I agree with you Darth. After almost 20 years in IT I have come across too many companies with strange policies, but I have come across even more paranoid fiefdom builders. These freakazoids act as if they are the sole protector of the entire planet. i often joke that these guys wrap their head in aluminum foil at night to prevent the aliens and/or CIA from trying to program their brain via satellite. You go into a meeting with people like this and they glare at you as if to say "I know you are here to destroy MY NETWORK". I just want to reach across the table and B!TCH slap them. In the end people such as this are only protecting the fact that they don't know as much as they would like you to believe and are afraid you'll find out. All ego and emotion, no true skill. Even if the city has weird policies, nothing justifies one person from locking everyone else out. It just doesn't make sense and even after this, no one with any sense will hire this guy to do anything greater than tune floppy dirves.

DO NOT TAKE YOUR LAPTOP I'm an IT manager with 15 years experience and work for a company with global operations and travel often. I was also in the USAF and traveled to Europe (primarily Germany) many times. That having been said, the laptop is more hassle than its worth. Unless you have a real-time business need, leave it behind. Its a hassle while traveling and you'll worry about it constantly not to mention the extra bag. Bring a camera and maybe a digital voice recorder or a movie camera. Enjoy a the vacation for what it is and not worry about answering e-mails. Leave the US behind and just enjoy Europe.