Curious Decorative Design

While touring Genéve, this lovely design caught my eye on one of the buildings in the Old City. A quick Photoshop later, and voilá, a new banner.

Swiss Photo Gallery

Check out more photos of the trip here.

Gruyére Switzerland

Still not enjoying the sleep for which I am generally accustomed, the bus departed at 9:00 am for an excursion to the Swiss countryside. After an hour ride, the GFSI spouse tour embarked upon a Gruyére cheese factory. It was so interesting to see how this yummy cheese is made. A hands on education center demonstrated the delicacies that the black and white cows enjoy while grazing on the rolling hills. We watched the cheese makers do their thing in a spotless "kitchen" with giant vats and equipment. Then we could peek into the cellars where the cheese ripens. The group was treated to a terrific lunch of fondue and wine before going off to tour the medieval village of Gruyére and enjoy the ancient castle. Everyone snoozed on the trip back to rest up for the black tie gala tonight at Portes de Iris.

Cost Saving Measures in Genéve

The hotel charges 32 SF for a daily interent connection. Hence, you
may have to suffer through some typos as I post from the free mobile
connection.

Le Chat Botté

The conference officially began with a lovely reception followed by
intimate dine-arounds at city restaurants. We were delighted to host a
client dinner at Le Chat Botte. Critics say it is among the best
restaurants in Europe. After a fabulous dinner, I would say it was
among the best in the world.

Patek Philippe Museum

Oprah may espouse the merits of travel in a private jet, but I humbly recommend travel with an iPhone. The GPS has helped us navigate around the little crooked roads and rues of Geneva. After an enjoyable walk through antique shops, boutiques and a park we found our way to Patek Philippe Museum. This museum houses some of the most beautiful works of art in the country. Time pieces from the 1500s to date are simply and elegantly displayed to reveal the art and craft of the Swiss tradition of watch making.

Old and New in Genéve

Amazing Toilet Seat Technology

The Bloghusband and I were talking about how things have changed in Europe over the years. Thirty years ago, many of my trips through Europe, traveling on BA benefits, were like visiting third world countries. Mind you, I didn't have the same travel budget years ago, but the technology was just not as apparent as it is today. Take, for example, this Clean Seat in the ladies room of a café in Geneva. Utterly impressed after my pit stop, I tried to explain the operation of the toilet seat to Wild Willy. Thank heavens for YouTube.

Geneva Sights

A cloudy day of strolling through Old Town Geneva. We had an early dinner at Café du Centre, an outdoor bistro in the center of a bustling, people-watching haven. We had ice cream along the river walk as we ventured back to find our bus stop. Back at the hotel, we struggled to stay awake in hopes of warding off another day of jet lag. We howled with laughter while watching Tropic Thunder in bed. Hilarious.

Cafe du Bourg de Four

In the heart of Old Town.

Bus Stop in Geneva

Nap, shower, bus passes and we have begun our touring on number 5 bus to Quai du Mont Blanc.

Global Financial Services Industry Conference

It is 4:06am body clock time in Geneva, Switzerland. After a seven
hour flight, taxi to hotel and breakfast, we're ready to take a nap.
It's 10:00am. The conference begins tomorrow.

Happy Mother's Day

After nearly a full week of daily rain, the sun is shinning in a big blue sky. The green of spring is vibrant. May flowers are in bloom. What a glorious day to celebrate life! Being a mother is one of life's most special privileges. The joy of raising and nurturing a body and soul is an honor, which extends throughout life. The bond between a mother and child lives forever in revered memories of tenderness and strength. Tonight, National Geographic channel is presenting Extreme Amimals: Life in the Womb. The program will explore the reproduction of four different animals with 4D ultrasound images.

Two Down

And one to go. For the second time this week I knocked over a newly planted flower pot while reversing out of the driveway. It's been a long winter!

Just Imagine if Apple Buys Twitter

Whoa. There's talk of Apple buying Twitter. Looks like Twitter could be more than a fad.

Danny Gans, RIP

In a former career, I planned sales and incentive meetings for top producing financial consultants at a major brokerage firm in NYC. In the early 90s, I came across an entertainer named Danny Gans. He was one of the most inspirational gigs that I ever booked. Danny had an amazing gift for impersonations. Recently, he had been performing in Las Vegas. I just heard the news of Danny's death. Danny died in his sleep this morning. He was 52 years old. RIP funny guy, you amazed millions!

Veratect Uncovered Swine Flu in Early April

Veratect, a company based in Kirkland, Wash., detected the first signs of swine flu in early April. The company's technique known as twitter "data mining" automatically searches tens of thousands of Web sites daily for early signs of looming medical problems or civil unrest anywhere in the world.