After a drive through some very nice looking Dutch countryside, we come across the first signs of something unusual. There's a pair of lights and what looks like stone walling sat by a little entrance way. A small signed marked "Eth-0" gives away that we're at the correct place. The lack of crowds indicates it's a more intimate affair than CCC or HAR. There's a small drop-off car park next to the single camping field. We park up, show our tickets and then unload in the direction of the camp site. There's a large marquee, a couple of network points and most tents are already pitched. We find a pitch fairly easily at the other end of the field and quickly pitch the tent. We're right next to the power point so I quickly dispense with the twin+earth and just run a small extension lead into the tent. Moments later I run a Cat 5 out the dist switch and we have power and ethernet to the tent. Unlike HAR there's no dark fibre run back to AMS-IX but a wifi antenna just outside the camp gives a respectable 108MB link to the 100M backhaul. With the tent up the heavens open and it proceeds to piss it down for the rest of the day and most of the night. A quick retreat is made back to the lounge where we can have a toastie and get on the web while looking at large crows hovering overhead. There's a single talk venue with some talks in Dutch and others in English. Most of the week is spent either in the lounge or in the talks. It's certainly a much simpler affair to CCC or HAR, fewer people, fewer talks, fewer gadgets, light shows, etc. More of a week relaxing in the Dutch countryside than anything else but still a good week is to be had. They tell me last year there were only about 80 people there, so it's certainly grown some. I can see Eth-0 growing to take up the gap between CCC and HAR, et al. The closing ceremony also reflects the smaller scale. A simple "thanks and see you again" was pretty much all before we grabbed laptops and hit the road. The beauty of the location is that it's only about 100 miles of detour to swing by the location of HAR at Vierhouten and have dinner at the outstanding Novice restaurant!
Posted on behalf of BOfH
Event website: http://eth-0.nl/