cornerofmadness

mostly it was seminar time but there was more.

Day two

This time out, the morning series of talks didn't really appeal to me so I snuck off and went across the street to the Royal British Columbia So far it's the cheapest thing I've done and it's a truly amazing museum. I wasn't too thrilled with the Emily Carr exhibit. I don't know anything about this artist but apparently she turned into a curmudgeon in her old age and this other artist wanted to show her youth but it was mostly the modern author painting portraits right from Carr's photographs. Also there was some of Carr's art. Kinda dull.

The national history part was interesting if I weren't in my line of work. They had tons and tons of preserved specimens but very little I've not seen before. However, I liked how they had a microscope station for every large group (invertebrates, plants etc), with sliding scopes. Also the docents were just amazingly knowledgeable. I really enjoyed talking to Annette the bat lady and the guy with the living tidal pool.

What was truly cool about this museum is that it's a veritable maze inside. You turn a corner and it branches into two more. Sometimes it's easy to lose your way. This was true of the national history with a tidal zone on one side of the wall and a coastal rainforest on the other and of the First People's display which dominates the second floor. I don't often get to see Haida and other Northwestern tribes. I could have spent hours looking at the totems and the masks.

Century hall was neat too. It reminded me of the house on the rock in WI, with reconstructed turn of the century facades and lots of bits and bobs. It was an enjoyable couple of hours.

I found a deli that wasn't too expensive and had something called hot Toronto smoked meat sandwiches (It seemed to be something like pastrami) I went back for the final lectures. I didn't win any door prizes and I went wandering around town. I set up times to take a few blindingly expensive trips for my two free days and I found historic St Anne's Academy.

I truly wanted to do the afternoon tea for lunch. I went to set up a reservation since it's hard to get in. This hotel has served high tea for over 100 years. I asked for the price. SIXTY freaking dollars? Are you kidding? I know that showed in my face since the concierge quickly assured me it was 'substantial.' Sweetpea it's tea, pastries, scones and cucumber sandwiches. I've been to high teas (and if it's made from the tea they've been giving me elsewhere here, it's not even that good). I've been to teas with ELD and silvrethorn and together we didn't pay sixty dollars. One of my overpriced tours isn't sixty dollars.

So I felt free to go to the Bengal lounge and have the curry bar. Yeah it was pricey (and that's what I dislike about buffets, I feel obligated to eat my money's worth. Blergh). I had spinach balls, lamb curry *yum), butter chicken, tandooriii chicken (also very good), some veggie curry, seafood chowder, lots of naan and mango chutney and all the gulab jamun (sort of donuts in rosewatesyrupup) I could eat. There was rice pudding too, the only misstep on the whole buffet.

I waddled back to the room and crashed. I have to get up at O'dark in the morning for the workshops. There are NO breakfast places here. If I get up early enough I can hike up to the deli for a bagel or eat the 27$ waffles here at the hotel (I think not).

Oh and that president club thing? It's a free preferred member doodad that gives me free internet. I'm here a week so why not? Also I have not found an hour where Criminal Minds isn't on tv. Hee.