U.S. Mission Instagram

U.S. Mission : Geneva, CH

The Permanent Mission of the United States of America to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva. Seriously.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Buffalo a la Suisse

Buffalo a la Suisse : Collex, CH

I have a new bus stop I use for my commute to work now. To get to it, I have to walk past a corral full of buffalo. My understanding from other expats is these are actually imported North American bison, but they're a little on the small side compared to their American cousins, which makes me wonder if they aren't European wisents. Either way, it's very amusing to see buffalo in Europe.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Chartreuse

Chartreuse : Geneva, CH

Walking to the bus on the way home, I looked up and this was my view. Out came the Apple iPod Touch and viola--another Hipstamatic print.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Doggy Wrap

Charlie naps in the netting : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

We don't have traditional screen doors or screens on the windows over here like they do in the States, so we have to improvise. In the doorway going from the kitchen to the terrace, we've strung up netting on a shower rod. Somehow Charlie wrapped himself up in it and fell asleep! It was quite cute.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Lavender's Blue, Dilly Dilly...

Lavender on the Terrace : Geneva, CH

On the eighth floor terrace at work, they have planter boxes full of all kinds of flora. Before coming to Europe, I was not a big fan of lavender, but after spending a lovely weekend in Provence surrounded by the lavender fields, I fell in love with the stuff. I'm lobbying for lavender next year in some of our planter boxes on our own terrace...

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/11

Off the Furniture...

Hold me! : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Charlie isn't allowed on the furniture unless he's being held. This is the look he gives you over the edge of the couch when he wants to be picked up!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Town Hall Meeting

Town Hall Meeting : Geneva, CH

We had a town hall meeting at work the other day to discuss reorganization plans. The ceiling tiles and lights in the Executive Board Room make for really cool photos. I couldn't resist snapping one with my Apple iPod Touch.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Sick Day

Sick Day / Hearts at Home : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Just a random photo I found in my files. When we were in London, I caught a lousy cold. After we got home, I ended up out sick from work for two or three days. I took this picture while lying in bed, suffering. :-)

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Big Tools

A very big machine harvesting the canola (rapeseed) plants in the fields where we often walk Charlie.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Cuppa Cuppa

Cuppa Cuppa : Geneva, CH

I love herbal teas. And this is my new tea cup from the Czech Republic. Nothing like a good cup of Teekanne Mint Tea on a cold morning.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/11

World No Tobacco Day

Alphorns at the World Health Organization : Geneva, CH

Today was World No Tobacco Day at the World Health Organization in Geneva. To commemorate the event, they brought in some Swiss Alphorn artists (alphornists? What do you call musicians who play alphorns, besides "breathless"?) It was a cool performance and a great way to kick off this event.

Photo and video copyrights: Janet M Kincaid, 5/11

Gothic Quaint

Gothic quaint in Ribeauville, FR

If you wander away from the main drag in Ribeauville, you'll find some quaint buildings and quiet churches scattered throughout the town. I can't remember the name of this small Gothic-style church, but I love how my photos, using my Apple iPod Touch, turned out.

Holy Mother a la Apple! : Ribeauville, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/11

The Alps a la Apple

 The Monch and a Paraglider : Mürren, CH

We took Sheryl to Lauterbrunnen and rode the Luftseilbahn to the top of the Schilthorn. Afterwards, we rode the 'bahn back down to Mürren and enjoyed watching the paragliders and eating rosti with Raclette cheese! I've already shot albums-full of pictures in this area, so I mostly left the camera in my bag and used my Apple iPod Touch instead.

The view from Piz Gloria : Schilthorn, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/11

Settee

Settee : Divonne-les-Bain, FR

Settee in the lobby of the Divonne Hotel & Spa in Divonne, France. We met a friend there on Sunday, so she could meet our visitor, Sheryl, who came over from Seattle to attend a retreat in Toulouse.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 4/11

Tallinn through the Eye of Apple

Peter the Great's intended summer get-away : Tallinn, EE

Our last evening in Tallinn, I decided to leave my camera at home and just take my Apple iPod Touch with its built-in camera and the Hipstamatic and Instagram apps. That may or may not have been the right decision. Either way, here are a few final pictures from Tallinn. Peter the Great of Russia intended to have a summer home in Tallinn, but he died before construction was completed. This is his I-never-lived-to-live-in-it palace. At one time, it was the home of Estonia's president, but he lives just up the hill from this in a Pink House.

Peter the Great's place as seen by Hipstamatic : Tallinn, EE

Library : Tallinn, EE

Recently renovated... : Tallinn, EE

Tallinn is full of wooden houses and buildings. Many of them are in various states of disrepair, but here and there throughout the city are examples of efforts to restore/gentrify these beautiful old structures.

Soviet-style bloc housing, a leftover from Estonia's days

under the Communists : Tallinn, EE

As a former Soviet satellite state, Tallinn is littered with Soviet-style block housing. According to our host, this tract isn't even the worst of it. Still, it's pretty bleak. This was the view outside my hotel window looking down from the 24th floor.

All-in-all, though, Tallinn is a lovely city and one I would highly recommend visiting as part of a package of cities. If I go back, I'll likely visit Helsinki, Finland, and St. Petersburg, Russia, in the process.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 4/11

2TC: Sneak/Peak

Senso : Geneva, CH

This week's 2 Things Challenge is Sneak/Peak. Friday's trip into downtown Geneva included a little window shopping. I snuck the above shot looking into the restaurant Senso. The maître d' was not that excited about having his picture taken. Fortunately, I caught him before he stepped out of the shot!

Then we took a peek into the window displays at the Patek Philippe salon. They don't include price tags on their watches (if you have to ask, you can't afford it), but they are the peak of Swiss watches.

Patek Philippe Salon : Geneva, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/11

On the 8

On the 8 : Geneva, CH

Yesterday, to save ourselves the headache of being stuck in Geneva's infamous evening traffic, we took the number 8 bus from the World Health Organization to the Rue du Rhone. I snapped this photo of a young woman on the bus using my Apple iPod Touch and its Hipstamatic app.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/11

Fishy

Fish pedicure tanks : Natural Fish Spa : Geneva, CH

As a Valentine's Day treat, Maya and I went to Geneva for fish pedicures at Natural Fish Spa. Fish pedicures are the latest new thing in the world of foot care. You go to a spa/salon and dunk your feet in an aquarium full of fish and they eat the dead skin off your feet and toes. It's surprisingly efficient and kind of wild. (Speaking of the wild, apparently you can experience something similar out in nature.) Unfortunately, I didn't have my good camera with me. These photos were taken using the Hipstamatic app on my Apple iPod Touch. I'll probably be going back, though, and will take better pictures next time.

My toes, being pedicured by fishes : Geneva, CH

Thanks for the pedicure, Maya. It was a total blast!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 2/11 (top photo) and Maya Lucchitta, 2/11 (bottom photo)

Hipstamatic...

Hipstamatic (Ina) No. 1 : Geneva, CH

So, I recently purchased an Apple iPod Touch. In addition to the already built-in camera, I download a cool little app called Hipstamatic. This bit of software mimics the kind of photos you use to get out of instamatic cameras. The above picture was taken at work yesterday.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/11