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| A HaLo at the Marina in Port d’Ouchy, Lausanne |
Traveling broadens your horizon. It enriches your mind and your spirit. But traveling uses up a lot of your time and treasure. It would be a waste if you missed something on your trip you should’ve seen or experienced. It happened to me several times and I regretted that so much. If you’re planning a trip, I’d like to help you avoid missing out. So, let my blog show you what to look out for. Prepare for your trip by traveling with me through this post. Or you might still be in the praying and dreaming stage. Manifesting your dream into reality starts here!
A Happy Solo around Lake Geneva, Switzerland
Arc
Lémanique (Lemanic Arc). The region
on the north side of the crescent-shaped Lac Léman or Lake Geneva. Rich in
history, old-world architecture and breathtaking alpine landscapes. Romantic
spots nestled on the shores of the lake that inspired writers and artists to
create timeless masterpieces.
Lausanne
For the world, Lausanne
is the Olympic Capital; voted the best small city; an education, research and
innovation hub.
For my camera lens and me, Lausanne is a serene lakeside haven where tiny sailboats with bare masts float in attention like harbor sentinels. It’s old city whose hilly contours challenge wearied knees
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| Fontaine de la Justice |
is still cloaked with a medieval air.
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| Cathedral of Notre Dame of Lausanne - a 12th-century Gothic cathedral formerly a Roman Catholic church |
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| Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall) |
Château
de Chillon, a castle rich in feudal history on an island
in the town of Veytaux.
Its dungeon was a
photographic inspiration. The stark images of this vaulted cavern moved Lord
Byron to pen his poem “The Prisoner of Chillon”.
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| Column with Lord Byron’s signature |
Let’s explore the
castle through his poetic words:
“There
are seven pillars of Gothic mould,
In
Chillon’s dungeons deep and old”
“And in each pillar there is a ring,
And
in each ring there is a chain;”
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| Poteau (a post where the prisoner is attached with an iron neck ring) |
"Lake
Leman lies by Chillon’s walls;
A
thousand feet in depth below
Its massy waters meet and flow;"
"Thus
much the fathom-line was sent
From
Chillon’s snow-white battlement,”
"Below
the surface of the lake
The
dark vault lies wherein we lay"
"Because
I could have smiled to see
The
death that would have set me free"
“But
I was curious to ascend
To my
barr’d windows, and to bend
Once
more upon the mountains high,
The
quiet of a loving eye.”
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| Secret Passage |
Geneva
“Peace Capital”. A worldwide
center for diplomacy with many international organizations like the United
Nations and the Red Cross calling Geneva home. A global hub for banking at the southern
tip of Lake Geneva surrounded by the Alps and Jura mountains where the Flower
Clock ticks in perpetual bloom.
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| L’Horloge Fleurie (Flower Clock) – symbol of the city’s watchmakers and a dedication to nature |
But again, what
entranced my lenses the most was Geneva’s Vieille Ville (Old
Town), a historic district with cobblestone streets, charming squares and
historical buildings.
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| Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross |
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| Place du Bourg-de-Four – the oldest square in Geneva, a gathering spot with cafes and restaurants |
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| Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Genéve – the cathedral church of the Bishop of Geneva for a thousand years until it became a Calvinist church |
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| L’Ancien Arsenal (Old Arsenal) – a onetime armory with centuries-old cannons and beautiful mosaics depicting key moments from Geneva’s history |
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| Giant chess boards in Parc des Bastions |
It was my first time to set foot on Switzerland, and I was charmed by the old world ambiance of the Lemanic Arc. I was just sad to see former Catholic churches stripped of its art. Art that inspired one’s soul to sing praises to the Almighty. Art that told common people stories of God’s glory. Art that magnified our Lord’s creations.
And because I like to celebrate my travels with art, I just had to capture this window of a building in Place du Bourg-de-Four festooned with Halloween trimmings in watercolor.
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“Une Fenêtre à Genève” |
