Covered Bridge over the Rhine

June 29, 2025

The train from Olten connected at Zurich and Sargans (1) and we alighted at Sevelen. The Rhine Valley here is flat for a mile or two on both sides, before abruptly ascending into the Alps. The Rhine River forms the border with Liechtenstein, crossed by a wooden covered bridge north of the modern highway bridge. Vaduz (the Capital of Liechtenstein) is only about a 2 mile walk from Sevelen in Switzerland. 

The bus ascends from here up a steep narrow valley to a dead-end at the mountain village of Malbun, in the southeast corner of the diminutive country. Surrounded by the Alps, it was shoulder season in this ski resort town. After schnitzel for lunch at a crowded resturant, we began a hike up to the col at Sarais, north of the village. The ascent was hot through Alpine meadows (without tree cover) and was one long switchback. The col offered views of Liechtenstein, Austria (a mile or two away) and through Liechtenstein to the Swiss Alps. 

Lingering at the trail summit, parachuters were riding the thermals above the peaks on their descent to Malbun. A roar like a fighter jet drew our attention to the sky. None being visible, we looked across to see a landslide from an Alpine peak in Austria. It took a while for the brown dust cloud to settle.

Being late on Sunday, the village was quieter upon our return, the weekend visitors having left. Total elevation gain of 1,350 feet on a 4 mile round trip hike.

(1) The 3 minute connection time was aggressive, but Swiss trains are typically punctual. Unfortunately, the connecting train was not across the platform, but down, under, then up. Good exercise.

Alte Rheinbrücke

Covered Bridge over the Rhine

Vaduz, Liechtenstein 

Hiking up to Sarais

Landslide in Austria made a roar that sounded like a fighter jet.

View from the hotel at dusk

Within Temptation at Summerside Festival

June 28, 2025

Flight disruptions turned a 4 hour layover at Dublin into an 8 hour layover (1), enough time to go to the city center for a stroll around Trinity College before catching our late afternoon flight to Zurich.

My wife's favorite metal band, Within Temptation, was playing a metal festival in Grenchen, Switzerland. Before 5:00 pm, there were no bands that caught our attention, so we sat in a shady spot under a tree on this hot day (2) (3).

Visions of Atlantis, our favorite Austrian band, came on at 5:00 for an hour. A band we did not know but liked was next: Eclipse. The headliner today was Within Temptation, playing a great blend of their old and new songs, including their haunting ballad Lost, rarely performed live. The next band was nothing special, so we hopped the train back to the hotel.

(1) In a fortuitous circumstance, our flight to Dublin via Chicago was delayed (a) so they put us on a direct flight from Boston to Dublin.

(a) Much cheaper booking the long way there.

(2) A band from Sweden said "we think of skiing in Switzerland, but it feels like the tropics today."

(3) A sign at the handwashing station where everyone was filling their bottles to stay hydrated said "Keine trinkwasser" (not drinking water). Noticing my wife's hesitation, a woman next to her said "This is Switzerland, not Spain or Italy, of course the water is safe. They just want to sell you overpriced bottled water."

At Trinity College, Dublin

Dublin Castle

Clementine from Visions of Atlantis at the Summerside Festival 

My wife was disappointed Arpagaus was the family name of the ice cream vendors, not a food truck selling asparagus

Fence line spot, stage left for Within Temptation

Official pic at Festival

Waxing crescent moon over the Festival 

Peer Gynt at Radio France

March 15, 2025

Cold rain with sleet this morning in Dijon. On the train to Paris, one village had a dusting of snow on the roofs; there must have been an elevation change, but one was not apparent in the train ride. Upon arrival, lots of people were running through the Jardin des Plantes, between Gare de Lyon and the hotel.

Unlike the last time I was in Paris (a Monday), the Musée D'Orsay was open today, so I walked there. I had remembered a couple of paintings from a visit in 2013, which were found after a visit to the museum café for café Vienoisse. Back towards the Rive Gauche, Dellacroix's residence has been converted into a small museum.

At Radio France, the Orchestra was performing Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt, in "Les Clefs de l'orchestre (keys of the Orchestra) de Jean-François Zygel." I wasn't sure what this was. The host Jean-François Zygel talked about the piece in French. I caught about 25% of the words; the narrator was excited, gesticulating, and talking fast.

It became clear in short order (1). The presenter was explaining the structure of the piece, and the Orchestra would play snippets to illustrate the points (e.g., the theme moving among the instruments, instruments switching the harmony and melody, key changes, etc.). He would call out individual players by name (Jean-Baptiste on the marimba) to illustrate techniques. The Orchestra then played the whole movement before he began talking again to introduce the next section. Basically, it was like program notes live. The host clawed at the air like a tiger, fluttered away like a bird, played some passages on the piano, and, in general, seemed to be having a grand time for himself explaining the music (as did the audience).

Grabbing a velib (bike share) after the concert (2), I cycled 4 miles up the Seine, past the Eiffel Tower, Quai D'Orsay, Louvre, and Notre Dame, all fully illuminated at night

(1) My misspent youth hanging about Symphony Hall in Boston probably helped me figure out what was happening. 

(2) For some reason, they insisted that the entire Auditorium exit via one doorway.

Gare de Lyon, Paris

Statue of Lamarck, "founder of evolution," and predecessor of Darwin (no scientist stands alone). Lamarck thought that adaptations developed during life would be passed on to descendants (called "inheritance of acquired characteristics"). For example, a giraffe stretching its neck would pass a longer neck onto their offspring. Neither LaMarck nor Darwin understood genetics (a), but Darwin's theory has aged better.

(a) The work of Gregor Mendel, studying his peas in Bohemia (in what would become genetics), was unknown to Darwin, although they two men were roughly contemporaries. 

Jardin des Plantes

Grand mosque of Paris 

Jesse's tree with Mohammed to the right,  Jesus to the left. 

Musée D'Orsay betraying its origins as a railway station

A few paintings intrigued me:

Pierre Bonnard, Le Grand Jardin, 1895

Louis Pasteur by Edelfelt

Winslow Homer: Summer Night

Evening Prayer in the Sahara by Gustave Guillaumet, 1863

Fine detail from painting above 

L'homme at la barre (Man at the tiller)

Gare St. Lazare, Monet

Crossing the Seine

Not Lara's theme: I kissed a girl, and I liked it.

The Dellacroix museum

Radio France Auditorium; the Orchestra members practicing. The presenter stood near the piano to the right.

Downriver from the Eiffel Tower, 10:15 p.m.

Late winter ice off Newfoundland on the flight home

TGV to Dijon

March 24, 2025

With a ticket already in hand from Chambery to Dijon, a short ride to Chambery was necessary. At the Chambery station, a man was playing the piano quite well, so I lingered. I recognized Lara's theme from Doctor Zhivago.

At a restaurant in Chambery city center frequented by locals (1), the owner (Christine) and I agreed that I would speak in French, and she would respond in English; "that's the polite way," she said (2). If nothing else, speaking in our non-native tongues made us speak more slowly. The local ravioli with Dauphiné and Savoie cheeses and walnuts was delicious.

Back at the station, someone else was playing Lara's theme again, this time with more artistic flourishes. After switching to the TGV (Train de Grand Vitesse, High Speed Train), the train arrived at Dijon with about an hour of daylight remaining. Along the way, the train passed (at 100+ mph) the cemetery in which Claude Nicéphore, the inventor of photography, is buried (3), attested to by a large sign visible from the speeding train.

A good stroll through Dijon city center revealed a charming combination of old and new, with both French and German style influences. The former Palace of the Bourgogne Dukes, dominating the main square (Place de la Liberté), was illuminated at night.

(1) The placemats had advertisements for plumbers, the local optician, etc. Christine knew the orders of some people as soon as they walked in; she made quite a potent potable for Michelle.

(2) Louise Penny describes a similar phenomenon in her Inspector Gamache novels, set in Quebec (although they usually quickly switched to all English).

(3) I would have guessed DeGuerre of the eponymous Deguerreotype, but Nicéphore preceded him.

Parc floral des Thermes, Aix-les-Bains

At Chambery station

Painting a lamb on the butcher shop window

Local brasserie 

Connection to Lyon 

The Dijon Cathedral

Notre Dame church

Interesting mix of architectural styles in Dijon

The Duke of Bourgogne's Palace, Dijon

Yes, you can buy the local mustard at Dijon