Stuff I will miss: CERN geeks

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is located in various buildings on the Franco-Swiss border. You might know it from the particle accelerators and the search for the Higgs boson – if you’re into that stuff, you simply HAVE to go to the ATLAS visiting center. Will I miss CERN once I leave Switzerland in a few months? Maybe CERN not so much, but it’s people: definitely. The CERN laboratory employs thousands of scientists and plays host to visiting scholars from hundreds of universities from across the world. These highly lovable geeks brighten up the otherwise chic Geneva social life. I’ve been lucky enough to befriend a few of them and was sad to see them leave – on their way to another university lab to continue their brilliant careers.

at ATLAS visiting center

Stuff I will miss: Geneva gay scene

The Gay Times described Geneva’s gay scene as “slight”. Compared to Zurich it’s definitely modest, which isn’t surprising since Geneva, despite it’s reputation as wealthy and international, is a small city. It doesn’t help either if you don’t speak any French: this is, after all, Suisse Romande. Once you get that, there’s plenty to enjoy in Geneva: Association 360°, a comprehensive, informative and fun LGBT magazine, cafe/bar Le Phare in Rue Lissignol and cafe/bookstore Livresse in Rue Vignier. A saturday morning coffee at the crowded Chez Quartier in Rue Voltaire and afternoon tea in La Theiere qui rit (The laughing teapot, Rue de la Cite, strollers are not allowed inside!) are among the things I will miss in a few months, when I’ll be living in the Gay Mecca of Amsterdam.

Le Phare