As I write this , it ’s other Saturday morning , and we ’re just slipping back into our office at the Seattle loading dock . After cruise more than 2,000 maritime miles during seven days , including stops at three Alaskan cities , one Canadian city , and one very large glacier , Mac Mania VIhas occur to an end . And before I go any further , I take to clear up something about this voyage — this is actually a “ two-fold track”Geek Cruise ; it ’s not just MacMania cruise , but an Aperture cruise as well . Attendees could choose from either the Aperture or MacMania tracks , or mix and pair as they see set . This is the first meter Geek Cruises has tried an Aperture racecourse , and all indications are that it was successful . Every Aperture grade I sat in on , include Sal Soghoian ’s advanced talk Friday on using Automator with Aperture , were well attended . thing have gone so well , in fact , that Geek Cruises has announced thatAperture Aura 2will be ready canvas in Spring 2008 — from Venice , Italy no less ! With three Aperture team penis as confirmed participants , this should be an amazing experience for those looking to get the most out of Aperture .
I spent most of Friday in conference session . First I learned about some of the path you’re able to publish yourApertureimages to the Web , and then I spent a few hr listening to Sal ( as well as Ben Long and Joe Schorr ) verbalize about usingAutomatorwith Aperture . concisely thereafter , we arrived in Victoria , British Columbia , for an eve junket ( 6 p.m. arrival , midnight departure ) .
Victoriais locate at the southern peak of Vancouver Island , and has a very strong British heritage . If you ’ve never visited , Victoria is an amazing metropolis , with a premix of onetime British custom and innovative urban living . My married woman and I choose to skip the shore excursion , and just spend a couple hours betray around the waterfront , business district country , and surrounding neighborhoods ( our girl go toButchart Gardenswith my mother and her husband ) . During our walk , we saw some wonderful Old dwelling in the various neighborhood , along with many amazing waterfront property , include this mechanized - sounding condo edifice :
In case you ’re concerned , a house out front let us make love that they have but one social unit pass on — a 4,500 - square foot , two - story penthouse social unit for only $ 4.5 million Canadian dollars . Unfortunately , the exchange rate is n’t what it once was , so you ’ll be out pretty much the whole $ 4.5 million even in US dollars !
Just around the niche from the ultra - New condo complex , we bump this assortment of cute floating home in a little marina :
I ’m not sure what those betray for , but I ’m judge it ’s well less than $ 4.5 million . If $ 4.5 million really seems like pouch change and you ’re looking for a place that willreallymake a statement , perhaps you could put in an offering on theAttessa , which was bob in the business district marina :
According tomy good acquaintance Goog Le , theAttessais 225 groundwork foresightful and owned by “ Montana industrialist ” Dennis Washington . Now , when I see the Bible “ Montana ” in print , many related words come to mind . Words like “ scenic ” and “ wide open ” and “ mountains . ” The word “ industrialist , ” however , was n’t ever on my list — but I guess it was surely on Dennis ’ list ! Notice that theAttessaincludes your very own helicopter , all the better for making an telling entree at Monte Carlo or Cannes . You ’ll be responsible for the staff salaries , of grade — we counted at least five employees scurrying about the boat .
While we did n’t choose to visit Butchart Gardens , that does n’t mean we did n’t see any greenery . Victoria has gardens everywhere ; this one was turn up in front of a condo complex turn up along our waterfront walk path :
As we mother closer to downtown , we take off passing various street merchants , selling everything from jewelry to caricature drawings to artwork make with spray pigment to fly fishing sweetener ! There was also the occasional street performing artist , include a woman in an graceful long dress play the french motor horn . While the combination of a long dress and a french horn is unique for a street performing artist , it was alas only good enough for second place in the Most Unique Outfit and Musical Instrument Combo family — our success , pass on down , was the gentleman below and to the right .
We quickly left his immediate area , fearing the burden of the blue side of the Force if we didn ’ drop a ample contribution into his violin case . We easy made our way back to the gravy boat , and then started the always - fun task of making sure everything we brought with us , plus all the stuff we ’d buy during the trip , fit back into the suitcases we had brought with us . As midnight approached , we deal to stuff everything back into space , and dropped our luggage outside the door . ( It ’s picked up during the dark , so the staff can devise it to get everyone off the gravy boat in an neat fashion , based on their divergence travel plans . )
All in all , this was a dandy sail — I learned a long ton about Aperture , got to meet and lecture to a telephone number of fellow Mac rooter , and even spent a few days frivol away photograph with a free - for - the - trip digital SLR — I’ll be write about that experience more deeply in an forthcoming small-arm , but suffice it to say that a digital SLR of some sort is now at the top of my photography regard list . If you have any lingering questions about the journey , please experience free to require them in the assembly — as I ’ll be back home shortly , I ’ll be able-bodied to respond without worrying about my remaining association minutes !
