Granada

Atop the Alhambra

Lack of time and reliable hotel internet has made it difficult to post.  Plus, spending all day in conference sessions does not for interesting material make.  However, three days in, and I have played hooky a bit, probably less than other attendees, and joined in on some outings.  Despite logistical difficulties, and everyone has their story of innovative and/or sketchy measures to reach the conference, it is an amazing setting.  Plus the city center is quite small and with several thousand at the conference, you are likely to run into people you know.

view from hotel balcony

My hotel is tucked away between two alleys, just wide enough to walk through the outdoor seating of the neighboring restaurants.  It is also short walks to the conference and sights like the Alhambra.  I took a stroll up the steep hill to take in the views, and on my way back passed the head of my organization making his way up to do the same thing.  Last night, 15 of us went to a fixed price dinner and flamenco show.  We spent a 1/2 hour trusting google maps on a ipad to get us through the maze of tiny streets going up the side of a hill.  Researchers...  In the end it was on a main thoroughfare.  I'm not sure how the conference organizers expect people to show up at 8a when it's nearly impossible to go out for dinner and get home before midnight.

Moon over the Alhambra