Episode CXVIII: Business & Pleasure

I recently returned from a work conference held in Davos, Switzerland, where I presented my research to colleagues in the RNA field. I designed my own flight itinerary, which (in addition to being the cheapest ticket) gave me the chance to spend a day in Dublin, Ireland; then a day in Zuirch, Switzerland; before finally taking a bus up to Davos. 

The very first thing I saw once I made it through customs was this bit of culturally important information:

[At first I thought it was kind of a joke. But now I think it was serious. And important- it’s mind-blowing as a pedestrian to have cars turning the wrong way in front of you…]

Within moments of hopping off the bus in historic Dublin, I was standing in front of an edifice that was nearly a thousand years old. A while later I was looking at books about 1,200 years old. And a while later I was napping on the lawn at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where Patrick himself was purported to have baptized his first converts over 1,500 years ago.

So yes, the city seemed old- but not too old. And it seemed small- but not too small. And the river was dirty- but not too dirty. And kindly enough, it didn’t rain a lick until I left.

Next it was a quick flight to Zurich, which certainly exceeded my expectations. Considering that it is one of the premiere banking centers in the world, I was pleased to observe that the city was relaxed, understated, classy, refined. There was enough activity to make the city buzz, but not so much that you couldn’t take a peaceful stroll along the river, or stumble across a lovely cobblestone courtyard with fountain and café patio. 

Continuing the theme of important Christian historical sites, here's the cathedral from which Huldrych Zwingli led the Swiss Reformation. Not surprisingly, there are no statues or paintings in this church building.

And finally, a bus ride up the Alps, up into the beautiful city of Davos, passing lakes, waterfalls, meadows, snow-capped peaks, pastures, hamlets, horses and wildflowers of every conceivable color. Indeed, if I was forced to design a modern-day Garden of Eden, it would look a lot like a Swiss Alpine valley.

[Panoramic view from my hotel (click to enlarge)]

[The waterfall I passed every day on the way to the conference]

[The cows I passed on the way to the conference (cow bells and all!!!)]

On my free day in Davos, I walked out of my hotel directly onto a hiking trail, which- hours later- brought me to the very top of a Swiss Alp! I had to improvise a bit when the trail was blocked by snow, but eventually I made it (FYI, I truly did walk uphill, barefoot, through the snow [I didn’t want to have wet tennis shoes and socks on the way back down]).

[Alpine marmots look both ways before crossing the trail]

[Panorama from the top of the Alps. That little patch of green on the left is Davos]

Ah, and lest I forget- the primary purpose of this trip was work! The five-day RNA conference was quite nice. I gave a talk in front of some 1,000 people, three of whom were Nobel laureates. The talk was well received, which is good (as it means I’m not the only one interested in my particular research questions!)

But let us conclude with one more image of the paradisiacal land of the Swiss Alps.