Odds and Ends

On my walks and various travels, I tend to notice odd things or interesting patterns -- things that intrigue me, make me appreciate nature, or tickle my funny bone. These are a few images I recently came across.

I thought this was a very sweet combination. It is new life in the form of a grass stalk poking up among all that feeds it: fox hair, acorn, pine cone, and oak leaves.


Someone wanted to leave his or her mark on the world (or at least on a tree). I wonder if "F" stands for the carver or the loved one to be remembered? And I wonder if the madrone tree felt pain as this perfect initial was carved into its living tissue? One thing for sure, the madrone tree may have the last word. It's starting to heal over the carving.

Then there are sometimes very odd things one comes across.

When I was walking through a mall in Annecy, France this spring, there seemed to be some sort of "spring fashion" display.

I loved the colors, but what about this fashion? So far, I have not seen anyone wear such an outfit! (Thank goodness...)

Annecy.3

This is another view of Lac Annecy in March. (It's really hot here, so images of snow and coolness seemed in order.) The day I took this photo, the wind was very strong and made the water ripple. You can see how fast the water in the Canal Thiou was running into the Lac here.

There is another interesting landmark: The Basilica of the Visitation, and home base of the Visitation Order of nuns, founded by Saint Jeanne de Chantal and the more well-known (among Catholics) Saint Francis de Sales.

I enjoyed walking up a steep hill to get to the imposing church and the surrounding old buildings.

But that type of trekking does whet the appetite and makes for thirsty returns. So back to the creperie for a light repast. As I sat inside and watched the sun set through the windows, I loved how the light shown through these beer glasses. It summed up the end of the day: mellow...

Vesancy Chapelle

Of all the marvelous places I’ve seen in France (limited to east middle of the country), so far I think this quiet little rural spot above the small village of Vesancy is my favorite. There is a small chapelle located on a steep foothill leading to the Jura Mountains. I just finished a painting based on a late spring storm swirling around the chapelle.

Except for a restaurant in the town, there doesn’t seem to be any other viable business except for the buying and selling of real estate, which is priced for the very well-off. But if you follow a track leading out and above the village, you wend your way through grassy meadows bordered by pine and deciduous trees. At the top is the chapelle of Notre Dame de Riantmont. Cows pasture here and wild hares and birds abound. There is a forested area near the higher slopes and invites further explorations.

I’ve actually never gone inside the chapelle – I don’t even think it’s open most of the time. But it isn’t necessary. Somehow, there is a comforting peace there, as if the chapelle provides a protective arm about all below and around it. And what views can be seen there! On one side you can see a large part of Lac Leman and the Alps with Mont Blanc; another viewpoint shows the city of Divonne Les Bains.

So far, I have been unable to find a history of the chapelle, and it’s obviously been renovated from the ground up. But it’s been there for quite awhile.

For me, this hilltop is a place to regroup and rearrange the mind.

Annecy.2

I mentioned Lac Annecy in my last post. Here is a photo of a very small part of the beautiful alpine lac. To the right and far in the distance one can see the higher peaks that are often shrouded with clouds.

I also mentioned window shopping. There are so many lovely and unique storefronts that it's hard not to include more than I have in this post.

This one was taken just after the Easter weekend and the shops were still full of chocolates in all forms - animals, shells, lobsters, ships, dolls - you name it.

The second one, full of natural objects, is one of my favorites.

















The town of Annecy thinks of everything for the tourist, don't you think?

Annecy.1

One of the places I most love to visit whenever I see my friends in France is Annecy, between Geneva and Chambery, in the French Alps. It is a most beautiful ancient place with its own impressive castle on the heights. The oldest and medieval part of town is built of battle strong stone with small many-storied buildings jammed up against one another.

In this photo you see the most famous canal of Annecy, the Thiou, which empties into Lac Annecy. The building in the middle of the canal is a small prison called Palais de l'Isle, built in the 12th century. It is one of the most photographed landmarks in France. The accommodations look extremely cold, dark, and hard... Just opposite the Palais on the right is a most famous - to me - creperie. I highly recommend the chocolate banana combination. Wow! In fact, here is a photo of the very item.

Mosty I love just wandering the lake paths and also I love window-shopping. There is much to see, including artisan work: local pottery, paintings, carvings, etc.

I bought a print from a sidewalk artist of the Palais as a memento. These are some of the images the artist was offering.


The castle is built on a grand scale overlooking the town and the lake and on into the far distance to the high Alps.

This view is what the king might have seen from one of the castle windows, overlooking the old town:



When I visited the castle, there were all kinds of very weird arty displays that didn't seem to relate to the castle at all. So we explored in all the other ordinary nooks and crannies and found it quite fascinating.

Here is the portal of the castle to give you a sense of the size.

I will say this: I am heartily glad I do not live in such a time, for many reasons. And just look at the toilets they had to contend with. Imagine it in the winter. Eek!

Lac Leman

Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) has many different moods during the year. In spring, it's bursting with life. There are a number of areas where the general public can walk along the beaches or walkways. There are many areas off-limits to people who can afford living right off the Lac (that is: they are very rich!).

Switzerland and France share the Lac, adding to a bit of confusion for a new visitor.

It's beautiful. I've now seen it during the the very early spring, late spring, and the fall.

This wisteria was blooming in the small town of Hermance, Switzerland. It is a lovely quaint place, full of artistry and beautiful old buildings. My friend and I had taken the bus from downtown Geneva to the end of the bus line at Hermance (the Swiss bus line stops at the border near France). We had walked all morning around the city and were famished, so we found an auberge with seating outside near the Lac, had the plat du jour, and it was fantastic!

All along the beaches of the Lac you will find nesting waterfowl in the springtime. There are many swans nesting - and it's a real treat to watch them flying over the Lac. So graceful.

Here is one mother who did not allow us to approach any closer than this.


I will show a few more photos of the Lac in future posts. It is a very large lake and there are many sights to see along its curves and inlets.

Le Saleve

Le Saleve (or Mont Saleve) is the first ridge of the Alps rising southeast of Geneva, Switzerland. It looms near the city of Geneva, even though it is in France. (One of the most confusing things to get used to in traveling around Lac Leman is is how often one switches from France to Switzerland to France and back again.)

In this first photo, you can see a small portion of the old town of Geneva on the lower far left.

Le Saleve is a very popular place for weekend jaunts. There are lots of trails, and in the winter there is skiing.

In this next photo you will see down into the valley with Lac Leman spreading out from the city of Geneva. The fountain at the near extreme end of the lake (before it empties into the Rhone River) is called the Jet d'Eau and is one of the landmarks of the Lac.

One of the fun things to watch are the hang gliders floating gracefully over and around Le Saleve.

We spent quite a long time watching these gliders from the summit. Here's just a tiny snippet I took:

Yvoire

Yvoire is a very quaint and ancient town in France, right on the coast of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva - which is the largest body of fresh water in Western Europe). The village has worked hard to retain the medieval buildings remaining so that visitors can come to absorb and appreciate its history and beauty.

Yvoire came to be a strategic military fortification in 1306 during the war between the Dauphine and Savoy, but its roots are older still.


This belltower belongs to St. Pancras Church, dating from the 11th century, though the current steeple was built in 1854.

The village first became known in the 1950s as the best kept village in France and has garnered awards since then. It really is lovely and parklike, full of flowers in the spring through fall.

My visit was in mid-April before summer crowds arrived. It was quietly busy in the little shops but there was an air of peace nevertheless. That was especially evident when I walked out on the jetty and sat, listening to the waves of the lake lap against the very old stones.

If you visit Geneva, Switzerland, Yvoire is not far away. It is worth every gallon of pricey gasoline to get there.

A Bird's Eye View

It has finally turned hot enough here to believe that summer will in fact happen, after all.

In case some of you are experiencing discomfort from the heat, I thought I'd share a few shots of colder days in March. I was visiting my friends in France. One day we took the telepherique from Crozet up the Jura Mountains to the ski area (this link has some webcams that might be of interest). At the time the snow was pretty slushy (though several snowstorms swept through in the weeks following). We were able to see the entire valley floor. This first shot was taken in a ski lift cab. In the far distance are the Alps with Mont Blanc being the highest point. To the left of the photo is a silverish body of water, which is Lake Geneva (Lac Leman).

The air was bracing, and quite strong up at the highest points. Despite the harsh climate, there were tiny wild crocuses and snowdrops pushing up through last year's dead turf. It was marvelous.

After walking for some time, we saw encroaching clouds that hinted at a storm. It was getting late in the afternoon and the sun was fading, so we sped to the telepherique station so as not to miss our ride. Otherwise it would have been an awfully long steep hike down.

That was a very special outing and all of us felt revived in body and sprit, ready for the next adventure.

Fantasy Art in Iron

While visiting my friends in France, we took a walk from one village to a large town via country back roads. What was supposed to have been a 3- or 4-mile round trip turned into a much loooonnngggeerrrrr walk. Round trip, it was nearly 8 miles! But, wow! What a lovely walk. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.

On the way, in the middle of plowed fields, we took a road that led into the outskirts of the city called Divonne Les Bains. One of the houses on the road had a marvelous wrought-iron gate that contained sculptures of birds, dragonflies, nests – even the round white lights were made to look like the centers of flowers.

These are a few close-ups you may enjoy. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was like stumbling upon fairy magic in the middle of what was becoming a much harder walk than anticipated. Seeing the gate bucked us up sufficiently to get us to our destination – and lunch!

The last shot shows the gate in context, though it doesn't show the lights, which would have been fun for you to see.

French Dog Revisited

I had the opportunity to visit my dear friends in the Pays de Gex area of France, where they have been living for some time. It is beautiful countryside, dotted with small villages with ancient histories. It is very close to the Swiss border near Geneva.

Walking around the countryside every day while I was there created a perpetual grin on my face. I couldn’t get enough of it! Even when it rained - which happened most days I visited, as it was early March - I was still grinning. (Of course, eating incredible French food also accentuated the permanent grin!)

One of the walks we took regularly was to Vesancy. Vesancy is noted (at least by me) for its quaint and quiet beauty with a backdrop of the stunning Jura Mountains; its one restaurant with rustic hearty lunch fare, much welcomed by hungry walkers and workers from the nearby valley; and its beautiful Chapelle de Riantmont that sits on the highest point overlooking the village and surrounding countryside – as far as Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) on very clear days. (More on this in a later post.)

A year previously in the Spring, I came across a friendly old Lab that was sleeping on his master’s porch. He looked so wonderfully content, soaking up the sun, that I painted him and called it “Spring Sun on Winter Bones” (above).

This year, I was very happy to see that the old guy was still around and lazing about.

But just so you are assured that he does more than nap, here’s another shot to prove that he can indeed move – quite well!