Significant events in the life of the Ramsar Bureau - End-of-the-year dinner in Geneva, January 2003
End of the year 2002, woe betide it
To put 2002 well behind us, the secretariat of the Ramsar Convention determined to fête the end of the year in a very exuberant manner. Unfortunately, thanks to Ramsar COP8 in Valencia, everyone was too tired. Many were still under heavy sedation on doctor's orders or still in traction, or just hadn't found their ways back from Spain yet.
So, allowing semi-sufficient time for recovery, the traditional end of the year dinner was put off to late January, and then off we went to Geneva to tie things up properly and put quietus est to the COP year in the Paqui district of Geneva. The red light district, yes, but also the home of a very respectable small Lebanese restaurant with, apparently, an emphasis on delectable Greek cuisine.
Let's board the train and go eat!
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Wintry wait for the train |
Annika, our World Wetlands Day helper |
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Mireille, organizer of the fête |
Nassima and Jia |
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Annika and Annette, the perplexed Administrator |
Jia anticipating Lebanese cuisine enthusiastically |
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Mr and Mrs Tiéga, anticipating Lebanese cuisine | |
In the Lebanese restaurant in the Paqui, ready for the moussaka!
Our host, the Secretary General, pours for everyone. Green things in it!
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Crowd photo: Linda Bridge, center |
Crowd photo: Annette doing her Jay Leno impressions |
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Annika, Mireille, Tobias |
Jia and Julio |
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Sergei and Nassima |
Delmar and Sandra |
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Annika |
Mireille |
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Two raconteuses |
Montse (center) among admirers |
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1) Anada demonstrating practical technique |
2) Montserrat demonstrating theory |
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Tobias demonstrating gusto |
Margarita demonstrating smiling |
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Ibrahim arriving late . . . |
. . . having been certain they'd said "Zurich"! |
Sergei, the photographer of all of the above photos, but not this one [Photo: D. Peck].
