zurich

zurich

30 Jan 2026

I flew into Zurich because of its proximity to Freiburg, where the conference I attended was held, so of course it made sense to fly home from there. An old friend of mine lives in Zurich so we were able to catch up while I was in town.

When I visit Zurich I often stay at the same hotel, located close to the Opera House, the lake and the Stadelhofen Railway Station. It makes getting to the airport a breeze.

Don't let the sunshine fool you. I was in Zurich for 2 days and the first morning of my stay was bright and sunny then it rained solidly for the rest of my stay.

I'd bought a Zurich card at the Airport so I tried to use as much public transport and visit as many museums and attractions as I could visit during my short stay. My first destination was the Kunsthaus Zürich.

I decided to walk there past the lake and the Grossmünster.

It was a Sunday so the shops were all closed but there were plenty of people out and about.

I arrived a little bit early so I walked around the exterior of the art gallery.

Autumn had arrived so the trees were losing their leaves.

There was artwork both inside and outside the gallery.

It had been a few years since my last visit and a new wing had been built joined to the existing building by an underpass.

The new building itself is a work of art.

The Kunsthaus Zürich is filled with art treasures.

I walked across the bridge to the Fraumünster Church to see the Chagall windows.

The windows are beautiful but too difficult to capture on a cloudy day.

I retraced my steps back to the Grossmünster because I had a tower to climb.

The 187 stairs were a bit of a challenge and I was glad when I finally reached the top. The views were worth the climb.

The next day the weather took a turn for the worse, think driving rain, swirling winds and inside out umbrellas, so I took very few photos.

I did brave the rain and returned to the Fraumünster Church to see the cloisters, which are closed on Sundays.

The peaceful cloister and it's beautiful murals.

A black and white image from a previous visit to Zurich when my film camera worked.

My last photos of a sodden Zurich.

I spent the afternoon in the teeny tiny Beyer Watch and Clock Museum. It was very busy so I waited in the rain for quite some time before I could enter. Although tiny, it's full of treasures and it was a nice way to spend a rainy afternoon.

They're my last images from my trip to Europe and North Africa. I guess that means its time to arrange my next holiday.

See you all again soon.

Bye for now,

Jillian

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paris in black and white 2016

paris in black and white 2016

8 Sept 2016

Before I arrived in Paris I spent a whirlwind weekend in Zurich. My Saturday was spent by the lake so I just had an hour roaming with my camera early one Sunday morning before it was time to pack and head to the station.



I was staying close to the old town so I walked through the quiet streets to the Grossmunster.



Some details from the cathedral.



From Zurich I caught the train to Paris just in time for the Euro 2016 Final. I stayed in an apartment just around the corner from the Folies Bergere, which I'd visited on a school trip to Paris when I was 15. It's an area of Paris I wasn't familiar with but with 2 metros close by it was easy to get around.



I'd arranged tickets to the Musee Picasso before I arrived in Paris in an attempt to avoid or to at least minimise the time spent standing in queues. I arrived a bit too early so went for a walk around the block where I found this pretty shop.



The imposing facade of the Musee Picasso.



The Picasso Museum has been renovated since my last visit. I made my way out into the garden where I took this photo. I love this scene.



The Picasso Museum is in the Marais so after my visit, I visited some of my favourite places in the Marais, like this cafe.



The Marais is filled with lots of narrow streets that always look a little the same. Suddenly you'll notice a familiar landmark realise that you've walked this street many times before.



I came across the je'taime sign on my wander through the Marais. It's such a poignant reminder of what Paris has been through during the past 12 months. Just a few days later came the attack on Nice.



I went on the hunt for rotisserie chicken along the Rue St Antoine but was disappointed that my favourite chicken shop was closed for the day.



From Rue St Antoine, I went to the Place des Vosges via a shortcut through the Hotel Sully.



It leads you here to one of the covered arcades around the edge of the Place des Vosges.



I then did a loop back to Rue st Antoine.



From the Marais I visited the Rue Montorgueil in search of some tartlet shells, which I tracked down at La Bovida.



I spied this building under renovation on my walk from Les Halles metro to Rue Montorgueil.



I love to get up high so I can take photos of Parisian rooftops.



My favourite location is the Printemps Department store.




Another view.



On Bastille Day I caught the train to Fontainebleau to visit the Chateau. The interiors were too dark for my 100 ISO film so I took a few photos of the grounds and the exterior of the buildings.



I was blown away by the grandeur and scale of the place.



My favourite image from the day, taken in the gardens of the Chateau.



On my last morning in Paris I took a quick trip the Tuileries to take some early morning images before leaving for the Airport for my flight to Reykjavik.This is the last image I took of Paris, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel with the Louvre in the background.



Next week I'll share my final black and white images from Iceland, then the holiday will be officially over.

See you all again next week,

Jillian

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Zurich

Zurich

16 Jul 2016

My trip to Zurich was a flying one. I think I spent a total of 39 hours in Zurich before I was on the train heading to Paris. I was supposed to have been there a but longer but British Airways had other ideas - late arriving flights, missed connections and unhelpful ground staff and don't worry I have given them my feedback.

Zurich was hot and sunny and my time was spent both on and by the lake but not in the lake. No-one could convince this Queenslander that the water was warm enough for a dip.



The stay began with a trip to Uetliberg for a view of Zurich before we boarded the ferry for a cruise across the lake. 

We passed this magnificent house before stopping at Ruschlikon. 



We picnicked by the lake and while the others swam, I roamed around the lake taking photos and enjoying the sun I'd not seen for sometime. Then before I knew it the day was over.

I stayed again at the Hotel Seehof which has had a major refurbishment since my last stay. I would have taken photos but it was too dark by the time I arrived and once I'd dumped my stuff, no longer photo worthy.

The next day I was up bright and early the next day with my film camera taking a few snaps of the old town before meeting my blog friend Juliana with whom I write Plate 2 Plate.

And a final chair photo, just because I can!



I've just arrived in Reykjavik and I'm not sure when I'll be able to blog again but I'll be back as soon as I can. I hope you enjoyed my whistle stop tour of Zurich.

Bye for now,

Jillian

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