BRUXELLES, LE 8 April 1953 [Date handwritten]

11, RUE D'EGMONT

Dearest love:

Today was my working day. From the schedule I expected to speak tomorrow — Edwin Cohn and Kai Pedersen were to appear today. But Cohn did not come, nor did he write his report, nor inform them of his defection until two weeks ago; so he was not on today's program — a Belgian has been working hard to fill this gap, and will report later. Pedersen (who sends you his regards, and looks forward to seeing you in Stockholm, as does also Tiseluis [?] (Mrs. T. is not here; she has the flu)) spoke, and the discussion

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of his paper lasted until mid-afternoon (we had a good lunch; our meetings are in the Cité Estudiantine, of the Université Libre, founded as a private university, & now supported by the government). Havinga took part in the discussion, & said that I should tell about sickle-cell anemia, which I did briefly, just before lunch.

Then at mid-afternoon I gave my report. It was well received, but discussion is postponed until tomorrow morning, when Bragg begins it. Lady Bragg is here too. We then had tea, & met the Rector, who spent two months teaching philosophy in Claremont College, four years ago.

Bragg said that the Solvay

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Congress for Physics next year will be on the subject of metals.

After tea we rode the tram (Karrer & I — Mrs. Karrer had been present at the lunch, but not the tea; she sends her regards to you) back to the Club. I hunted around for a movie, and went to one by Rene Clair, "Les Belles de Nint." It is very clever and amusing — about a young pianist & composer who lives over a garage & teaches elementary school & gives piano lessons. He is driven nearly wild by the noises of the revved-up cars, the air hammer digging up the streets, the hack saw, etc; he can't sleep, and when he does sleep he has dreams about himself as a leading composer & hero in former times — 1900, 1830, Foreign Legion, with the Three Musketeers, leading the Revolution against the nobles — also being a noble (or musician with them) & taken to the guilletine [sic], in the stone age in a Jeep, etc. He rescues girls right & left. Finally all ends well; his composition is performed at the Paris Opera.

Much love from

Paddy.