Winter Beauty

Winter Hydrangea : Château de Penthes : Geneva, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/11

Es schneit...

Winter Bleh : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Woke up this morning and this was the scene outside: snow. Yuck. Bleh. I think I'm ready for spring...

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 2/11

Rime

Frosted Windshield : Ferney, FR

The weather in these parts hasn't been too bad during the daytime, but in the morning and evenings it can be quite chilly. I'm still scraping the windows every morning. This photo was taken inside the car before I scraped the windshield.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 2/11

Winter Sunset

Perfection : Lausanne, CH

After meeting Boy, we went down to the Lausanne waterfront and took photos of the sunset. From the standpoint of alignment, framing, cropping, etc., the above photo has to be one of the most perfect pictures I've ever taken. I didn't have to edit it at all.

Bank : Lausanne, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 2/11

Solstice Sanctuary

Winter Church : Collex, CH 

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/11

Winter Tree

Arteries, Veins, and Capillaries : Ferney, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/11

Ice Land

Tracks and Footprints : Ferney, FR

Sandstone-like Snow : Ferney, FR

It snowed here on Christmas Eve, which made for a magical day. By Christmas Day, though, the wind had picked up and was blowing the snow hither and yon. Between the winds and the below-freezing temperatures, it turned everything to ice, which made for some cool pics. Here are a few. And a few more.

Ripples : Ferney, FR

Ice Floes on Asphalt : Ferney, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 12/10

Blustery Mont Blanc

Blustery Mont Blanc : Seen from Collex, CH

We could see the wind blowing the snow on the peaks of Mont Blanc. We thought it was windy where we were, but that had to be some kind of wind going on up there... (Click the image for more detail.)

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 12/10

Frontier

Frontier of France and Switzerland : Ferney, FR / Collex, CH

Despite the brisk winter winds, it was time to get out of the house and get a little bit of exercise. All bundled up and equipped with YakTrax against the icy conditions, we went for a little walk across the border in Switzerland. This is right at the border crossing and looks across the vineyards of Collex's single winery and up to the Jura Mountains.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 12/10

Caffrey's First Snowshoeing Adventure

Erik and Caffrey, holding in place while another group

of snowshoe'ers, er, shoe by : St. Cergue, CH

...and mine, too. Erik and Christy invited us to go snowshoeing with them the last weekend friend Irene was in town. This was Caffrey's first time out and we all had a blast! I think I've found a winter activity I could enjoy.

Christy and Caffrey on the trail : St. Cergue, CH

 

Irene and Caffrey, playing in the powder : St. Cergue, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 12/10

Glacier

Glacier : Lauterbrunnen, CH

Nothing like the sight of a dusting of snow on a glacier to chill you to the bone. This was in Lauterbrunnen last week on the Eiger.

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

Funny Snow

Big Hair : Geneva, CH

I decided to take my camera to work today and I'm glad I did. After Tuesday/Wednesday's big snow, the sculptures on the grounds at work were a bit hilarious. Here are some of my favorites. P.S. It's suppose to snow again today. I guess winter is early? To see more photos, go here.

"I can't believe mama made me wear this. All the kids are gonna laugh at me. :-(" :
Geneva, CH

Snow warriors : Geneva, CH

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 12/10

Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

It started snowing on Tuesday night and continued snowing most of Wednesday. The result: nearly 18" of snow on the ground. I love the peace and quiet of snowfall. It was nice to stay home and be quiet for the day.

Winter pansies wilting... : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 12/10

First Snow

First snow : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

It snowed Thursday night. Friday morning, I snapped this picture outside the apartment building. By Friday afternoon, the snow was pretty much gone. More is forecast for the weekend, though.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Jura Hike

Last vestiges of winter : Jura Mountains : Gex, FR

A couple of Sundays ago, we went for a little hike in the Jura Mountains, just west of Geneva. The forest is shedding the last vestiges of winter and making way for spring. In the last few days, the temperatures have risen and the days are getting longer. I'll start posting the obligatory flower shots over the next few weeks, of course, because who doesn't love a little springtime flora? In the meantime, farewell, winter!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/10

Buffalo a la Geneva

North American Bison roam the farmland north of the airport : Colovrex, CH

When I first arrived in Switzerland and France, I mentioned to some friends that I'd seen some North American buffalo not far from the airport. A well-meaning and often knowledgeable friend back in the States informed me that more than likely what I had seen were not buffalo from America, but wisents--their European cousins. Having seen buffalo in the States, I was pretty sure these were the same, but didn't contradict because, well, why the hell would there be American buffalo in Switzerland?!

A home where the buffalo roam... Across the street in Switzerland. : Colovrex, CH

Turns out, I was actually right for once. These are, indeed, buffalo from North America. They were brought here by a guy named Laurent Girardet in 1990 and the herd has grown to 150 animals spread out across several fields in Colovrex northeast of Geneva International Airport. How long they'll remain an attraction on the road from Ferney-Voltaire to Geneva is a question. According to this article, written a year ago, not long. (And yet, they remain. Yeah!) For the time being, at least, they're a popular, though unusual, attraction to be found across the street in Swtizerland!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10

Gasthof Falken

Gasthof Falken : Aarberg, CH

Half way between Kallnach and Lyss is the town of Aarberg. It's a quaint little place. Last fall, I featured photos of it here. My sister and I drove through again after leaving Kallnach and heading to Lyss. This is the Gasthof Falken. To see more photos of Aarberg, go here.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10

Snow!

The car in snow up to its bumper. 

(The car is in France. The house in the background is in Switzerland.) : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Not one of my more exciting pictures. I probably should have posted this one on Wednesday or Thursday, but I already had stuff scheduled those days. On Sunday, the metropolitan Geneva area received 10 cm (~4 inches) of snow. The airport was closed for six hours--the first time that has happened in 25 years! Then, on Tuesday night, it began snowing again and by Wednesday morning we had another 30 cm (~1 foot). It was too difficult to drive into work, so the day was spent working from home.

Today, the skies are clear and the roads are relatively dry. My sister and I are off to Basel to visit my friends, Scott and Diana. Along the way, we'll be stopping in Kallnach, Aarberg, and Lyss, Switzerland, to visit the villages from whence our ancestors migrated to the United States in the 1850s.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10

In the Manner of Debi Cates...

wire and weed : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

If you've followed my photo blogging for any significant amount of time, you know one of the photobloggers I most admire is Debi Cates. Debi lives in West Texas, which is pretty hard scrabble, dusty, dry, and otherwise seemingly average. Debi takes photos of this area of Texas that are simply breathtaking and will blow you away. Take some time to check out her blog. I promise, you won't be disappointed.

One thing knowing Debi has done for my eye is, tuning it to seeing the beauty in what otherwise is easily dismissed as ugly or no longer useful. Like this. She can also take an eyesore, like high-tension electrical wires, and make them a thing of beauty. Like this.  She also writes and illustrates fabulous human interest stories. Like this.

Today's photo is my feeble attempt at an homage to Debi. I even managed to get some high wires in the act. Greetings from France and Switzerland, Debi!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10 

14 January 2010: Update--This entry has been edited to replace a link featuring high-tension wires on Debi Cate's blog. Be sure to check it out. It's fabulous!