20/07 - Due to commissioning work my shift today (and for the rest of the week) was cancelled, so I spent the day working on my report. It was a scorching day, and I had some awesome ice cream - that is all that happened, really. Oh, and I met James and Dan for a Mike Wong's dinner in the evening, which was (as always) delicious.
21/07 - I think that all I did today was work on my report - sitting in the office with closed blinds while it was a perfect 32º day outside. Eugh.
22/07 - I got into a bit of a working groove today (a rare occurrence) and ended up staying at CERN until 2330, then getting home at half 12. I assumed everyone had gone home, so I had a videochat with Clare and Kelly, to show them the incredible sunset over the mountains, but when I went back into the office (it was after 10 o'clock by this point) Ricardo popped his head in and remarked upon me being there so late. I am wondering what on earth he was still doing there?
23/07 - As I didn't really have any dinner last night I started today with breakfast at Servette, where I discovered a new, revolutionary foodstuff - the brioche croissant. It was enormous, and would have been perfect had it not been for the fact that I could not have it warmed up and smothered in butter. The day was unremarkable, but afterwards I went to La Pignata, a pizzeria on Planpalais, for a guy called Chris' leaving dinner. I don't really know the guy, but I was assured that it would be fine for me to attend. They had already squashed about 25 people onto a table for 18, so I had to get everyone to shuffle down a few inches before I was eventually squashed in between Dan Short and Jay, a new guy from Manchester (maybe). The actual man of the hour, Chris, was as far away from me as he could be, and left early (bit of an odd leaving dinner). There was another new guy with dreadlocks, whose name entirely slips my mind, with whom we had an extensive conversation about piercings (he has many, including the worst one - he recommended it for every bloke. I smiled and nodded) and I had the Pizza Tony, which was topped with an enormous pile of rocket, bresaola and parmesan, drizzled with truffle oil. Decadent and delicious.
We pretended that it was Sarah's birthday and so got free limoncello (it's always free, but I think we got refills by dint of our deception) then went to Café Bizarre for a few drinks. We were bought racks of tequilas by Sarah and Ailsa, and James and I followed these with Canard W.Cs, or toilet ducks - These involve a brandy glass with a load of tequila and blue curaçao in it (along with some other stuff I have now forgotten), into which is upended a bottle of Orangina. A straw is inserted into the (now submerged) neck of the bottle, so that as you drink you are removing Orangina which is replaced by the booze, so you end up with a bright green mixture in the bottle - it was CHF 20, but delicious. We found a hammock out in the garden and lay there chatting for a while - I shall miss James when I go, and I think the feeling's mutual. We remained in the hammock until forced to leave at about half two, whereupon we walked halfway home and hopped on a passing no. 7 bus - the very last bus, as it turned out.
24/07 - I spent today doing some packing with a mild hangover, and went to the supermarket and discovered something I wish I had realised 6 months ago - due to the fact that supermarkets are not open on Sunday, twice as much stuff is reduced in price due to an imminent sell by date. Consequently, I bought a massive slab of rump steak, some fillets, a duck breast and some merguez sausages, all of which were half price. I had a fillet steak lunch, and used the duck and merguez to make an improvised cassoulet thing - it turned out pretty well (although in retrospect I should have removed the skin), and James came round to help me eat it - we drank beers and watched Tron, which was very odd but pretty awesome too.
25/07 - A lazy Sunday, during which I finished my packing and started on a little cleaning, before going to see Inception in the evening with Dan, Zoe and Ailsa. It was a great film, pretty complex with layers upon layers of suspense. I think I need to see it again, as there were a few things I missed and some details I need to work out (I liked the idea of part of Leonardo DiCaprio's subconcious constantly attempting to betray him).
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