Photography & travel

EGYPT – Pyramids

The Great Pyramid, built by King Khufu (Cheops) second King of Egypt’s 4th dynasty,feels overwhelming when you stand next to it.Especially when you are almost alone. We were waiting at 7 am for the local entrance to open. [a tip from another blogger]So we didn’t go through the main entrance like most visitors do. It was pleasantly quiet and we still had time to enjoy a Turkish coffee from a nearby small coffee shop. You can hop on a tour bus and let you drive around, but then you miss out on a large part of the experience. And that …

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CORFU – East-West I North-South

Sandy beaches are scarce on Corfu, most of them are pebbly or rocky. During our stay, we travelled from the east to the west coast and to the northern and southernmost points of Corfu. Close to Afionas, there is a small, lovely beach [Porto Timoni] tucked away. You can descend to the beach via a hiking trail on top of the cliff. It’s about a 30 mins walk to admire the crystal clear water. Hiking shoes are recommended. Some walkers however, did it in flip-flops, but they are real daredevils. Further north is Cape Drastis. We took a beautiful walk …

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CORFU SAILING

Ring, ring. Somewhere mid-April, I receive a phone call from my dear childhood friend Christophe, asking if I would like to go on a sailing trip in September together with three other sailors; Marc, Richard and Chommie. His question made my body sing. My first reaction was, ‘of course, let me check with my wife,’ and after comparing my calendar with my wife’s, we were good to go. It had been 20 years since I had been on a sailing boat, but luckily there were two seasoned sailors among us. My task would be limited to being the boat’s mate …

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PEACE & QUIET

Since we were in Spain anyway, we decided to stay a little longer and turn it into a holiday. When we left Zaragoza we agreed to drive direction Balearic sea with no given destination. We stopped at Alcañiz, an old sleepy town located on a steep hill, bordering the Guadalope river, surrounded by mountains and olive groves. You can see The castle of the Order of Calatrava from far away. In reality there was not much to see at Alcañiz. After a light lunch on the terrace of a tiny tapas bar, we drove on to our destination of peace …

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BATTLE OF THE COWS

On our way back to Lausanne i wanted to stop at Martigny to watch ‘les combats des reines’ or the battle of the cows. It’s really something special. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of attending a combat, but my wife never seen one before. It was the perfect opportunity to show her. The Swiss call the Cow fighting a sport. It involves cows of the Hérens breed, and it is organised in canton Valais, Switzerland, where it is listed as a living Swiss tradition. It’s actually natural behaviour. As the Hérens cow has a lively temperament, you …

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VALLEMAGGIA & VERZASCA

To escape the hustle & bustle of the city, we drove towards destination nature, Vallemaggia. It is one of the most beautiful nature reserves that winds its way through the Alps from Lake Maggiore. We decided to hike from Bignasco to Mondada. It is not the most challenging hike but the natural surroundings are beautiful. After a few hundred meters, parallel with the road, starts a hiking trail. A small rocky path covered in moss beneath the green canopy of oak and beech trees. The whole valley is a sparsely populated area, with approximately 9 people per square kilometre. Which …

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ASCONA – LUGANO

Sometimes everything just works out fine. Ascension on a Thursday, Friday a bridge day and you have a nice long weekend just like that. And with a promising weather forecast we didn’t hesitate at all. Let’s drive to Lugano! You’re still in Switzerland but you’ll get a different experience. More on that later.We decided to take the shortest route possible, not only to save on battery juice, but to experience the Simplon pass. We crossed it around 8:30 in the morning. Perfect timing. The sky was mediterranean ocean blue and traffic fluid. Although it is already spring, there was still …

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LES GORGES DU DAILLEY

An extraordinary walk in a setting that is wild yet easy walkable made possible by a group of enthusiastic volunteers. That’s exactly what we did a year after the route was re-opened for the public. It got partially destroyed in April 2021 by a 4 cubic rock rolling down. We climbed around 600 steps to conquer a 186m height difference with gorgeous views. The history of the path goes back to 1895. In the 1940-ies it got destroyed because of the construction of the Salanfe dam. In 1990 the AAGB (Association des Amis des Granges et du Biolley) saw the …

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WINTER scene

Winter is a forgiven season. Even a thin layer of snow is able to cover the worlds ugliness. But on the other hand, it also makes other beauty stand out because of this.It also provides peacefulness and a certain divinity. On my way to Lausanne, somewhere between Baumes-les-dames and Lure, i spotted a pair of beautiful chestnut-coloured horses. Research learned they are horses of the Haflinger breed. An ideal moment to park the car and shoot some pictures. During the photoshoot they acted as professional models and walked slowly towards me. As they walked, one of the horses, slightly ahead, …

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ETOSHA National Park

North of Namibia lies the most famous National park, Etosha.In 1967 it got the status of National park. It spans an area of 22270 km2 and was named after the large salt pan Etosha. That salt pan has an area of 5000 km2. Due to its hypersaline conditions the number of species surviving there is limited. During our visit to the park, the salt pan was bone-dry and looked crusty like a well-baked bread. One recommendation when you visit the park. Although you can cruise the park on your own pace, book a guide. With their walkie-talkies they stay in contact with …

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