I am here.  I’m in Barcelona.  Tomorrow I will be attending the partner day activities and following that such amazing things as the vExpert party!

I lie here in my Chintz Pink Hotel (Picture attached at the end) marvelling that this has actually come off.

I have spent 2-3 weeks sorting this out.  I won’t go into details but suffice to say the red tape I’ve had to negotiate has involved things that, in peace-time, no person should have to endure.

But I’m here.  It’s happening.  I’m registered (ok not to everything I might have liked…surprise surpise…if you book your schedule late, all the NSX bits have gone :-)

I even managed to spend a pleasant evening in a Cerveceria sampling some nice random tortillas and gambas.  So not all bad.

 

This is my first VMworld and I’m already learning.  Due to my late approval I didn’t have the luxury of selecting flights, but a tip for any new VMworlders next time is

  • Get a flight in normal hours and you can save money on cab-fare by getting the vmworld shuttle bus. (I arrived after the shuttle stopped at 8pm)
  • Get there the day before early and register and get your pass. (A colleague has done this as he's a 2nd timer)
  • Getting there daytime the day before lets you scope out the local area around your hotel, find cash points (ATMs to you American types) and Metro stations if you're brave enough to travel by subway, Barca style.
This is my second "trip" to Barcelona.  My stag-do (read Bachelor party for USA) was here and it was an amazing weekend, and funnily enough I passed through here in July on a friends Stag-do on the way to Lloret de mar and Perpignon to watch Wigan vs Perpignon play Rugby.  It's a beautiful city and the café bar culture that means that 11.30pm on a Sunday is a normal time to get a drink and some food.  It means a weary traveller arriving at 10.30pm has no worry that everything is closed (even if all the ATMs in the Airport are broken!).

I’m fed, watered and ready to attack Partner Day tomorrow with Zeal, Vim and Vigour!

So watch out Gran Fira, or Fira Gran……….I’m coming!

 

(promised pink chintz hotel picture)

hotel1

 

:-)