2. At Last, Unpack

Time for sleep

03.05.2016 - 03.05.2016

Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland
Tuesday, May 3, 2016

We check into our hotel, The Palace, which is as its name implies. Built in 1915, it sports five stars even though its elevator doesn't. Lausanne is the capital of the French speaking Swiss canton (state) of Vaud. In the far Western part of Switzerland, Lausanne sits on the northern shore of gigantic Lake Geneva; across the lake to the south is the French town of Évian-les-Bains from where the water comes. Since 1944, the International Olympic Committee makes its home in Lausanne as do 150,000 Swiss citizens. Romans founded the place in the second century.

There is much growing of grapes here for wine making and the white is quite nice. Another claim to fame for Lausanne: it has been called the smallest city in the world to sport an extensive rapid transit system consisting primarily of electric trams similar to the ones just now opening for business in our home city of Kansas City, Missouri. KC’s are prettier.

We are hosted at a welcome cocktail party and dinner where I meet executives, board members and my fellow spouses who I shall heretofore describe as my sister wives. The dinner lasts a good while but B4 and I hang strong going without much sleep now for too many hours. When we finally retire it is for the good deep sleep that often does not come after commencing a journey such as this.