Dwight Peck's personal website

Mr Peck's frustratingly busy summer 2002


Summer 2002 swooped in fast, blasted by over our heads with an acrid smell, and disappeared over the horizon. Mr D. Peck, for a large number of work-related reasons, was unable to plan any holidays from 2001 right all the way through 2002, until after the 8th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and well into the spring of 2003 for that matter. He snatched an hour or two when he could, of course, but when Mr Charles Berman came to Europe in July -- it was his turn, we've had to go to the USA for the past two summers -- the poor man was pretty much on his own.

No worries -- Sir Charles and Prof Lisa Durham went to the convent in Italy for 4th of July celebrations, then (as Lisa shlepped his luggage over on the train) the worthy gentleman rode his bicycle up through northern Italy and over the Simplon Pass.

Arthur, Charlie, Judy, and Lisa work the Italian nuns into a 4th of July frenzy

Bouncing gingerly back and forth between Bassins, Aigle, and Leysin as he pursued his quaint ideas of fun for a month and, mainly, read newspapers in sidewalk cafés all over the canton of Vaud, Professor Berman was able to spare a few days for a nostalgic hike up Jaman and another with his buddies to Truex and Famelon in the Leysin area.

Informal ACS reunion at the Chalet des Fers in the rain, July 2002.

Seizing the opportunity of the Secretary General's consent to a four-day weekend in late July, Mr Peck darted off with Mr Berman for a walk over the mountains into Italy, and then back again.

Peck cavorting at the Fenêtre de Durand, en route for Italy.

Following all which, the former Leysinoud trotted along amiably ahead of Profs. Durham, Peck, and Pirri to view one of their favorite destinations in recent years, Mont Tendre in the Swiss Jura.

Jeering one another's literary opinions on Mont Tendre

And then, on the eve of departure back to the Land of Homeland Security and the War on Terrists, His Bermanship mingled with the crowd at Prof Durham's birthday party in Aigle, on the Swiss National Day, 1 August 2002.

Pop versions of well-known arias at Lisa's birthday party

Late in the summer, Dr Peck threatened to buy a gun and shoot his way out of the Ramsar Bureau, so the Secretary General cunningly relented and young Marlowe Peck was able to come along from the USA for two weeks at the end of August, during which time she went camping amongst the cows, etc. and . . .

Marlowe and the attack of the Cow Commandos on Mont Tendre

took a drive up to do the weekendy tourist thing at wonderful Colmar and Strasbourg in the Alsace-Lorraine, following which . . .

Colmar and Strasbourg - tons of 16th and 17th century architecture that luckily escaped US and British bombing

she went over to northern Italy to do some hiking with friends Dad, Lisa, and André (Dante) in the Val d'Ollomont and the Valpelline, partially in the rain.

Marlowe descending sheepishly from the Cheval Blanc towards dinner in Ollomont, Italy, 24 August 2002.

September hikes

Cornettes de Bise

Plan de Nevé

Col de Lys, Préalps


Feedback and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative, . All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 27 October 2002, revised 19 January 2008, 11 February 2014.


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