Prague by Night, Part I

Portal to the Charles Bridge on the Old Town side : Prague, CZ

We arrived in Prague in the early afternoon of 6 April and, once we were settled in our respective apartments, we went out to find an ATM, buy some groceries, and then find some dinner. Friends Rachel and Chris came from Seattle to join us and we did a little exploring around Prague after dark.

Moon over Old Town : Prague, CZ

Scene on the Charles Bridge : Prague, CZ

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 4/11

Supermoon

Supermoon : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Tonight's sky featured what the press is calling a supermoon. According to Wikipedia, a supermoon "is a full or new moon that coincides with a close approach by the moon to the Earth." This results in a moon that looks a little larger and a lot brighter than normal. That was certainly the case tonight. Unfortunately, I only have an 18-200 lens, so this isn't the best picture. In fact, I had to modify it a bit in the post-photo production process. Still, it was a gorgeous moon! Hope everyone else has a chance to enjoy this infrequent event.

Shadow of the Supermoon : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/11

La Grande Rue

La Grande Rue : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Ferney-Voltaire isn't a very big town, but like most towns and villages in France, it has a main street. In these parts, it's called the Grande Rue. This particular street is home to many of Ferney's cafes, restaurants, and boutique shops. On Saturday's, it's where the non-food vendors set up and sell their wares.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 12/10

La Fonda

La Fonda decks its halls : Basel, CH

During our Thanksgiving weekend in Basel last month, we walked past our favorite Mexican restaurant in all of Switzerland--La Fonda. It was all decked out for the holidays and I snapped this picture.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Christmas Market Fun

On a whirling swingy thing : Freiburg Christkindlmarkt : Freiburg, DE

There's something at the Christmas market for children of all ages. For the little kids, there are carnival rides and for the big kids, there's Glühwein (FR: vin chaud; EN: mulled hot wine) and hot Christmas punch. Having never ridden on those whirling swingy things (that's the official technical term, by the way. Whirling swingy things), we decided to give it a, erm, whirl.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee! : Freiburger Christkindlmarket : Freiburg, DE

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Basel Christmas

Shopping for wood-carved ornaments : Basel Christmas Market : Basel, CH

Glass ornaments : Basel Christmas Market : Basel, CH

I love how the towns around here decorate for the holidays. I especially love all of the outdoor Christmas markets with their unique gifts, hot Christmas punch, and festive moods. Here are a few pictures from around the Gross Stadt in Basel, Switzerland. Last weekend, we covered three Christmas markets: Basel, CH; Colmar, FR; and Freiburg, DE. I'll feature photos from each over the next day or so. And for the record, the Christmas markets in the German-speaking countries are the best. Colmar was suppose to be one of the must-see markets of Europe and it was a dud.

Even the local cigar shop is festive : Basel, CH

Basel Rathaus and Tree : Basel, CH

P.S. The snow is real. We had a nice dusting that lent a chill and even more festive air to the whole scene. It was lovely! To see a few more photos from around Basel, go here.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Webbing

Caught in a web : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Hotel de France

Hotel de France : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Not much to tell here. These are photos of the Hotel de France on the Grand Rue in Ferney-Voltaire. Supposedly the restaurant is one of the best in town, but having not eaten there yet, I can't confirm that.

 Reservation pour deux, s'il vous plait : Hotel de France : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

On another note, Happy Thanksgivingto my American friends and family! May your day be filled with warmth and with those whom you love, and may the next year be one of bounteous blessings.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Intimate Moments

Intimate : Aboard the CGN Savoie : Lake Geneva, CH

Quiet moments on board the CGN Savoie...
 

Night cruising : Aboard the CGN Savoie : Lake Geneva, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Jet d'Eau Pride

Jet d'Eau Pride : Geneva, CH

Sunday featured a dinner cruise on Lake Geneva (Lac Leman). Before boarding the CGN Savoie, I snapped this picture of the Jet d'Eau. Later, on the boat, I captured Geneva's most famous icon with Switzerland's iconic flag.

Swiss Pride : Aboard the CGN Savoie : Lake Geneva, CH

Sailing back into town a few hours later, I caught a night shot of the fountain and the city's waterfront. This last shot isn't that great, but it has a great story. I ran into the captain of the boat and told him how beautiful the CGN Savoie was (more on that in another post) and he invited me and Maya up to the bridge for the return to Geneva. I wish I'd had my tripod...

Geneva Waterfront and the Jet d'Eau at night : Aboard the CGN Savoie : Lake Geneva, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Gettin' Artsy

Rockets' Red Glare : F

I fiddled with this photo from the . It wasn't one of my better photos, but by playing with it and adjusting various settings, it became a little more interesting.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 8/10

Fêtes de Genève, Part IX - Finale

The Finale featuring the Jet d'Eau : Fêtes de Genève : Geneva, CH

The Fêtes de Genève's finale featured Geneva's iconic Jet d'Eau. It was quite a spectacular way to end the night. If you want to see video of this extraordinary event that makes Geneva worth visiting in August, see the videos shot by Maya of Maya Photography. (Note: The videos take a minute or two to download, but they're worth the wait, especially the finale in the first link. Maya also took some great shots of the fireworks and you can seen them on her blog in the third link.)

THE END!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 8/10
Video copyright: Maya Lucchitta, 8/10

Fêtes de Genève, Part VIII

Fêtes de Genève : Geneva, CH

There were some good rounds in the second half of the show, but my pictures from this half aren't as good as the first. That's because I switched from using a tripod and a long shutter speed (1.5 seconds) to hand-held and a short speed (1/6). I thought the photos would turn out well, but they're only okay and rather wobbly. Lesson learned? Stick with the tripod.



Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 8/10

Fêtes de Genève, Part VII

Fêtes de Genève : Geneva, CH

In looking back through my photos, I have to say, the first half of the show was better than the second. That said, though, what I found interesting in the second half were the dark fireworks. Some of the pyrotechnics had a monochromatic effect and were quite dramatic, as compared to the brighter reds, greens, and oranges of the earlier show.



Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 8/10

Fêtes de Genève, Part VI

The beginning of the second half of the Fêtes de Genève : Geneva, CH

The Fêtes de Genève is a two-part performance featuring pyrotechnic displays by two companies who compete to put on the best show. Frankly, both of them were pretty darn good, if you ask those of us who were seeing them.



Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 8/10

Fêtes de Genève, Part V

 Pretty purple pyrotechnics! : Fêtes de Genève : Geneva, CH

But wait! There's more!! (If you must know, I took 447 photos during this pyrotechnic display. I've got to do something with all these photos...)



Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 8/10

Fêtes de Genève, Part IV

Fêtes de Genève continued... : Geneva, CH

And again, more fireworks. (They never get old, do they?)



Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 8/10

Fêtes de Genève, Part III

Act I of the Fêtes de Genève : Geneva, CH

More from the Fêtes de Genève...



Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 8/10

Fêtes de Genève, Part II

Let the show begin! : Fêtes de Genève : Geneva, CH

This is the 10th year of the Fêtes de Genève--Geneva's lakefront festival that includes the largest fireworks display in Switzerland and one of the largest in the world. The display has a theme--this year's was the circus--and is choreographed to music. The fireworks are set up on 14--count 'em: FOURTEEN--barges in the harbor! The results are nothing less than absolutely spectacular!

I've seen a lot of fireworks displays in Washington, D.C., which are pretty amazing, but this event beat the annual 4th of July events hands down. While Geneva isn't all that pleasant in August, this is a festival worth coming to Europe, and especially to Geneva, to see. The display went on for over an hour, so I'm going feature groupings of fireworks for the next couple of days.



Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 8/10

Zenith

Zenith : Geneva, CH

I included this in a slideshow a week or so ago, but I like it so much, it deserves its own entry. Geneva ain't much to look at in the daylight, but it's kind of magical at night.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 4/10