In 2003 I visited Allan at his home in Messina after I had met him briefly at the University of Tübingen where I worked as a Postdoc. After lunch Allan invited me to sit with him on the balcony. I remember this scene as if it were yesterday: blue sky, warm sun, and a view across the bay of Messina – in fact, too nice to be true – and Allan sitting on my right hand side. In this wonderful Mediterranean atmosphere he asked me: “What interests you about science and about sleep”? I was stunned! Allan was the first person ever who asked me about my scientific interests. This came so as a surprise to me that it took a while for me to answer. There I was, sitting on a balcony in Messina with Allan Hobson and he caring about my interests. Ever since that time we stayed in contact and I had the honour to spend many times with him in Sicily at his home in the countryside and at his farm in Vermont. I learned a lot from him about the mechanism of sleep regulation, dreaming, and how to lead a scientific discussion on solid arguments. Ever lasting memories.
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