Gruyères: The HR Giger Museum

 Museum HR Giger : Gruyères, CH

In addition to being famous for cheese and double cream, Gruyères is also well-known for being the home of the HR Giger Museum. Giger is best known for his work on the movie Aliens. This museum pays homage to his career and his private collection. It is, to say the least, bizarre. Photography isn't allowed inside the museum, so these are all exterior shots. Kitty-corner to the museum is the Giger Bar. The last photo is from inside the bar.

Detail on the Exterior : Museum HR Giger : Gruyères, CH

A tipple... : Giger Bar : Gruyères, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 10/11

Gruyères: The Town

 The quaint Fribourgian town of Gruyères, home of Gruyère cheese : Gruyères, CH

Gruyères the town is very quaint. We enjoyed a lovely lunch and then wandered the streets. Gruyères is a medieval town, so there's an old town wall. There are cute shops throughout and a couple of museums. If you want to buy Gruyère cheese or Gruyère double cream, this is the place to do it.

 Medieval Gruyères : Gruyères, CH

Church and cemetery : Gruyères, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 10/11

Gruyères: The Alpages

Des Alpages : Gruyères, CH

Yesterday, we went to Gruyères to meet some friends for lunch. We got a little lost and ended up caught in the annual Alpages where the Swiss bring their livestock down from the mountains for the winter. It was a beautiful day for it and it's always fun to see the Swiss holding on to their traditions in this 21st century world.

 All decked out... : Des Alpages : Gruyères, CH

These are definitely not filthy, stockyard American cows. These bovines have enjoyed summers in the high pastures and meadows of the Alps, eating grass and clover and soaking up the sun. If you're a cow in Switzerland, you're livin' the good life!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 10/11

Charlie's Perspective

Underside : First, CH

When you're only 8" tall (20 cm), your perspective is pretty low. Charlie is quite a trooper when it comes to going up and down various Alpine elevations. These are just a few photos of the view from his level.

Aspirational : Schrekfeld, CH

Heading down... : Between Schrekfeld and Bort, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/11

Wanderung

Hiking in the Berner Oberland : First, CH

 After visiting Trümmelbach Falls, we left the Lauterbrunnen Valley and drove over to the neighboring Grindelwald Valley. From the town of Grindelwald, we caught a gondola and rode up to First, CH--nearly 8,000 ft above sea level (about 2,200 m ASL). On the return, we decided to hike back down to the station at Schreckfeld. Along the way, we passed hikers going up.

 A different view of the Jungfrau : First, CH

Typical Swiss Alpine scene--cows and mountains : First, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/11

Trümmelbach Falls

Trümmelbach Falls : Trümmelbach, CH

On our last day in Lauterbrunnen, we drove back up toward Stechelberg. About halfway there, we stopped at Trümmelbach Falls. The falls are the glacier defile for the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. The falls are inside the mountain and accessible by elevator and stairs. They produce nearly 5,300 gallons (20,000 liters) of water per second. The falls are incredibly impressive and worth the 11 Swiss francs for admission.

The Corkscrew : Trümmelbach Falls : Trümmelbach, CH

The river at the end of the falls... : Trümmelbach, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/11

Eispalast

Looking back at the entrance to the Eispalast (Ice Palace) : Jungfraujoch, CH

One of the fun features of the Jungfraujoch is the Eispalast. Carved out of the glacier, the Eispalast features a Tim Burtonesque tunnel leading to a few rooms with fun ice sculptures. Just a few pictures below for your enjoyment!

Igloo, seals, and an indigenous person (aka: Eskimo) : Jungfraujoch, CH

Scrat, the saber-toothed squirrel, finally gets his nut! : Jungfraujoch, CH

And, of course, it isn't Switzerland if there isn't a watch ad somewhere. 

This one is for Tissot Swiss Watches : Jungfraujoch, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/11

Aletschgletscher

Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe) : Jungfrau, CH

To reach the "Top of Europe" on the Jungfraujoch, you have to ride a cog train from Kleine Scheidigg to a train station deep in the mountain. The 5.8 mile (9.3 km) ride takes 50 minutes and brings you to a platform 11,332 feet ASL (3,454 meters ASL)--the highest train station in all of Europe!

The top of the Aletschgletscher : Jungfrau, CH

The main reason to travel to the top of the Jungfraujoch is to see the largest glacier in western Europe, the Aletschgletscher. The glacier is 14 miles (23 km) long and, at its thickest point, nearly 3,330 ft deep (~1 km). To see a photo of the glacier from space, go here.

Crevass : Jungfrau, CH

Strata : Jungfrau, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/11

Blick von Kleine Scheidigg...

Blick von Kleine Scheidigg, CH

Once we arrived in Kleine Scheidigg, this was the view that greeted us: The Jungfrau, Mönch, and Eiger in all their ginormous glory!

Eiger Reflection : Kleine Scheidigg, CH

Blick auf Grindelwald im Tal : Kleine Scheidigg, CH

Not only is there a great view of this magnificent Alpine trio, but from Kleine Scheidigg, you can look down the valley and see the town of Grindelwald. If you click on the photo, you can see it off in the distance at the foot of the mountains.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/11

Wengen to Kleine Scheidigg

 

On the Ascent from Lauterbrunnen, looking down the valley :
Lauterbrunnen, CH

On Monday, we decided to ride the cog train from Lauterbrunnen to Kleine Scheidigg. The 50-minute ride takes you through the town of Wengen and to the base of Switzerland's three most famous peaks after the better-known Matterhorn: the Jungfrau (Virgin), Mönch (Monk), and Eiger (Ogre). I'm sure there's some legend behind the names of the peaks, but I couldn't find anything.

The Jungfrau with a altocumulus lenticular cloud formation atop its summit :
Kleine Scheidigg, CH

Cog Train ascending... : Wengen, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/11

An Unplanned Vacation

View of the Alps : Schilthorn, CH

Recently, work has been, shall we say, bureaucratic, so we decided to take a few days and get away to the Alps. Friend and colleague Mary C. was in town from Atlanta. She and her husband used to live in Oxford, UK, but had never been to the Alps before. We rang up Mary and asked her if she'd like to join us today as long as she was willing to ride the train back to Geneva at the end of the evening. She enthusiastically said, "Yes!" So, off we went. Here are a couple of pictures taken from the top of the Schilthorn--10,000 ft above sea level!

Alpine flora : Schilthorn, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/11

Droplets

Macro Droplets : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

In the Air / On the Lake

Fly-by : In the air over Morges, CH

As the dogs were romping along the shore of Lac Leman, I looked up in the air and spotted this biplane. According to photography friend Alistair Scott, it's an old Russian Antonov An-2. The same manufacturer that makes this little thing also makes the world's biggest plane--the Antonov An-225.

Vadar's Boat? : Off the shore of Morges, CH

 Meanwhile, out on the lake, there were a number of sailboats. This one in particular stood out and made me think of Star Wars and Darth Vadar!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Doggy Play Date!

Dogs! Dogs! Dogs! (And a few humans...) : Morges, CH

This weekend, the folks who facilitated our adoption of Charlie threw a get together with a bunch of dog owners and their dogs. All of these dogs were rescued by AIDAS and all of them have been placed in good homes with owners who adore their four-legged friends. There were 15 dogs in the group. I think Charlie was a little overwhelmed by all the action, but mostly had fun. I carried him into Lac Leman a few times and he swam a bit.

Nathalie and her dogs, Tilou and Pepito : Morges, CH

This is the woman who fostered Charlie. Nathalie cares for two dogs herself--Pepito (on the right) and Tilou (on the left). Pepito seemed to remember Charlie and was quite excited to see him. Tilou was a little indifferent!

Lindy and her rescued quadrapeds : Morges, CH

This is Rosalinde--Lindy for short--and she's the woman who facilitated our adoption with AIDAS. She and Nathalie are both two of the loveliest people who feel passionately about the dogs and cats they rescue. We're very fortunate to have met them and are so grateful we found Charlie through them.

Charles "Boy" Bentley, a.k.a. Charlie : Morges, CH

This is one of the last photos I took near the end of our Morges gathering. Charlie was feeling a little overwhelmed, because he couldn't figure out who his pack was in all of those dogs. Eventually, he just sat back and watched all of the commotion. We went home not long after that.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Betrayal for Peace: 1938 - 1945

Monument to German Occupation, 1938 - 1945 : Prague, CZ

In 1938, Germany's National Socialist Workers' Party, led by the dictator Adolf Hitler, began threatening war against then-Czechoslovakia for land bordering Germany known as the Sudatenland. Hitler had already taken over Austria and was threatening war in Europe. In an effort at appeasement, the British and the French, in a colossal betrayal of an ally that would prove fruitless in the end, signed over Czechoslovakia to Germany. The hope was, if Hitler was granted the Sudatenland, he'd cease his saber-rattling and be satisfied with the additional Lebensraum (living space) for Germany and Germans and quietly go away. The Czechs were not present at the signing of the Munich Agreement (or the Munich Betrayal, as it became known in Czechoslovakia) and, when they protested, the British and French told the Czechs, if they rose up against the Germans, the Brits and French would consider it an act of aggression and would come to Germany's defense. This monument memorializes Germany's occupation of Czechoslovakia from 1938 until 1945, when the country was liberated by Patton's U.S. Third Army.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Parking through Prague

Palace Gardens : Prague, CZ

The last time we were in Prague, we joked about "porking through Prague." We weren't referring to some kind of illicit, sexual orgy, but rather that every night, we tried out a different pork or meat dish at dinner. On this trip, we discovered or were shown some really fabulous gardens and have decided that on our next trip to Prague, we will be "parking through Prague." These gardens below the Castle were once part of the Castle vineyards. If you start at the top and work your way down, you get to see some lovely spaces and views of the city. There is a fee to visit the parks, but it's worth every crown.

Parking through Prague : Prague, CZ

Quaint little fountain in a park : Prague, CZ

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

St. Vitus Cathedral

Main Portal : St. Vitus Cathedral : Prague, CZ

As anyone who reads this blog knows, I love a good cathedral. I enjoy photographing them, I appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into them, and I like their history. I confess, I know nothing about St. Vitus. I also have to say I was I was thoroughly underwhelmed by this cathedral. You have to pay to enter the main sanctuary and approach the altar area. I wasn't willing to do that, so as a result, I have only a few photos of Prague's most prominent landmark.

Mosaic : St. Vitus Cathedral : Prague, CZ

Stained Glass : St. Vitus Cathedral : Prague, CZ

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Prague Castle Grounds

Chatting : Prague Castle : Prague, CZ

Just a few more random photos after the documentary shoot in the Imperial Stables at the Prague Castle. Maya and Alena stand outside the exhibit space, chatting and waiting for Alena's mother.

Czech Guard : Prague Castle : Prague, CZ

While we were waiting for Alena's mother, I stepped outside the castle grounds and snapped a photo of this young man guarding the entrance to the palace.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

View of Prague

 View of Prague from the Restaurant Villa Richter : Prague, CZ

While Kieran was shooting B-roll, Maya and I took her cousin, Petra Tondera, to lunch at the Villa Richter. It was a beautiful day and the views of Prague's Old Town and the Charles Bridge were spectacular!

Charles Bridge (Upper middle distance) : Prague, CZ

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11