A Country Girl at Heart

I love all seasons in the countryside

but autumn brings warmth to my heart

and fresh air on my face!

At this time of the year, it's wise to grab the beautiful days as they appear.

Another little train journey

but on a country train this time!

My destination is 'Apples'

and you can see the name painted on the carriage.

Through the train window, I saw the vineyards slowly turning yellow.

The train stops at every little village

I love it!

Here's the village station with a fresh coat of green paint.

Now the walk begins

past pastures and trees and grazing Swiss cows!

A tractor

busy sowing seeds in the freshly turned earth.

I'm heading towards these lovely woods.

I love the feeling of space

adore the silence

and the lack of crowds...

Some leaves have started to fall and decorate the slopes.

Moving forward

Down a little and up again

Going round one bend towards a range of low mountains

Up higher just before the entrance to the forest

A soft path through the trees

surrounded by nature

not a car to be seen or heard.

Coming out of the woods towards glorious fields

Down the hill towards the village again.

This time on a backdrop of the Alps with the lake below.

The little three-carriage country train

which has just come from the village of Bière

(which really is the French word for 'beer')

Goodbye Apples with your green-framed station clock!

I notice a sign up inside the train

This one advertises a Train Fondue

Now that's given me an idea for a future outing!

***

I am definitely a country girl by nature,

but since giving up my car this year,

I have learned to appreciate the practical side

of living in a town... although I often yearn for the calm of the country

I know I can get there very easily by train and by bus.

The public transport is excellent here

and very reliable.

Soft Layers of Blue

Soft 

misty

mysterious

The sky, the mountains and the water 

merge together to give a feeling of peace and inner quiet.

A little rowing boat keeping its reflection company

and bringing in tones of aqua.

The faraway mountains

take on a delicate shade of violet

and

three little moorhens glide by

on the smooth surface of the water.

The small breeze 

creates gently undulating ripples

sailing boats sail back and forth with gracefulness

and reflections reach out to me

and pull me into the scene.

It would be a pity not to include a picture of the Mont Blanc

whose summit is covered in snow the whole year round.

This is the highest mountain in the Alps and the European Union

and it rises to 4.810 m (15.781 ft).

It's location is between the Aosta Valley in Italy

and the Haute Savoie in France

A framed picture of loveliness

to take home with me

and savour the inner stillness I still feel

when I observe them again, remembering the beauty of the day.

Alpine Lake Hike

During the last week of my summer break

I was able to do a few beautiful outings

One of them was to hike around an Alpine lake.

The light was perfect.

The lake was surrounded by rugged mountains and green pastures.

If you look carefully, you will see a waterfall in the distance

and on the upper right you can see the white tip of a glacier.

Zooming in on the waterfall from the other side of the lake.

Quite impressive 

and I was happy enough to walk at the base of these rocky slopes.

Each part of our hike gave us a different scene.

A chalet nestled in a clearing surrounded by pine trees

and fresh green slopes.

Another chalet on our trail.

There was smoke coming out of the chimney

and look at those lovely cow bells all lined up!

A wooden jetty leading to the lake

Lake reflections

taking on the green colours of the surrounding scenery.

The air was so pure and clear

The views change constantly

and there's such peacefulness.

We were so blessed with the best sunny day of the week to do this outing!

Now I'm back in work mode, I have this lovely day to remember!

Watery Moods

Green and blue intermingle

to set the mood

for our watery meanderings.

Soft curves and tiny wavelets break the surface.

Ribbons of different colours and texture

ever-changing and forever fascinating.

Such suppleness in movement

the art of non-resistance

and complete adaptation to the circumstances around us.

Serenity

When city life seems drab

and noisy and grey

I take a bus or a train to contemplate

the beauties that are not far away at all.

although I live in the city

the mountains and the lake call out to me.

It is here that I come to resource myself

and it's best to choose a sunny day.

A little sailing boat glides over the calm water

and in the small port in the lakeside town of Vevey,

I love to stare at the reflections in the water.

Green and blue

the shapes change with the moving surface of the water.

A swan preens its feathers

and looks into the depth of the water

until a mate comes along.

a last look towards this end of  Lake Léman

and as I look at the sparkles on the water

I take home wonderful memories

of a sunny day by the lake

and find once again

my inner serenity. 

The town of Vevey is where I lived when I first came to Switzerland.

It is barely a 15-minute train journey from where I live now

in the city of Lausanne.