Odd but fascinating

I watched Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould last night - a fascinating biopic, told in 32 brief vignettes. Glenn Gould was a classical pianist who stopped performing at the height of his career in the 1960s. The film gave brief glimpses into a complex man.

In one scene, he creates a bizarre ad for a personals column:

Wanted: friendly, companionably reclusive, socially unacceptable, alcoholically abstemious, tirelessly talkative, zealously unzealous, spiritually intense, minimally turquoise, maximally ecstatic moon, seeks moth or moths with similar qualities for purposes of telephonic seduction, Tristanesque trip-taking, and permanent flame-fluttering, no photos required, financial status immaterial, all ages and non-competitive vocations considered, applicants should furnish sets of sample conversation with notarized certification of marital disinclination, references re: low decibel vocal consistency, itinerary and sample receipts from previous successfully completed out-of-town moth flights, all submissions treated confidentially...

The soundtrack is Gould's own recordings and provide the perfect background for the movie.

An odd movie, but well worth seeing.

Reclaiming the wilderness

After almost 3 weeks away, I had quite a lawn to mow. I didn't get it done on Sunday (too tired after my trip), but after I realized that the backyard was getting colonized*, I made the effort after work yesterday.

*The photo I took didn't come out, but I woke to find a raccoon nonchalantly strolling across the yard. When I rapped on the window, he (she?) ambled up to look into the window at me. Totally unfazed.

Views from Toronto harbor cruise

Click on the photos for a larger version

Some art along the harbor front (I think it's called the Ecodome or Ecosphere) - according to my tour guide, you can stand inside it to experience a slice of the lakefront:



Bird sanctuary on one of the Toronto islands:



This building is designed to look like a waterfall when the light hits it right; unfortunately it was overcast when I saw it:



The Royal York Hotel, once the tallest building in Toronto, is now dwarfed by the skyscrapers around it:



A look at the Toronto downtown skyline:




One of the crew providing mood music as we cruised among the islands:

A few photos of Toronto

Click on photos to see larger image

The lioness outside the Royal Ontario Museum (she's holding down a cub with one front paw):




Toronto Chinatown on Saturday afternoon:

Pimblett's B&B

Click on the photos for a bigger image

Pimblett's web site compares itself to Fawlty Towers - I don't know that they are far wrong.

I was in the Library - lots of books, not a lot of space:




The bathroom, by comparison, is spacious:


The owner is a collector of many things - he is proud of his teapot collection:



I forgot to ask why there is a teddy bear in one of the garden trees:



All in all, though, I would recommend this place to anyone who isn't scared off by the electrical wiring, which is a frightening melange of old and new:

Photos from return train trip

Click on photos for larger image

The depot in Truro:



Mama duck & ducklings:



Scenery in New Brunswick:

The trip home

Today has been a day of getting there early and then waiting.

The day started with the cab ride to the airport - everyone recommended that I get there 2 hours before my flight because I needed to go through US customs at the airport. So I got to the terminal at 7:00 AM for my 9:00 AM flight, and was sitting at my gate at 7:20. No line at the self-check in kiosks, no line at customs, no line at baggage check, no line at the security gate.

My flight to Denver left on time and arrived half an hour early (very smooth - no turbulence at all). However, all the gates were full, so we sat on the tarmac until our scheduled arrival time.

My flight from Denver to Portland also left on time and arrived about 5 minutes early. The pilot came onto the speakers to let us know that we had surprised the jetway people with our early arrival to the gate, so we had to wait and didn't get off until our scheduled arrival time.

I could have really used that five minutes. I was waiting at baggage claim (which was slow) when I could see the Anthony's Shuttle loading outside the terminal. Since the shuttles only run every two hours, I rushed out to see if they could wait for me to get my bags. The driver could only wait until 1:15 (scheduled departure was 1:05). My bags finally arrived and I raced out with 2 minutes to spare.

Trip home was uneventful - I did meet two new students on the bus who were both math majors, so I introduced myself to them.

Last Day in Toronto - Saturday

My last day in Toronto - early flight tomorrow back to Oregon.

I passed a lot of gray (and one black) squirrels on my way to the streetcar downtown this morning. Very energetic little critters.

I started the day with a tour of downtown Toronto with a harbor boat cruise. A very nice cruise among the Toronto islands and a brief (45 minute) tour of downtown Toronto, all for $20. I then did some sightseeing from the streetcars - up Spadina through Chinatown, across to the University of Toronto and back downtown.

I'm typing this in the garden of the B&B, where it is pretty quiet (just a little traffic on Gerrard St and the sound of running water from the fountain at the back of the garden). I probably won't post it until tomorrow, during my trip home, though.

A black squirrel just ran across the back garden fence. It is very relaxing here.

Friday in Toronto

This morning, after an excellent breakfast of toast with blackcurrant jelly, scrambled eggs, fresh orange juice and a slice of bacon (shhh- don't tell my blood pressure - I did limit myself to one slice), I went out for a museum day.

I enjoy the Toronto transit system. I used the streetcars and the subway today.

I first went to the Royal Ontario Museum. A lot of the exhibits, including the Asian art, weren't available, since they are in the middle of a major renovation and expansion, but what was there was interesting. I especially enjoyed the special exhibit on feathered dinosaurs, and the Greek and Egyptian rooms. The Evolution of Style section was also interesting. There were a lot of school groups in the museum today - I had a headache by the end of it from the noise. The new part of the museum is going to look like a giant crystal - I'm not sure how well that is going to mesh with the existing building.

I then took the subway to the Bata Shoe Museum, an interesting museum even if, like me, shoes are just something you wear. They had special exhibits on Inuit clothing and shoes and one on Plains Indians shoes as well as their regular exhibits of shoes through time and celebrity shoes and an exhibit on buttons & bows (shoe decorations).

After that, I got on the subway again to go to the Textile Museum of
Canada, which is a terrific little museum. Very interesting textiles from all over the world. If you only have time for a few museums in Toronto, I highly recommend this one (over the Bata Shoe Museum, for example).

I caught the subway and streetcar back to my B&B (the streetcar stops a block away) and walked to a nearby pub. This B&B is in the historic Cabbagetown neighborhood. The neighborhood is full of historic buildings and houses and there's a very nice park just 2 blocks away.

This was another 10,000+ step day - In the last 15 days, 9 of them have been over 10,000 step days - with one over 12,000 and one over 15,000. The only exceptions are the day I few to Toronto, one day in Halifax that I called it a day early and the days on the train to and from Halifax. My legs feel well-exercised. I hope that has counterbalanced some of the excellent food I've had on this trip.

Wednesday and Thursday - Train trip back to Toronto

Note - I didn't get to an Internet Cafe while I was in Toronto, so I wrote these last entries up and am posting them now --

Wednesday and Thursday - Halifax to Toronto

I met some interesting people on the train back to Toronto - at lunch, I sat with a woman who teaches English at a college in Nova Scotia. At dinner, I sat with two women - a psychologist with student services at a Cape Breton university and another woman who was returning from a trip to Nova Scotia she made to clean out her mother's house (her mother died several months ago and they are getting the house ready to sell).

I spent a lot of time up in the dome car in the late afternoon and after dinner - the scenery was prime moose territory, with lots of trees, bogs, marshes, lakes and fields, but the only wildlife I saw on this train trip was a mother duckling and her babies and a beaver dam. Not even a deer.

I slept better on this trip - had earplugs to block out the annoying squeak.

On the train, I read True North by Jill Ker Conway. This is an excellent memoir by the author of The Road from Coorain, which was about her childhood in Australia, on a drought-striken sheep station and in Sydney. True North is about her graduate studies in history at Harvard, her marriage to John Conway, and their move to Toronto. The memoir covers up to her becoming the first woman president to Smith College. If you haven't read The Road from Coorain, I heartily recommend you read that, followed by True North. They are both excellent.

I made it into Toronto around 3:30 PM and checked into my B&B. Pimblett's is the most electic of the three I've stayed in this trip. The owner is from England originally; I am staying the library, which is full of bookshelves, a comfortable bed, and several huge pieces of furniture. I do have my own bath, with a jacuzzi. The place comes with a dog - a friendly, fat Doberman named Bertie. They've changed their website since I booked my trip - there was no reference to Fawlty Towers when I first looked.

The B&B is close to the streetcar, so I can get around Toronto well. It is in Old Cabbagetown, a Toronto neighborhood near downtown.

Photos from the train

Click on photos for bigger pictures.

The seats (convert to lower berth at night)



The upper berth during the day (comes down to make bed):



Inside the upper berth:



Acquaintances made on the train:

Halifax B&B photos

Click on photo for bigger picture:

The Marigold Bed & Breakfast:



The Garden View Bed & Breakfast:

Miscellaneous photos of Halifax

Click on photos for bigger picture.

Riding club near Citadel:



Mural in downtown Halifax:



Public Gardens:



Weathervane in downtown Halifax:



Cenotaph:



Halifax moose:



(Museum of Natural History)

Photos of the Citadel

Click on photos for bigger pictures:

The view from the ground:



The clock tower beside Citadel hill:



The sentry at the gate:



The main courtyard:



One of the cannons:



The ramparts:

Tuesday in Halifax

Started today with walk along the harborfront down to Pier 21, Canada's Ellis Island, now a very interesting museum. Besides the immigrants who came through between 1928 and 1971, many soldiers passed through on their way to WWII in Europe and 50,000 Canadian war brides and their children came through Pier 21. I'm now in the public library again, checking my e-mail.

I'm planning on visiting the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia next before heading back to take a load of clothes to a laundramat located a block or so from my B&B before I catch the train tomorrow back to Toronto.

Monday in Halifax

After I got back to Halifax from Dartmouth, I got my Father's Day gift mailed (it should arrive by Saturday) and did some window shopping. I had an excellent lunch at a Turkish restaurant in downtown Halifax - kebabs, rice, & salad with Turkish tea and baklava. I then did some window shopping before my whirlwind sightseeing caught up with me, and I went back to the B&B for a nap.

Dinner was a donair - a Nova Scotian fast food specialty, which turned out to be a lot like a gyro - meat from a spit (beef not lamb), with chopped tomatoes & onions, in a pita. They serve it with a thick sweet sauce (fortunately, I got it on the side, as I didn't care for it). I got it at a local pizza shop; it was apparently rated the best donair in Halifax by one of the local newspapers this year.

Sunday in Halifax

Joan, the owner of the Marigold B&B, came down with a stomach bug yesterday so breakfast was cereal and fruit (she gave me a discount for the room). I checked into my new B&B, Garden View B&B after breakfast. I am now a few blocks closer to the Citadel and the harbor front.

Even with the closer location, I set a new personal record with my pedometer on Sunday - 15,086 steps. My feet are aching. Did I mention that walking back is always uphill here?

I walked down to the harbor front to explore. I spent most of my time at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. I arrived just as a tour of the model ships was beginning, so I now know the difference between a builder's model, a ship's model (scratch-built or kit-built) and the half keel model. The museum also has exhibits on the Titanic (focusing on Halifax's role in finding and burying the dead), WWII convoys out of Halifax, shipwrecks along Nova Scotia, and the Halifax Explosion. There was also a special exhibit on the Vikings. They also have a ship moored next to the museum that was a hydrographic research vessel that you can go aboard and explore.

The Garden View B&B is about a half block from a commons; there were a lot of people out there on Sunday even though it was cool and cloudy. It looked a lot like an American park - people playing baseball, tennis and frisbee - until I walked past a cricket match. I watched for a few minutes, but it didn't make sense to me.

I'm in Dartmouth right now - I took the ferry across the harbor - I'm using the public library internet computers again (the internet cafe near my B&B was closed this morning, so I still don't have photos uploaded). It is cool again today, and they are predicting showers. It was a foggy crossing on the ferry so I couldn't see very much.

I'll be mailing my Father's Day gift today.

Saturday in Halifax

On Saturday, after updating my blog with the previous two entries, I walked over all over the Citadel, which was very cool (unlike the weather, which was very hot for Halifax). There were lots of people basking in the sun on the side of the hill. The Citadel is the top of the hill, but you can't see most of it, only the old signal flag poles. The bulk of the fort is buried in the top of the hill with only the top of the ramparts visible. There are sentries in kilts (marking the Citadel's history as an important defense point for England and Canada and the fact that Highland Regiments manned the fort). The other reinactors (soldiers & soldiers' wives) don't show up until July 1. There is a lot of interesting information at the park, and the displays are fascinating. There are an inner and an outer wall. There's also an army museum, with displays on Canada's army from the early days to the present.

After the Citadel, I went to the Natural History Museum. On the way there, I passed several kids with their horses. There's a riding rink near the museum. The museum was a bit of a disappointment, but I did get to take a picture of a moose (stuffed). The most interesting exhibits were a seven minute video of an archeological excavation of an early Acadian village and a special exhibit on Sable Island. Sable Island is a lot like Chincoteague Island in North Carolina, as it has a herd of wild horses, which are now protected.

Finally, I spent a while wandering around the Public Gardens - very beautiful. Most of the plants blooming were lilac and tulips, so I inferred that Halifax has a little later spring than Corvallis, as my bulbs and lilac are done for the year. Someone told me that the gardens lost a lot of trees in a hurricane a few years ago, but there was still plenty of shade. Lots of ducks, with notices in the garden not to feed them, as they are trying to keep them as wild as possible.

Another 10,000+ step day, but this was all for interesting stuff. My feet are a little tired though.

First day in Halifax

The train was a little late reaching Halifax, so I arrived at my B&B around 5:30 P.M. Joan is the owner of the Marigold B&B - a small B&B with only two bedrooms. I'll be staying here two nights before moving to the other B&B I have reservations at. The house is charming. It belonged to Joan's great-grandfather.

The other B&B guest is a woman from Australia named Dawn. She is very interesting and is having quite an adventure. She & her husband raised 8 children (4 boys & 4 girls) in Perth. She has a number of grandchildren and a few great-grandchildren. She left Australia in April, taking a ship from Australia to England (five weeks, going through the Suez Canal). After spending time in England and Ireland, she flew to Halifax, where she is spending a few days before taking the train across Canada to Vancouver, before returning to Australia. She is taking a train tour, where it takes 17 days to cross Canada, stopping at various cities on the way for a day or two of sightseeing. She picked up some kind of food poisoning on the flight to Canada, so is still getting back to full speed. I would have asked her to come to dinner with me, but she is still recovering a bit and was just going to have a cup of tea.

I ended up having dinner at The Athens, which stylizes itself as an Authentic Greek-Italian-Seafood restaurant that was actually quite good. I had the broiled haddock.

This afternoon, I am going to the Natural History Museum & the Halifax Citadel. I'll probably spend some time in the Halifax Public Gardens, which I walked past this morning.

Travel to Nova Scotia

I'm on a computer in the public library right now, so I do't have my photos to upload. I'll get them up later, when I'm at a wireless cafe.

I had a great trip traveling to Halifax. The train from Toronto to Montreal yesterday was standard - a lot like the train I took in Pennsylvania a few years ago. In Montreal, I changed trains and got on The Ocean, where I had an upper berth. In the seats next to me were a charming couple from Ontario - Susan & Pete. Pete's a retired pharmacist and Susan's a retired nurse. They were incredibly friendly people (I even have their phone number and address if I'm ever in Perry Sound). Susan was born in a small town in New Brunswick, but they have lived all over Canada. From what they said, I guessed them to both be in their 70s. In the berth next to them was Michael, another librarian who had the same idea I did to come to Halifax after the SLA conference. He's staying in the Youth Hostel and is then going to Quebec City for a few days. Michael is a real train buff, and I learned a lot about The Ocean and trains in general. We hadn't crossed paths at the conference because he's a law librarian (working for a firm in San Jose).

Also on the train from Montreal was a bunch of teens traveling coach (sleeping in their seats). They were very exuberant; most of them were heading off to visit relatives after the end of the school year. One of the girls managed to chip the tooth of another girl by hitting her in the face accidently. Most of them got off the before Moncton.

I spent a lot of time up in the dome car, which has an upper level that has lots of windows for good views. When it was dark and while in stations, it was either talking to other passengers or reading The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. The book is a fascinating intertwining of the two main events in Chicago in 1893 - the Columbia Expedition and the serial murderer H. H. Holmes.

The steward made up the berths around 9:30 P.M. - there are no windows in the upper berths (I think Mom would find it too claustrophobic, especially with the curtain drawn). The lower berth under me was taken by James, a young man who boarded the train at a station after I went to bed. He got off in Moncton on his way to Prince Edward Island (where he grew up). James works in Quebec as an assistant at a residence for mentally disabled adults.

I had breakfast with Susan, Pete & Michael the next morning (James slept in - I think he got on the train around 11:30 P.M.). I also had lunch with them. The food was good and not too expensive ($10 Canadian for a breakfast of toast, eggs and potatoes with tea and $14 Canadian for lunch - I had the crab cakes with salad, green tomato chow chow (which is kind of like chutney) and tea).

Michael & I exchanged business cards - who knows, we might meet up at Baltimore. Also, he may be taking Amtrak from San Jose to Seattle next year and depending on the timing, might be able to meet for a cup of coffee or a meal while coming through Oregon.

Last dinner in Toronto...

... until I get back from Halifax.

Nancy & I had dinner at Spring Rolls. I had the Thai Chili Tamarind Seafood, a medley of tiger shrimp, calamari, scallops and fresh herbs, with jasmine rice. It was very good, but it was heavy on the shrimp and light on the scallops.

I'm all packed except for my clothes for tomorrow and the computer. My train leaves at 11 AM.

Whew!

Just finished my last event at the conference - a 3-1/2 hour planning session for the Baltimore conference in 2006. We are going to be very busy - there are 19 events on the schedule for our division (including parties).

Now all I have to do is relax until dinner with my usual conference roommate later today. We are probably going to a Japanese or Thai restaurant. This year's roommate is having dinner with a cousin who lives in Toronto.

I've been wearing my pedometer every day and this is the first day I have not walked over 10,000 steps since Saturday.

You might not believe it, but I haven't cracked a book open since Saturday.

Shorter but still tiring day

The day ended a little earlier today, but it was still tiring. It was my friend Alison's 25th wedding anniversay today, so a few of us took her out to dinner at Canyon Creek Chophouse - I had the Chophouse salad, baked potato and the smallest prime rib.

Tomorrow starts at 7:30 AM again (chairing the Incoming Board Meeting), but ends at 5 with the end of the conference.

Goofy art?

This is visible from the deck off the hospitality suite we are using for our Division events. I think it's supposed to be an ivory woodpecker, but no one seems to know why it is there.



Ate pretty good today, too. All free - breakfast paid by SIAM, a mathematics publisher, lunch paid by IOP, a physics publisher, and dinner paid by Thomson Scientific, a database vendor (dinner was a pretty good Pad Thai).

Poster session today

My poster session this morning went well - I got a lot of questions and some good comments.

Eating my way across Canada

Here I am at the American Chemical Society's reception this evening (I didn't eat the whole thing, we were sharing it at my table):

Busy day

I still have several hours of open houses and receptions to attend tonight, but have a short break now to relax and catch up on my e-mail.

The one real break I had today was the Newcomer's lunch my division hosts for attendees who are either new to the PAM division or attending the conference for the first time. We had lunch at Le Saint Tropez, a restaurant a few blocks from the Convention Center. I had the chicken penne pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and roasted garlic. It was very nice.

I am stuffed

Just got back from dinner - I am so glad I came in a day early so I'd be back in time for this. Several of us went together, taking the streetcar down to the restaurant - it went past a large Calphalon store and through Chinatown to the University of Toronto district.

The restaurant was fabulous - I had roasted asparagus for the appetizer. The other folks at my table had caeser salad, green salad with feta, grilled shrimp, and phyllo wrapped goat cheese with roasted mushrooms.

For my main course, I had the halibut and scallops with risotto and baby bok choy for the main course. others had some nice looking steaks, seafood pasta, lamb shanks, and duck confit.

Dessert was a sampler of great sorbets - raspberry, mocha, vanilla, pistachio, and black cherry, plus shared dessert platters (there were 3 of them for our table of 11) - the options included blueberry blini, chocolate cake, and lemon cheesecake. I sample several of the sorbets, half a blini, and some of the lemon cheesecake. With some good coffee, it was a nice end to the meal.

Had a lot of fun talking at the table - at my end of the table were Cynthia, Alison from Missouri, Molly from Texas, Carol from New York, one Canadian gentleman, and a woman from Alabama.

Tomorrow the conference officially starts - my day begins at 7:30 AM with my division board meeting and ends at 10 PM when the division open house ends.

First day in Toronto

Checked into the Intercontinental this morning - it's about twice the size of my usual hotel rooms and there is marble tile in the bathroom.

Joined my roommate Cynthia, a former coworker of hers that lives in Winnipeg, and the coworker's Toronto cousin for lunch at Ouzeri, which is reputed to be one of the best Greek restaurants in Toronto. I had the grilled calamari for lunch - wonderful! Cynthia had rosemary chicken pie, Bill had the lamb special and Kathy had the salmon special. Everyone enjoyed their food - we shared a baklava for dessert - very rich, but not as sickly sweet as some baklava I've had.

Tonight there's dinner at Messis, which is also supposed to be good - there are 39 of us going to dinner (all physics, astronomy & mathematics librarians or their guests) and we are getting a four course meal.

Airplane read

Still on West Coast time, so thought I'd post some more tonight.

I read Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain on my flight today. Very entertaining and a good book for travel. I was inspired to get it by my enjoyment of the Gordon Ramsey shows, Beyond Boiling Point (about Ramsay's life as a celebrity chef in London) and Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (where Ramsay visits a struggling restaurant and tries to turn the kitchen around. I'm looking forward to the new series of RKN on BBCAmerica.

First night in Toronto

Arrived safely, although I found out my travel agent did something weird (I used the university travel services so I didn't have to pay for the ticket beforehand and get reimbursed and for backup if anything goes wrong with my flights) - I had to change planes in Chicago from United to Air Canada, but the United flight I was on for the first let was also going to Toronto (I think they took off about 1/2 hour apart). I have no idea why I had to change planes.

Leaving on a jet plane

After getting up at 0 dark thirty, I am at the Portland Airport waiting for my flight to Toronto. Thank you, PDX, for the free wi-fi.

I'll be blogging my conference stuff on the SLA PAM Division blog and my vacation here. I am so excited - I've never been to eastern Canada before, and I've never taken an overnight train trip before, so I'm really looking forward to the trip to Halifax after the conference.