Thursday, September 11, 2008

Edinburgh (Day 1)

This is the day of the program committee meeting, which is why I'm in Scotland in the first place.

Started the morning with a traditional British breakfast at the hotel, which is very similar to a traditional American breakfast but with some grilled tomatoes and some beans.

View of the castle from the hotel dining room.

Views on my walk from the hotel to the University of Edinburgh.

They've got a really nice building. I really liked the open feeling of it. You can see everyone working, having coffee, etc., which just made the building feel a lot more alive. The copious natural lighting was also a big plus.

Easy access from one floor to the next. I wish the architects for the Klaus building (where my office is at GT) had talked to the guys who designed this place a little more regarding usability and accessibility of work and communal spaces.

Pretty nice spread for lunch.

In between the PC meeting and the dinner for the PC, Rich V. and I got a recommendation for a local pub to swing by for a traditional hand-pulled pint.

Barkeep pulling a pint.

I don't remember the name of the restaurant where we had dinner, but it was pretty upscale. Good food on large white plates. :-)

Random smeared sauce on the side of the plate as is required these days of all top-end joints.


I got a cheese plate for dessert. Some nice local cheeses.

(other people's desserts)

Then we went out for more drinks afterwards.

Pint o' somethin'.

Gotta have some scotch while in Scotland.

Pit-stop at a "chippie" (that's what they call these shops where they pretty much deep-fry anything/everything).

My order of deep-fried haggis glopped with plenty of "brown sauce" (that's what they call it).

Some other place we swung by for some more drinks.

On the walk home, mostly drunk, somehow Sean Connery's mug was really funny to me because I can't look at the man without thinking about those SNL Jeopardy! skits ("Therapist"?).

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