We arrived at the Grangettes reserve early morning. It had snowed and then frozen. The soft pastels in the sky added a little warmth to the cold.
This is our view taken with a long lens into the Valley of the Rhone, with the Dent du Midi towering to over 3,000 meters in the background.
If you walk up in the vineyards from Cully to Chexbres this will be your view. Its Autumn with the leaves on the vines turning and a lake steamer at the back. One of the great scenes of the world.
There is a beautiful circular hike from the back of Les Paccots which takes you up and up into the high hills. We stopped for a lunch break and this was our view. Can you see the couple having their break under the tree.
At the back of Lausanne, in the hills, it is out of the warming influence of the lake and so the snow stays longer. This captures a farm with the morning sun casting shadows over the winter landscape.
I spent a week in the Outer Hebrides on the island of Lewis Harris on a photo trip in November!! It was spectacular. A place where you can get four seasons in one hour.
Heading out of Harris towards Lewis we stopped at the side of the road to capture the sunrise over Loch Shiphoirt. A lovely moody scene with a glorious light show going on. It was fleeting but wonderful while it lasted.
A small crofters house nestled in the hills in Harris.
One of the wonderful things to see in Harris are the sea scapes which are constantly changing as the clouds and light change. Soft pastel colours predominate.
A calm and quiet evening. A small creek runs through the sands and rocks into the sea. Welcome to Harris.
You can't really avoid the seascapes. It can get quite rough and the noise of the waves deafening. The spray fugs up your lens and the sand get into the cracks, the wind can blow over your tripod and the horizontal rain sting your face. Welcome to the Outer Hebrides.
The North Island of New Zealand is volcanic, and almost everywhere you go something is hissing and steaming with sulphur in the air. Here at Te Puia volcanic park you can see the eruptions of the geyser and walk around the bubbling pools and hot springs.
The Alpine Crossing is one of the great hikes in New Zealand. There is a long climb up to the shoulder of Mount Doom and then a slidey downhill to the huge crater of Mordor. Then a long 2-3 hour descent to the carpark. See the description in my Stories.
We walked the Tasman Trail in the South Island NZ. You have to be dropped off and picked up by boat. It takes you through the hills and gorgeous forests and every now and again, you are rewarded with a beautiful view of the creeks, beaches and sea.
Lake Hawea jumps out at you. We were on our way to Queenstown when we turned a corner came upon this sight and stopped to take this pic. The lush green against the blue of the lake and the mountains in the background. Idyllic.
We were locked down in Queenstown for 3 weeks before we could get a rescue flight back to Switzerland. There are worse places in the world I have to say. This was the view from our apartment. Not bad do you think?!
This picture reminds me of Africa. It just makes my heart sing it's so beautiful. It's taken just outside Windhoek on a stormy evening. Magical.
We flew into the middle of Namibia by private plane and then drove 3 hours to our camp in the middle of nowhere. This was the view from the camps front door. It just took my breath away.
Over a sundowner in the Okavango we were treated to the most amazing sunset. I have this pic as a screensaver on my Mac.
From the Top of Europe 3454 meters high you can see for ever. The hang-gliders use the updrafts to sail for hours back and forth.
this the Aletsch Glacier, Europes largest flowing down from the Top of Europe to the Rhone valley. You can get the cable car up and walk down. If it isn't too misty the views are stunning.
Patterns of the sand. Photo Art of the shapes and colors of the dunes at the Skeleton coast.
The Namibian Skeleton Coast is amazing. Hard to get to but amazing. The sand is more soft, light coloured and sweeps down into the valleys creating this striking difference between green and honey.
The rain that falls and doesn't touch the ground is called Virga rain. The scene is of a storm over the dunes looking out to the Atlantic Ocean.
More Photo Art with the incredible shapes of the Namibian sands.
This is in the red centre of Namibia in the evening with an oncoming storm. That night a third of their annual rainfall fell. The rain-man strikes again.
Evening in the red centre of Namibia. No more than 20 people within 500km. The stillness and peace in such a magnificent setting never to be forgotten.
We were well positioned for the Full Moon rising over the desert hills in Namibia. A truly amazing sight.
I was on a weekend photo trip in Switzerland called The Kingdom of Granite. I think this picture explains the title.
I was with a local photographer who was showing me the wonderful sights of Exmore. We were taking pictures of the bridge when I saw a couple of riders with 4 horses approaching. They watered them in the river and then rode across the bridge...click.
Again in Exmore, we came to this spot, quintessentially English With the stream, the bridge and the overarching trees.