Day 4.

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The business side of the visit is over. Today, a visit to the local lab in the morning. The picture is of the car that took us. In Australia, we have a company pool car. In the US, the company car has a pool. And is probably bulletproof.

Speaking of which, I have been in the US three days and have seen no shoot outs and not even heard a decent burst of gunfire in the middle of the night.

The local lab was very impressive.

Yesterday was chilly. Today also chilly. My ‘ear-freeze-index’ suggests that they were comparably chilly.

Lunch was a ‘chicken sandwich’ that would have supported a small African village for a week. Didn’t even think about trying to finish it.

Some quite lovely architecture around the city – 1920s or thereabouts, I think. And some impressive modern stuff too.

The streets are very clean, even in areas that I was told are ‘bad’ areas.

At Boneman's suggestion, I visited the Institute of Art. An impressive collection of work. As always, visiting a gallery makes me itch to take up the brushes again. Usually, by the time I have found my way home again, the itch has subsided.

At dinner tonight I was offered a black serviette as I was wearing dark trousers. First time I have met a restaurant that tries to colour co-ordinate your serviette.

The restaurant had a ‘club’ you could join, earning points from each visit. They offer club members a complimentary lobster on their birthday. I have Lewis Carroll-esque visions of a lobster on my plate saying “My, you are a handsome brute!’

Accumulate 12,000 points and the owner will do a caricature of you and put it on the wall. 24,000 and he wont.

Tried some Hersey’s dark chocolate – tasted, well, like dark chocolate.

Found the secret to the coffee situation. When the waiter says “Would you like coffee?” Under no circumstances say “yes” as no further negotiations are entered into and they vanish, only to reappear with a mug of wet, brown, odourless liquid. The only sensible response to their question is a further question: “Do you have espresso?”. Then you are in with a fighting chance.

Head home tomorrow.
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