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4. LausanneWhen i departed the train in Lausanne I found the Jay's Hotel Continental www.hotelcontinental.ch was just across the street. The front desk had Jay come down and greet me, and we went up to his room. He and Belle were busy and stressed about the competition. We talked about the times we should rendezvous (no cellphones), then i went and checked in at the hostel. I stopped in the McDonalds and talked to a girl named Florence. She gave me her phone number. I phoned her once I was back in USA and we became pen-pals, writing each other on the back of McDonalds placemats! (Then when I returned to Lausanne in 1986 we spent a day with her and her bf Erik.) One thing I remember at the hostel, we were talking to a guy who has traveled from Poland to attend FISM, then he zoned out and fell, smacking his head hard, and bleeding. I ran to the kitchen asking for a rag but they were "it's not dinner yet." He came around and was ok - said he has epilepsy and had no recollection of it. The hostel has a day limit, 2 or 3 nights. After that I went to the information booth at the train station and a girl in front of me was trying to find a room. I asked her if she would like to share a room. She said "ok" - so we walked to the hotel together, and spent about 3 nights there. Mostly we kept to ourselves (and "nothing happened" in case anyone is curious.) One evening I joined Jay and Bell to go out in one of the boats - similar to the boat in "skaters" photo below.
This is the Hotel Continental building, and the McDonalds where I met Florence
Back then a Swiss Franc was about 1/2 U.S. dollar. Even so the prices were about double USA prices.
This was the Lausanne Youth Hostel. It has since been replaced.
Hotel du Boulevard - (Recent photo from Internet)
Our Room "trente-trois" (33) in Hotel du Boulevard
My Hotel du Boulevard roommate at the Cathedral - I don't recall her name. She lived in mid-west and had just graduated from dental school
Street scene
Skaters at Lake Geneva shore
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