Thursday, April 3
I missed the train again this morning, it was only by a minute or so but my grogginess waking up got the best of me. My tardiness had me miss the three minute speech associated with a celebratory breakfast for being named one of the most innovative companies, but that only meant I was one of the last hanging around an absurd plentitude of baked goods. I was even sent back across the street to my office bearing two big bags of goods to be shared.
The lady at the counter wasn't trying to make a work of latte art, but she sure suceeded!
I think I've had a bit of sweeling in my sinus: my nose has been continuously running for a week now and the right side of my jaw has been painful to move about. So it was time that I got some tissues of my own, now I'm like a proper European 😂
Wow, what a spread! We should win awards more frequently 😋 I asked, the basket of glazed goodies are doughnuts; not beignets. You can tell they're donuts because of the way they are 😂
Something that dominated my time today was coordinating the last of my meals for the last week. I've got a dinner or lunch booked for just about everyday next week and a few hello/goodbye coffees. It's nice so many people either want to see me off or squeeze in an introductory meeting before I leave, I consider myself very lucky to have been so warmly welcomed on site.
I opted to sit with a different group of chemists today at lunch. They're lunch routine features quizzes of which today's were about countries with the most & least Swiss, countries with the highest US tariff rates, most Googled people of 2025.
After work, I took advantage of the sunlight to walk past the Paquis and to the park along the lake and enjoy the view of Mt Blanc and Saleve for a while. I eventually made my way to the Bains where I had a fondu; it might be my last chance to have a fondue at les Bains for a while, so I wanted to ensure it happened. As that thought sunk in, it made the need to paint my mental image of Geneva even greater. It's silly to start feeling nostalgic already but I can't help it; reckoning with the limit of my time puts my remainder in a different light.
A little reminder that it's springtime; these weren't arranged in any particular pattern in the park. They reminded me a bit of the bulbs we plant back in Jersey City as part of the Washington Park's fall planting event. I wonder how those flowers are doing?
Mont Blanc came out to play today. I was relaxing on a bench and soaking in the view when a lady stopped by and I bought a couple trinkets to fund raise for supporting children in Ukraine. Unfortunately, I wasn't carrying any small franc bills on me; based on a misunderstanding, I gave her a CHF note and she returned me change in Euros 🤦♂️ Oh well, at least I can use Euros for my trip to Iceland later.
I can't believe I'd never taken the time to come out this way before; it's weird how a 10 minute walk from the Bains can suddenly remove you from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Of course, being a 10 minute walk from the Bains means I was 100% going to have a fondue for dinner. Delicious, as always 😋
Just so that people are aware, drowning is not allowed here; don't let me catch you doing it or there will be serious consequences.
I stuck around after dinner to catch the last of the light fading behind the Jura. The lake was so calm it acted as a mirror this evening.
I realize it's not my last night yet, but it's likely I won't be revisiting this spot on a calm, clear evening again for quite some time.
Since I will likely be busy all next week, I resolved to pass through a few other items I'd not gotten around to in the river area of Geneva. This resulted in stumbling upon an event for the reveal of the latest watch models (though the event along the river was just DJs and food trucks).
The event was called Watches and Wonders and was part of the rollout of new watch models as an exhibition in Geneva. No watches were on display, except for those on the wrists of the bon vivants here.
I thought this was a true food hall area, but it seems it's simply a couple restaurants/bars that people will gather at in the evenings. Still, it was a neat layout.
I'm not sure what cleaning this boat is doing but it's a fun idea for a bar. It reminds me of the pancake boat I had encountered many, many years ago in Groningen.
Le Bâtiment des Force Motrices, the old location of the Jet d'Eau and now a concert hall. There was a concert going on this evening that I'd elected to forego; I'm glad I did, it was too lovely a night to be in an old pump house. 😂
I think I'm both ready to return to the US but also ready to spend more time here. Maybe if I had real work to do and was paying all my own Swiss living expenses, I might be feeling a bit different; but I've been having a blast here.
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