Blog posts about Switzerland at Permanent Tourist

Sitting on the steps outside one of the shops in Bern’s Marktgasse a couple of weeks ago, watching the world go by.

As the previous post for April went down well, I thought I’d work backwards and start adding a few new little galleries of photos to show what I’ve been up to each month. Here’s March 2022 in pictures.

We travelled to western Switzerland last weekend, primarily to visit the small British supermarket in Gland and the tulip festival in Morges. Although the festival has been advertised and the tents and visitor facilities were already set up, the tulips were lamentably still a way from flowering, so I made do with photographing the daffodils […]

Walking by the river in Bern, where the views and scenes are more interesting than beautiful. (At least, at this time of year and under uninspiring weather conditions.)

I had a busy week. Two work projects are due for completion soon and because I felt that I was behind on them both, I decided to go back to the computer after dinner and work on them. I used to work late into the night when I was first establishing my career here, and […]

You can tell that I’ve enjoyed myself when I come home from a walk or a day out with a set of photos. Here are four from a chilly but lovely winter sunset on the shores of Lac Léman last weekend. I’ve loved square-format images since I started taking photos with a medium-format film camera […]

I like unusual things and the tiny natural island around 500 metres from the lake shore at Villeneuve, on Lac Léman, certainly fits that bill.

Nail-polish applied to the roots of a tree. Sure. Why not?

Before dawn in autumn and winter on a clear day, where there is moisture or minutely-fine dust in the air, early risers get to see the Belt of Venus. The pink colouration at around 10°-20° above the horizon is caused by the scattered, reflected light of the sun hitting minute dust particles in the west, […]

In most places in the mountains, even heavily-touristed spots like Creux-du-Van, visitors are left to their own common sense when it comes to health and safety. Fences and walkways seem to only be installed where it’s really necessary, although I can’t quite fathom when the decision is made. This allows one the chance to experience […]

Walking on a snow-shoe path without snow-shoes is usually OK, as long as the snow has been well-compacted by plenty of feet. But sometimes, your foot finds a soft bit and you suddenly find yourself knee-deep.

Half-an-hour later, the only thing which had changed was the number of Swiss men standing looking at it.

In which I tell a short tale about cannibals.

Long-time visitors to the site may vaguely remember that I used to collaborate photographically with Bern pop band Choo Choo.

Walking in the snowy landscape of Axalp, high above Lake Brienz in the Swiss Bernese Oberland.

Catching the first train from Zermatt onto the mountain and photographing the most well-known peak in Switzerland.

With so much to do and so many beautiful places to visit, the choice can sometimes be overwhelming.

Cable cars emerging from a cloud inversion at Grindelwald

How to help a viewer to better understand the scale of a scene.

A lunchtime walk by the vineyards in the sunshine, ten years after moving away from nearby.

View gallery

Last of the swallows for this year, I suspect. I haven’t seen them around much this year at home, but there were dozens out yesterday, feeding their young before their long journey. (We have a perfectly-positioned telephone wire near our balcony, so it’s a great spot to watch and to photograph them.)

Posts about Switzerland

Passers-by

Random things in March

Too early for tulips

Urban nature

Age catching up

Sunset at the lake

Île de Peilz

Things which draw my eye

The Belt of Venus

Switzerland doesn’t do health and safety

Hiking roulette

Fail

Cannibals in autumn

New Choo Choo portfolio page

Axalp in the snow

Sunrise over the Matterhorn

Spoilt for choice

First signs of autumn on Spiezberg

Last of the swallows