CERN day

Miraculously, all 23 in the group arrived on time at the Science Gateway. After all the agonising about our left-behind passports and whether driving licences would be accepted ... they didn't do any ID check at all! Just gave John a box of lanyards. Prof Mario who works for UCL was our guide for 2.5 hrs and he did a fine job in the Centre, SPS Control room and ALICE detector. The Ring was operating so we could not go down or in, but only gaze from outside. Perhaps our biggest impression is no matter how clever the physicists are, the engineers are their equal. Their cafe is good too.







Tram 18 took us all the way to the Old town where shady coffee & lemonade in the park was welcome. Cathedral of St Paul is suitably Calvinistic, this being the seat of the Reformation.





Ice cream stop, larger than needed and a fiver each but what the hell. Strolled down Rue Grande, aptly named because the shops, galleries and wine bars are all v grand. I do mean down because the Cathedral sits on quite a big hill. N's hip is coping with lots of sitting rests - we took a stool on the tour.

Tram 18 again, 2 stops back to Gare Cornavin and the short walk back to our apt. Feet up and a cuppa. And this. This evening we have a PantSoc dinner of 9 people organised by John, nearby thankfully. It was lovely Lebanese and quite empty so perfect for us.


We went on to an English style pub for a drink because the restaurant was totally dry. All very convivial, and back in our apt by 10pm ... not like the old days.

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