The last time I was in Albany, NY was 11 years ago, the summer that Sasha and I first met. Tonight I arrived here alone for a short stay in between work and travel back home on Sunday.

There's a seminar of the New Netherlands Institute in Albany tomorrow so tomorrow I'll be listening to a number of presentations on the history of New Netherland, the area of New York City and Albany in the mid-1600's.

On the way to here I drove past Kingston and Tannersville, two places we have fond memories of.

It's funny to see so many Dutch names and half-Dutch names in the names of villages and streets. One of the exits of the toll road is called Amsterdam.