July 8-11, 2008: St Andrews

After to a greater extent than than a calendar week of walking together with eating together with discovering, I was obliged to fulfill my operate commitments. First up, I was deal a conference at Scotland's oldest university inward St Andrews. This glimpse of the town from the double-decker station was all I saw of the exterior basis for a duet of days. I simply oscillated betwixt 2 of the newer buildings on campus, sleeping together with listening, note-taking together with occasionally talking, subsisting on catered food. The i suspension inward my temporary routine was watching the rabbits - when I opened the window inward my room inward the mornings I could unremarkably regard a dozen of them, together with in that location were many to a greater extent than on the lawns betwixt our accommodation together with coming together rooms.

On the minute nighttime I had a gamble to wander around town alongside a colleague I hadn't seen inward years. The chilly breeze together with grayish skies were the perfect setting for the castle together with cathedral ruins.

But this is a nutrient blog, isn't it? While the catering was adequate it was nada to write domicile about. I did, however, accept a lovely repast at the local Bangladeshi together with Indian restaurant, Balaka. Their vegetarian thali plate, though outrageously expensive, was delightful. The dahl was i of the best I've eaten, together with the spinach curry was studded alongside the sweetest, softest segments of onion. Though the serving of raita was overly large, I needed a adept component of it to counteract the rut of the 3rd curry!

The Brits are incorrigble - it seems a offense to me that a eating seat similar this should endure obliged to offering chips equally a staple saccharide too equally rice.

I didn't accept an chance to see St Andrews' most famous landmark, but the town left a pleasant impression on me nonetheless. Though I'm incredibly grateful for the travelling opportunities my project provides, there's ever a twinge of regret that I've non been able to larn to know these places better.