Blog Archives: February, 2004
Funky in Barcelona
I finally made it to Barcelona, after the little 1/4 inch of snow that I wrote about in my last post caused so much trouble as to cancel two days worth of trains and make my fly to Barcelona. I’m staying at the Ideal Youth Hostel, a place described in Lonely Planet as funky. Yesterday I went to the hideously beautiful Sagrada Familia church (still under construction after some 120 years) and today pounded my feet into the pavement visiting the Picasso museum, the beach (my first time to the Mediterranean), Parc Guell (designed by the same architect as Sagrada Familia) and took in mass in Spanish at Barcelona’s catedral. The Picasso museum was particularly cool because it had his early works, including sketches from when he was 11. It made me think that there might be a Picasso, or a Mozart (or a Stebila) in every 11 year-old.
Hailing in Bilbao
Greetings from an anonymous Internet café in Bilbao. Hopefully everything I type here comes out okay, because the keys on the keyboard are all in the wrong place. What’s the value of North American dominance in the high-tech industry if I can’t even type on a foreign keyboard?
Last night my flight was delayed by over three hours and I didn’t get in until late, but spent the whole day today in downtown Bilbao, in and around the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, a spectacular building by renowned architect Frank Gehry. It was the only reason I came to Bilbao, and I’m pleased to report that it didn’t disappoint. I took a hike in the hills above the city, overlooking the museum. I spent a while inside the museum as well, and particularly enjoyed their photography exhibit. From safe inside the museum, I also enjoyed watching a hail storm, snow, rain, sunshine, and wind like you wouldn’t believe, all within the span of 3 or 4 hours. What a crazy city!
Just a few more minutes
All packed, all organized. Now: sitting… waiting… watching the digital clock count off the last few minutes before the vacation starts. Hoping for sunny days, warm weather. Checking email once more; no new messages. Just two minutes left… one minute… time to go! Hasta luego!
Walk in the Cotswolds
I’m decidedly impressed with the quality of service demonstrated by senior members of the Blair government. Perhaps I should qualify that statement: Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is doing an excellent job, at least in his weekend role of giving directions to lost walkers in the Cotswolds.
This morning a few other graduates students and I joined the Master of Pembroke College, Giles Henderson, his wife Lynne, and their beautiful Golden Retriever Ellie, for a walk around the village of Minster Lovell in the scenic rolling hills of the Cotswolds region. After getting to the car park, we weren’t quite sure where the trail began, but fortunately Jack Straw was on hand to direct us (really he was just on his way to church, and in fact he gave us the wrong directions, but that’s not the point).
Seeing Ellie enjoy the walk, it made me decide that if I was going to be an animal that couldn’t fly, I’d be a dog. (If I had to pick between flying or being a dog, it would be tough: flying would be cool, but dogs are just so much fun.) It was a lovely walk, with good conversation throughout, followed by a nice meal in the Master’s lodgings back at Pembroke. Apparently this type of thing doesn’t happen at other Oxford colleges (I’m told that none of the other college heads even have dogs!), so it makes me glad to be a Pembrokian.
Next Weekend: Spain
Seeing as how I made it through 5th week successfully, I’ve decided to go to Spain, next weekend. Any recommendations from travellers or fans? I’m planning to spend two days in Barcelona and two days in Madrid.
Strong Douglas
I’m sure you all know about the creative wonder of Strong Bad through such classic online cartoons as Trogdor, the Burninator and Teen Girl Squad (you can also find out which member of teen girl squad you are). But have you seen the comic about me? Be sure to take a look!
Visit to Cambridge
Trinity College across the River Cam Yesterday I joined fellow graduate students from the MCR (Middle Common Room) at Pembroke College, Oxford, to make a visit to Pembroke College, Cambridge, where we dined in formal hall.
We spent much of the day wandering Cambridge. A bit younger than Oxford, Cambridge is more spacious and the colleges are bigger. Whereas in Oxford the only greenspace is enclosed by college walls, the colleges at Cambridge feel like they’ve been plopped down in the middle of the countryside with the untouched landscape still in tact. Cambridge is more architecturally spectacular, but at times feels like you’re walking through a museum. Oxford feels very organic and lived-in.
St John's College The first picture, of Trinity College, shows the college from the back, across the Cam. In summer, you’d find students lounging on the lawns, tourists walking the paths, and punters meandering their way down the river. This second picture is of St John’s College, right next door. They are the two largest colleges at Cambridge, and happen to be the ones that I’ve applied to for my PhD. Verdict: pretty shnazzy and certainly acceptable.
Interior of The Eagle pub We made a quick photo stop at The Eagle Pub, where Watson and Crick first announced their discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. We took in Evensong at King’s College Chapel, a cavernous building which the word “chapel” fails to adequately describe. The choir was magnificent, and as I look through my music catalogue now, I see a recording of Rachmaninoff’s Vespers by the King’s College Choir. Time to relive the experience.
Category theory ate my baby…
… and clubbed some baby seals and it probably has weapons of mass destruction hidden somewhere too. Category theory is part of the axis of evil. But I have been liberated from the throes of category theory, all sanctions on the assignments I do have been lifted, and I am now free to pursue democracy and rebuild my shattered life, or at least spend time on computational number theory instead.
