Dear Friends:
Well, I thought that was the last post. Apparently, I'm a big fat liar ; ) I just wanted to share a few more things from the end of the ARM Partner Meeting (APM), here in Cambridge, UK.
First, I can't stop taking pictures of this magnificent setting. I have only posted a fraction of what I've captured. I know that I'm biased - in actually being here - but the architecture and beauty of the surroundings is intoxicating:
This morning, I had breakfast in a quaint little dining room. It's only been around since 1441:
This is the King's College Front Court. On the left-center is the King's College Chapel, and right-center is the main gate to the college.
Walking from King's College to the APM meetings, I took a slightly different path...and was rewarded with this view, from the bridge over the River Cam:
These are the times when I wish I had my wife's skill when it comes to photography. Seriously ; )
Incidentally, I found out that these colleges - many established from 1286 to the 1500s, were originally self-sustaining. That meant that each had it's own bakery, brewery, and dairy. King's College still has come cattle roaming in one of its fields:
Last night, we had a big BBQ for all the attendees. Now, a BBQ in the UK is a little different than in the U.S. First, instead of hamburgers and hot dogs, they had hamburger-things and English sausages. There was also something that sort of looked like potato salad. I didn't have the courage to try it, as I'm not a big potato salad fan to begin with. ARM brought in a Dixieland Band to entertain everyone. They were the cutest little group of older musicians that I could have imagined:
It actually started to rain - something that I've been told happens often in the UK ; ) Everyone was given an ARM umbrella, so they could continue talking and having fun:
Part of our event had a "museum" of technology. They had several devices from the late 1800s and early 20th century. I wandered over the the mid-20th century, and my eyes were drawn immediately to this device:
This is an original "Enigma" machine - it was used by the Germans in WWII to encrypt messages all over the world. If you saw the movie "The Imitation Game", you saw how the British managed to capture one of these and figure out how it worked. It was one of the most advanced cryptography devices in the world at that time. It's an amazing story, and a true piece of history.
During the event, we've had several different meals - ranging from full buffets to bag lunches. A couple of items stood out. Potato chips in the UK are called "crisps". Chips are actually french fries ; ) Check out the description of this bag of crisps:
I leave you with one parting shot. I was walking back from dinner, and saw this view - the front side of the main gate to King's College. I'll always remember my time here:
Well, I thought that was the last post. Apparently, I'm a big fat liar ; ) I just wanted to share a few more things from the end of the ARM Partner Meeting (APM), here in Cambridge, UK.
First, I can't stop taking pictures of this magnificent setting. I have only posted a fraction of what I've captured. I know that I'm biased - in actually being here - but the architecture and beauty of the surroundings is intoxicating:
This morning, I had breakfast in a quaint little dining room. It's only been around since 1441:
This is the King's College Front Court. On the left-center is the King's College Chapel, and right-center is the main gate to the college.
Walking from King's College to the APM meetings, I took a slightly different path...and was rewarded with this view, from the bridge over the River Cam:
These are the times when I wish I had my wife's skill when it comes to photography. Seriously ; )
Incidentally, I found out that these colleges - many established from 1286 to the 1500s, were originally self-sustaining. That meant that each had it's own bakery, brewery, and dairy. King's College still has come cattle roaming in one of its fields:
Last night, we had a big BBQ for all the attendees. Now, a BBQ in the UK is a little different than in the U.S. First, instead of hamburgers and hot dogs, they had hamburger-things and English sausages. There was also something that sort of looked like potato salad. I didn't have the courage to try it, as I'm not a big potato salad fan to begin with. ARM brought in a Dixieland Band to entertain everyone. They were the cutest little group of older musicians that I could have imagined:
It actually started to rain - something that I've been told happens often in the UK ; ) Everyone was given an ARM umbrella, so they could continue talking and having fun:
Part of our event had a "museum" of technology. They had several devices from the late 1800s and early 20th century. I wandered over the the mid-20th century, and my eyes were drawn immediately to this device:
This is an original "Enigma" machine - it was used by the Germans in WWII to encrypt messages all over the world. If you saw the movie "The Imitation Game", you saw how the British managed to capture one of these and figure out how it worked. It was one of the most advanced cryptography devices in the world at that time. It's an amazing story, and a true piece of history.
During the event, we've had several different meals - ranging from full buffets to bag lunches. A couple of items stood out. Potato chips in the UK are called "crisps". Chips are actually french fries ; ) Check out the description of this bag of crisps:
Red Leicester is a type of cheese...and these crisps were delicious. Another thing to keep in mind. The British love their tea. In a formal setting, afternoon tea always includes "biscuits" - just a fancy name for cookies. Usually, these biscuits have a generous portion of butter in them. This, obviously, makes them good. This brand was a particular standout...they were butterscotch biscuits that just melted in your mouth. Yum.
I leave you with one parting shot. I was walking back from dinner, and saw this view - the front side of the main gate to King's College. I'll always remember my time here:
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