{"id":1601,"date":"2016-04-26T20:52:35","date_gmt":"2016-04-26T19:52:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/?page_id=1601"},"modified":"2016-04-26T21:15:57","modified_gmt":"2016-04-26T20:15:57","slug":"week-17-oecd-and-rotterdam","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/?page_id=1601","title":{"rendered":"Week 17: OECD and Rotterdam"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was on the road most of the week, from Monday morning until Friday afternoon. Monday was a big day. We have been working on a major study of international trade in counterfeit goods together with the OECD, and it was now time to launch it at a press conference at OECD’s headquarters. And Tuesday-Thursday we were hosting a meeting of our public stakeholders in Rotterdam, together with the Dutch government (the Netherlands holds EU’s rotating presidency this half-year). <\/p>\n

17_1<\/strong>
\nBut first a cat picture. I no longer have my beloved Taco, but I still have my strays on the golf course:
\n\"DSF9904\"<\/p>\n

17_2<\/strong>
\nOn Sunday I was on my bicycle as usual, along the beaches south of Alicante, and took a couple of B&W seascapes:
\n\"R000194\"<\/p>\n

17_3<\/strong>
\n\"R000198\"<\/p>\n

17_4<\/strong>
\nMonday morning I got up at 4 a.m. and left the house at 5 to drive to the airport any my flight to Paris. I arrived at the OECD in good time, and I walked around the grounds a bit. I really like their facilities, especially on a nice sunny day. This is their garden:
\n\"R000203\"<\/p>\n

17_5<\/strong>
\nThe auditorium where our event will be held. The staff are making the last preparations:
\n\"R000201\"<\/p>\n

17_6<\/strong>
\nEverything is ready for us:
\n\"R000207\"<\/p>\n

17_7<\/strong>
\nAnd now I am ready too:
\n\"R000209\"<\/p>\n

17_8<\/strong>
\nThe auditorium fills up with press and invited guests. In the foreground David Luna of the U.S: State Department greets the EU ambassador to the OECD. The guy seated on the left is the U.S. ambassador to the OECD; and the woman next to David Luna is Susan Wilson, IP attach\u00c3\u00a9 at the U.S. representation to the EU:
\n\"R000211\"<\/p>\n

Afterwards, it was time to put the camera away and do my part in the proceedings. You can read more about our study (and watch the recording of the speeches) here<\/a>. And then it was time to head to the Gare du Nord and the train to Rotterdam.<\/p>\n

17_9<\/strong>
\nI arrived at my hotel in Rotterdam around 8:30 p.m., and after getting myself organised went for a walk. The hotel was located next to the magnificent Erasmus Bridge:
\n\"DSF9913\"<\/p>\n

17_10<\/strong>
\nIt is now Tuesday morning, and we are about to start the meeting. My colleagues Claire and Stephanie check some last details:
\n\"R000214\"<\/p>\n

17_11<\/strong>
\nThe conference room was on the 6th floor, with a very nice view:
\n\"R000249\"<\/p>\n

17_12<\/strong>
\nThe nhow hotel was OK but it did have some quirky design details:
\n\"R000221\"<\/p>\n

17_13<\/strong>
\nIn the evening we were having the formal conference dinner, but there were a couple of free hours in the afternoon, which I used to take a long walk. This is the traffic on the Erasmus Bridge. Note the generous space for pedestrians and cyclists:
\n\"DSF9933\"<\/p>\n

17_14<\/strong>
\nA cyclist stops to take a picture of a cruise ship at the cruise terminal:
\n\"DSF9981\"<\/p>\n

17_15<\/strong>
\nMore cyclists:
\n\"DSF9939\"<\/p>\n

17_16<\/strong>
\nFlower power:
\n\"DSF9963\"<\/p>\n

17_17<\/strong>
\nUp close and personal:
\n\"DSF9948\"<\/p>\n

17_18<\/strong>
\nKnitted lamppost:
\n\"DSF9946\"<\/p>\n

17_19<\/strong>
\n\"DSF9947\"<\/p>\n

17_20<\/strong>
\nSmall square in front of my hotel:
\n\"DSF9985\"<\/p>\n

17_21<\/strong>
\nWe had dinner at a basement restaurant at the Hotel New York:
\n\"R000237\"<\/p>\n

17_22<\/strong>
\nOn Wednesday our meeting continued in the morning. In the afternoon we visited customs in Rotterdam harbour and afterwards were treated to a boat trip around this incredibly impressive facility:
\n\"DSF9994\"<\/p>\n

17_23<\/strong>
\nThis is the world’s largest ship, built in South Korea, with some finishing touches being applied in Rotterdam:
\n\"DSF0027\"<\/p>\n

17_24<\/strong>
\nBack on land, I walked across the bridge again, stopping to take this picture of a woman contemplating something on the banks of the Maas river:
\n\"DSF0038\"<\/p>\n

17_25<\/strong>
\nDutch efficiency and planning in action. From May 1st, cars that over a certain age (and thus likely to pollute more) will not be allowed to enter the centre of Rotterdam. In preparation, the authorities have set up a camera and a screen on the Erasmus bridge. As a car approaches, its license plate is read, and based on the data in the motor vehicle register, the driver is told whether or not he will get a \u00e2\u201a\u00ac90 fine as from next month:
\n\"DSF0040\"<\/p>\n

17_26<\/strong>
\nI walked on to Oude Haven (“old harbour”) and photographed some urban fauna along the way:
\n\"DSF0054\"<\/p>\n

17_27<\/strong>
\n\"DSF0055\"<\/p>\n

17_28<\/strong>
\n\"DSF0097\"<\/p>\n

17_29<\/strong>
\nI continued to the magnificent Markthal and walked around looking at all the nice food and drink on display. Also saw these cute doggies waiting for their human:
\n\"DSF0074\"<\/p>\n

17_30<\/strong>
\nThere was a herring stand, and here is the friendly proprietor preparing my delicacy:
\n\"DSF0083\"<\/p>\n

17_31<\/strong>
\nThe setting sun illuminates buildings in the distance:
\n\"DSF0099\"<\/p>\n

17_32<\/strong>
\nOn Thursday we had a conference called “Follow the Money”, organised by us in cooperation with the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. As the name indicates, it was all about how web sites offering pirated and counterfeit goods make money. Here is my boss, the Director of the EU Observatory on Infringements of IP Rights, speaking at the opening of the conference:
\n\"R000262\"<\/p>\n

17_33<\/strong>
\nJean Bergevin of the European Commission speaks and points:
\n\"R000264\"<\/p>\n

17_34<\/strong>
\n\"R000265\"<\/p>\n

17_35<\/strong>
\nDuring the lunch break, I went to the nearby Nederland Fotomuseum to have a look. The main exhibition was of the work of contemporary Dutch photographers. As is often the case, the quality was variable, but I liked the setting:
\n\"R000279\"<\/p>\n

17_36<\/strong>
\n\"R000278\"<\/p>\n

17_37<\/strong>
\nThis is one of the exhibits I enjoyed, “The Order of Models”:
\n\"R000286\"<\/p>\n

17_38<\/strong>
\n\"R000280\"<\/p>\n

17_39<\/strong>
\n\"R000281\"<\/p>\n

17_40<\/strong>
\n\"R000284\"<\/p>\n

17_41<\/strong>
\n\"R000285\"<\/p>\n

17_42<\/strong>
\nHeadless giraffe and selfies:
\n\"R000287\"<\/p>\n

17_43<\/strong>
\nDo-it-yourself-selfie guide:
\n\"R000288\"<\/p>\n

17_44<\/strong>
\n\"R000291\"<\/p>\n

17_45<\/strong>
\n\"R000292\"<\/p>\n

17_46<\/strong>
\nUS neon signs by Toon Michiels:
\n\"R000295\"<\/p>\n

On Thursday evening I met up with my old friend Michiel Fokkema and some other members of Images, a photography club in The Hague of which I was a member when I lived in the Netherlands, and which I still support. Michiel suggested Kaapse Brouwers, a bar with a huge selection of beer on tap, some of it produced in-house, just a few minutes walk from my hotel.<\/p>\n

17_47<\/strong>
\nI loved the informal ambience of the place:
\n\"DSF0108\"<\/p>\n

17_48<\/strong>
\n\"DSF0112\"<\/p>\n

17_49<\/strong>
\nThe staff are knowledgeable and friendly:
\n\"DSF0111\"<\/p>\n

17_50<\/strong>
\n\"DSF0114\"<\/p>\n

17_51<\/strong>
\nA good way to try the variety, a taster tray of six beers:
\n\"DSF0115\"<\/p>\n

17_52<\/strong>
\nMichiel and Heather:
\n\"DSF0116\"<\/p>\n

17_53<\/strong>
\nAfter sunset it got cold outside, so we went inside for some more beer, and some food. I took a couple of B&W portraits of Michiel in action:
\n\"DSF0119\"<\/p>\n

17_54<\/strong>
\n\"DSF0122\"<\/p>\n

17_55<\/strong>
\nPlease bring back your glass:
\n\"R000306\"<\/p>\n

17_56<\/strong>
\nMichiel in conversation with an attractive fishmonger:
\n\"DSF0127\"<\/p>\n

17_57<\/strong>
\nFriday morning. Just before heading to Rotterdam airport for my flight home, I photographed this amusing van:
\n\"DSF0134\"<\/p>\n

17_58<\/strong>
\nAnd then it is Saturday morning. I am back at home, walking Cheeta, and coming across this poultry crossing Avenida Vicente Ramos:
\n\"DSF0135\"<\/p>\n

More pictures from Rotterdam are here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was on the road most of the week, from Monday morning until Friday afternoon. Monday was a big day. We have been working on a major study of international trade in counterfeit goods together with the OECD, and it was now time to launch it at a press conference at OECD’s headquarters. And Tuesday-Thursday […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1535,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1601"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1601"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1605,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1601\/revisions\/1605"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fotocycle.dk\/paws\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}