January Wanderings

Ile de Peilz
is a very small island, originally a simple rock which was reinforced
in 1797 with a little wall to make it a bit taller.
The tree is a big plane tree.
It looks very impressive in the summer with all the leaves which hide the tiny island.
This is the far east end of the Léman Lake
and the adjacent town is called Villeneuve.

Mountains and port in Villeneuve.
I'd taken a train to get here with a friend.
On the way back to Lausanne we stopped in another lakeside town of Vevey.

The cloud formations were beautiful
The snowy peak to the left is a mountain called Dent de Morcles.
It overlooks the Rhone Valley and is 2.969 metres high (9.744 feet).

A closer view which includes a strip of lake.

Another lovely mountain view on the Dent de Jaman on the left
and the Rochers de Naye range on the right.
The views from up there are spectacular.

I loved the structure of this almost bare tree against the blue of the sky.
Quite a few autumn leaves are still clinging to the branches.

Another day and a new train ride.
This sleek and very long train was on its way to Milan in Italy.
My smaller train came a little later.
It was a cold wait on the Lausanne station platform!

This is the lakeside in the small town of Cully.
There was a misty, mysterious ambience at the start of my walk
with just a few sparkles on the lake from a pale, hazy sun.

There were silvery tones in the lake
and I like how this scene tells a story.
We can even invent a story of our own!

I had to include this capture because we can see how the lighting changed
an hour later when I was walking back towards the station again.
The pale sun had pierced a layer of mist and the sky was turning blue which reflected in the water.

Back home again
and here is the last bloom on my Amaryllis.

The petals through a macro lens are so dainty and lovely.

After lunch, a small espresso coffee and a square of very dark chocolate.
The embroidered cloth is a lovely memento from three days spent in the mountains in Zermatt.
You can see them below if you would like to:

It's half-past pink!

There is always something new on my crochet hook.
This is my latest creation.
I received this clock from a very kind blogging friend, Astri from

It was time to refresh the flowers with new colours and I really enjoyed
crocheting the tiny roses in bright and cheerful colours.
This clock is on the wall in my bedroom.

Colour is so important during the cold winter months, don't you think?
I hope that you are finding lovely ways to bring colour into your life.

20 comments

  1. Good afternoon Sandra. Very cold in the UK today, but sunny (so far!). Everyone needs a little colour in their life, and yours is delightful. Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos.

    Hugs, Sarn xxx

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    1. Thanks, Sarn! I saw that it was cold in the UK and some parts even had snowfalls! We may just be getting a few snow flurries today as well!

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  2. So pretty! How fun to take a train ride with a friend to those beautiful places. The tree on the 'island' is very picturesque. I bet in the summer with its leaves covering the island it looks out of place like a tree growing out of the lake. I love the sun being a starburst in your last lake picture. Your macro shot is stunning. I always like getting in close as seeing those details. Have a great day!

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    1. Thanks, Michelle. Little train outings are great and it's so nice to have a change of scene and contemplate other nearby horizons! I must go back to the end of the lake to take a photo of that tree when it's full of leaves!

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  3. What a perfect symphony of blues! And I love your adorable crotchet clock!

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    1. thanks so much, Fi! Yes, lots of blues this time! The crocheted flowers were great fun to make for the clock!

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  4. Sandra, What to say about this post . . . my goodness you transported me into a world of beauty. I love your macro lens photos and the way you have the light coming through the flower's delicate petals. You are an awesome photographer. That clock in your bedroom is delightful and so full of cheer.
    Thank you for carrying your camera on your train trip. Switzerland is breathtaking and you captured its beauty perfectly. You can most definitely see God's hand everywhere you look :)
    Thank you for allowing me to tag along.
    Connie :)

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  5. So glad you enjoyed coming along with me on my winter wanderings, Connie! It really is a beautiful area surrounding me. I just have to go a little further afield from the city, but with excellent public transport, it's all pretty easy: frequent buses, metro and trains take us almost everywhere.

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  6. Beautiful, as always, dear Sandra. Beautiful pictures and a moment to breathe in this rather stressful time. Thank you so much for being there!

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    1. So glad this blog posting gave you some breathing time in your busy life, Marjan. Thank you so much for your kind words!

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  7. What beautiful photos.

    I can tell that I need to read backwards to catch up on your adventures.

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    1. Many thanks for visiting my blog and for your kind comment!

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  8. I just sigh when I look at your beautiful mountain photos, Sandra! Mountains are my favorite place to be, although I have never seen anything on this scale here in the U.S. I enjoyed your Zermatt post, too, as I don't think I was reading your blog back then. I looked up Lausanne on Wikipedia to see exactly where it was and found that it was in the French speaking part of Switzerland--I had no idea there was such an area! It's so wonderful to learn little facts like these :)

    Your crocheted clock is delightful! I've never seen one like that--it makes me smile! Enjoy your weekend, Sandra, and thank you for your gorgeous photographs.

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    1. Thank you, Carol. I'm glad you enjoy looking at the mountains we have over here! Zermatt is beautiful and I love to visit there.
      So now you know a little more about the position of Lausanne in Switzerland and that I'm in the French speaking part neighbouring France. There are four national languages in this small country. The largest part is German spoken, then the French part comes second, then the Italian part and another language called Romansh which sounds (to me) like a mixture of German and Italian, though the people from this area would surely describe it much better!

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  9. It looks and sounds like you had a lovely time. Such beautiful beings, those mountains.
    Your clock is bright and cheerful. And yes, color is nurturing and inspiring in winter. Though my home really is more subtle.

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    1. So lovely to have you pop in my way again, Tammie!

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  10. Your photos of the lakes and mountains make me take a deep breath and relax! I love all the blue shades. You find the most wonderful places to visit. Love the clock for your bedroom. The flowers in all colors would be delightful to wake up to!

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    1. Yes, those outings to the lake and mountains are so lovely to visit. I haven't been out so much this last week as it has turned pretty chilly with icy winds!
      That flower clock is just about opposite my bed, so I see the cheerful colours before I go to sleep each night!

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  11. Goodness you live in a beautiful place! I love what you have done to your clock. And half past pink that's great! Thanks for the shout-out Sandra I really appreciate it.

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    1. I'm so glad that you came to look at half-past pink, Astri! It's only normal that I should link back to you!I did a few nice little outings in my area in January! I hope to be doing the same this month too! It all depends on the weather!

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