Spring Snow

I know that the first day of spring isn't quite here,
it's still two days' away.
That didn't stop fresh snow from falling in the mountains!

All the mountain scenes in this posting are thanks to a lovely early birthday treat
from my son who came over from Canada to visit his family and friends.

We spent a night in a beautiful hotel with a spa.
The Lavey Spa Centre is situated in the Rhône Valley surrounded by mountains.
Here are some of the warm thermal water pools.
The water from the baths comes from the hottest spring of Switzerland
(33° - 36°C).
It is caught in great depth, up to 600 metres, near the baths.

If you look up into a small snowy plateau on the mountain side,
you can see a little hamlet and the steeple of a church.
On the day of our arrival, we both had a massage at the spa centre
and then enjoyed swimming in the pools as it was snowing on our heads!
I like the Hammam very much which is steamy and perfumed with essential oils
which clears the lungs and respiratory system.

The centre under a deep blue sky at night.
I went here some years' ago with a girl friend on the longest day of the year
and we swam under the stars until midnight!

This lovely golden scene was taken from my hotel room at the spa.
This was the first sun of the morning, around 6.30 am which illuminated the peaks
in a golden light.

The new day brought us bright blue skies which contrasted so beautifully with the fresh snow.

The sun hadn't yet reached the foreground.

The branches are still bare, but tiny buds are swelling and getting ready
to burst open at that time when the temperatures rise over a certain amount of time.

This is the lovely Georgia O'Keeffe picture in my hotel room.


This metal statue is at the entrance to the Spa Centre.

I sat in the waiting area drinking herbal teas and waiting to be called.
I had chosen an Alpine salt scrub followed by a back massage done with shells
and heated oil!

We did several lovely walks in the hotel's park and beyond until we reached a waterfall.
This is a fun reflection I took in one of the metal deforming structures.
You can see part of the hotel in the background.

The water from a waterfall travels down to the Rhône River below.

The level of the water is very low at this time of the year.
We have had little rain and the snow has not yet melted.

In the late spring and early summer, you can hear the water
rushing noisily over the rocks.

A last look at this beautiful mountain range covered in fresh snow.

What a lovely early birthday treat and some quality time spent with my son.
A visit to remember!

I also came here with my daughter for the day last autumn,
to celebrate her birthday!


18 comments

  1. Fantastic photos of your trip Sandra. How wonderful to have swum under the stars at midnight! It sounds very poetic and romantic.

    Hugs, Sarn xxx

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  2. Thanks, Sarn. It was a lovely break away! Swimming under the stars was great fun, but not romantic with a girl-friend! We certainly laughed and giggled a lot as we splashed around and looked up at the lovely sky!

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  3. It sounds like you had a truly lovely visit with your son. :) The snow on the mountains makes such a wonderful backdrop for swimming in the warm pool. So much to do with a spa and hiking too. Such a beautiful place!

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    1. It was a gorgeous stay, Michelle. Yes, seeing the fresh snow on the surrounding mountains made it very special - especially at the same time as we were in the pools!

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  4. That must have been the very best present of all to get a visit from your son all the way from Canada, Sandra! Do you ever get over to Canada to visit him? I only live three hours from the Canadian border. When I was young my family would always take our summer vacations in Ontario, Canada.

    Love the mountain photos so very much--they are truly breathtaking and I so hope to see such mountains in person some day.

    Wishing you a very Happy Birthday ♥

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    1. Yes it was a beautiful present, thank you! I have been to Canada for two trips already, but mostly my son comes here to see everyone. Yes, the mountains are very beautiful around here.
      Thank you for your birthday wishes, though I shall have to wait for the month of May for it to actually be here!

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  5. Those snow covered mountians are so beautiful! How thrilling to swim in the snow! I know you enjoyed the time spent with your son as an early birthday present! You've created some wonderful memories together!

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    1. Thanks so much, Cathy. Yes, we had a lovely time together and the blog entry is a lovely way to remember it too!

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  6. The surroundings are stunning indeed. What a wonderful place, surely a bit like living in a bubble out of time and far away from stress and hectic. Perfect for spending some quality time together with a dear one, that isn't around very often!

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    1. Yes, Marjan, it is a wonderful place to stay, especially if we are there overnight!Thank you!

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    1. Many thanks for your visit and for taking time to comment, Maria!

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  8. First, I wish you a lovely birthday Sandra! As you cross the threshold into your new year, I wish that it overflows with days and nights that feel wonderful to you!

    What a lovely way to share time with your family. In a beautiful and relaxing place. Looks beautiful!

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    1. Thank you, Tammie. It's a beautiful place to stay and celebrate a birthday, though the actual day isn't until mid-May. It's so lovely to see the mountains and walk in nature!

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  9. Oh, that was a very early celebration. Celebrating life is a daily thing at it's best.

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    1. Yes, it was an early celebration, but my son lives in Canada - and that is very far away, so we celebrate when we can!

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  10. QUE LUGAR TAN HERMOSO PARA DESCANSAR!!!
    SALUDITOS

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    1. Yes, it is a beautiful place to rest. Thank you, Alicia.

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