A Voyage to the End of the World!: Brasage '93, Lannion, France, 14–16 September 1993

The title of this review may be slightly misleading because Lannion is really a few kilometres from Finisterre, but it certainly seemed as if we were getting to the end of the world travelling there in a fierce equinoctial tempest, one of the worst for several years! Fortunately, the weather cleared up for the opening of the conference the following day and revealed the beauty of the Britanny landscape. Nevertheless, the remark must be made that Lannion was a peculiar choice for an International Conference in view of the fact that it is 500 km from the nearest international airport. A number of participants complained of the difficulty of communications and it is known that others abstained from participating purely because of the difficulties of reaching such an isolated spot. However, some 210 delegates arrived by all possible means. Let it nevertheless be said that the organisation was impeccable — one of the best conferences I have ever attended from that point of view. As just one example, Lannion is essentially a small, mediaeval market town that has outgrown its clothes by the advent of modern technology and the enterprises that surround it. The result is a severe lack of modern hostelries capable of lodging an influx of a couple of hundred or more persons. However, there are an adequate number a few kilometres away, in Perros‐Guirec, a small town situated over three picturesque coves on the Pink Granite Coast. The organisers had the forethought to ensure coaches were always available to shuttle the delegates between their hotels and the various events. They also engaged the services of a caterer to produce lunch and dinner each day, probably otherwise impossible if the delegates had to make their own arrangements.