Chambery - The Conference; and today's advents.

I had decided that Nottingham was going to be my last conference which was a shame because it was generally a pretty awful experience. Not long after I got back from Finland a friend, who had also been at Nottingham, asked me of I would submit  a paper for a small conference she was co-organising in Chambery; she promised it would be small, very research focussed with good participants and lots of wine and fondue. Who could resist? So I submitted a paper on my second string as it were; the Canadian writer Alastair Macleod, who fitted the theme of the conference 'Voices from the Edge' rather better than George Campbell Hay and when the time came, off we went. 

It was a lovely conference. As she had promised, high powered academically, but collaborative, wide ranging and interesting. We also had two lovely dinners in local restaurants and attended a performance of the play 'The Tailor of Inverness' which formed an integral part of the conference itself although the two performances were open to students at the University, and it was well attended. So if Chambery turns out to be my last conference it will be a happy memory, unlike Nottingham would have been. That said I have been thinking about maybe taking up some new research projects in the new year, so we'll see...

A few photos

the set for the play

and dinner on the first evening. The OH and I had rillette that time ,which is a local speciality of cheese, bacon and potato. Very tasty although the portions were far too large! 

And the advents 

sage and silver pine and caramel with vanilla

and the mini skein is back to the almond trees. I'm hoping for some with a few less pastel-y shades as we move through the month; Bedroom at Arles, Starry Night, Irises etc