Autumn in Lausanne

The month of October has been very sunny and very warm

with temperatures in the low to mid twenties.

I think that my favourite colours has been the golden leaves against the blue 

of that clear, autumn sky.

My computer has been giving me lots of trouble, working very slowly indeed

and freezing often. I have been disheartened to put up a new blog entry for October

before today. 

I have very many photographs and will spread them out over several weeks.

One tiny leaf that left the tree and got entangled in a spider's web.

Fallen leaves on the windscreen of a car below.

The reflection of the tree above is reflected in the glass.

The Ginkgo Biloba Tree down in the Mon Repos Lausanne Park

 is startingto get its golden colours.

Look at their beautiful fan-shape and golden tones highlighted by the sunshine.

These joyful yellow Heliopsis flowers grow near my building.

They are also called Oxeye Sunflowers.

The Tulip Trees have quickly turned to golden yellow 

are now taking on a very coppery, burnished look.

Such a pretty shape to the leaves

Looking good against the evergreens in the park.

In my neighbourhood

I have so enjoyed all our beautiful blue skies this month.

Lausanne Cathedral taken from the big market place.

I usually do my marketing for fresh fruit and vegetables on Saturdays.

A collage of October colours.

The pink Windflowers/Anemone are still blooming.

I crocheted four little pumpkins and took them for a walk down to the park.

They seemed to settle in well among the fallen Tulip Tree leaves

showing up nicely against the dark trunk of the tree.

This month, I made a small lap blanket to give to a friend for Christmas.

I've called this one 'Cosy Winter Blanket'.

The edging.

I still need to finish making several other crocheted gifts.

My fingers are kept very busy during these longer evenings

now that we have put the clocks back for the winter months.

Today, Monday 31st October is All Hallows Eve.

It is a day to remember our departed loved ones, to light a candle in their memory

and also to take flowers to the cemetery.

The first day of November is known as All Saints' Day or All Hallows' Day.

There were so many marvellous cloud shapes one afternoon

and I enjoyed making this collage of the prettiest ones.

I shall be doing another blog entry fairly soon to catch up with showing all my saved photos!

Skies and Mountain Silhouettes

More photos from Lavey-les-Bains following the first part here:

Mountains, Relaxation and River

Pine Branches against a late summer sky.

There were many beautiful trees in the grounds of the hotel.

Colourful fluffy clouds and birds flying high before the morning sun hit the mountain range.

The sun is arriving

At last the rich colours start to show as the sun illuminates the higher peaks.

So many interesting clouds at different times of the day.

I liked these in pink and gold.

Sitting on a bench in the grounds to read my book-

It's called : 'Standing in the Rainbow' by Fannie Flagg.

A charming story of people and their connections with each other in a small town

called Elmwood Springs in Missouri, U.S.A.

I'm also crocheting rainbows to make a garland and here are the first three!

I saw this hollowed out tree trunk full of treasures from nature

The mountains are extremely steep in some parts

and I prefer to admire them from afar rather than climb them!

Watching the sunset from the hotel room

and getting a last glimpse of an illuminated tip of a mountain,

the Dent de Morcles

which can also be seen in the preceeding blog entry.

These beautiful white flowers were in hanging terracotta pots along the covered terrace.

Just for fun!

As I passed a metal sculpture in the hotel on my way to the spa,

I had to laugh at my deformed image!

I think my next blog entry may be about flowers

there are still so many beauties blooming in this late summer period before autumn sets in.

Mountains, Relaxation and the River

Towards the end of August, it seemed the perfect time to take a little break.

We chose to go to a place we have been before: Lavey-les-Bains

in the Valais. It's a spa establishment which offers different treatments.

The water in the various pools is naturally heated and has curative properties.

It's less than an hour away by train from Lausanne.

The Rhône River runs in the valley in-between two mountain ranges.

We took this meandering path to enjoy the sights.

The waters are very rapid even though the level of the water was very low

due to lack of rain.

This is the view of the tip of a mountain called the Dent de Morcles.

I took this shot from the bridge to get a more extensive view.

It looks very impressive in a silhouetted form against the blue of the sky.

Don't you think it looks like a big bird stretching its wings?

Or with just the illuminated tip showing at sunset.

We experienced some beautiful clouds in the early morning and and in the evenings.

A crescent moon peeps through the branches of a pine tree in front of the hotel room.

More colourful clouds reminding me of unfurling waves.

The hotel is set in a lovely park full of trees offering us welcome shade.

A closer, partial, view of the hotel with the outside terrace for eating.

This wispy cloud in the shape of a heart brings me joy.

I took so many photos during our little getaway that this will be the first part

of several blog entries, probably three in all. 

I feel it's preferable to make shorter entries with a manageable number of photographs. 

I'll be posting a bit more often.

September is round the corner.

I love the cooler days and beautiful lighting during this month.

Day 19 - Evening Walk

Evening bee on sunflower.

There are many gardens and allotments in my neighbourhood 

and my early morning and my evening walks allow me to enjoy them all.

One garden was just full of beautiful sunflowers

They are glorious from every angle

Even from the back.

The colours vary

I love the young flowers unfolding their petals.

Perfection

The sky was showing an announced change in the weather from hot and sunny

and then to hot and humid as the clouds increased.

Storms and rain are on the way and hopefully we shall get some refreshment

from the lovely rain!