38: Week 6 1iere: These guys are the bomb(ish) - Geneve

 Monday, March 31

It was a long day but a good one that took advantage of our extra hour of daylight.  I took the train to arrive at the office platform by 7:30 and was roused by a gentle shake on my shoulder by a friend as the train pulled into the station 😆

I don't know what flower it is, but the hedge I walked past had hundreds of 'em.

The morning involved a bunch of tours of the facility but the rest of the day was about planning my last two weeks.  The pressure is on to get all the visits in before I go and I think I managed to get the framework in place to do so.  I'll definitely have met with people outside my direct sphere of work/relation but it'll be nice to get some insight into what the left hand of the company is doing (they're so darn sinister).  Catching up with people about the weekend was fun; my colleagues were pleased with the little box of chocolates brought back from the factory and found my story about the chocolate bar dispenser as interesting as I did (or at least they were very good sports about it).  They also mentioned that Switzerland is predicted to have extremely nice weather this coming weekend, so I'd better start thinking about what I want to do this weekend.

After work, I managed to stop by the Manor department store and pick up a few new shirts before the place closed.  I couldn't bring myself to buy any of the pants or jackets I saw there, none appealed to me in style and I definitely wasn't buying Levi jeans here!  

From shopping, I went directly to dinner, which was at a place I've passed many times and simply decided to pull the trigger on: La Maison des Vieux Grenardiers.  The food was pretty good and I think they might've charged me half price for my main plate, plus I got to hear the marching band rehearsing in the other room.  Hearing them play reminded me of my own time in the community band back in Oak Harbor; I get the feeling that my band's conductor would've been right at home with this group of Swiss men who'd normally play dressed in full soldier attire.  

From what I know of grenadiers, muskets and bayonets check out for the decor.  When I arrived, there was a bunch of guys just hanging about and drinking, but when the music started, they all disappeared and it was just me in the restaurant.

The toilets are right next to the changing room/armory.  I guess the grenadiers are group of heritage/tradition in Switzerland?  Did all the gendarmes' mobile artillery swap to playing music?

While they're playing their music, I took a peak inside.  I'm not sure how the tuba player is supposed to hold a rifle too when they're marching.  

It's a pretty sweet hat, though I'm not a fan of strict rules for wearing hats.

And no men's interest group is complete without a few miniatures, am I right, fellas?