The World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland

Dah-VOHS fills up a slim north-south valley in the Swiss Alps. With ski slopes on either side, it deposits skiers almost directly onto the main street.

The population is about 11,000 and everyone is at least bilingual.


(Google image)




We arrive by bus from Zurich for a five day stay. The snow is impressive and occasionally you see someone clambering about on a roof trying to shovel it off.






We head to Congress Center to sign up for sessions at one of the kiosks and synchronize the selections with our ID badges, which have now become the magic keys. If it's not recorded on that chip, you're not getting in.




Perhaps it's watching Ian play video games, but I keep toggling, trying to get into an oversubscribed session on the economy, and somehow beat out the 200+ on the wait list and get in!


As a spouse, I am shut out of a lot of programming, but plenary sessions like this one with perennial favorite, Tony Blair, are open to all.





Typical press scrum, here waiting for Weh Jaibao, Premier of China.








Davos does a brisk year-round business hosting conferences on medical topics; however, for the World Economic Forum the entire Congress Center and all the hotel venues are needed to accommodate the programing for 2,400 attendees.





Francis participating in a session on cancer epidemiology.









What every attendee treasures - the small coffees served at locations throughout Congress Center.







'Our' coffee team - there every day open to close, always smiling, always gracious.








Bill Clinton interviewed by WEF Founder and Executive Chairman, Klaus Schwab. 'Developing countries don't need anti-AIDS or anti-malaria medications as much as they need health care systems and infrastructure'.

Of course, there's lots to see outside Congress Center ...

Rastafarian dog with booties.

Aspic covered sandwiches - practical, attractive, but ... ummm ... no thanks. I did sample the special hot chocolate made from a blend of Swiss and Mexican chocolates - delicious!

Love the Swiss toilets - after the flush is tripped you can let it cycle, or stop it sooner to save water.

Beautiful church from the 1600's. It's hard to see it in this photo, but the back wall is wedge shaped, to break avalanches and protect the houses on the slope below.

Amazing session on The Girl Effect, a philanthropic movement that invests in the girls of developing countries as the best resource for integrating knowledge and health practices into communities. Short video at: http://www.girleffect.org/#/video/

Gordon Brown interviewed by Christiane Amanpour. I continue to be surprised at how the Brits say things like, 'but he has no personality'.

Film preview of Pray the Devil Back to Hell, a documentary about the Christian and Muslim women who came together in Liberia to force Taylor and the warlords to make peace. Followed by a panel with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nicholas Kristof, NYTs foreign correspondent. http://www.praythedevilbacktohell.com/nonflash/about.htm

On the last day we sneak off for a morning of skiing. There's nothing like having a lithe Swiss or a German swish to dramatic stop in front of you and offer to help with your yard sale.

In the afternoon, we head to the WEF closing event - an outdoor buffet reached by cable car.

Heading home through Zurich airport, you have to admire the Swiss for showing you what they confiscate (check out those slingshots), however, they don't like you to photograph the booty.

Never know if we'll be invited back, so thank you WEF, Davos, and all the wonderful folks we met!

Inauguration Joy

The celebrating begins Monday evening at the Capitol Hill home of Alan and Brigid Guttmacher. Brigid greets us wearing the gown her mother wore to Kennedy's inauguration. With her is her brother, Matt, who came in from NYC.












A toast to our incoming President.







Singing bursts out - beginning with a rousing rendition of The Times They Are A-Changin' and, as we search for our shared repertoire, a Blackberry searches for lyrics.

That night about a dozen of us sleep throughout the house - I think Sharon was under the dining room table.

Four of us are up at 3:00 am to begin our volunteer work on the mall. Walking there we pass many cars with sleeping families. Brigid heads to the Lincoln memorial - she and Karen are grid captains in charge of groups of 25. Sharon, Karen & I are in the same grid about 3/4 of the way down the mall from the Capitol.



Some of the 5,000 maligned, but indispensable, port-a-potties.








Many are already assembled on the mall when we arrive, curled up together or with cardboard wrapped around them to stay warm. We meet a couple who flew in from NYC at 10:00 last night, went to restaurant then bar till each closed, then out to the mall - no luggage, just two camp chairs. Also, three young guys from LA with no gloves, shivering in cardboard boxes. We give them a warm welcome and hand warmers.

The sun rising over the Capitol.

The 'hug' lady doing a brisk business. People literally run up to her - the tattered and those in mink coats.

Now we jump up the mall to the Silver-ticketed section where Francis is creating a photo memento for the grandchildren.

Finally, Karen gives us the green light to hand out flags in our sector. People love it! We wade into dense crowds around the jumbotrons handing them out to cheers. And what a stellar Grid Captain our Karen is! Keeping the boy scouts in line, the volunteers happy, the text messages flowing and guarding those flags with her life!

The energy in the crowing crowd is palpable, but we've still got several hours to go and the struggle to stay warm continues.

Every creative approach is used.

The view behind us. Since most people have gathered around the jumbotrons, we stay out of the way behind some elevated speakers (that's Karen & Sharon by the railing), but still had a good view of the jumbotron further up the mall. Found a lovely family of five from San Diego who arrived under dressed - the father was shivering so badly he could hardly talk. Got them to the 'warming' tent which was a

                                                                  toasty 35 degrees.

The view in front of us as the inauguration begins. The energy and joy throughout the mall has not diminished, yet the next 30 minutes are even more intense. We cheer till we are hoarse, we hug, at moments we just stare in disbelief, we cry and wave our flags like mad. It's amazing how much noise thousands of mittened hands can make.

And as it all winds down we take on our last task - making sure no flags are left behind on the ground. The Boy Scouts in our grid accept all the retrieved flags and will 'retire' them at their next camp fire.

On the way back, we make only a couple wrong turns down closed routes, but we do meet up with Brigid. We encourage each other as we plod on frozen feet back to 3rd street for tea, stories from the rest of our compatriots, and viewing the parade on our own minitron.

After collapsing on our air mattress for a few z's, Francis and I dress for the Eastern States Ball at Union Station - no fools, we're wearing long underwear beneath those outfits.

Walking in we encounter David Bowen, Kennedy staffer, and his wife Sherri. They have heard encouraging news about the Senator.

We find Bill holding forth at the Diplomatic Reception. Francis, no surprise, gets some face time to discuss advances in genomics and personalized medicine. Hillary, meanwhile, is holding a more selective receiving line, surrounded by secret service, behind the temporary stage set up in B Smiths restaurant.

Then, the most amazing shoes!

Worn by none other than Mike Stebbins of Scientists and Engineers for America, with Kim.

Most unique ball accessory.

James Taylor takes the crowd down a country road while ...

Joe and Jill Biden speak (briefly!) in B Smiths.

About 1:00 the big moment arrives - we are the last of 10 balls visited by the First Couple, yet they look fresh and radiant. The crowd goes wild. The love is palpable.

We all try to capture the moment.

And now, the departures begin. Coats are retrieved from the food court in the lower level of Union Station and the crowd self-organizes beautifully. Some go to the theater to retrieve outerwear while the rest of us sprawl in the available chairs (the only seating for the entire evening), share stories, take off heels, put on gym socks, sneakers & turtlenecks, and get ready to travel.

We ride home in packed metro cars, all of us exhausted, smiling, being one.

Fifth Avenue at Christmas Time

I'm a bit late posting these from NYC two weeks before Christmas.


Brooks Brothers tie tree











The Grace Building








Van Cleef and Arpels














Trump Towers














temporary salon space









Saks Fifth Avenue












Irresistible Indulgences






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timeless








Cartier

Bergdorf Goodman Window