new campus

While I am keeping my office at Porte Dauphine, undergoing major renovations (of the 1955 NATO building!), I am now spending most of my time in a more modern campus, called PariSanté, located at Porte de Versailles, with medical research teams and startups. This is where our master MASH will be located. The place is very luminous and despite the close proximity with the Paris beltway (le périf’), quiet (and much quieter than Paris Dauphine). It is also an ecological absurdity, with a huge sunroof that could not be shaded during the heat waves, plastic trees, self-induced lights, and compulsory lifts. On the memory lane, it is a trip back 35 years ago, as it sits across the road from the Balard military compound where I spent most of my military service in 1987 (working on my PhD in a research department).  And it is conveniently located half-way between home and Paris Dauphine, although not skipping the tough hill of Porte de Versailles on the way back..!

new bike

My university, Paris Dauphine, has recently introduced some support for its cycling staff as a substitute for the compulsory support for public transportation costs. Meaning reimbursing part of the cost of buying a new bike over two years. After one too many trip to the bike repair shop, I thus started looking for a sturdy enough gravel-like) bike with disk brakes (that did not need changing every three weeks!) to handle the Paris cobbles and saw this Trek Domane on sale at the (same) shop, which I bought when returning from Québec. After a few weeks of using it (solely) between home and campus, never to go shopping or swimming!, I am definitely appreciating the comfort and efficiency of this new bike! Hopefully, this will last over the Fall, despite worsening conditions in weather and traffic!