Memoirs of a Hayseed Physicist by Peter Martel

Part 203:

In my early days at Chalk River, Roger was my inspiration and mentor, even though at a tender age of 20 he was some 10 years my junior. He was also indirectly responsible for my learning downhill skiing. This happened since he was considered an indispensable staff member, because he produced up to fifteen papers a year in a field where two papers was considered quite adequate. The hierarchy was so scared of losing him that he was granted the privilege of taking every Wednesday off in winter to go to a ski hill some 90 kilometres away. He also had the privilege of inviting staff to accompany him.

On The Road To Nevers

Part 11

The next morning we stopped to gas up and use the facilities to clean up. We arrived in Paris and were close to departure time for Canada. I sign off now as wife first and mother of four. Adventures to be continued…..

On The Road To Nevers

Part 10

This is where it gets interesting. After that glorious meal I felt bilious. Our plan was to head back to Paris and look for lodging along the way. It was getting dark and as we drove further along, mosts small towns didn’t have any hotels that were open, if they had a hotel at all. At this point I noticed the road signs that indicated we were on our way to Nevers. Never heard of Nevers? Neither had we. We were lost without accommodation and my stomach was acting up. I finally asked Pierre to pull over to the side of the road. I was so weak he had to hold me as I was about to explode with the worst case of diarrhea. You think that was bad. Some dog came out of the bush, probably from a nearby farm. It started to bark up a storm so I finished up as quickly as I could and got back into the car. We drove a little further than finally realizing we weren’t going to find a hotel. We stopped at the side of the road and spent the night in the car. 

On The Road To Nevers

Part 9

From Switzerland it was a long drive back to Paris. Along the way we managed side trip to Lyon for a meal at the famous Bocuse Restaurant. Now that was a meal and a half. Presentation, harmony of taste….oh it was a meal to remember. It was a multi course meal and as we were eating our food the maestro himself, Paul Bocuse, came out. He was wringing his hands in anticipation of our enjoyment of his work.

On The Road To Nevers

Part 8

After Turin, we headed north to Switzerland and a little place called Les Diablerts, a small village and ski resort located in the municipality of Ormont-Dessus in the French canton of Vaud, Switzerland. I had spent a summer there several years ago studying French. Our shelter was a little place called Auberge de la Poste. In my youth, we would take a cable car to the top of the mountain where a man in traditional Swiss garb would blow this long horn. I still remember with nostalgia the ringing of the bells that all of the cows wore around their necks. In my mind sight, Switzerland was a place of extraordinary mountain vistas combined with the bells of the cattle.

On The Road To Nevers

Part 7

We crossed the border into Italy and headed for Turin to see the shroud. The holy relic is sheltered in the Cathedral of Turin. It wasn’t on display at the time but a replica was high up on the wall, under glass, in the sacristy. A monk approached us and handed us a rosary. He said he liked to travel and wanted to know if we could put him up if he came to visit. Of course he required a suite of his own. Some line eh? Sorry, you’d have to bunk in with one of our four children. He quickly lost interest in us.

On The Road To Nevers

Part 6

The conference was over. We drove off in our rented vehicle along the Route Napoleon, a 200-mile (325-kilometer) historical journey heading south to the coastal town of Golfe-Jaun along the French Riviera. It winds its way along the Alps Maritimes until it reaches the Mediterranean. I sat on the passenger side overlooking the steep cliffs as we drove through the mountains. I’m not particularly happy with heights so it was a white knuckle journey for me, ever so glad that it was Pierre at the wheel. With a few jogs we included a quick drive through Monte Carlo. Accommodations were out of our pay grade. I don’t even think we had a meal there. Then we were on to Italy.

On The Road To Nevrs

Part 5

While Peter was at his meetings I would wander around the city to get a feel for the place.  Also, I planned the rest of our trip because it wasn’t going to end here. When the conference was over there was a grand meal, a social event where we got a chance to meet and socialize with some of the people Pierre would collaborate with in the future. If you haven’t experience a formal French meal you have really missed something special. It consisted of many courses and a change of wine for each one. Of course the wine goblets would change for each wine. For me, the most impressive part was when they brought out the cheeses. The server paraded out carrying a great platter with pomp and ceremony. People would “oh” and “ah” as the great cheese platter was presented.

On The Road to Nevers

Part 4

Grenoble means walnut, in translation. Funny to name a city after a nut. But Grenoble isn’t for nuts. It has an International Research facility where Pierre would go to do some of his research from time to time. Research at Grenoble INP Graduate Schools of Engineering and Management, Université Grenoble Alpes is conducted at the school’s national and international laboratories, which are operated jointly with partner institutions (CNRS, INRIA, IRD, and the CEA) within the Grenoble-Alps University community. The school’s internationally-renowned research is made possible by close cooperation between the different labs and the technology platforms’ advanced equipment and know-how. This time we were there for the convention. He set up a table with diagrams, equations and details of his work. Scientist would mull around to see what everyone else was doing. I couldn’t help but notice that scientists tended dress down and look a little hookey. I don’t know whether this is part of their persona but I think I could pick out a scientist in a crowd. However, this charming, unassuming stance proved to invite interaction. It was an invitation to sharing and encourage discussions of ideas and this was how science was done. 

On The Road to Nevers

Part 3

Paris to Grenoble is 357 mi (575 km), and takes about 4 hrs 50 mins in normal traffic. We drove through Nemours, Auxerre, Creancey, Beaune, Tournus, Macon and finally Grenoble. It was a long tiring drive through the beautiful French farm land. We managed a stop at a little restaurant on a farm estate along the way. A very, kindly, maternal woman invited us in and encouraged us to sit at a table. We were weary and it must have been obvious to her. She brought out a menu and we ordered our meal with wine. Got to enjoy that French wine while we were there. The food was incredible, just what we needed for the final push to Grenoble. When we had finished our meal I got up and sauntered over to a window. There below was enormous hay stack next to a pile of manure.

On The Road to Nevers

Part 2

In the morning we had a baguette with tartinade (jam spread) and coffee. You have to love that French coffee – good and strong. Our first challenge was to rent a car then plan our drive to the south of France (Pierre at the wheel)- from Paris to Grenoble. As we drove off in the rental car he managed to get pulled over by the French police. He had driven through a red light. In his best Acadian accent he explained to the officer that he was very sorry and was unfamiliar with the area. The officer smiled and said (in beautiful Parisian French) “Ah, ha, you are from over there. You know over here we don’t drive through red lights.” The officer winked at me then bid us to move on. On departing he said “ don’t do that again.”