I just landed in Geneva, Switzerland for an all-too-brief 40 hour visit to CERN, followed by 3.5 days in the French Alps. I’ll write about the reason for the quick trip later this week. All in all, it’s too short of a stay compared to the ~6000 miles and the 18 hours it took to get here! To get the most bang for my time, I want to partake in the local culture as much as I can (when I’m not doing my job, of course). For me, that means Chocolate, Cheese, and Wine – in reverse order of importance!

We physicists like to partake in the local specialties of where we visit – see Clifford’s post on the fresh roasted peppers in Aspen. To some, we seem to prattle on like spoiled children living the lifestyle of the rich and famous. But honestly, it’s just plain hard work to be away from home so much – to make it easier we tend to indulge ourselves. Or at least I do. Plus I’m downright curious about everything!

To make this too-quick trip more palatable, I have set out 3 goals. (1) Chocolate. There is a special kind of chocolates available only in Geneva (at least to my knowledge), known as Pave de Geneve. It’s a dry, dusty, not-so-sweet type of chocolate that comes in cubes. I need to conduct a serious taste testing to determine which chocolatier makes the best! (2) Cheese. In this neck of the woods, my mind envisions cheese in two forms: Fondue and Cheese trollies filled with numerous delectable cheese, such as Epoisses (my personal favorite). I had Fondue for dinner tonight and then read this article which cites a study claiming that Fondue is fourth on the list of the worst foods you can eat for your health. Oh well – too late now! (3) It goes without saying that I will take advantage of the good French wine available without the import costs we pay in the US. There’s a good wine shop right next to the CMS pit (i.e., the collider hall for one of the LHC detectors) and there’s a good chance I will visit it and bring some bottles home.

Nothing wrong with having some fun along with the work.