london part three

with each visit to London my love affair with this enchanting city continues. I am now staying on the Thames with my dear friend Brandy and her boyfriend Keith. I was fortuitously treated by Brandy to a decadent dinner at Ubon, one of Nobu's several eateries. this evening I took a walk along the river...Tower Bridge is a grand sight, majestically illuminated against a deep blue sky. my night was spent at the Tate Modern, viewing work by artists from around the globe, a brilliant collection! it feels good to be back on English soil.




















Bartosz' new flat in East London, designed and decorated by this talented young lad, well done!!













a cheeky night of revelry with Aga and Ian.

brussels

from Luxembourg I took the train to Brussels, headquarters of most of the European Union's institutions. both culinarily and culturally speaking, it was really the chocolate that I was eager to ingest, as well as the traditional fare of waffles, mussels and beer. Belgians possess quite a savory palate! Tomek who lives in this frenetic city, joined me in a feast of delectable moules. I think I have had my fix!

luxembourg

Luxembourg was voted the City of Culture in 2007, a title designated by the European Union in order for a city to exhibit its cultural life on an international level. needless to say I sought to find a bit of this culture. what I found was an elegant little city which felt very manageable and lively without an air of pretension, though it happens to be one of the wealthiest in the world. Luxembourg is a country of under half a million people, many of whom come from neighboring Belgium, France and Germany, creating a large ex-pat community. ruled by a Grand Duke, it is the world's only remaining sovereign Grand Duchy. I was well charmed by this intimate city.

swiss fix

sometimes there is simply nothing to be said, and everything to be seen and felt. such was my experience as we drove along the lake from Lausanne to Vevey, home to Mathias and one of the most beautiful scenes I have laid my eyes upon. on the right, the savoy alps diving into the lake. on the left, the steep stairs of the vineyards (this human accomplishment has been awarded the Unesco world heritage).

lausanne

Lausanne lies at the edge of Lake Geneva. complete peace exists amidst this dramatic panorama upon the lakeshore of Ouchy.

gruyères

sometimes it is simply the feeling in the air and the resonating mood that a time and place create. such was Gruyères, where we stopped for the night. I was immediately taken with this medieval town, shrouded by mist and inhabited by vagrant cats. for dinner we dined on a grand feast of fondue (we were in Gruyères after all) and fell asleep to the trickling of the fountain outside the window.



in the morning a blanket of fog covered the landscape as we toured the Château, a walk into eight centuries of architecture and history. in complete contrast to the grandeur of the castle, we delved into the fascinatingly twisted mind of HR Giger, the Swiss artist famous for creating the effects for the film Alien. he bought one of the old houses in which he showcases his unique style of sexualixed surrealist visions, extending this imagined world into his Alien-style bar next door. I did not want to part with this mystical town but it was time to return to the lake.

on the road...

following a walk in the green rain of Bern, Mathias and I set out for Interaken, located between Lake Brienz to the east and Lake Thun to the west. the destination of many adventure-seekers.


as the rain continued to fall and evening drew near we drove to Gstaad, renowned as a ski resort for the wealthy elite. indeed a charming winter paradise. a perfect stop for hot chocolate.

the green city

In the early afternoon I arrived in Bern, the capital of Switzerland, in time for lunch with Florian, a Zurich local who I had met in Hanoi many months ago. Bern is a tiny city of 130,000, considered one of the most charming in Switzerland. unmistakably the sandstone buildings create a uniformity of green. the perfectly preserved medieval street plan, with its arcades, street fountains and clock towers persuaded UNESCO to deem Bern a World Heritage Site. what I found most appealing was the Paul Klee Museum, a grand edifice constructed by architect Renzo Piano. Klee is my most revered artist and reason enough to come to this city where he spent much of his life. after many hours lost in the fascinating mind of Klee, I was met by Mathias, a friend from long ago with whom I had shared many travel adventures. and now our Swiss chapter was about to begin...

zermatt

the rain was falling in Geneva and I decided it was time to head to the mountains. four hours aboard a train winding deep into the snow-peaked mountains, destination Zermatt, one of the great ski and climbing centres of the world. stepping into this mountain village, nestled in a deep valley surrouned by Swiss peaks, dominated by the gracefully curved point of the Matterhorn, I felt a replete calm. in this place so far removed from the world there exist no cars or congestion, merely a tranquil scene of ski-bound pedestrians amidst the barns and chalets leading into hidden cobbled streets.

geneva

I had heard much about Geneva from Swiss friends and all those who had traveled to this city of prosperity and elegance. I was most impressed with the old part of the city, where time (as precise as it was) seemed to stand still. amidst the cobbled streets only the placid sounds of water flowing from a fountain could be heard, mixing with the occasional ring of a church bell. the air was crisp as I spent many hours walking around the lake, gazing at the mountains beyond the grand industrialization looming in all directions. one afternoon I took the street car to Carouge, the Mediterranean style village in the middle of Geneva.

snow storm!?

due to the train strike (who would have guessed the strikes go on for weeks!?) Bartosz and I rented a car to drive North, I was headed to Lyon and he to London via Paris. the adventure continued as we drove straight into what felt like the twilight zone, from a blue sky into a snow storm!! perhaps it was one of those moments shared between friends that will never be understood by another.

In very little time and much amusement, I arrived safely to Lyon and after a speeding ticket, hours of circling the city of Paris and a missed train to London, Bartosz too arrived home.

sainte-victoire

I have long desired to drive along the path to Sainte-Victoire, the mountain apparent in much of Cezanne's work, 444 oil paintings and 43 watercolors to be exact. it was my persistence and slight pleading that led us to the mountain as we exited Aix-en-Provence which in the matter of less than 24 hours I introduced to Bartosz who I know would find it as warm and inviting as I had. as the mountain loomed in our presence I experienced one of those rare moments in life when all rational thought dissipates and you can only feel with your heightened senses...

saint tropez

I have always been curious about this modern version of a medieval town, filled with yachts and terraced cafes, appealing to those desiring to enter a scene of wealth and glamour. when we arrived the town was sleeping. but undeniably charming with its pastel colored facades and cobbled streets leading to a night of over-priced cocktails with the locals who keep asking where have all the jet-setters gone, and a morning of fresh pastries and fruit markets. my regard for Saint Tropez is quite high in the low season. perhaps one day I shall experience the other side.