Geneva reunion (2)

After an unhurried morning, we set out by car with Yvette to visit and have lunch with Alec and Ann-Marie still living close to the French border at the edge of Meyrin. Long ago I memorised the route to their place on back roads. Little has changed in their immediate area, but we missed the crucial turning and got a little lost. One significant change was unexpected. Memorised instruction from decades ago were to turn left on to Chemin Vert by the large white corner house. Since our last visit five years ago, it's been painted bright yellow, making this look like a different place, as most domestic dwellings hereabouts are white or grey.

Also invited to lunch were our friend Gill and another Yvette (Morris), plus the current Holy Trinity Chaplain Alex Gordon and his wife Geraldine. Alex and I have spoken on the phone, but it was good to enjoy their company. Inevitably we reminisced about people we'd known in times past. After all, it'll be 25 years this December since we went to live and work in Geneva. It occurred to me that so many of the remarkable people who were part of church and community life all those years ago, Alex may never have heard of, since he's only been there three years. It was an amazing adventure in ministry for me, not so much because of the place, but due to those who were the Body of Christ there, with great breadth of vision and high ideas, and memories reaching back to World War Two, and the start of the international organisations that make Geneva what it is today. I could only be a keen spectator on the scene, but a grateful and privileged one.

After a long and delicious lunch with a double helping of two of Ann-Marie's legendary desserts, we parted company. Traffic congestion being what it is, there was no question of Yvette dropping me off at Cornavin station. She drove back to Chambesy station on the back roads, to take the shuttle train to Cornavin to connect with the Inter City to Brig. This stopped at Lausanne, then went on to Montreux, the journey taking just one hour. I left Clare standing on Chambesy station chatting with the two Yvettes as they waited for the outbound shuttle to take one of them back to Pont Ceard. I was sad that Clare had to return home early to resume work with a kindergarten class, but the time we had together was enjoyable and precious.

Now there are domestic tasks to continue with, and Sunday sermon preparation, plus a few visits of my own to plan in coming weeks.