A Study in Neutrality

 Friday, April 18 Well, it's finally here.  All good things must come to an end, no matter how cheesy the line or the country.   I slept like a log on the couch and my colleague and his wife were happy to see me off in the morning.  I feel truly fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet such great, caring people.  In fact, I feel that way of all the colleagues and people I've met here this trip.  I ended up having 1:1 conversations with so many people this visit; it was part of the intended assignment and I surprised myself at how well I managed to stay engaged.  I'll try to keep the I made connections alive and useful but I've got a lot to think about and to learn about when I get back to the office.     The early morning light in Geneva as I furtively double check I'm at the right bus stop for getting to the airport.   The airport store offered some interesting souvenir items; sadly, none of them would come close to ...

 Thursday, April 17 The last day in Switzerland, by this time tomorrow I'll be on a plane enroute for the west.  When I woke up, I checked in for my flight, packed up the travel bag, and left my bags with the reception.  Since it's another rainy day and I took my time getting out of bed, I only have one activity planned for the day prior to returning to Geneva: Château Chillon. I noticed this little attraction park in the morning on my way to the castle; it wasn't inflated yet but I did appreciate all the flags draped about.  I opted for a refuel break at the café just outside the castle before heading in; to ensure I have the energy for maximum learning, I had a praline tart with my cafe.    This is a castle that many people have recommended as iconically Swiss: it was built upon a rocky island on the lake and thus has a natural moat, it played a critical for several hundred years of Alpine economics, and serves as one of Montreux's classic attractions....