Pictures from SIGIR 2001, New Orleans
 
 
Sunday. Enjoying a meal after the tutorials at Mr B's Bistro. They have great gumbo soup and crab cakes! It seems Ian is also enjoying his meal! Also a typical shop on Decatur Street.
     
             
Monday. SIGIR Reception - unfortunately missed most of it as we were giving a demo of the HySpirit retrieval platform in one of the small meeting rooms sufficiently far from any food... Later that night we "relaxed" at Patout's bar. They had blood pumping Cajun/Zydeco music. Great fun! Don was unstoppable.
             
Later that night we went onto Pat O'Briens, the birthplace of the Hurricane cocktail. Dangerous stuff! Just look at me walking home on Bourbon Street.
 
             
Tuesday. SIGIR Banquet. Some real beauties of Bruce and John!
             
Later that night on a quiet Bourbon Street.
             
Wednesday. Walking around New Orleans: the business area near the hotel, the Superdome, a park for the survivors of cancer, a typical house in the garden district and a street next to the oldest cemetery (at the edge of the "to be avoided" area as advised by our hotel staff. We just saw a bunch of nice folks living in less than desirable circumstances. They should really sort out the roads for these guys.).
             
Thursday. At the French Market Restaurant. My first time eating alligator tail - it tastes like chicken. Not sure what Peter had but whatever he was talking about must have been shocking...
       
             
Friday. On tour to the Oak Alley Plantation house. I love this place! We only had about an hour to wonder the house and the gardens, but it really felt magical. I also got a glimpse of the swamps on the way to Oak Alley and back. Unfortunately I missed out on the swamp tour planned for the next day as I managed to get a ticket to return to England. I also have a picture of one of the new cemeteries of New Orleans.
 
             
Saturday. On the way home, stopping at Newark - a very saddening site.