Dubrovnik conference

Moon over one of Dubrovnik's Fortresses

This is E writing.  My last week in Switzerland I went to a conference in Cavtat, Croatia.  It's right on the Adriatic, very beautiful (and reminiscent of the Italian coast directly opposite, based on what I saw from my parent's pictures). 

Alls quiet on an early morning in Cavtat

Side streets always seem to be stairs more than streets

I didn't get to do much sight seeing since the conference was from 8am-7pm most days, but we did have a conference trip to Dubrovnik, an old city (a Roman settlement in the 7th century, then moved into by the Slavs in the 12th century, then rebuilt after an earthquake in the 16th-17th century) just down the coast.  We had a nice boat ride to the city, then a walking tour.

The best approach to Dubrovnik -- by boat

This fountain is 700 years old

At the end of the tour we had a reception at a high school, which wasn't anything like what you might imagine a high school to be.  It is housed in an old monastery (there are dozens of these in the city, which is VERY small -- maybe 15 minutes walking end to end) and run by the Jesuits, who seemed very happy to host a large group of physicists. The most amazing thing (no pictures unfortunately) was their library. They had books from the 1300s, hand copied at that time by the monks. They were in amazing condition, especially considering that they are free to browse.

After some appetizers there we went to dinner at a seafood restaurant serving probably the best octopus I've ever had -- slow cooked so it was easily cut with a fork (not at all rubbery).

It was a nice end to my scientific work in Switzerland (though maybe not the best timing since it left A and the kids to finish packing up the apartment without me).