IMED

It was early this morning (0428 train) to Frankfurt in order to catch my 0705 flight to Vienna. No, I didn’t need to fly that early but three guesses as to which flights are the least expensive… From this afternoon through to Monday I am attending the International Meeting on Emerging Diseases and Surveillance which is being held in a really nice hotel (the Hilton) in Vienna (great city).

Given that it was right around freezing it didn’t surprise me that we ran through de-icing on the runway while learning from the pilot that Fraport has 53 of the purpose built trucks at a cost of .5-1.2ME each as we rolled between the rows of spraying trucks. Delay there was much less than trying to land in Vienna where you couldn’t see the runway for the ice, snow and fog – and that was as we were rolling to our outer parking position having lost the gate access because of the delays.

If you haven’t used the CAT in Vienna, I can highly recommend it. A non-stop train that leaves the airport every 30 minutes and ends at the mid-Vienna trainstation. The cost round trip is less than a portion of a shared taxi one way with non-of the frustrations of traffic. Since the meeting location was the Hilton, I was able to just walk across the street and be there.

International meeting – 700 people from 100 countries (countries of current location and not, I suspect country of origin) from about 60 different academic/educational/employment backgrounds. It is fun seeing the epidemiologists with the docs, vets, economists, engineers who work for NGOs/Governments/UN/Universities/private foundations/consulting groups.

And an evening in Vienna after the meeting – what more could I want?

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6 Responses to IMED

  1. Kris says:

    I loved Vienna. It’s on our list to visit again; last time was in the 70s. Sounds like you are having a nice time.

  2. Lynne says:

    Not sure if Klimt is still on exhibit at the Belvedere. If so quite worth the ride out there.
    Enjoy.

  3. Jen (and Ron) says:

    My college buddy- GI now @ Pitt after I left it and good friends/neighbors with my HS bestie FP- is in Vienna now with his wife showing us FB all lovely dining/drinking nooks across Vienna. Doubt he’s there for your conference- IBD guru and never mentioned any emerging dz interest last dinner party together.

  4. Bill R says:

    You hit on one of my sore spots, Free Drinks ! it would seem that when I quit drinking booze, a seemingly bountiful supply was offered to me free from everywhere. Oh well, the upside to abstinence made it all worth it..

  5. Vera says:

    Holly, have a great time in the conference.

  6. Isobel says:

    Sounds like a good meeting and a good city. We were in Vienna for only 3 days last summer. I’d love to go back. I almost positive that my paternal grandparents came from there but there wasn’t time to track them down.

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