Foreword: The Mysterious Label Led to the Strange Journey

This book was an accident. The idea came out of a journalistic journey. For many years I have enjoyed, as an after-dinner drink, the ancient and famous liqueur Green Chartreuse, It was so much a part of the routine of my ordinary living that I guess I never thought about it much. There were various bottles in my cellar, with different shapes and different labels. When these bottles were placed on the dining table, it was my guests who read the words and began asking the questions. Questions I found I could not answer.