Fondsbu we stuck mostly to the back yard on the first day. LOL. Recovery mode for the old men.
The torrent (a small fast creek) beside the cabin features the second biggest backwards waterfall in Norway. We’ll tell you more about the biggest one below.
A return trip to catch the full moon over Fondsbu the next evening was not a success—too cloudy. The cold crisp air was beautiful at the top of the range.
The photographer at work.
Some maintenance for the snow plow? That’s what we were told, anyway.
And then a trip to see the backwards waterfall. Even the stuff by the side of the road is remarkable in the Norwegian mountains. We made a short stop on the Kongesvegen to see some old mill houses.
Romey at peak Fall.
It was remarkable how much the colors outside changed with the elevation. Peaking just a few kilometers away and well past peak and into winter at the hytte. One night the water froze.
The backwards waterfall itself was, well, just a backwards waterfall! Much fun was had. Read more about that here.
A herd of reindeer showed us the way.
We determined last year that gøran and I had known each other for 20 years. We celebrated our friendship with some bubbles (anne’s favorite).
The next day we did a more extensive hike on the Kongevegen to the a stave church built in the 1180s. Both the road and the church are incredible. Read more about our kongevegen hike here.
Then some cabin time.
A more extensive back yard exploration is always in order.
The next day we went on a spectacular hike and almost made it to see Vettisfossen. So close! And yet so far. Absolutely stunning scenery.
So with just the right amount of cooking (including the ever popular lunch for breakfast), a nice round number of negronis, a few bottles of bubbly, actual hot showers (well, one anyway), some fun with music, and a bunch of incredible hiking, we were left wanting more. As always.
We left our old well-travelled boots behind with our hearts.
There is nothing better than adventures with dear friends.
Well, there may not even be showers. And people may steal your boots (accidentally?!) overnight. But where else are you going to hear a folk story accompanied by live music recounted by Solbjørg Kvålshaugen? Or run up an impressive bar tab for your 20th year festivities??
We started the night before in Bergen (maybe?).
And then got motivated in the morning and headed up into the mountains towards the Hytte in Tyinkrysset. On our way, we took a detour to Fondsbu, arriving just in time for the last dinner of the year. Here’s how Gøran describes it, “If you remember the ski trail we followed along the water last winter. Well, if we follow that road to the end, we get to a place called Fondsbu. They have their closing dinner on Saturday 8th with entertainment and live music.”
A stop by our favorite bakery in Norway.
The best way to spend the drive? Definitely if you are a teenager.
We arrived and staked out our rooms. The rooms are very basic and tidy with sinks and bunks. It all feels like a ship cabin (especially after a bunch of rum).
Eidsbugarden
Dinner was delicious and communal. Reindeer filet and some red wine. During the festivities, the moon arrived (one day from full, still waxing).
The dinner marked the opening of winter (and the closing of the summer season). The live music was great, even though this song is not at all about Norway. It’s about boneheaded racism.
We partied late into the night, meeting mountain men, musicians, and hotel hosts. Much fun was had.
The boots disappeared.
Late the next morning after fortifying ourselves with some porridge, we headed to the Hytte.
An incredible experience, about as Norwegian as you can get. My only regret is that I failed to bring my fiddle along to play. I guess in 20 more years, I will get another chance.
Scandic Nidelven, Trondheim, Norway: Go for the Breakfast
November 5, 2022
More post-COVID business travel in 2022. Trondheim, Norway is well north of Bergen and Oslo, situated on a Fjord, and is the home of NTNU where NPS was participating as adversary for a Ph.D. defense. That meant travel was dictated by university policy. Fortunately, breakfast was included.
In case you have forgotten what Norway is like, here is a video. About the same geographic size as California, Norway has only 5.4 million people. It is a gorgeous country.
Flying in to Trondheim is always an adventure, as you have to stop off in Oslo for customs and then brave the winds at the Trondheim airport. One poor old lady on my flight was literally screaming in fright as we made our approach and landing.
The great news is some of our good Norwegian friends were in town to greet us. Our first committee meeting was a very nice dinner out at the cozy Fagn bistrot.
The Scandic chain has done nothing to improve post COVID. A middle tier hotel chain on par with Marriott in the US or maybe Hyatt, Scandic pays more attention to their common areas and meeting rooms than they do to their actual rooms.
The Scandic Nidelven does boast the “best breakfast in Norway.” And the spread is actually quite good (and equally crowded). So go for the breakfast! I got two breakfasts in while in town.
The shower in my room (423 I think) looked something like this. Distinctly uninspired, yet functional and not plastic.
Views from the breakfast room over the Nidelva canals are very pretty.
In one minor wrinkle, my suitcases followed me into town by a day. That meant borrowing a coat and a dress shirt from friends just to stay warm and presentable.
The defense itself was interesting and fun. We minted a new doctor!
After which it was time to celebrate. First with a large dinner at Rive Gauche a droite (LOL) and then for some late night cocktails at the Britannia. The hotel has undergone major renovations and now has a world class cocktail lounge fittingly reminiscent of its London cousins.
We had to sort a major travel SNAFU on the way to the cocktail bar (NPS does sometimes drop packets, but we also bring along our credit card to buy entirely new packets…and sometimes a router.)
The next day a public talk at the university on Machine Learning Security was in order.
After lunch with the faculty (deeply interested in MLsec), there was a very short window for some tourism in Trondheim. The Rockheim museum is almost worth a visit..if you go with the right attitude it can be silly and fun.
The Trondheim sense of humor is even visible in the cafe signs. “probably the best espresso in the world” (more LOL).
After a parting Negroni at the Scandic bar (inundated with business types having a cocktail before their conference dinner), it was off to the airport to wait several hours for a quick flight to Bergen?
All in all, three showerheads for the Scandic Nidelven. Like the headline says, go for the breakfast.
Quick Hit in NYC: Hotel Indigo is Very Corporate
October 17, 2022
What was to be a long weekend in the city shrunk down to one night when business did its usual thing of melting away. NPS stayed on the lower east side on somewhat of a whim. The verdict? Meh.
Thing is, Madou had no idea that we weren’t in midtown. So we shlepped up there for sushi at Sushi by Bou. Which was hilarious and definitely worth the subway time.
Waygu and uni…surf and turf @mmadou pic.twitter.com/BBZUfT75ih
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) September 7, 2022
The place is tiny, so make a reservation. Immediately after coffee, it was back downtown for our meetings, and then back to midtown for dinner at Freemans. Dinner was great.
But skip the rice pudding fad! LOL. Ride pudding is way too filling to catch on.
After dinner, the plan was to wedge into PDF, but the hot dog place was being its persnickety self. So instead we headed to Amor Y Amargo for some fantastic cocktails. We made up an experimental cocktail called the McGillicutty.
The Indigo was generic and boring. All of the Kimpton magic has dispersed.
The shower is not plastic.
The lower east side is close to some stuff, we guess.
NPS doesn’t remember the room number. Not returning.
Back to EWR you go (in an early Uber).
The United club is all new and fancy, but the flights are still delayed.
All told, three showerheads and no more strikes for Kimpton. Anybody have a good boutique hotel chain to offer?
Lets Compare Airlines: 6 Trips Across the Pond, Summer 2022
August 5, 2022
We knew it was a very silly plan when we dreamed it up. We just didn’t know HOW silly. In any case, the very silly plan involved crossing the Atlantic six times this summer, which provided a nice opportunity to compare business class travel on three distinctly different airlines.
The verdict? Swiss Air wins hands down by miles. Then lufthansa comes in fifth of three. And united? Tenth of three. LOL. Not even close.
Here are more details.
The Lufthansa 747-8 upper deck is fun. The pods are not particularly roomy, but it is nice to have a dedicated business class bathroom or two and a distinctly private environment away from the scrum.
We flew to Frankfurt and got picked up in a red camaro.
Seat 85C on the upper deck of a @lufthansa B747-8. pic.twitter.com/10gyj7dZN6
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) June 23, 2022
Some of the time was spent in Heidelberg.
A train took us to the airport to depart Germany. Getting a train directly into Frankfurt airport is very easy and convenient.
The flight back on a Lufthansa A330-300 was more cramped than the 747-800 and really was not as nice. Not a big fan of the airbus. Much less room to get comfortable.
Pod 3C on @lufthansa A330-300. Back across the pond (crossing 2 of 6 this summer) pic.twitter.com/hPKCgarak2
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) June 30, 2022
We flew back to experience the closing of the digital psychedelic art show and to give a talk for the locals about Machine Learning Security. (Always keep your promises!)
And then it was a ridiculous two day turnaround to fly to Milan (through Frankfurt again). This equipment sure seems familiar! Upstairs again for a flight that was late once again but very comfortable.
Pod 84H on @lufthansa B747-8. Late as usual. The plan is to sleep. pic.twitter.com/NVmjCT0EPX
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) July 2, 2022
We did some music in Italy.
My art face. LOL.
The art itself: Into the Unknown.
Since my flight from Milano to Zurich was cancelled (Swiss Air has decided not to fly the northern Italian routes any more), I opted for the fast train through the alps. Just beautiful and very fast. The only issue was all the stuff I had (a huge guitar, a violin, a mandolin, a tube of art and a big roller bag).
Getting all the stuff on the train to Zurich and finally getting a taxi to the airport was a thing. The Zurich train station was under construction and a pain in the ass to negotiate. Finding the taxi stand was a serious challenge and nobody seemed to want to help.
Dang pic.twitter.com/q0pFcZFwC5
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) June 30, 2022
So we were grumpy, but everything was very smooth at Zurich airport in spite of our SSSS security status. TIronically, the SSSS actually speeded me through security faster. And a surprize upgrade came through!
Upgraded on a Swiss Air hop to Boston! Wow. The seat was enormous and the service was a blast! Best by far.
Even the food was great. Like you might even eat it not on an airplane.
Upgraded to first from business. Well that helps. Thanks @FlySWISS. Pod (living room?) 1D on a swiss air pic.twitter.com/iU3Rnd76AY
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) July 15, 2022
Actual espresso macchiatto
Standard issue mimosa.
What to do with all this room on the card table sized table? Wine tasting!
The crew was a blast (see more below).
The food was delicious and not overcooked.
Cheese for dessert.
Even Grappa.
The silliest thing that happened in all of these cross-Atlantic hops was the wine tasting. Since the card table sized table was so huge we decided to fill it up. Much fun was had.
So it was off to NH for a day to play music, and then a hop down to repack suitcases through Dulles.
Poor moonshine was sad to see me go again.
Finally the time came to take some actual United business class flights. This plan was a B767-400. The pods are a bit tight and the service is nowhere near as good as lufthansa or Swiss Air. On our way to Madrid, our flight attendant was unable to remember that we requested expedited service. And god forbid you know that you can request slippers and an extra pad for sleeping!
Headed to Spain in @united pods 5A and B. Polaris for the win. pic.twitter.com/axh7ugRrCG
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) July 17, 2022
We’re spoiled and we know it. Madrid and Barcelona were great.
We postponed our return trip in order to shake the COVID that we caught in Spain. Other than the trip was magical.
On the way home, the crew was better than on the way out (though the captain was the same and she played the same beach boys music). All in all, United was inferior service on all fronts.
Time to step it up, united!
Pods 5A and 5B on @united B767-400 in Polaris finally on our way home pic.twitter.com/YQin6U4uz9
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) July 29, 2022
Moonshine was happy to have us home!
Do you speak English? Do you fancy (or maybe, like, if you are American, “like”) sitting by the pool when it is 100 Fahrenheit degrees outside? Are you a hipster, or maybe hipster inclined? Perhaps hipster curious? Then this is the place for you!
The fact that this place had rebranded itself to CoolRooms Palacio de Atocha from what was most likely Palacio de Atocha before says a bunch. In English.
The pool rocks. Just come for the pool.
We’re having a grand old time by the pool.
Our room is 40. Maybe it is a “junior suite” or some such. The room is built into the top floor attic. It’s pretty hot in Madrid still, and the A/C is having some issues trying to keep up. It does OK if you close all the windows, shut your eyes, and try to be invisible.
The room is nice. Hipsters dig it. There are USB ports in random locations. There is a bluetooth doohicky for music. Right angles are rare. There are two copies of everything but the toilet and the makeup station in the bathroom.
Two copies! Romey can take a cold shower while I take a hot one. Simultaneously.
\
There is a note from the GM with some yummy items. This is so hipster that NPS felt instantly at home (but add an email address so we can ping you Señor GM).
We’re just swinging back out of Spain tomorrow and still moving slowly. So time by the pool with too many Negronis is just what the Doctor ordered. Doctor Feelgood, is that you?
Oh it IS doctor feelgood. Yay!
Before we got here there was no graffiti in the furniture pile. We fixed that.
…do dee do deeee do…
Dinner at Los Porfiados was very good indeed. Fernet and Coke for the win. We were the only English speakers in the place. And, frankly, we should have spoken Italian.
Do you know how to make a fernet and coke? There is THE WAITERS WAY (which is wrong) and there is the way they do it in BA. Do it the BA way.
We will deface your napkin. A cute hack.
Honestly, the empanadas here are the best I have ever had anywhere. Just wow. The veal was good too.
On our last day in Madrid, we bought some stuff and we had some drinks by the pool. It was perfect.
Vermut and jewelry pic.twitter.com/UnOMYv8y6Z
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) July 28, 2022
Five showerheads and an upgrade to Spanish plus some more powerful A/C units for the CoolRooms BestRooms YouAreNotWorthyOfTheRooms Palacio do Atocha.
Hotel Alma Barcelona: Beautifully Hoity-Toity
July 28, 2022
First things first, Hotel Alma is a five star hotel. So you kind of know what to expect. The Alma Barcelona feels Japanese on entry and in its design sensibility. And it is similarly quiet and a little stayed. Ultimately, it could use a splash of life and fewer hoity-toity guests. But then again, it is perfectly suited to its slightly snooty demographic. You will not find any hipsters here. In fact, after midnight at the bar you won’t find anyone at all.
But it is nice to be overly pampered, have a room where the A/C is beyond sufficient, and have lots of room to spread out. So all told, the Alma fits the bill this time. Note that its location is about 10 minutes from the heart of tourist-land. So plan to taxi.
The staff at the Alma is trying hard to be five star worthy and they almost achieve it. Almost all are friendly and helpful, but attention to detail and followthrough is lacking. Perhaps counterintuitively, relaxing a notch and having more fun by loosening up would probably help everyone.
The Madrid train station (at Atocha) gave us a taste of green before our fast train to Barcelona (and a drop of 10 degrees Fahrenheit).
We were situated in room 301 (a “superior executive suite” in the grade inflated nomenclature of the hotel).
This room is nicely appointed, large, airy and a good place to camp for a few days. The street below is not noisy, and the A/C is up to the task.
The bathroom in 301 is large and marble-lined with tall ceilings, a tub large enough for two, a beautiful shower, and tons of hot water. Yes please. But we had to bring our own bluetooth device to stream music (well, we had to buy one on La Rambla), and the TV would not stream content from the computer without an HDMI cable.
All told the Alma is a great base of operations for a visit to Barcelona. It is conveniently close to la Pedrera (Casa Milà), good retail in l’Eixample, and plenty of great food. Walking is possible if you are up for 2 km at a time. Since we were taking it easy during COVID recovery, we appreciated all the aspects of the Alma.
Speaking of which, the garden is magical and serene. If only there were a pool. But there are snacks and Negronis.
The food at the Alma is delicious and carefully prepared.
On Sunday night, we had dinner outside in the garden at Jardín del Alma, a restaurant that is trying very hard to be upscale, but not quite getting over the threshold. The food in Barcelona is so good that unless you are staying in the hotel, a visit to the restaurant may not be in the cards.
Ingredients are fresh and service is OK.
Much better is the vaunted hotel breakfast. Everything about the breakfast situation at the Alma is top notch. Only the service could be improved. Once again allowing the staff to relax and maybe have a little fun would likely help.
Total chaos and nervous energy @HotelAlmaBcn bar tonight. Like they didn't miss the advance troop arrival yesterday?
Chef not happy. Staff running around with not enough leadership.
Meanwhile film guys grabbing bits with their phone cameras.
Just another day in barca.
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) July 25, 2022
We enjoyed wandering the gothic district after a walk down to the sea on La Rambla.
After a swing by the Cathedral, we chanced up on a hotel rooftop bar of Hotel Colon. Go up to the seventh floor, the view is great and the food is delicious.
Why, they even have an Aperol spritz available.
La Rambla flowers.
Perfume.
Just by Gaudi.
Speaking of which, a night visit to La Pedrera is definitely something to do. We had an excellent dinner afterwards at La Bodegueta Provença.
One night we attempted to visit Park Güell, but were turned away at the entrance because it was “full.” No guidebook has anything to say about that. Do not plan to go there for sunset without a ticket.
Fortunately, all was made well with a fantastic visit to Toma Ya Street Food, which was homey, friendly and delicious. We topped that off with a stop in for some world class cocktails at 14 de la rosa. Just superior in all respects. We had a Liberal together as well as an Industry Sour.
We also made a leisurely visit to the Picasso Museum and had some Ramen for lunch one day. We skipped the sagrada familia after battling their website for tickets. Spanish websites really need some attention.
All in all, our visit to Barcelona was very relaxing and low key. We’ll be back for sure to see more sights and experience more night life. Next time no COVID.
Five showerheads and a wish for the staff to have more fun for Hotel Alma.
Pestana Plaza Mayor: An Unexpected Refuge
July 22, 2022
We came to Spain for an in person meeting—our first encounter as a group since COVID struck the planet. High bandwidth. Full of energy. Intense and productive.
The meeting was organized by the best of professionals who discovered an excellent location in the Pestana Plaza Mayor, a refuge in the heart of the tourist zone which manages to avoid most (but not all) of the Disneyfication of Plaza Mayor. The location really couldn’t be better for first timers to Madrid.
The Pestana is squarely in four star category, like right smack in the middle. This kind of hotel is perfectly suited for its demographic.
Our arrival process in Madrid was definitely a let down after all the rumors of long lines at customs, COVID QR codes, and lost luggage. The QR code that took so much effort to secure was not even glanced at in the blue lane. Our plane was first in. Customs took less than 2 minutes. Our luggage arrived within 5 minutes, barely enough time to get our bearings.
About the only challenge at arrival was the absolutely cocaine-addled Serbian taxi driver who insisted on aggressively hauling ass through Madrid, unceremoniously dropping us off at the wrong corner past the hotel and insisting on being paid cash. Anyway, we made it in quick.
So quick, in fact, that we were way way way too early to check in. We were offered a shower in the (common) spa area. Which was OK if you don’t mind other people stopping by while you are in your underwear. The spa was very hot and not properly cleaned and cared for, but the showers work. Management could do with a better solution to offer early arrivals a more civilized welcome. FWIW, this problem happens all over the world.
Somewhat freshened, we crossed paths with a colleague just in from Chicago and sought out some espresso and juice for breakfast.
The irony of having an intensely good tiny espresso and some fresh squeezed orange juice just next door to a generic Starbucks was not lost on us.
We stopped in at the Mercado San Miguel for some tourist-priced street food and made our way through old Madrid. Finally it was time to check in.
We were assigned room 117, a superior room in a classic hamster cage design (nothing like a rectangle with some strategic mirrors). This room is too tight to spend a week in (more about that to come), but it is fine for a day or three.
The superior category rating comes from the balcony which overlooks Plaza Mayor. All of that seems awesome until the fourth or fifth night of listening to the hack “musicians” loop through Hit the Road Jack or the Disney princess medley accompanied by a Casio soundtrack on accordion. Someone should invent a pandemic that wipes out the accordion players in one fell swoop. The most amusing part of the street music problem is the cat and mouse game they play with the police.
