The Walkers Mid-morning on a sunny Sunday is a perfect time for walk around Pfäffikersee (Lake Pfäffikon) in Kanton Zürich.
“You do know, don’t you, that we don’t live in the mountains? Zurich is in the “Low Country!” my friend exclaimed.
We were making plans for our summer visit to their Swiss home, and I was day-dreaming about Johanna Spyri’s Heidi, high-mountain meadows, and hiking in the alps amongst cows and goats with bells on. And, of course, Switzerlandis all that (watch this space!), but much of the country is significantly lower down and urbanised.
Kanton Zürich, home to the nation’s largest city, is located in the large plateau north of the Alps, and is well down in the elevation-rankings of Swiss Cantons. The verdant landscape features three decent-sized lakes and several smaller ones; shallow river-valleys with waters heading north to the Rhine; and countless Protestant churches on gently sloping hills dotted with pretty houses.
On one of the last days of our three-week visit this summer, we joined the large number of Swiss holiday-makers, walking briskly with their double-walking-sticks and sturdy boots, and took a walk through the protected grasslands around the third-largest lake in the Canton: the Pfäffikersee – Lake Pfäffikon in English.
Water Lilies A pond filled with delicate water lilies greets us as we set off on our circumnavigation of the lake.
Wanderweg All over Switzerland, the direction of the “Wanderweg” or “Walking Path” is well marked.
Walkway Wooden walkways lead over marshy grasslands. Benches are placed at regular intervals.
Signboard The walkways through protected lowlands are well signposted with visitor information. Of course, it is all in German – the official language in the Zürich area.
Fisherman Piers lead out over the lake for those who want to fish in the deep waters.
Berries The trees are heavy with ripe berries.
Birch Tress
Grasslands Much of the lake is bordered by grasslands; mountains retreat in the distant mists.
Pears This is a region of temperate fruits: apples, pears, plums and zwetschen; …
Berry Picking … and berry farms with strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and blackberries.
Clover The wet ground is rich in nitrogen-fixing clover. One passing walker was lucky enough to find a four-leaf variety!
Fishing from the Pier Fishermen come in all sizes.
Die Badeanstalt There are areas – complete with changing-rooms and toilets – that are designated for swimmers.
Outdoor Exercise
Church on the Hill Another hill, another village (Seegräben), another church.
Gentian
Purple Grass
Tiered Waterway
Spent Thistles
Wild Meadow Flowers
Dog Everywhere we went in Europe, large dogs accompanied their owners.
Kastell Irgenhausen The Kastell Irgenhausen (first mentioned in AD 811) was built by the Romans to secure their trade route through the area.
Kastell Irgenhausen Today, the ruins are a popular picnic and barbecue site.
Flowers in the Garden Part of the walkway is very close to suburban housing.
The Bench Shady trees and grape vines are everywhere.
Another Young Fisherman
Quiet Waters At the town of Pfäffikon, boats are moored on the quiet waters.
Having walked full circle under the blue skies, we were ready to leave the lake and enjoy a late lunch – knowing we had earned it.
[…] Alas, being geographically challenged as I am, I didn’t realise how much of Switzerland is actually the rolling, lake-filled central plateau, or Mittelland. Like two-thirds of the population, this is where our friends have their home: “You do know, don’t you, that we don’t live in the mountains? Zurich is in the “Low Coun… […]ReplyCancel
[…] Rail Passes and had already enjoyed making extensive use of them to get around the country (eg: Wanderweg around the Pfäffikersee; Balade Des Fontaines, Aigle; Château de Chillon; Schaffhausen and Neuhausen am Rheinfall; […]ReplyCancel
Bagan under Lights It is still dark as we leave our hotel in Old Bagan. On the way to our sun-rise viewing point, we drive past the beautiful Ananda Temple, flood-lit against the night sky.
And, it is amazing how much you can pack into a single day around Bagan – if you get up long before dawn, and return to your room well after dark.
The city served as the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan: the first kingdom to unify the regions that would later become Myanmar as we now know it. In the mid 9th century, it was the central power base of Burmese Buddhism under King Anawratha. Between the 11th and 13th centuries, especially, the kingdom flourished, and over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries were built. “It is estimated that as many as 13,000 temples and stupas once stood on this 42 sq km plain in central Myanmar…” They were lovingly decorated with paintings, carvings and engravings depicting stories from the life of the Buddha, and filled with flowers and fabrics and examples of Burmese crafts.
Many of the religious buildings were constructed of wood – and those buildings have not survived. Even those built of clay and brick have been damaged by earthquakes and the passage of time. Still, the roughly 2200 temples and pagodas that remain today in various states of disrepair are a magnificent sight dotted over the plains in the ever-changing light.
With the benefit of a small bus at our command, and a guide (Mr MM) to get us to the right place at the right time, Photo-Tour leader Karl Grobl, myself and my nine companions, crammed a lot of activity into our limited time.
We started our day before sunrise at Pyathada Phaya (also spelled Pyathadar, Pyathatgyi, or Pyatthada). Pyathada Pagoda is a popular viewing spot – especially at sunset – because its open terrace and upper deck allows a 360° panorama over the plains.
Predawn from Pyathada Pagoda Pagodas on the Bagan Plains stand out against the pre-dawn sky.
Sun Rising from Pyathada Pagoda The skies are dramatic as the light creeps over the horizon.
Pink Skies from Pyathada Pagoda The light rises quickly…
Dawn from Pyathada Pagoda … changing the appearance of the surrounding pagodas dramatically.
Mr MM Our guide surveys the horizon from Pyathada Pagoda.
Tripod Shots Mr MM watches as a group participant sets up a shot.
Pyathada Pagoda At ground level, the ruins of the temples make wonderful surroundings. With more time, it would be interesting to explore the plains further on foot.
Pyathada Temple was started during the later period of temple building in Bagan. This huge, Indian-influenced pagoda features impressive arches vaulting over broad corridors and halls
Caretaker On the ground floor of the temple, we met the man who looks after the shrines…
Pyathada Buddha … and the buddhas sheltered in the stone-arched vaults.
Pagodas on the Plains Late afternoon, we returned to Pyathada Pagoda to watch the light fade over the plains. Shinbinthalyaung and Shwesandaw Pagodas stand out from the flat lands in the late afternoon sun.
Cows on the Bagan Plains
Dhammayazika Pagoda on the Horizon Golden in the afternoon light
Sulamani Temple
Towards the Irrawaddy River
Tourists on the Roof
Across the Bagan Plains
Sunset Over The Plains
Pyathadar Temple Moon sliver against a dark sky,
All too soon, it was too dark to see.
We turned on our flashlights and headlamps before making our way carefully down the ancient steps and heading home for the night, after a richly rewarding day.
wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!
By the way, in my most recent blog post about Battambang, I linked back to your excellent reportage on the Bamboo train, and in doing so I re-read and re-lived the fun we had that day! Cheers, KarlReplyCancel
Woman and Goats In the heat of the Bagan afternoon, everyday life goes on around the ancient temple ruins.
It can be risky travelling through Southeast Asia during the southwest monsoon season: – daily rains can almost be relied upon, and when they come, they tend to be sudden and torrential. They make getting around difficult, especially for tourists who are not necessarily used to wading through the deep, dirty waters that often come with routine flash-flooding, and who don’t have the right wet-weather protection for their expensive belongings. Smelly gutters overflow, disguising potholes and other hazards, and traffic often grinds to a halt when visibility is reduced to zero by the onslaught of the monsoonal downpours.
There are, however, upsides: there tend to be fewer tourists, so prices may be lower and places are less crowded; temperatures are still warm – less stiflingly-hot than summer, but warm enough that a sudden drenching is not unbearable; rains are often short-lived and may even be predictable, and so can be avoided by finding an interesting place to visit during the afternoon thunderstorms; and, because of the warm temperatures, effective rain-protection can involve cheap plastic rain coats – which are readily available – or even shower caps and garbage bags.
And, there are regions which are protected – even during the height of the rainy season – from the worst excesses of weather.
Bagan is in one of these regions.
The magnificent, pagoda-studded plains of Bagan(A Living Landscape) sit in a curve in the Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) River, in a rain shadow between the low coastal ranges to the west and the Shan Plateau to the east. This relative ‘dry zone’ experiences, on average, only 30 percent of the annual rainfall received by Yangon.
Not only is this microclimate great for visitors, it is one of the reasons so many of the pagodas have weathered the tests of time. Even so, I tucked my plastic camera-protectors into my camera bag before joining Photographer Karl Grobl and local guide Mr MM on an afternoon’s exploration of Ananda Temple and the fields around Pyathada Paya (Pyathadar/Pyathatgyi Pagoda) Temple – just in case of sudden rain.
Ananda Temple Called an architectural wonder, Ananda Temple is one of the most famous temples in Bagan.
Temple Porches Ornate gabled porches project out from each face of the temple’s central square.
Ananda Temple Built under King Kyansittha in 1105, Ananda Temple is a fusion of Mon and Indian architectural styles. Layed out in a cruciform shape, the corridors lead to a central cube, which houses four standing Buddha statues, facing in each of the four cardinal directions.
The Kassapa (Kashyapa) Buddha The south facing Buddha is one of two depicting the dhammachakka mudrā, a Bagan-style hand position symbolizing the Buddha’s first sermon.
Kassapa Buddha … but the closer you get, the sadder, or more contemplative, it looks.
Kassapa Buddha This Buddha is unique: at a distance, it appears to be smiling …
Koṇāgamana Buddha The east facing Buddha stands with both arms hanging at the sides with palms stretching out. This is a mudrā not seen in traditional Buddhist sculpture outside this temple.
Koṇāgamana Buddha The east facing standing Buddha is holding a herb, which symbolically represents the gift of dhamma (Buddhist philosophy) as a cure for human misery and distress.
Out the Arch A grated archway looks out of a Ananda Temple corridor.
Buddhas in a Niche The corridors are full of stone images – some guilded and painted; others faint and worn.
As the afternoon drew on, we crossed the main road away from Ananada Temple, to the network of dirt roads that criss-cross the fields and plains. It was time for the herders to bring their flocks home for the night.
Temple in the Afternoon
Cows at the Waterway
Goats and Cows Sulamani Temple, the “Crowning Jewel”, stands in the background as a goatherd and cowherd stop for a chat.
Across the Furrows I am amazed that the dry, dusty furrows stay in such good shape with herds of goats crossing them twice daily.
Shepherdess
Bicycles on a Dusty Road There is a local network of unsealed dirt roads around Pyathadar Pagoda, where we were headed to watch the sun set.
Goats in the Dust The passing animals raise clouds of dust in the golden afternoon light.
Goatherd
Cows at Pyathadar Temple The late afternoon light turns the path and the temple warm with colour as the cows travel home through the dust and rubbish.
Setting Sun The sky turns crazy colours as the sun goes down over the plains …
Pyathadar Ponycart … and a ponycart-driver tries to get tourists home from the temple before the purple twilight goes dark.
Pyathadar Night Sky The sky changes colour from moment to moment over the Bagan Plains…
Last Light … before the light vanishes completely.
When the last light is gone, we make our way home in the dark.
It’s dusty and hot – but dry. No rain today on the Plains of Bagan.
Beautiful photo’s to compliment the storylineReplyCancel
Dietmut -August 11, 2014 - 5:23 pm
I have read just all your blog entries of the last weeks with interest. As always interesting reports and nice photos. Slowly I try now to put an end to my “summer break”, of course I would like to see the summer still long continuing. I love the heat and my muscles as well. As said I try to pick up the thread again slowly. I have spent the last weeks personally, lots of great things, but the terrible things that happened in recent times are not insensible passed away to me.
I will post something on my 3 blogs again soon. Dear greetings, DietmutReplyCancel
Dear Dietmut,
I am glad to hear you had a good summer – although we are indeed living in difficult times. We are summering in Europe at the moment; England, Switzerland and the Danube… although my Asian and North American photos still wait for me! 😀
Best regards, UReplyCancel
American and New Mexican Flags The flag of New Mexico is a perfect example of mixed cultural heritage: the Zia (Native American Pueblo People) Sun Symbol, the sacred four: four seasons, four times of day, year and of life, and the four obligations, radiating around a unifying circle; depicted in the colours of the Standard of Aragon, which was carried into the region by the Conquistadors. (iPhone 4S)
I loved New Mexico.
What’s not to love about a state that reveres spiritual ancestors, country and western legends, Mother Mary, and extraterrestrials – seemingly in equal measure! It’s not that I have any particular affiliation with any of the above, but I admire a culture that allows for – and celebrates – such diversity.
We were driving south from Monument Colorado, on the way to Santa Fe New Mexico, as part of a swinging loop into Houston Texas. The further south we got, the dryer the landscape and the more “modest” the surrounds.
Georges Drive Inn, Walsenberg CO Just north of the Colorado-New Mexico state line, we stopped for lunch. Eschewing the Kentucky Fried Chicken, the McDonalds, and the Taco Bell clumped together at a road stop in the small city of Walsenberg CO, we decided to take a chance on a tiny diner across the road. Clearly popular with locals, people were queued out the door for tables and for take-away. Like a blast from the past, the formica tables, the condiments, and the menu (patty melts and tinned peaches), were unchanged from my childhood. (iPhone 4S)
There is something in the New Mexican air: hot, dry air; crackling with electricity and thrumming with life. No wonder the state is home to artistic communities and a rich mix of traditional practices and new-age spiritualism. The land vibrates with possibilities and shimmering colour.
Kit was fluent in Spanish, Apache, Navajo, and several other American Indian dialects, making him an invaluable guide. He was twice married (once widowered, once divorced) to women of Native American blood, before marrying a young Catholic from a prominent Hispanic Taos family. They had eight children together. They also rescued three Navajo children from captivity and raised them as part of their family.
In spite of his empathy with Native Americans, Kit was held responsible for implementing the round up and exile of 8,000 Navajos in 1864. During what came to be called “the Long Walk” – 300 miles (480 km) from Fort Canby to Fort Sumner, New Mexico – about 300 people died, with many more dying at their destination, a desolate tract on the Pecos River.
Adobe Dining Room Now a museum, Kit Carson bought this modest Spanish-Colonial house in Taos in 1843 and he and his growing family lived here for the next 25 years. (iPhone 4S)
Chillies and Adobe – Taos
Mounted Prong Horn and Crucifix A private corner in a dark shop illustrates the eclectic nature of the state: a taxidermied prong-horn sheep head and other various animal bones; historical photos; religious iconography; and anthropological paraphernalia.
Dancing the Country Two-Step In the Santa Fe Plaza, a country and western band plays while a couple dances a two step.
Boots on the Line The country-western theme repeats around Santa Fe. Our motel made liberal use of western wear …(iPhone 4S)
Western Saddle … and old saddlery. The decor extended through to the rooms; we stayed in the Willie Nelson Room, complete with portraits of him and framed “On the Road Again” lyrics.
Camel Rock New Mexico is home to twenty-two Native Indian tribes – modern descendants of Ancestral Pueblo People and members of the Navajo and Apache Nations. Today, they continue to practice traditional ceremonial dances, arts and crafts, language, and lifestyle – while also developing modern casinos, resorts, hotels and golf courses to improve their economic status. Across the road from this distinctive rock formation is the glitzy Camel Rock Casino, owned by the Tesuque Pueblo.
Cliff Dwellings New Mexico is one of the “Four Corner” states that are home to numerous ruins of cliff dwellings – ancient homes of the Ancestral Pueblo People. (iPhone 4S)
Pojoaque Pueblo Once you are off the main highways, shrines punctuate the roadside. Everywhere there is a marriage of Christian and Native American symbolism.
Roads in the Mesa It’s a wide open country… (iPhone 4S)
The Healing Church El Santuario de Chimayó is a delightful Roman Catholic church, built in 1813 on a site that was already a pilgrimage shrine.
Crosses on the Fence El Santuario de Chimayó is one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage sites in the United States; 300,000 pilgrims visit each year with hopes and prayers for healing – for themselves or for their loved ones.
In the Madonna Garden El Santuario de Chimayo is surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Chimayó.
Our Lady of Sorrows The gardens of El Santuario de Chimayó are tranquil, with plenty of places to reflect.
Wooden Door When the Spanish arrived in the New World in the 1500s, they were committed to converting the native Pueblo Indians to Christianity. For the most part, they succeeded – but American Indian artistic sensibilities continued to find influence, even in the local Catholic Church.
Crosses A pathway and a row of crosses along the Santa Cruz River mark the northeast boundary of the sanctuary grounds.
Cross on the Fence El Santuario de Chimayó has been called the “Lourdes of America” because of the healing powers believed to be in the area.
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assis Built between 1869 and 1886, Saint Francis Cathedral is the “mother church” of Santa Fe.
Saint Kateri Kateri Tekakwitha (1656–1680), an Algonquian-Mohawk woman from New York State, was the first North American Indian to be beatified. This statue is by Jemez Pueblo sculptor Estella Loretto.
Woman and the Sands of Time At the nearby New Mexico Museum of Art, local artists find expression in the outdoor spaces.
Ranch View Motel – Vaughan Driving south from Santa Fe on Interstate 285 South, we were quickly in a lot of hot, dry, deserted empty space. (iPhone 4S)
William Ware “Mack” Brazel Outside the Roswell UFO Museum is a tribute to Mac Brazel who, in July 1947, found the strange debris that lead to the “Roswell Incident.” Inside the museum there are a lot of printed materials investigating the possible explanations.
After an exploration of the possibilities of extra-terrestrial life and another lunch of Mexican-style re-fried beans, we continued south to the border… where somewhat surprisingly, everything changed once we left New Mexico and entered Texas!
I can’t help but wonder what “American” means when the regions within the country are so clearly distinctive and different.
Inside Agra’s Red Fort Built by Akbar the Great in red sandstone, and expanded and renovated in white marble by Shah Jahan, Agra’s Red Fort is a testament to Mughal architecture.
Agra, in Uttar Pradesh, northern India, is more than just the home of the Tāj Mahal. Once the capital of the Mughal (Moghul) Empire, ruling over all of India from 1556 to 1658, Agra houses many splendid Mughal-era buildings, three of which – the legendary Tāj Mahal, the wonderful deserted city of Fatehpūr Sikrī, and the magnificent Agra Fort – are UNESCO World Heritage listed.
In its current form, Agra Fort – also known as Lal Qila, Fort Rouge and the Red Fort of Agra – was built by the Mughals, particularly Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, as a walled city. The 380,000 m2 (94-acre) fort, stretching along the Yamuna River and protected by seventy-foot high walls, once housed as many as five hundred buildings in Bengal and Gujarat styles. Some of these original structures were razed to make way for Shah Jahan’s glorious white marble palaces. Others were destroyed by the British between 1803 and 1862 to construct barracks. While only a few of the Mughal buildings have survived, they speak of a rich history and are well worth a visit.
I’ve visited the fort twice: in 2008, on a private trip with my husband, and in 2012 on a group photo-tour with photographer Karl Grobl and local guide, DV Singh.
I loved exploring it and its stories both times.
Amar Singh Gate Tourists enter Agra Fort through the massive red sandstone Amar Singh Gate.
Agra Fort Walls (2008)
Visitors Photographing the Visitors We all have our cameras at the ready as we enter Agra Fort.
Jahangiri Mahal (2008) A blend of Hindu and Central Asian architecture, the Jahangiri Mahal held the apartments of the Rajput wives of Akbar the Great.
Hindu Art In the 11th century, the ruling Hindu Sikarwar Rajputs had a brick fort here. Some of the treasures from that era are still housed on site.
Diwan-i-aam Built by Shah Janan in 1628 to welcome kings and dignitaries, …
Diwan-i-aam … the many-pillared Diwan-i-Am(Hall of Public Audience) allowed everyone a view of the throne.
Woman in the Diwan-i-aam
Red Roof Truss (2008)
Tomb of John Russell Colvin (2008) Colvin, lieutenant-governor of the Northwest Provinces of India, died of cholera during the peak of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. His entombment in such a prominent location at Agra Fort, which was at that time a military garrison, is considered by many to be extremely culturally insensitive.
Three-Striped Palm Squirrel One of the first thing I always notice in India is the wildlife: the birds in the skies and creatures on the ground.
Khas Mahal and the Anguri Garden (2008) Agra Fort was a walled palatial city; a fortified royal residence. The Khas Mahal was built by Shah Jehan between 1631-40, for his two favourite daughters.
Musamman Burj Also known as the Saman Burj or the Shah-burj, the Musamman Burj is an octagonal tower standing close to the Shah Jahan’s Hall of Private Audiences, the Diwan-e-Khas.
Mussaman Burj – Palace Rooms The Musamman Burj is made of beautiful marble with (now dry) fountains, ornamental niches, and delicate lattices so that the ladies of the court could look out on the world without being seen. Water flowed through the walls to keep the rooms cool in the heat of the Indian summer.
Marble Beauty (Composite 2008) The workmanship, in the inlaid marble (pietra dura inlay) in semi-precious stones throughout the the palace rooms, is stunning.
Palace Prison (2008) Irony: Shah Jahan, who built large parts of Agra Fort – and who built the Taj Mahal for his beloved wife – was imprisoned by his third son Aurangzeb in the fort from 1658 – in rooms where he had a view of his wife’s mausoleum – until he died January 22, 1666.
The Taj over the Yamuna River Flat From Agra Fort, the Taj Mahal is visible; less so these days through the haze and smog over the river.
Mother and Child Most of the visitors to the fort are Indian; my travel companions and I are in the minority.
Inside Agra Fort The delicate beauty of the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) behind the Diwan-i-Am Courtyard.
Wall and Door
Gate Keeper (2008)
Mosaic on the Gate (2008)
Decoration … In the old days, the sloped entries to the fort protected against attack by elephant… Today, barbed wire laces the perimeters.
It was an amazing era, leaving behind a legacy of beautiful Indo-Islamic architecture that is a joy to behold and explore. One can easily get lost imagining the lives and loves lived within the city-palace walls.
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
When the last light is gone, we make our way home in the dark.
It was an amazing era, leaving behind a legacy of beautiful 
Beautiful photos Ursula, definitely a different Switzerland to what we usually think of.
Thanks, Tricia! More to come… 😀
[…] Alas, being geographically challenged as I am, I didn’t realise how much of Switzerland is actually the rolling, lake-filled central plateau, or Mittelland. Like two-thirds of the population, this is where our friends have their home: “You do know, don’t you, that we don’t live in the mountains? Zurich is in the “Low Coun… […]
[…] Rail Passes and had already enjoyed making extensive use of them to get around the country (eg: Wanderweg around the Pfäffikersee; Balade Des Fontaines, Aigle; Château de Chillon; Schaffhausen and Neuhausen am Rheinfall; […]