A short sweet summer break...

Another week has gone by...and, yet again, it seems to have gone by pretty fast! Pretty fast because I have been working - that takes care of my days – and doing a lot of activities during the evenings with my family who were visiting for nine days. We have been on a river cruise and I really wish now that the next winning numbers of the National Lottery will be mine as I want one of them houses overlooking the Thames. :-) It must be quite amazing to open the curtains and see the water, and perhaps go for a boat ride to relax. We also visited Hampton Court Palace and Gardens. If you have not heard of it before, it not only tells you 500 years of history of royal Britain through its Tudor walls and tapestries, but its garden also has a maze, a world-famous one in this instance. And yes, we did get lost a couple of times before finding our way to the centre! We also drove to North Wales for a trip to the seaside and the mountain lakes before catching up with friends for our annual get-together. It was a huge gathering with more than double the number of people we were initially expecting. And, it truly was a fun, friendly, familial and traditional affair with lots and lots of exotic dishes. The weather was a bit disappointing but it could not dampen our spirits – metaphorically and otherwise. And, before I forget, if you are in Mid Wales, do pay the Centre for Alternative Technology a visit – it is a place full of innovative ideas that one can implement to reduce our impact on the planet. And a place bound to entertain your kids…and you! I am going to buy a lottery ticket now... :-)

A hectic summer…

It only feels like last week when we left school to pursue our dreams…accounting, investment banking, oil and gas, exploring the world or even just doing nothing! Now, I can’t say I don’t envy those who took time off to rest or travel the world but I have learnt so much in the last few weeks, travelled to only-dreamt-of-kind-of-place Alaska, and met some very interesting people who are giving me lots of valuable guidance collected over years of experience that I really cannot not say I am having a whale of a time! I do wish though that I had more time with my family, especially my son who surely is missing daddy, but I have to assure myself that this is part of establishing a career which will eventually lead us to a more stable, prosperous and satisfying lifestyle. Touch wood! :-)

I was back in Paris last weekend, and my wife and I headed out to the countryside to see our son, who’s spending the summer with his grandparents while we renovate the apartment. Saturday was such a warm and sunny day that we spent most of it on a beach by Lac du Der, Europe’s largest man-made lake. It was fantastic and we had a great time! And, on Sunday, I was back in the apartment preparing the walls and the ceilings for painting and wallpapering. All these before catching up with a friend and his family who happened to be in Paris, and boarding the evening train back to Waterloo station!

Having not much to do in the evenings, especially as my apartment does not have a TV, I am rediscovering radio and digesting one book after another. I have a zillion technical papers to read but I have found time for the Strategy Paradox, Future Energy, and am currently finishing my third book which is an introduction to The Politics of The Global Oil Industry – all good books which I certainly recommend you to read. I should be meeting a few friends on Wednesday, and, this Saturday, my family is joining me here and we will be heading up to North Wales next Thursday for some personal time. And, for an annual gathering of 30 or so friends and family. Such is life…pack it with work, travel, fun, family and friends! A bientot!