Mid Week

It seems much longer than two days that I have been here in Neuchatel, and settling into a routine.  Gourmet dinners in my room, comfortably moving from plate to keyboard with BBC International playing a repetitive cycle of stories in the background.  Sleeping soundly under the deep fluffy down comforter, but waking in the dark of early morning ready for the day, with plenty of time to prepare for the work ahead.  Continental breakfast; croissant, yogurt, strong black coffee.

Oh, and yes, the work.  I am enjoying the time with my new team, and my new manager.  Talking, planning, writing, thinking.  Nothing stressful, letting the creative process apply itself to the myriad organizational challenges in front of us.

The Autodesk office here is perched on the top of the hill to the northwest of the downtown and the lake, and surrounded by lovely chateau-looking homes with vegetable gardens, grape vines, plenty of tall trees.  Many fly the Swiss flag.  The neighborhood has numerous other small businesses, light industry or services it appears, punctuated by plenty of grassy, forested sections with no apparent specific function.  The streets are narrow, steep and winding; which does not slow the local traffic down, and makes for the walk down from the office to the hotel a venture that requires attention to said traffic, and to maintaining firm traction with each step. 

As I finish up my Wednesday, I know the pattern of activity will begin again tomorrow, and again the next day.  Already the town is beginning to show the preparation for the Wine Festival (Fête de Vendange) this weekend, and I am growing increasingly interested in attending this event with my work colleagues, whom I am getting to know better each day; and nothing like a wine-oriented event to really do some team building.  And beyond that, the prospect of going up to the Lauterbrunnen Valley on Saturday and spending the last night here in Interlaken runs through my mind when I slow down my thoughts.

So, I am here at a bit of a mid point in this portion of the visit, and it's a good place to be.