Geneva, Switzerland

I was picked up from the airport which set the tone. It was really pleasant not having to deal with all the variables required to navigate into a new city. We had and espresso and I took a walk about the town. I am still having trouble wrapping my mind around how old European cities are. A nap was followed by Mexican food. Is mole influenced by French cuisine good? Yes, but I am still fiending for a burrito from that joint across the street from the Ikea and the funeral home in EPA. Conversation over scotch.

Woke up and used a laptop trying to piece the details of my life together and handle traveling administrative details. Had a tasty lunch at a place named after a Swiss explorer, plotted plans for next summer, went to a talk about climate change. I think I am doing this traveling thing right since I am on the cusp of warm weather and cheap plane fuel. Good thing I can benefit from it now because in the long run we are all screwed. Lake perch with french fries and then we saw Borat. The movie brought out my long hidden lust for Pamela Anderson. Not.

Slept in and then had Ethiopian for lunch. We drove to the local particle accelerator. The tour had a 6 week waiting list so we checked out the 80sque science museum. Making and antiproton beam took a lot of time and effort. The contemporary art museum here is in an old factory lit by fluorescent lighting and with a floor I could not stop admiring; paintings, optical illusion installations and video pieces. Another climate change talk by a Stanford guy who devoted much of the time in the disjointed presentation to his wife's research. Had a fantastic home cooked meal, saw a percussionist that was like a Ywinge Malmstien of the bongos, went to a bar where the wealthy students drink, then to a packed dancehall night. There is money to be made here in dance instruction.

Escargot for breakfast to tide us until we could get to the lake to have a picnic by the ducks and boats. Exhausted from all the effort of eating and lounging, there was subsequent chilling. Back to the bar (I differ from many tourists here since I didn't bring a few million dollars to drop in my private bank) where expensive raers were spun. Went to drum and bass live PA.

Omelets and chocolate cake at brunch killed all ambitions for working out and yoga. So we relaxed, did a little work and continued to read my book set in New Foundland. Tasty roasted vegetables and tequila were consumed. Talked about how the internet can create strange situations.

I said goodbye to my gracious hosts in the morning and then visited the UN. For all its faults and limitations it is an organization whose mission I support. For example the tour guide mentioned in passing that education is a fundamental human right. Damn right it is. One last meal of fillet of fish with my host and then checked out shoes and headed to the airport ready to be a tourist again.