Merry Christmas...

Christmas is come... : Ferney, FR

Frohe Weihnachten. Joyeux Noël. Buon Natale. Feliz Navidad. However you say it and wherever you are, may the peace and joy of Christmas be with you all. Merry Christmas!

Apartment-sized tree and Christmas bounty...

Weihnachtspyramid from the Schwarzwald in Germany

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 12/10

Windows of Chillon

Sunbeams :  Château de Chillon : Montreux, CH

Château de Chillon has lots of windows. These are just a few of the many opportunities to look out on other parts of the castle or to enjoy views of Lake Geneva and the Alps.

Million dollar view : Château de Chillon : Montreux, CH

Italianate influence? : Château de Chillon : Montreux, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 12/10

100 Strangers: Lena Welsch

Lena Welsch : Freiburger Christkindlmarkt : Freiburg, DE

It's been a while since I posted a 100 Strangers photo. This is Ms. Lena Welsch of Freiburg, Germany. She was staffing one of the many booths at the Christmas market. Her market stall features items made out of felt and range from trivets to hats, purses to dresses, and slippers to mushroom lapel pins. Like many of the vendors in Freiburg, Lena speaks excellent English. We enjoyed bantering back and forth in both English and German and really had fun talking to her. In the end, we bought a trivet from her--those flat, multi-balled items in front of her. If you have a chance to go to the Freiburger Christkindlmarkt, be sure to stop by her booth.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Knock Knock

 Door : Geneva, CH

Nothing too exciting. Just a door...

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

High Altar

Main Altar : Notre Dame St. Eglise : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

I had to play with the saturation and light levels to get this photo to look this bright. It was pretty dark inside Notre Dame St. Eglise when I took this, but I think this turned out nicely.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Gobble Gobble

Poulet : Crozet, FR

Saturday was packed with all kinds of fun. Among the items on our agenda: choosing a turkey for this coming weekend's Thanksgiving celebrations. We went with my boss out to Crozet to the turkey ranch and ordered up two birds to feed 27 people! These birds were pretty fearless and came right up to us. To see a few more pictures in color, go here.

Dinner! : Turkey at the Turkey Ranch : Crozet, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Dusk

Dusk : Bern, CH

After dinner at the Restaurant Falken, we walked back up to the park next to the Berner Münster and took a few shots of the last light of day. To see a few photos from Bern in the early evening, go here.

No. 3 : Bern, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 10/10

Automne à l'OMS

Autumn at WHO

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 10/10

100 Friends and Family : Fuerteventura Edition

Jan-Peter and Christa

Maya's uncle, Jan-Peter, and his wife, Christa, are originally from Germany. They're now retired and, based on a vacation taken long, long ago to the Canary Islands, have settled in permanently. Jan was an architect and engineer and Christa spent time in the theater and as a photographer. They were lovely hosts and we enjoyed staying with them!

Felix on the Sand Dunes near Corralejo

Jan-Peter and Christa at home with Candy

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 10/10

100 Unnamed Strangers: Arriba!

Mariachi : Puerta del Sol : Madrid, ES

October 12 is a holiday in Spain: Columbus Day. Yes, that Columbus. They, too, celebrate Columbus' discovery of the Americas. This mariachi, representing Mexico no doubt, was playing with his compatriots in the Puerta del Sol. I was fortunate that he looked right at my camera when I shot this. To see additional shots of some of Madrid's people, go here.

Watchful : Near the Plaza Mayor : Madrid, ES

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 10/10

Blick auf die Bergen von Mürren

Jungfrau at Sunset as seen from the terrace of the Hotel Edelweiss : Mürren, CH

The Schilthorn/Piz Gloria closes at 6:00 p.m., so we took the telecabine back down to Mürren. We stopped in at the Hotel Edelweiss, because they had a great view of the Jungfrau, the Lauterbrunnen Valley, and a simple repast of hearty bread, sliced meats and cheeses, and little gerkins and onions. Sunset from this point was lovely, as you can see above. To see more pictures of this moment of the day in Mürren, visit my Picasa Web Album.

 Prior to sunset : Mürren, CH

Also, I want to add a note of congratulations to my best friend, Amy Krauss, who is getting married today in Manassas, Virginia. I'm sorry I can't be there, but I'm sending all kinds of good wishes to you and Patrick! Congratulations, HB. xo

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Abenteuer

Abenteuer : Birg, CH

I snapped this photo of a young man and his father or grandfather together on the telecabine from Birg to Schilthorn.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

100 Unnamed Strangers: Morgen Fruh'

Morgen fruh'... : Basel, CH

After a glorious day in the Alsace with Rachel, Maya, and Basel-based friend Diana, I gave Rachel a whirlwind tour of Baselstadt. I go there quite frequently and it has featured often on this and my D.C. Confidential blog, so I was looking for photo opps other than my standard photos of this beautiful Swiss city on the Rhine River. I found my moment when we were at the Münster. As Rachel was photographing all the touristy stuff, I caught a photo of this gentleman enjoying the relative peace and quiet along the river.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Ariana

Statuary : Ariana Museum : Geneva, CH

When you have guests in town, it's a great excuse to see things you otherwise wouldn't. Maya and Rachel came to my work one afternoon and, in addition to a tour they took of the United Nations Palais, we went up on the roof of my workplace and enjoyed views of Geneva, the Jura, the lake, and the US Mission. We also ate lunch at the Ariana Museum, which was fun and tasty. This photo features a statue on the roof of the Ariana. I shot it through a gap between two umbrellas on the terrace where we ate lunch.



Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Sunset Clouds

Sunset in the Clouds : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

9/11

Take Photo From Here : U.S. Mission : Pregny-Chambesy, Geneva, CH

The consequences of 9/11 are seen in big ways, like increased airport and border security and small ways, like this sign at the Permanent Mission of the United States of America to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva. (Yes, that is the official title of the mission.) If you want to take a picture of this state-of-the-art, green building that houses U.S. Mission, this is where you stand to take your photos. Other locations are strictly forbidden and firmly enforced by the mission's security staff.

What I find interesting about this spot and edict, though, are two things: first, this is a sign that the terrorists have the upper hand and second, there's no arrow indicating which direction you can point your camera when taking your photo. Ostensibly, I could stand on that exact spot, swivel 45 degrees and take a photo of the main security gate. I'm pretty sure I'd end up being questioned, though, and required to delete my photo, so straight ahead it is!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Resurrection

Resurrection : Abbey at Bellelay : Bellelay, CH

I loved the light in this stairwell. I'm calling this one Resurrection.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 8/10

100 Strangers: Coraline

Coraline : Bellelay, CH

This young lady was staffing the reception desk inside the abbey at Bellelay. Her name is Coraline and she's a student. If I remember correctly, she said she'd be traveling to the U.S. in the next year and we spent a lot of time talking about places she should visit while she's there. For those of you who have traveled to the States or who live in the U.S., what sights and places do you recommend to people making their first trip to the United States?

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 8/10

Devotion

A Moment... : Cathedral of Saint Nicolas : Fribourg, CH

A quiet moment in one of the chapels in the Cathedral of Saint Nicolas.

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