la récolte des oignons

Here are some onions from the garden here at the office, put on a bench to dry.

l'année dans les Alpes

Here in the Alps (actually the pre-Alps), the traditional way of life of dairy farmers is tied very closely to the landscape, and the way of life adapts to the seasons. Here in Rougemont, we see can see small herds of cows (and sometimes a few donkeys, sheep, and goats) dotting the mountains around us. When cows are near, we hear the cacophony of their bells. Small dairy farming is very much alive here, the terrain is too steep to permit large-scale industrial farming.

My colleague said that here in Switzerland, each bit of grass is precious. The grass feeds the cows, the cows produce milk, which then produces a plethora of economic activity (in the morning, I can see farmers driving up to the cheesemakers' next door, unloading milk destined to become cheese or yogurt). Apparently, one must not walk in pastures-- the farmers will be angry that you are disturbing the grass!

This time of year the herds are descending from their summer place in the high mountains. Some families and even whole towns celebrate the "Desalpage" (de-Alping?), the farmers dress in traditional costume and decorate the cows with flowers and ribbons, and they parade through the street. I saw a family doing this last Saturday, it was very charming. The family I was with at the time was very excited and leaned out the car window to cheer on the farmers: "Bravo!"

Here is how it works, for maximum grass efficiency:

In summer, the cows move to the high mountains. It's not too cold up there then, and there is not much snow-- the cows have plenty to eat. Some farmers stay beside the herd in their "summer house" up there, some ascend once every few days to check on the cows. In the meantime, down below, farmers grow hay on the empty pastures.


In fall, the cows begin to descend. I see a herd across the way at about this level. Some families have yet another place to stay at this "in-between" place on the mountain.


In the winter, the cows take shelter in barns in the valleys, and eat the hay that was prepared during the summer and fall.

Le vendange à Lavaux

une balade dans les Terrasses de Lavaux

Today I had a beautiful walk in the Lavaux terraces, a grape-growing and wine-making region on the north slope of Lake Geneva. Right now, the harvest (vendange) is on, so families were out to pick, wash, and press grapes, and many winecellars (caves) are open for tastings.

The terraces have been cultivated since the middles ages and are now a UNESCO world heritage site. It is an astonishingly lovely place-- the green patchwork of vines covering steep slopes, the warm southern sun, and the calm blue of Lake Geneva in the background. I felt like I was impelled to attempt the classic tourist photo of the stunning terraces. Then I realized I could also look for and photograph signs of the landscape systems and work that make this place what it is: the open drainage canals, the tracks that carry loads of grapes, the plastic grape bins and barrels, the yellow tape (what does it mean?), and families out working in the vines. More photos to come!

Funiculaire, Monte San Salvatore

I took the funicular up Monte San Salvatore, the mountain to the southwest of Lugano, upon the suggestion of one of the staff at the tourist office. The length and steepness of the ride made it difficult for me to stomach! The funicular takes you up about 1,970 feet, over a length of 5,344 feet, with maximum grades of 61% (about 31 degrees). I'm not sure that this photo does justice to the steep grade-- I had the impression I was getting on a huge roller coaster, which luckily crawled along quite slowly.



At the top are several viewing platforms, along the trail are several signs with reproductions of old Swiss posters advertising funiculars and ski lifts around the country.



Besides the views, there is not much to the experience of being at the top of the mountain, the way that it is designed. You stand on the platforms and look out-- I think I spent about an hour doing this, and that was a stretch. There was nowhere to hike and see more of the mountain, unless I planned on walking all the way down-- a 2.5 hour trip.



When I arrived home, I looked at a book of the Ticino landscape architect Paolo Burgi (who designed the oak bosque in Mendrisio). I learned about his projects at Cardada in Ticino, for a mountaintop like San Salvatore. For this project, he sought to remedy the design problems at such places, where you remain quite separate from the landscape you are there to see. These interventions are much more elegant, light, and sensitively-related to the landscape. I wish I had known to go there, although perhaps I would appreciate it more now, having seen, in a way, the "before."

La Nuit à Lugano

For dinner in Lugano, I had a delicious meal of seafood and pasta. With my check, they gave me 5 or so little goodies-- butter cookies, cocoa cookies, and a little biscotti. I was well taken care of. On my way back uphill to the hostel, I saw Monte Bre all lit up.

some public spaces in Lugano

I thought this was an interesting idea-- the "Park and Read" had a table with books arranged by category, and green beach chairs for sitting and reading.





There is an allee of trees all along the lakefront, it is a good place to promenade or to sit in the shade and watch the water and the scene.