Thines, a remote village in the southern Ardeche, clings to an oval space on a rocky out crop dominating the valley below. Until the 20th century there was no road access to this village. All commerce and exchange depended on mule trains. The mule trails are still usable for hikers and this is the only…
Bell gables
In Romanesque architecture the bell gable is quite common. In regions of France such as the northern Gard and the southern Ardèche, romanesque churches are common and hence the accompanying bell gable. Some have 4 eyes, some 3, and often there are fewer bells than eyes. Le clocher à peigne est assez courant dans les…
Lauterbrunnen and the Jungfrau
Waterfalls and mountaintops : the essence of Switzerland is found in the Lauterbrunnen valley. Chutes d’eau spectaculaires et sommets enneigés, l’âme de la Suisse se trouve dans la vallée de Lauterbrunnen.
The view from Schynige Platte
Schynige Platte : an alpine garden, altitude 6500 ft, in the Bernese Oberland near Interlaken. On a good day, apart from appreciating the alpine flowers, the visitor is rewarded with excellent views on the emblematic mountains of the area : the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau. On this day, the views were not ideal….
Gingerbread house and fairytale castle
Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein : perched on hilltops in the Bavarian Alps near the Austrian border, these 2 castles, built by the Bavarian kings leave you pondering the strange obsessions of people with too much money. Hohenschwangau et Neuschwanstein : ces 2 châteaux, construits par les rois de Bavière dans les alpes bavaroises prés de la…
Logs at the lookout point
September light on the Corniche des Cévennes highway – Altitude : 3000 feet. Logs dominate the viewpoint while waiting to be moved on to the sawmill. Lumière de septembre sur la Corniche des Cévennes – altitude 900 m. Des troncs de résineux qui partagent le belvédère en attendant la suite.
Under the Dachstein
The village of Hallstatt is on the cover of most of the tour guides for Austria. With good reason as it is picture postcard pretty. And overrun with tourists in summertime. The town exists and became prosperous in past centuries due to the nearby salt mines on the flanks of the Dachstein. Sandwiched between the…
Scenes in the park
Tete d’Or park in Lyon : Legend says there was a golden statue of the head of Christ buried in these marshes, which, in the 19th century were converted into a large city park. No golden statue was ever found, but strange encounters are still possible in the park. Parc de la Tête d’Or à…
*Daibutsu
The statue of the Buddha in different guises is a key feature of the Buddhist temple. Sometimes the statues are very big. Here are some examples : Tian Tian Buddha : the biggest statue of Buddha in the world and not very old (built in the late twentieth century). The bronze statue is 34 m…
Lakes and Islands
Lago Maggiore : A big lake partly in Switzerland and partly in Italy with, near Stresa, 3 islands and 2 islets making up the Borromean Islands. One of the islands, Isola Bella, contains one of Italy’s most beautiful gardens. That’s not to say the others are not interesting either. The Isola dei Pescatore is inhabited…
January storm
Ronda Spain : January 2008 : Even in sunny southern Spain, the clouds sometimes fly low. The winter storm and low sun provide some striking contrasts over the nearby landscapes, the city and the Puento Nuevo (bridge). Ronda, Espagne : janvier 2008 : Même au sud de l’Espagne, région reputée pour son climat doux et…
Masada
In southern Israel on an isolated plateau with steep cliffs on most sides, stands the ancient fortress of Masada. Rediscovered in the 19th century and only excavated during the mid-twentieth century, the site is relatively well preserved. The Roman attack route (an artificial ramp built to overcome the site’s natural defenses) is still visible and…
Doors and alleyways
Tunisia in 2004 : Ben Ali was (still) president and the Arab spring was not in the air. The special character of this north African country is reflected in it’s town and village doors and alleyways. (Photos taken in Tunis and Hammamet, 2004.) La Tunisie en 2004 : Le président Ben Ali est toujours en…
The bridge
The Alexander III bridge in Paris. One of the most decorated bridges in the city, each decoration with a particular meaning or subject. Question : how much decoration is too much ? Le Pont Alexandre III à Paris. Construit entre 1897 et 1900 et decoré abondamment.
Parkways
Ontario, Canada, is famous for it’s parkways. Along the Saint Lawrence river banks around the town of Gananoque there is a stretch of the former main Montreal-Toronto highway, now relegated to a tourist route (the main highway now follows another route). The 40 km stretch of broad scenic parkway, once a four-lane highway, and now…
Glimpses of the Alhambra
Granada, Spain : The Alhambra, object of songs, poems, wars and battles; now a (relatively) peaceful museum. But it all depends on the number of visitors and how long you have to wait to get in… In January, with luck and clear weather, from the terraces of the Alhambra, you get a good look at…
Nagasaki temple row
Away from the port, backing up steep slopes, lies the Nagasaki temple row. Here is the oldest Obaku Zen temple in Japan, founded in 1635 for the Chinese resident community. Modern buildings share space with old structures, some original, many rebuilt in the 19th or 20th century. Because of their location and the position of…
The smile
Kyoto’s best dressed geishas will gladly pose for you, if you ask nicely, in Japanese. Le sourire des geishas à Kyoto. Pour la photo, il suffit de demander, en japonais.
