to breake ice

So we are in Turku now. The first meeting we had yesterday morning. It took place in the old part of the University. In a meeting room we spotted a big technical construction – some kind of device. We of course were curious what it was, but we didn’t ask. We started to talk about, usual in such situation, things: what is common for us, where we are coming from and what we would like to do during the meeting. The question about the device was asked in the end.
The host smiled and said to as that we had been very patient. Usually a conversation about the device breaks ice between strange people and helps to start a conversation. So what it was? It was an electron microscope. It was left in that place when a university museum was moved to a new place. It also will be taken there one day. Today it is extravagant decoration of usual university office. In the photo: Helsinki… last look at the city…