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'.
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!
