The forgetfulness of the long-distance writer

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Martin Moodie
Martin Moodie is the Founder & Chairman of The Moodie Report.
The Hotel Bristol Geneva Interim Bureau is open for business.

Room 305 last night, room 503 today, I’m ending up on the wrong floor constantly and getting my credit card pins mixed up with my room numbers and vice versa.

I think all this travel might be getting to me. Two weeks ago I went on a five-city trip in seven days and forgot to pack any socks, yes even my beloved Happy Socks and Paul Smith variants.

In all my many instances down the years of forgetting things in the rush to make a flight, though, I managed to break new ground yesterday by forgetting my laptop. And that’s despite having rigorously carried out my now mandatory pre-tax check at home of the items I usually forget: Passport? Yes. Laptop charger? Yes. Mouse? Yes. Phone charger? Yes. Digital recorder? Yes. Swiss adaptor? Yes.

(Above and below) Neuchâtel in all its winter glory.

Even at my most creative though, a laptop charger and a mouse aren’t much good without a laptop to accompany them. Courtesy of a friendly neighbour and a rapid Uber driver, my laptop did make it with me on the plane to… where was it again?

Ah yes, Geneva. If it’s Tuesday, and I think it is, it must be Switzerland. Yesterday Neuchâtel for an overdue reacquaintance with some former (thankfully) Moodie International associates, today Geneva to visit Nous, dubbed the “world’s first real airport concept store” by Emmanuel Collomb, CEO of Geneva-based 21st Luxury Group (and former Franchise & Development Director for Caviar House & Prunier).

In January 2018 the company also opened a Nous flagship concept store store in Paris on the prestigious Rue Cambon (famously the home to Chanel), which has generated outstanding success. It has since followed up with a second Parisian store.

Emmanuel is a lovely man and I’m looking forward to seeing the airport and downtown shops (pictured below), and Label Noir Manufacture where his company customises master pieces based on prestigious watch brands such as Rolex and Audemars Piguet.

At least I’ll be able to write about them all from my Interim Bristol Hotel Bureau here in the heart of Geneva. It’s a lovely traditional old hotel with an elevator that looks as though it was built in the 19th century but which might take until the 22nd century to get you to your floor.

My trusty laptop is back where it belongs and looks to be in considerably better shape than its rather battle-weary and flu-ridden master. It works even better when I stop trying to use my American Express pin number to log on with.

Aelia Duty Free has revamped the Geneva Airport arrivals shop nicely since taking over the concession from former retailer Dufry.
Note the prominence given to Philip Morris International’s IQOS in the walk-through store that also features a strong traditional tobacco offer.

A Swiss icon (and sponsor of this Blog), Victorinox makes an unmissable brand statement to arriving passengers.

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