OUCHY

Looks like a booboo town - but it is pronounced OOO-SHEE. And it is very popular with the tourist set, particularly those who like to spend their time on the Switzerland Rivieras of Montreux and Ouchy. These are just a few pics from my visit yesterday which was a beautiful day to just travel about near the water. Mountains still a bit fuzzy, but eventually they do clear.

Be sure to go back to the older posts to see more of my travels here. These below are not my best photos but they do document yesterday's adventure to Ouchy. I also took the metro north to Croisettes just for the ride and to see what was there.  It was cute town but didn't explore it much as it was late in the afternoon and the trains get very crowded on the way home. And on Friday it seems that everyone has a suitcase and is escaping to somewhere in the Alps. Not bad, eh?

Click at the end of this post for 'Older Posts'

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Lunch at a little place on the lake - had crepes Basquaise with vegies and good stuff.
And a glass of wine to wash it down. LOL

The park

It was actually quite cool (cold to me) but a great afternoon to just enjoy

So many swans here - beasty little birds. 

Sunrise this morning over the mountains. This scene lasts all of one minute and if you don't get it then, you don't get it. As the day goes on the mountains are shrouded in clouds. I hear that the only way to get clear weather is to go to the tops of the mountains. I will settle for cloudy right now.

Autumn in Lausanne, Switzerland

An afternoon walk in the 'H00D'

trumpet flowers at the end of the season...

GOOD MORNING MOUNTAINS!

These photos were taken in Lausanne, Switzerland, around 8am this morning as that is when the sun comes up here this time of year. 

It's like getting up in the middle of the night if you have to get up at 7:30am. I have been sleeping in until 8:30 most days when I am in fact used to getting up at 7:15am every day. Amazing.

This whole scene was within 4 minutes, changing rapidly.

 It really did change to this bright orange within minutes and couldn't have lasted any longer than that.

Getting ready to go to school today- International School of Lausanne  to help with room decor for the music dept. 

Accreditation committee trickling in from Tunisia, Connecticut and various other places. They will all be here by this afternoon. 

Big week and weekend at the school. My teacher host, Christopher is head of the school's accreditation committee, organizing events, meeting the NEASC members as they fly into Geneva,  and doing an intensive and  fab job. He showed me the reports and they are awesome. 

Tomorrow is a meet and greet for faculty and admin. I'll be the official photographer for this event. 

27Sept TUESDAY

Un Autre Voyage au Musée Olympique

 Bienvenue! Went back to the Olympic Museum to take photos today. This site is just beautiful as it overlooks the lake from high on a hill. Climbing the hill takes a bit of doing if you aren`t in shape (guess who) - but there are escalators that will take you up part of the way.

So if you look up at the map here, the arrow is where I was standing while taking this photo. To the left are the escalators but they only go halfway up. Then you are on your own. Having gone to the museum itself last Saturday, I just went into the main entrance for a few minutes and then back out again for lunch at the little house on the left of the map. Cute place, quiet and in a garden. Loverly.



The sculptures were all made specifically for this museum and ares of very high caliber, cast in bronze and carved in granite and marble. Most of the artwork is recent and by artists who are still living.

This partial facial sculpture was so effective as it stood against the sky. It was about 8 ft. across and 10 ft. high. You can almost feel the determination in the jaw of this person. The musculature around the mandible is subtle but tense. This sculpture represents all athletes around the world who participate and support the Olympics.

 The bones of this 12 foot (4 meters) foot as they are positioned at the start line of a race show high tension and force  concentrated into this area by the runner athlete. You can feel the tightness of this foot as it is ready to sprint.

Signage here is outstanding in design. The representative five Olympic circles are like the bubbles in the water that flow over the letters.  The circle symbols seek the higher and higher aspirations of our athletes around the world.

Calm little gardens all around the grounds make this a wonderful place to spend some time. It is peaceful and welcoming to all who enter. It also represents the concept of peace through sports and the unity of all nations to live in harmony.

The eternal flame of the Olympics

PS- As of this writing, my teacher host has graciously downloaded  Adobe photoshop elements on his computer for me. So now I can at least post process and make decent photos for your viewing pleasure.

  Thank you C!!

Saturday - Museum Day

Olympics Museum - Olympics



Lausanne, Switzerland is the headquarters for the Olympic committee. The museum is outstanding and is at least a 3 hr. visit. If you are ever out here, do make it a point to see this one.

VIEW  from the bottom of the hill where the Olympic Museum was

Going farther up the hill to the museum. It is quite a climb and escalators are available. Even with them, if  you are out of shape, you will feel it.

The museum did not allow photos...but it was a wonderful visit to the home of the Olympic committee. They had everything from photos, videos, the actual clothing and equipment used. Most impressive was the bobsled. It is so much larger than i imagined it. Displayed also were the medallions and a lot of art. One painting by Leroy Neiman graced an entire wall. Worth the visit. It is being renovated for the next 2 yrs. and will be close in Oct.

http://www.olympic.org/museum  good link to see Olympics stuff

The top of the Musée d`Elysées - the photography museum.

At the photography museum. The exhibit was from New York and done by a photojournalist who photographed journalists right before going on tv after the 9/11 disaster. The photos were compelling. There were no photos of the buildings, nor of people other than the announcers. The photographer captured their angst and unexpressed emotions. Amazing exhibit.
Another exhibit was about color in photography by another New York photographer from the 40`s and 50`s. It was interesting to see how photography followed the `-isms`at that time in art trends. I could see abstract expressionism, cubism, shapes and colors as subject - enjoyed this exhibit more than the 9/11 one.

Musée d`Elysées -photography

Shopping - or trying to anyway-

An interesting spot with lots of flowers on the windows.
It was one of the few places where there just a handful of people

Took the bus into Lausanne and my first destination was the art store to purchase a sketchbook.Alas,  the art store has either moved or I had envisioned it in the wrong place. No art supplies.


The farmers market was open today, all along the little streets that were hilly with cobblestone walkways. The vegies and fruits looked wonderful. It is Fall and harvest time as well. Some things were very reasonable, and others were quite expensive.






The flowers were vibrant with saturated color. Loved the sunflowers!

Lot of people out today too as it is a gorgeous day.

Couldn`t resist this snapshot of a pigeon sitting on top of this water. The street in the background shows one of the streets in Lausanne. They are all like this. You get a real workout when visiting this city!

Walked up and down the hills looking at all the produce. Stopped at C&A, another dept. store and bought a light jacket to wear in between these cool and warm days. The mornings are rather chilly so I wear my trench coat. But come afternoon and it`s easily a light sweater kind of day.

Didn`t get the art supplies. Did get the jacket. Decided to go home. The bus was during the noon hour and was filled with kids going home for the day. Wednesdays are half days for kids so teachers can have meetings. But most kids do go home for lunch on other days too.

Crooked pictures and no photoshop -
Beautiful day for the farmer`s market. 

BACK HOME...




Made some lunch and now me and Narceese are just chilling out.

Had some Saint Agur Bleu Cheese - to die for. It is my favorite in the states (buy at Whole Foods only) and there it was in the cheese case at the Coop. This will be gone by this afternoon...

Happy Hour! Every hour is happy hour...

Nothing like happy hour...and a good red wine.
On the side is a serving of marscapone and lemon creame that Christopher,y gracious teacher host, made with fresh figs.  To die for.

A rainy morning at the Market. Didn`t stop me from shopping.

Using the small point and shoot camera here...these are the tomatoes, fresh from the farm, that I will use to make tomato sauce. Everything is just picked this morning. 

A few pretty flowers to admire along the way.

A water playground for the children. Right next to the apartment. 

The figs....this is what they look like Kerri! And they were sweet and fabulous. Wish you were here...

Right now the chef and the sous chef are having our wine while cooking up a corn chowder. It is Saturday night and the apt. is near the university where we can hear lots of car horns. The trains go by every few minutes but after awhile you never hear them.


SHOPPING!

Chasseurs...et le nouveau chapeau! Preparing for the cruise...

you will have to wait for the chapeau...it is really different. Anyone remember the red shoes I came home with from Paris on my last trip?

And then there's the European computer keyboard:
LEAVING NEW ZORK

zork??? well yes. i am on a french kezboard right now. challenge number gazllion and one.

the z is a y and the y is a z. i will try to remember this when tzping. it`s not easly. i have to keep going back and retyping or stop when i know there is a y. plus this is a mac platform. havenàt done this in over 4 years.

From Lausanne to Paris

First trip to Lausanne, Switzerland 2009


 Paris Trip to Disneyland March 2009 Tuscany Italy Trip 2009

If you look closely you will see my PJ bottoms flying around out here somewhere in Lausanne - they were left on the patio to dry this afternoon...

In Tuscany, enjoying the wine, the pasta, the olive oil

The Headquarters for the Olympics here in Lausanne

Just in time for these beautiful flowers even though it was cold

On our way to Paris - the scenery from the train

AND SNOW!!!

At last, in Paris at a Flea Market where I purchased the infamous plaid sneakers...

 Love these...

The subway system was great transportation

And Mickey Mouse is Everywhere!
Our goal for Paris was to go to DisneyLand Paris

Ah, L'Arc de Triomphe! And LOTS of people today -