short trip to San Francisco

-,
originally uploaded by _bernd_.

Another conference, another trip to the US. This time the conference was in the Silicon Valley, organised by the research branch of a large web search company.
I had a few days off prior to the conference, which I used to visit the main sights in San Francisco, catch up with a friend, and for a short trip to the Yosemite National Park. This is a really wonderful part of the world and I hope to come back to enjoy it for a bit longer at some stage.

Austin, Texas

waiting for a café latte,
originally uploaded by _bernd_.

A conference trip to Austin, Texas gave me a chance to escape the winter in Melbourne and to catch up with friends from Europe.
I can't help but feel strangely fascinated by the confidence and pride that Texas displays. After only a week I got to like the omnipresent lone star flag, but also fashion items like cowboy boots and hats.

Christmas in Austria

Family,
originally uploaded by _bernd_.

Lisa and I spent a few wonderful weeks over Christmas in Austria. We spent some time at home near Feldbach, and we also travelled to Graz, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna, and Linz to catch up with friends and family. Needless to say that we never had enough time, but I treasure these moments as I go through my photos and reminisce.