Queen Noor's Carrot Cake

It’s a good thing that I didn’t know about the “bear problem” in Aspen yesterday, before I took that hike! Bears are apparently frequent “visitors” to downtown Aspen. Hence, the need for special “bear-proof” trash cans, as shown in the lowest photo. Today began with a series of prize-winning lectures at our conference, followed by a nice lunch at the Explore Booksellers and Bistro, with my former colleague, Mary, and two of her faculty members at Columbia. The bistro was the kind of place in which I could have spent hours, complete with antique furniture, organic food, and a diverse collection of books. As seen in the middle photo, there was a large “New Age”section, with an especially rich compilation in metaphysics (somehow I knew I was not in Boston!) The food was good enough to have previously merited mention in the New York Times travel section. We ordered the carrot cake for dessert, knowing that it is a special favorite of Queen Noor of Jordan, when she is in town. Then, it was off to the airport, for a propeller plane flight from Aspen to Denver. It was one of the most turbulent, white knuckle experiences of my life. This was coupled with the fact that there were about 8 kids on board who thought they were on a roller coaster, and screamed with delight with each jerk of the plane. Meanwhile the adults were gripping the arm rests and reviewing their estate plans! After landing I transferred to a considerably smoother flight to Chicago, where I checked into the InterContinental Hotel.