Sometimes, my job isn't so bad

I got to spend the past week in Banff in the Canadian Rockies for a workshop.



Our talks took place in the building behind the huge elk, and during the afternoon, we were free for a couple of hours to go hiking or enjoy the swimming pool.

And finally, the evenings were free for a game or foosball or pool.





It turns out Johan Hastad is good at more than just complexity...

Free afternoon

spot the elk...

Followed by another round of talks in this building.

It is too bad that my pictures are so bad that on this blog, Saarland totally looks like the place to be...

Banff!

OK, this is definitely a perk to being a "mathematician" that I was not aware of yet. Sure, Oberwolfach in the Black Forest was nice. But having a center for conferences in Banff National Park? That is awesome!

Apparently, this place was started to kick start community theater projects during the depression. So besides a math center, there are three theaters, and they run a large theater and music program. They have 150 pianos, and musicians can come and spend three months here, where they are assigned one of these little huts to practice in. Awesome, awesome, awesome!

The workshop I am here for has been really good so far as well, so nothing but positive newses for once...