Genève

We had the good fortune to make a trip down to Genève for a few days before classes started.

The purpose of the trip was for an INSEAD visit to Richemont, the holding company for Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, Piaget and some of my favorite watch brands, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin. It was amazing to be able to get some direct exposure to the company's executives, and one board member seemed particularly impressed by my knowledge of the company's cash flows (this type of geekiness is promoted in business school).

As would be expected, the whole affair was quite fancy - Montblanc pens attached by chain to the reception desks (like at a bank), an absurdly varied lunch spread (sushi, Lebanese food, and of course a variety of French and Swiss mountain cheeses), and the Jean Nouvel-designed headquarters overlooking Lake Geneva (which was very similar in style to the Fondation Cartier building in Paris, which he also designed).

View from the chalet at the center of the Richemont HQ

A tree growing in the Richemont building

But the most exciting part of the Richemont visit for me was a trip to the manufacture where Vacheron Constantin watches are made, by hand. Wandering around in lab coats we walked through every step of a process that can take years to complete, watching thousands of tiny little mechanical components (not to mention copious amounts of diamonds and other gems) come together in an amazing fusion of engineering and art.

But Geneva isn't only luxury goods (although luxe logos seem to dominate the skyline, along with signs for private banks). Liz and I had a great time strolling along the lakefront in the early evenings, checking out the jet d'eau from every possible angle and appreciating the natural beauty of the Alps and the Jura. Of course, plenty of touristastic photos were taken...

Jet D'Eau

Geneva = Jewelery, Watches and Private Banks

Liz: "The sky here is soooo cool!"

Liz breaking the rules by sitting on a hoist (a rare moment captured for eternity)

Forced to pose

Meteo quiz for John Perman - Why are the clouds so interesting in Geneva?

After paying way too much for food the first night (40 CHF, or $40, for Pad Thai?!) we ate some quick-n-cheap Lebanese on the second night and made our way down to the lakefront. There we found an open air bar playing reggae music and serving panachés (beer+Sprite) as swans swam in the water alongside us. Liz was ecstatic, while I relived childhood memories of a swan attacking me at this little lake my parents brought me to (it took me playing the role of "The Ugly Duckling" in the Hans Christian Andersen play to get over that).

My worst nightmare

Of course, the next day we went to feed the swans and an especially aggressive one bit my big toe...