People ask me often, how do I do what I do. Travel as much as anyone on the planet (last year less than 50 days in my own beds in two houses-but they were under repair too and sort of still are.)
It all started with the dual city life my wife and I keep. And then there was the weddings in 2007. But it goes further than that. For years I was the guy who had wunderlust in my heart. To go where I can be local, without being a citizen. A nomad of sorts.
I've also developed very close friendships in many parts of Europe with people who share similar passions, and no surprise, one of those passions is wine.
One of those people is my good friend, and one of the groomsmen in my vineyard wedding of 2007, Mark Williamson, the owner and mind behind the most celebrated wine bar in the world, Willi's Wine Bar. Mark often introduces me as his technology advisor. Really I'm more of the nudge, always reminding him to add something new. The good news is he actually listens, and I am regularly surprised, most happily when he shows me he's actually implemented what I suggested, though I have to find out why the WiFi disappeared at Willi's.
Yesterday at the most amazing chocolateria in Paris, a new on on Rue de Turenne, 133, not far from Chez Jenny, one of my favorite Alsacian brasseries around, I was buying some of their hand made artisan teas when who strolled in, but Mark himself. It was Williamson who on his FaceBook page had drawn my attention to a story in French in FigaroScope that highlighted this most amazing place. Named the La Chocolaterie de Jacques Genin, this is an architectural wet dream, as the building may be one of the most pretty places to have a bite of chocolate and some tea anywhere.
Earlier I was at Willi's having lunch, texting with Mark about which wines I was tasting and he was suggesting. Go for the Anjou he said. A few hours later, we were having tea. The timing was perfect as we needed to actually talk about who will be where at an upcoming invitation only, trade and journalist wine event in the Rhone Valley which we're both attending.
Small world. Getting smaller. I have to wonder if he was tracking me on Google's Latitude ??? Nah..I haven't shown him that YET!
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