epilogue:
After dinner, I'm about a mile up the road from my hotel and there is a mass of people overflowing into the street. There is commotion and craziness; approaching the crowd, I think it must be some kind of demonstration. A little further up and I see what's going on-- there is a large outdoor screen playing the Manchester United game. The crowd has spilled well into the street and is blocking traffic. Around the outskirts of this mass of people, workers are rushing by to their bus/vans to go home at night.
In front of me, a trio of women veiled in white float by like apparitions.