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Wowser, wowser, wowser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gorgeous, gorgeous professional quality photos, everyone. Holy Mackerel, this shutterbug has GOT to get to Switzerland. Looks like it's always sunny, too, well mostly, lol. |
Always sunny? HA! Rhone valley in Valais in particular, where, being located between the two main Alpine mountain chains, they receive very little rain? HA, HA!
Here are some pics of my visit to Sion. I had only this one day for that trip... Sion, or Sitten in German, is located almost smack on the linguistic border between the German and the French speaking parts of Switzerland, but on the French side. The architecture of the centre shows that the French culture has spread from Lake Geneva up the valley. The striking feature of the town are its four castles, two of them on steep rocks overtowering the town. An amazing cityscape, even in a downpour. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...88bc8741be.jpg Sion and the valley, seen from La Valère https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6401a83abc.jpg Climbing up to La Valère, the church castle https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ed47fb9487.jpg Inside the church of La Valère https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...40e266b03c.jpg Tourbillon, the castle on the neighbouring hill, is even higher up. It is all in ruins, which would not be too impressive if regarded by themselves, but the views are good (and promise to be amazing if the weather is on your side). https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...adc3763f2f.jpg La Valère, the church castle https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...517e0d1afa.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1a94219b5a.jpg Back in the old town, a typical streetview https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6e3ad03880.jpg Desperately searching for a dry warm spot and a hot drink... The flags above the street add encouraging splashes of colour to the greyish day. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1edea2a049.jpg Sion city hall https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e494dd8622.jpg Sion cathedral https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fe71091637.jpg Streetview with La Valère above |
Nice to see you here, dcd!
We’ve been in June/ July and September, lucky enough to get fantastic weather (an unexpected heatwave last year though, when I booked a place with a very nice fire, lol) Mel goes more off season, so her photos are making me want to try October perhaps. quokka, Sion is on my to do list, too. This thread is fun, but painful. |
Good to have you here dcd.
Definitely not always sunny...as a fellow shutterbug I seek out blue skies, and generally only post photos I really like, hence all the blue in mine, which to me, is the perfect backdrop. One of the perks of travelling in winter is that when the skies in Switzerland are blue, they are a glorious blue. Nothing quite like a clear cold day in Switzerland IMO. We've been visiting for many, many years now, so I have a good selection of sunny photos to choose from. I have my share of crap photos too, which I've been purging over the past few weeks. To see the sun in Switzerland in winter one must GO UP. The valleys (and cities) can remain quite dark well into mid morning and the sun vanishes around 2 pm in the valley (disappearing behind the mountains or disappearing behind buildings if in the city), so we've learned to go UP to maximize very short winter days. Your post reminds me that when we lived in Perth, Australia, we'd often ooooo and ahhhh over the brilliant blue skies at certain times of year. To this day Bill and I refer to a beautiful clear blue sky as Western Australia Blue. |
Originally Posted by Melnq8
(Post 17186132)
To see the sun in Switzerland in winter one must GO UP. The valleys (and cities) can remain quite dark well into mid morning and the sun vanishes around 2 pm in the valley (disappearing behind the mountains or disappearing behind buildings if in the city), so we've learned to go UP to maximize very short winter days. . |
On my two trips in or near the Valais, two weeks each in September, I had a lot more clouds and rain than sun. However, the rain seemed to coincide with my arrival. In fact I took a screenshot of the forecast, and the actual weather was even wetter than predicted. I arrived at the airport on Saturday:
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8377b0b45c.jpg That said, mountain weather being what it is, I was also granted a few stellar blue sky days. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eedbe225ca.jpg A penguin enjoying the sun near Verbier Fortunately I don't mind cloudy weather too much, since I was not sleeping in a tent. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...691d95e8a0.jpg Descent to Combe de Prafleuri from Lac Des Dix Mel, your larch photos are fabulous! |
Sorry, I must disagree. Now in our 13th year of living in a Swiss city, we have enjoyed MANY sunny winter afternoons in Basel, Zug, Lugano etc. My city life is not dark, dank and dismal by 2 pm in winter.
Fair enough WeisserTee. I should have prefaced my comment with "in my experience". Please note that I didn't say 'dark, dank and dismal' , I said "the sun vanishes around 2 pm in the valley (disappearing behind the mountains or disappearing behind buildings if in the city)," which has very much been my experience in our visits to city centers in December. Your mileage may vary. |
Originally Posted by Melnq8
(Post 17186266)
Please note that I didn't say 'dark, dank and dismal' , I said "the sun vanishes around 2 pm in the valley (disappearing behind the mountains or disappearing behind buildings if in the city)," which has very much been my experience in our visits to city centers in December. Your mileage may vary.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e76a7147b.jpeg |
And Solothurn between 3:30 and 4 pm on a winter afternoon.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...73f1a6ccd.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8d114992c.jpeg |
We could do with more Basel photos, WT, city streets, the river promenade, etc. It looks lovely, but we only passed through.
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Adelaidean, I'll add a few to Weisser Tee's wonderful photos of Basel - your wish is my command ;)
Some photos from 2004. Let's start with St. Alban district: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...893d73bf08.jpg Ferry to St. Alban district https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c980e31e55.jpg medieval city gate https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b505485b73.jpg Gasthof Zum Sternen by the river, one of the oldest in Switzerland https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d2a32b5d4c.jpg Food! https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3a1a5cd79d.jpg St. Alban district |
Nice, Ingo!
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Here are my non-sunny Swiss photos --
(Hi Ingo!) https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0554935edf.jpg Montreux https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ca2ee4437e.jpg Golden Pass, enroute to Montreux |
A sunny day after 2 pm in Chur, blue above, cold and dark within the city, hence my comment about the sun being blocked by the buildings.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...221f4c59f7.jpg Chur, December 2016 https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...054f8b32a2.jpg Chur, December 2016 https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...572c481b9c.jpg Chur, December 2016 |
Ingo, that food item (salad?) looks very good!
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Sunless day in Zermatt...no complaints about the snow though!
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7d28de584f.jpg Zermatt 2004 https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7e01958dfa.jpg Hiking above Zermatt, 2004 |
I have a thing for Swiss cemeteries...so loved and well tended.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5ddc9d258b.jpg Adelboden, October 2019 https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f3c0da6362.jpg Grengiols, October 2019 https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9a30f9da8d.jpg Rapperswil, October 2019 https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1a7c556eef.jpg Rapperswil, October 2019 https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...168128a1b2.jpg Grengiols, October 2017 https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...010630ab85.jpg Leukerbad, June 2017 https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fa8827eb8d.jpg Falera, December 2017 https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6ffc9148dc.jpg Klosters, December 2017 https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7071e0ec2a.jpg Vals, October 2019 |
(Hi swandav! *Quite* foggy on the Golden Pass journey!)
Thanks Adelaidean :-) Mel - I never fail to visit and take a photo of the town's cemetery. It tells much about the people. The food is salad, yes - with King Prawns. Delicious! And that sun vs dark etc. thing - of course it depends on the orientation of the valley (Lower Engadine West - East, so maximum sunlight), the how tall and steep the mountains are and if the towns are down in the valley or high above on a sunny terrace - like Guarda, Ardez, Sent ... Basel is actually favoured by its location - no high mountains around, and since it is north of Jura mountain chain it doesn't get that much "high fog/clouds" in fall/winter as the rest of the Swiss plains from Lake Geneva to Lake Constance. |
Thanks for the explanation Ingo - going to Guarda, Ardez and Sent from Scuol is exactly what I meant by going UP. Maximizing the sun on our December visits is always part of our planning process as you well know.
Speaking of planning, I think I'm ready to begin planning a return visit for October/November. Not ready to actually book yet, but definitely ready to get the planning underway. I may be seeking your advise soon. |
Beer on the mountains isn't bad either.!! ;-)
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Love that first photo of Adelboden cemetery and funny how I’ve never seen a cemetery in snow photo, so that Klosters one really captured my attention.
Yes, about deep valleys, I noticed lots of travellers get reminded about the early shade in Lauterbrunnen, whereas Wengen sits on the plateau and gets more sun. |
Again, these are not mine, but from an Engadin local yesterday...
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8a300bf2f.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8772cbea3.jpeg |
Mel, you're always welcome to ask for my input ;-) And frankly, I am also soooo ready to go back to Switzerland again! Let's keep our fingers crossed that it will work out for Sept/Oct next year.
Adelaidean, yep, Lauterbrunnen/Wengen is another perfect example! Superb snow pictures, btw. |
No cemeteries in the snow? Two graves of famous people in Zürich:
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3f8730d02d.jpg Georg Büchner, German writer https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...088f9f1b89.jpg James Joyce |
Zürich in the snow:
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3d4f396571.jpg Old town Zürich with Uetliberg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4162da6e6e.jpg Dolder funicular https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...58cfbe064d.jpg Hot chocolate and tea with friends in Dolder Grand Hotel https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...54f163368e.jpg Dolder Grand Hotel |
I was just looking at the Dolder Grand website yesterday Ingo for a possible overnight. Looks quite posh...and hot chocolate with chocolate? Now you're speaking my language.
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Pinched from FB today, pictures of St Moritz...
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...635b580a6.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4c715ef8d.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1bca99dad.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...314af9a79.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...28b0f87b4.jpeg |
Very festive Adelaidean!
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I've always found the contrast between German and Swiss Christmas decorations interesting. Much more subtle in Switzerland, at least in the villages. I quite like it.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3fd1a42dce.jpg Scuol https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d29b4c92bc.jpg Scuol https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f551333447.jpg Somewhere in the Lower Engadine https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...115b47be6a.jpg Somewhere in the Lower Engadine |
Nothing subtle about their snow removal equipment though:)
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...26c29df7c1.jpg Lenzerheide, 2017 |
Gadgets for living with snow...fascinating.
Found another cemetery photo, so beautifully tended. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...627602e89.jpeg Sigriswil |
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I like to visit Swiss cemeteries too. I was so impressed with this tombstone in Lauenen bei Gstaad.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f242078588.jpg |
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cb81a2678.jpeg
Cemetary in the Bernees Oberland |
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Seems I'm not the only one with a thing for Swiss cemeteries - great photos all.
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If you don't mind a 10km excursion over the border here is the cemetery in Argentière, France.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5880749ae7.jpg |
That's beautiful Nelson. I certainly don't mind, but I got called out for posting photos from Austria, so be prepared:)
I have a few good Austrian cemetery photos, I may post them later. |
Originally Posted by Melnq8
(Post 17190681)
so be prepared:)
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eaa364ad80.jpg |
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