Princess Party

Princess-themed cupcakes : Divonne-les-Bains, FR

My partner is starting up a photography business and I'm helping out. One of her (our) first gigs was a Princess Party being hosted by a friend of ours. I don't post photos of friends' kids without permission, so you'll have to trust them that were lots of princesses and princes. Instead, here's a lovely photo of the Princess cupcakes!

Photo copyright: Janet M. Kincaid, 2012

International Women's Day

Women breaking bread and connecting : La Petit Tanière, FR

We've only been home a few days, but friend Denise sent an email today to see if we were interested in going on a full moon snowshoeing event in celebration of International Women's Day. I said "Yes!", put on my warmest clothes, packed up my camera, and joined 20 women trekking through the snow in the Jura Mountains. We stopped at a buvette/farmhouse in La Petit Tanière for a fabulous dinner of Mont d'Or cheese with onions on potatoes, local sausages, and bread. Really yummy! The event was organized by Charlaine Jannerfeldt of SHEzone and was a lot of fun. It was a great way to celebrate the day.

Mont d'Or cheese with onions over potatoes and local sausage : La Petit Tanière, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/12

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

Alpages a la Gruyères

Des Alpages : Gruyères, CH

This time of year in the Alps of Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, and Germany, is the end of the grazing season for the cattle. Many of the villages and towns put together small parades or larger festivals celebrating the return of the cows--and in some places, the sheep and goats, too--from the mountains and hillsides. In French, it's called des Alpages. In German, it's called the Almabtrieb. I just call it "FUN!" Today, we went to Gruyères and had to pull onto the shoulder to let the cows and their herders by. Here is some video.

Video copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 10/11

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

Růžena Zátková 2.0

Růžena Zátková by Mestrovic : Prague, CZ

Just a few shots from the Růžena Zátková Exhibit at the Prague Castle. The sculpture above is by the Yugoslav-Croatian artist Ivan Mestrovic.

Experiencing Růžena : Prague, CZ

It was great to see people coming into the exhibit and experiencing the art and life of this little-known Czech artist. The hope is that an exhibit in Italy will be just as well received!

The Piledriver by Růžena Zátková : Prague, CZ

If you missed my entry about this exhibit back in April, go here.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Documenting Růžena

 Růžena Zátková by Mestrovic : Prague, CZ

As I stated earlier, the whole point of this recent trip to Prague was to film the exhibit featuring the artwork of Maya's great-grandmother, Růžena Zátková. The exhibit closes today (31 July) and this art may not be seen again for several years. (The curator, Alena Pomajzlova, is hoping to do a similar exhibit in Italy in a couple of years, but that remains to be seen.) Maya hired a camera man--a lovely expat Aussie named Kieran D'Arcy--and Monday was spent shooting Růžena's art and interviewing Alena.

Lights! Camera! Action! : Prague, CZ

Left to right in the photo above: Dr Alena Pomajzlova of the University of Brno and the curator of the exhibit, Ms Maya Lucchitta, great-granddaughter of the artist, and Mr Kieran D'Arcy, videographer.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

More VW Happiness...

Red and Black No. 1 : Gland, CH

I loved this little number at the Gland VW event so much, I just had to do another post! The owner had it posted for sale. Wish I'd had the money to buy this little treasure.

Mini Me : Gland, CH

 Under the Hood : Gland, CH

Shiny, Pretty : Gland, CH

Karmann : Gland, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Volkswagen Heaven!

Chateau Gland and the Volkswagen Festival : Gland, CH

The lakeside town of Gland, Switzerland, hosted a Volkswagen festival, event-thingy. As we were already in Nyon having brunch with friends earlier, we drove another 10 minutes up the road to have a look. I'm glad we did!

Love in Orange : Gland, CH

There were some beautiful old Beetles, buses, Desert Foxes, and Carmen Ghias to be seen. Here are just a few. To see more, go here.

Three in a Row : Gland, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11

Rugby!

CERN v Hermance No. 1 : St. Genis, FR

CERN v Hermance No. 2 : St. Genis, FR

Friend Ali Day coaches a rugby team that represents CERN, home of the Large Hadron Collider. When Ali and his crew aren't smashing atoms and looking for the origin of the universe, they're bashing heads and looking for the win.

CERN v Hermance No. 3 : St. Genis, FR

CERN v Hermance No. 4 : St. Genis, FR

When it comes to rugby, I don't know up from down, but Ali asked us to come and photograph the CERN team in the semi-finals against the down-and-dirty playing team from Hermance. I couldn't tell you the final score, except I do know Hermance won and I do know we had a lot of fun. Note: CERN are in blue and white, Hermance in red and green.

CERN v Hermance No. 5 : St. Genis, FR

CERN v Hermance No. 6 : St. Genis, FR

Big thanks to friend Les Olson for lending us a 70-300mm. If you want to see the full set, visit my Picasa Web Album.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 7/11. All rights reserved. For copies or permission to reprint, please contact me by email.

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

Růžena Zátková

Sculpture of Růžena Zátková by the Jugoslavian artist Ivan Meštrović :
Imperial Stables : Prague Castle : Prague, CZ

The whole purpose of the trip to Prague was to participate in several events related to the life and work of Czech artist and futurist, Růžena Zátková. Růžena is Maya's great-grandmother and her father's grandmother.

Her most famous work is on the left in the background, but her art was wide-ranging and
shows her mind, craft, and skill evolving over time and as a result of extraordinary
opportunities and jarring life experiences : Imperial Stables : Prague Castle : Prague, CZ

A few years ago, very tenacious researcher at the Prague Museum of Art named Alena Pomajzlova started looking into the life of Růžena. The final result is a monograph about the life of this lesser-known Czech artist and an entire exhibit at the Prague Castle featuring her work. Růžena Zátková died at the age of 38 in Leysin, Switzerland, of tuberculosis. She is buried in Prague.

Dr Ivo Lucchitta, grandson of Růžena Zátková, as seen through his
grandmother's sculpture : Imperial Stables : Prague Castle : Prague, CZ

To see photos taken by Maya at this exhibition, go here. You can also visit my Picasa Web Album to see a few more pictures of Růžena's art. If you're visiting Prague any time soon, be sure to see this exhibit.

Last Look : Růžena Zátková Exhibit :
Imperial Stables : Prague Castle : Prague, CZ

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 4/11

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

We Gather Together...

 We Gather Together... : Thanksgiving in France : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Last night, my boss hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for nine American expats and 21 people of other nationalities. We had folks from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, Russia, and the United Kingdom. The food was fabulous, but the company was the best part. We enjoyed the six culinary elements of Thanksgiving: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie, as well as offerings from around the world. It was an international smorgasbord and it was wonderful!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Impromptu Almabtrieb

Almabtrieb : Lauterbrunnen, CH

As we were packing up and preparing to settle our bill with the hotel, the cleaning lady came down the stairs and loudly pronounced, in English, "They're bringing the cows down from the mountain." Maya and I had been telling Rachel all about des Alpages (French) / Alpaufzug (Austria) / Almabtrieb (Swiss) and lamenting that her visit wouldn't coincide with events being held in Annecy, France, in October. Much to our delight, these smaller villages don't have an organized event and we were present for Lauterbrunnen's Almabtrieb this year! More pictures here. You can see last year's photos of the Alpages in Annecy here.

 Decorated for the trip down the mountain for the winter : Lauterbrunnen, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Dinner

Decent cut of steak : Aboard the CGN Savoie : Lake Geneva, CH

One of my ongoing complaints quests is to find good beef in Europe without going broke. So far, the only decent beef I've had was either imported from Argentina or was had at Soupçon, a restaurant in Geneva. The menu for the dinner cruise on the CGN Savoie offered a New York sirloin, rather than the traditional l'entrecôte cut that is so common over here. (Eating the sole of shoe is often tastier and more tender than eating l'entrecôte. But I digress.) Having noted an American cut of steak on the menu, I figured what the heck. It wasn't too bad, but it also wasn't great.

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

Bon Anniversaire

Elsie, an Aussie Jack Russell, beseechingly seeks some birthday cake : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Yesterday was my boss's 50th 30th birthday. A few of us threw a party for her at the home of mutual friends and a grand time was had by all! I took a few pictures, but this was my favorite. This is Elsie, an elderly Jack Russell who still knows how to turn a puppy trick or two. Seriously, though, this was the only picture I took that didn't feature people, so I thought I'd give Elsie 15 minutes of fame. (The people pictures are on Facebook.) :-)

Happy Birthday, Faith!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 8/10

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