Whitepod, James Bond and Paninis
The good news: I spoke at an event for the Discovery Channel last night, but it was about as far removed from the usual hotel conference centre as you can get – the venue was the breathtaking Whitepod 'eco camp' in the Swiss Alps (see wobbly cameraphone shot). It was a very intimate event, with a fantastic mix of (mostly Scandinavian) guests and by the time I did my bit in the evening, it felt like I was addressing a bunch of friends. I was booked on an early flight from Geneva back home this morning and I was treated to a high-speed dawn skidoo ride to meet a waiting taxi further down the valley. (Cue James Bond fantasies of ducking bullets, skydiving off cliffs and yanking open Union Jack parachutes…)
The bad news: I didn't actually get to sleep in one of the Whitepods – they were all full and I crashed out on some sofa cushions, on the floor of the chalet next door. I have a stinking cold, I've nearly lost my voice, the flight home was delayed for ages and when we did get airborne, it was full of screaming kids and the soggy bacon and egg 'panini' we were served gave me flashbacks from our journey through Siberia last spring. The Bond fantasy didn't last long.
— Filed under Speaking