9.7.08

Switzerland (2)

As mentioned in my post last Friday, I wish to revert to my visit to Switzerland. After Zürich and surroundings, I thus also made a short visit to and around Lausanne (where I also met a blogger friend, Delphinium). Lausanne is on the northern side of Lake Léman (or Lake Geneva), just in front of Evian on the French side of the lake. A number of nice small, often old and paddle driven, ships allow visiting the different places around the lake. The lake lies in the course of the Rhône River, which takes its source in the Swiss Alps and finally reaches the Mediterranean, forming the large Camargue delta (see previous post).

Lausanne is a city in Romandy, a French speaking part of Switzerland. It has a population slightly exceeding 300.000.

A good physical condition helps to visit the city; the streets are sometimes steep. To walk from the lake shore, with some very nice hotels, bars and restaurants, to visit the “old town”, the 12th century Notre Dame Cathedral, the Sainte Marie Castle etc... far higher up can be quite sweaty a hot summer day. But there are some nice places for refreshment also when you reach the top.

Lausanne offers a lot of cultural activities and it’s also the home of the International Olympic Committee. The city is on both sides surrounded by vineyards. I went eastwards by train to visit the Lavaux region which stretches almost all the way from Lausanne to Montreux. I stopped about half way, took a tour up on the beautiful slopes to a village called Epesses, tasted some of the local very nice white wine and then walked back for two or three hours along the beautiful lakeside.


Joann kindly gave me the award "Arte y Pico". (This is actually the second time I receive it.) Sincere thanks for this honour!!

36 comments:

catied said...

wow - gorgeous photos as usual but I LOVE the swan and the ship (modernity and nature)juxtaposed. Also the forest of masts with the variations of blue. How wonderful to come home and see these!

Anonymous said...

Very nice perspective of Lausanne and the vineyards Peter

Nathalie H.D. said...

Oh la la c'est beau, c'est doux, ces paysages bleutés sous le soleil, ces rives de lac riantes, ces bateaux, ces façades... on en croquerait ! Tu es le meilleur des guides du tourisme !

Nathalie H.D. said...

Et quelle riche idée que ce week-end de bloggeurs à Rouen pour un sujet aussi extraordinaire ! Je vous envie, vous avez dû vous régaler !

Je suis jalouse - quand est-ce qu'on se fait un week-end à Arles pour les rencontres de la photographie ?

claude said...

Oh là là ! Quel beau voyage je viens de faire ! Nathalie a raison, tu est un offfice du Tourisme à toi tout seul. Tes photos sont formidales. Elles sont toutes belles et j'aime bien celle avec le Cygne, il est si beau. Dis donc ! c'est beau la Suisse !

Olivier said...

ta salle des trophées va déborder, elle va devenir plus impressionnante que celle du real de madrid.
Tout cela est bien mérité mister Peter.
Encore une belle ballade, le lac est magnifique (a croire qu'il y a un lac par ville en suisse), mais j'adore le dragon sur une de tes 'petites' photos (petite par la taille).
Bon Weekend du 14 juillet.

Anonymous said...

Wow. This is a very impressive post. I smiled, from ear to ear, when I saw the swan and the ship. And some of these photos are really nice.

I think you have outdone yourself, Peter.

Patty and I will be celebrating 53 years of marriage on July 12th. Think of it as a long-term relationship.

I have invited bloggers to offer suggestions on a gift for me to give Patty and the list would not be complete without your ideas.

Abraham Lincoln
Brookville Daily Photo

Cergie said...

C’est tout à fait charmant ; une invite à la découverte de visu ; je ne croirai plus les habitants de cette région qui se plaignent du mauvais temps. A moins que tu trimballes ton micro climat avec toi.
Ceci dit, je reconnais bien l’ambiance de certains clichés que j’ai vu ailleurs.

La lumière de la picture du dessus est excellente, tu as trouvé le perfect angle de prise de vue.

hpy said...

Lausanne est une belle ville après tout. C'est sans doute aussi à cause de l'eau. (Et pourtant il y en a qui ne pensent qu'à la montagne. )

Cergie said...

I beg your pardon ! J'ai oublié de te congratuler pour cette new reconnaissance !
(C'est quoi le "Arte y Pico" au juste ? C'est une boisson hot péruvienne ?)
Tu ne mets plus tes breloques maintenant que tu en as trop et en double de plus ?
(Une pour chaque blog ?)

Anonymous said...

If I had to live in another country, it would be Switzerland, Ticino or Bernese Oberland or Lac Léman, somewhere there. You must have had a wonderful time there.

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Fantastic photography again PETER,

you deserve so much THIS AWARD!
I am glad You accepted it, but most important is that I like what I see, Lausanne and most of Switserland we did not see, its a too big country tho...., but the Bernese Oberland is great all of Switserland, so is our Travel reportage.

Thanks I enjoyed it!
JoAnn

alice said...

J'ai cherché Delphinium entre deux bateaux mais elle se cache...C'est beau la Suisse, mais il n'est pas toujours facile d'approcher le bord des lacs, pas de sentier côtier par là-bas!

sonia a. mascaro said...

Congratulations on Award "Arte y Pico". You deserve it!

Gorgeous photos as always, Peter! Love specially the old houses's photos... they are so charming...

Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

You live a very good life, Peter. Such beauty in this area. The air in Switzerland is special, and that mountain blue sky so clear and deep. Thank you for the beautiful pictures and post.

I'm sorry I've been away. I want to catch up.

Alain said...

A Londres il y a Dr Jekill et Mr Hyde et à Lausanne Dr Cygne et Mr Dragon ?
On dirait que l'un est la métamorphose de l'autre.
Sur le paysage, on va dire qu'il est reposant et qu'il ne donne pas envie de se presser.
Tu mérite assurément cet "Arte y Pico" bien que, comme Cergie je n'ai pas la moindre idée de ce que c'est !

Shammickite said...

What wonderful views. Especially the very first shot, with the mountains in the far distance, and the spires of the churches, and the roofscape... somehow you always seem to find the most photogenic spot to aim your camera!

Anonymous said...

Having spent close to 2 years in that country, I always become nostalgic about it. It is like my second home.

Thanks for rejuvenating me. :)

krystyna said...

Thank you Peter, great shots as always.
Honestly, I like those photos combination very much, and I can tell you that I'm not good commentator but good observer. So I like to cklick at the photo and watch it in a large site. Please, put more your photos in a normal size. Maybe at your second blog.

Best to you!

PeterParis said...

catied:
Rather easy to make it look nice; it looks nice!!

richard:
Wow, a compliment like this from a photographer like you!

nathalie:
Je suis partant pour Arles (ou n'importe ou - presque)!

hpy said...

Je n'aperçois pas ton lama, non plus!

PeterParis said...

claude:
Oui, c'est beau la Suisse; tu ne le savais pas?

olivier:
Je crois que tu as (presque) raison pour les lacs! Oui, un bon 14 juillet à toi aussi (on n'est que le 10)!

abraham:
Thanks again for your kind an smiling comments! Congrats to the 53 years!!

I believe that spontaneously, I would just propose to open a bottle of champagne. The real gift is that you have had the luck to be together for so long ... and more to come!

PeterParis said...

cergie:
Merci pour "l'angle"! J'essaye d'apprendre de mes "maîtres"! Tu as raison pour le micro-climat! Tu veux que je passe chez toi?

hpy:
A Lausanne on trouve le lac ET les montagnes!

april:
Your are right, to live somewhere around these lakes wouldn't be bad, maybe including northern Italy?

HZDP said...

peter,envy you.. hoping I can tour around the world one day!

PeterParis said...

joann:
So, once more: Thanks!

alice:
Tu sais bien que Delphinium est très discrète!

sonia:
Thank YOU for your always kind words!

PeterParis said...

ruth:
No excuses needed, but always a great pleasure to see you around!

PeterParis said...

alain:
It seems that the "Arte y Pico" started in Uruguay: There is no perfect translation, but it's obviously a reward for the "best of art" or something like that!

ex-shammickite:
Not too difficult to make reasonably good shots here; the landscape is fantastic!

cuckoo:
I knew you had bee around there, but not that you stayed for so long!

PeterParis said...

krystyna:
Well, I think I must then refer to my second blog, but I try to use it for Paris related pictures only.

hpy:
Je n'ai pas trouvé de billet de trains pour lamas!

zoe:
I sincereley hope you will be able to - soon!

Marie-Noyale said...

Il faut que j'aille voir exactement ce qu'est cet award, mais en attendant Bravo.
C'est bien agreable cette visite en Helvetie,aggrementée d'un beau ciel bleu... Delphinium avait bien fait les choses pour la rencontre des Lamas!!

david santos said...

Wonderful!!!

Shionge said...

Chocolate time pal :D Luv your photo sharing and how I love switzerland :D

Neva said...

Peter, you have a lovely way of framing your photos that make them quite interesting to look at. I love your stuff...I was in Zürich once for about 3 hours.....didn't see much but I remember it being very clean and the inhabitants looking very healthy!

Mona said...

amazing! no wonder everyone from my country wants to honeymoon in Switzerland!It is indeed spectacular!

PeterParis said...

marie-noyale:
C'est sympa les rencontres entre amis et lamas!

david:
Thanks!

shionge:
I knew about your love for chocolates; now also for Switzerland!

PeterParis said...

neva:
The whole of Switzerland is very clean!

mona:
I could think of a honeymoon in India, Switzerland... wherever actually!

Ming the Merciless said...

Beautiful sceneries and amazing photography.

Did you eat any raclette?