Brunch in Chicago!

Today I took the train downtown to meet Carolyn for brunch! Coming out of the Jackson Street exit at union station, I saw this map on the side of the building... I swear it's new.

And brunch involved the excellent and delicious french toast with pumpkin filling. Tomorrow: Tucson!

Kabap & baguette

Nearly every metro stop has some sort of food available. This little stand is at the Greibentzsee stop, and I think it's especially cool looking. I haven't tried the food though...

Blankets

In Berlin, sitting outside is so popular that instead of bringing people in as soon as the weather turns cool, restaurants instead put out blankets so you can stay warm outside!

Delivery

This pan-asian restaurant is down the block from us, but we see its delivery vehicles - the vespa and the smart car all around the neighborhood. Sometimes I think about asking them for a ride back home, since it's on their way. The little vespa + delivery box is probably the most common type of delivery vehicle around here.

Conference Banquet

Most conferences have a nice dinner on one of the nights to celebrate all the excellent science - this one included a fancy ceiling and a piano player. I snapped this picture from my seat:

No time for anything more exciting, I've been brushing up the talk I'm giving tomorrow!

Mostly food

Today, David headed back to Berlin and I mostly took it easy so I'd have plenty of energy for the SDSS meeting this week. Here's a sign from the place I had dinner with fellow astronomers in town for the conference:

And here is some seriously amazing tortilla David and I had for brunch:

And a gratuitous panorama of the inside of the tortilla place (La Bodega de la Ardosa). It was really neat inside - more like an old school bar with stand up tables than a restaurant. Both delicious and an experience. Hooray!

My first beer in Berlin!

David and I started taking a German class at Wooga and went out to dinner afterwards. It was a delicious place that specializes in hummus with various toppings. To go with dinner, I ordered my first beer (meine erste beir) in Berlin!