t is Sunday, 1/27, about 5 pm. Rainy and blustery.
First things first. The coffee here is extraordinary. It is also 3.5 Euros for a small cup.

Just finished checking into the Schloss Leopoldskron. It is a breathtaking place. As The Sound of Music was filmed here, I will never look askance (?) at that film again. The Schloss is a large palace on the outskirts of Salzburg. It is surrounded by multiple sculptures and, in the spring and summer, many gardens. The palace has a great hall, where we will dine, a lovely library, with internet access, and lots of baroque-styled private meeting/dining rooms. We are staying in a suite in the Schloss itself, which is lovely. Deloitte has just finished having a recruitment weekend here.

I am here for a conference from the Center for International Studies to learn how to teach in Eastern Europe. I will be teaching business law at the Herzen University in St. Petersburg soon.

The conference itself is held in an adjacent newer building, called the Meirhoff. Most people are staying in the Meirhoff. This building is as bright as the palace is dark. There is a new library, with WIFI, which is where I am now. And this building is where one can buy coffee.

I have already met many very nice people. No klinkers so far. About half are here by themselves, with the other half bringing spouses, friends, etc. Especially interesting was my dinner last night with Scott Richardson, a white collar criminal defense attorney from Florida. This is his third time teaching, and he will speak to give us practical ideas. During his first time, in Lithuania, he felt like he was in the cold war. He was given a "shadow" guy who went everywhere with him, and he taught 3 hours/night to 73 students who slept through alot of his presentations because they worked full time during the day. The second time, in Latvia, he was welcomed by everyone, taken around after classes, and peppered with questions from the students. This year he is to go to Pstoc, Russia in October. However, aside from a one word email in Russian, he has heard nothing about his classes or his teaching dates. His emails are ignored. I am very lucky to be in St. Petersburg which, although disorganized, continues to communicate with me.

Tonight is the opening reception and tour. Tomorrow classes begin. I am anxious to meet everyone and get going. As long as I have my coffee.