The First Snow of the Season

This week has been a mixture of blue skies and sunshine, but also dull, grey days.

On this particular day, I passed this beautiful tall Beech tree with still a few leaves hanging on.

There were also some pretty Winter Jasmine in bloom.

Two days' ago there was an icy wind blowing

and snow had been forecast!

When I got up this morning around 5 am, I put on a coat before pulling up the blinds

and going on my balcony!

It was indeed snowing and it continued to do so for most of the morning.

I took this photo just before 8 am when the street lights were still on.

The house is just across the road from me.

You can see the snowflakes falling against the dark paintwork on the house.

A pretty snow scene in-between two houses.

The first snow of the season is always so special!

I am happy to say that the roads were cleared by a snow-plough and the paths cleared by a blower.

I had a snug day at home, reading and doing crochet

I lit candles and this one looks so pretty on an orange tablecloth.

The little house is made of ceramic.

I did some reading about the life of a vet

and his love of animals.

This is a beautiful hand-painted Christmas bauble

which represents figs and their leaves.

This week, I visited a friend who lives further down the lake

We went to a Christmas Market and she gave me this lovely candle holder

with the winter trees and a moose.

A thoughtful Christmas present!

Isn't the Christmas card adorable too?

I finished crocheting my winter blanket.

It looks really pretty on my grey couch.

Now I'm crocheting some more squares in the same colours to make a cushion cover.

The little Tomte wearing a long pointed hat, is a Scandinavian gnome.

He was given to me by my daughter.

Isn't he adorable?

The tomte is an essential part of Scandinavian folklore.

He's a little gnome who is dedicated to one home or farm.

He looks out for the farm animals and children of the home.

He patters about by night, unseen, to check on everyone's welfare.

I chose this Swarovski crystal star for my blog header.

It sparkles so prettily by candlelight.

I hope that this month of December is treating you well.

Do you like this time of the year?

Do you have special traditions that you like to honour?

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The Last Day of October

The month of October has been glorious this year with lots of sunshine

and very little rain.

The autumn colours are becoming more beautiful each day.

This house in my neighbourhood so beautifully covered in Virginia Creeper.

I walk down to the city park very often as I enjoy the tall trees and the seasonal plantations.

I saw these pretty leaves on the way down.

It only takes me fifteen minutes to get to the park from where I live.

It takes a bit longer to get back home as it's all uphill!

These elegant pots have already been planted with autumn chrysanthemums.

In the background, we can see the golden Tulip Tree.

I stood under the branches of a small tree to capture the wonderful golden bokeh.

Through the archway under the bridge, the Ginkgo is turning yellow.

The shape of the leaves is so lovely against the blue of the sky.

Chestnut Tree leaves.

One day, I took a train with a friend up higher to a village called St.Cergue

which is at an altitude of 1.041 metres.

We did a really lovely walk in the woods.

Another scene on the way back.

It's so delicious to walk on the fallen leaves!

Where the forest opens up, we can see the poles put there to measure the height

of the snowfalls to come!

A charming little hut at the end of a garden.

On the front, there was a sculpture of four horses drinking from a trough!

A little chalet with yellow shutters and door.

What a lovely place to stay in the middle of nature.

A mixture of evergreens and autumn colours against the blue of the sky.

Back to the park again to see the maple leaves change colour

Spindle Berries in striking pink and orange

Mighty Beech Trees out on a walk in the country

I love their smooth, straight trunks and how the leaves turn to a rich copper colour.

A mossy tree trunk with fallen leaves

... and the roots of a Beech Tree 

A day spent in a spa centre with my daughter in Lavey-les-Bains surrounded by mountains

and autumn colours.

These two photos were taken from the adjoining park which runs along the River Rhone.

Closer to home are the last strawberries on my plants.

The leaves turn such a pretty red colour in the autumn.

On Saturday mornings, I like to go downtown early to do my marketing.

This was taken on Saturday morning when the sky turned beautiful shades of pink and red.

The silhouette is of the Gothic Lausanne Cathedral.

The construction began in 1170 and continued over a long period

of about one hundred years.

The Cathedral, called Notre Dame, was consecrated in 1275

by Pope Gregory X.

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My next blog entry will be in the month of November - as it will be here tomorrow,

and on Saturday we put our clocks back an hour which makes it dark very quickly

in the afternoons and early evenings.

I believe there will be some new crochet pieces to show very soon!

October Outings

October can be such a beautiful month and we have had many sunny days.

I like to take the metro down to the lakeside in Ouchy and enjoy watery scenes.

Sparkles on the lake

I liked all those chimneys and the mosaic decorations on the side of the roof.

One day, I took the train to the small lakeside town of Rolle.

I met a friend who lives in a nearby village.

This is the 13th century Rolle Castle.

It was a windy day and the lake was full of white tips to the waves.

The slopes behind the castle are covered in vineyards.

We walked all along the lake front and had lunch in a lakeside café.

The group of trees are growing on an artificial island on the water.

The island is called l'île de la Harpe, located on the territory of the municipality of Rolle,

in the canton of Vaud.

It was built in 1837 and was named after the political leader Fédéric-César de la Harpe

after his death in 1838.

Walking back to the castle  after lunch.

There were posters of creative photography all along the lake.

This one was my favourite and is the île de la Harpe in the winter months

when the trees have lost their leaves.

The town hall or meeting place (maison de commune) in the village of Tartegnin.

I like the clock tower and the profusion of geraniums.

Horse Chestnuts were falling from the trees in the lakeside parking

and we couldn't resist picking up lots up to bring home and enjoy their shiny rich colour!

My daughter and I went to a spa for two days, staying one night.

It's called Les Bains de Lavey

and the hotel is set in a beautiful park.

This is one of the lovely views.

The Chestnut Tree leaves were showing their autumn colours.

Tree shadows and fallen leaves

Walking through the shade of the trees

In-between our water activities, it was lovely to walk in the park.

There are several metal sculptures, like this one, which reflect the surroundings.

Mountains that surround the spa.

We certainly had a lovely time there, including a massage and watching a

lights show from the main pool at night.

There were illuminated dancers, acrobats and projections with clever lighting effects

on the trees surrounding the different pools.

There are relaxing rooms with colour therapy and sounds of nature.

I enjoyed the outside jacuzzi and the hammam

and generally bobbing about in the thermal waters!

You can see a link to this thermal centre HERE

So October, so far, has not been without outings.

As long as this beautiful weather lasts, there will be more!

Regular walks in my neighbourhood are still showing late blooming flowers

like these lovely deep pink anemone or wind flowers.

A late afternoon walk showed me some beautiful autumn leaves

illuminated by the sinking sun.

They remind me of a stained-glass window.

A wild rose and rose hips

Shiny red berries and Black-eyed Susan.

Now the cooler days are here, I feel like doing some crochet work again.

It's always fun to create colour combinations

and one of the dahlias from my balcony garden inspired this little mat.

I hope that you are all enjoying sunshine and lovely autumn days.

Our temperatures vary between 15-18C.

The rains will come and grey days too, but in the meantime let's enjoy the now!