Basel was our first introduction to Switzerland, and what a pleasant place to start. Stereotypes of mountside cottages with goats and cows ringing their bells would have to wait, Basel is a big city. Bicycles and pedestrians rule, crossing and swerving with no rhyme nor reason. Driving our car was a two person job –…
This Week in Eastern France
We have been to the south of France many times, Paris many times, and of course we live in Normandy, but we have never been to eastern France. This week we were in Champagne, Lorraine, and Alsace. Our first stop was Troyes La Champagne. It was about half way from La Thebauderie to Strasbourg. We…
Alsace/Lorraine – A Long Way From Longyearbyen
We are in Lesseux in the far east of France. The proximity to Germany and Switzerland is evident in the architecture. We are a long way from Normandie with its resemblance to southern England. We are even further from Longyearbyen, where we were just over two weeks ago. Longyearbyen was 78N latitude, here it is…
Blues, Grays, and Viewfinders
Sketching on the bow of our cruise ship at 0700 in the morning I was attempting to capture what was a magnificent panorama. Sweeping vistas dazzle our sight and motivate us to grab our sketchpads. Yet these same landscapes are some of the trickiest to capture. Over the years I have spent hours on them…
Happy Accidents, Sort Of
We left Honningsvag on Saturday, heading for Longyearbyen on the island of Svalbard. It is the most northerly town in the world at 78N latitude. With a day at sea spending time in the spa made sense. After the heat of the sauna, I sat in the relaxation room, with a view from the stern…
theTravelsketcher 