Generally speaking, whenever I sit down to write one of these posts, my objective is to share something that I have found interesting or notable about the Swiss or European way of life or simply to show an image of something that I found especially beautiful. For this particular post, I am emphasizing the latter objective. Here are three images I photographed and/or video recorded that I found especially awe inspiring.

Lake Como in Italy
I think I mentioned that we traveled to Italy last summer to check out some Ultimate Frisbee. I might have even included a photo or two. I was especially happy with this photograph, which I took of the Italian Alps off the ferry on the way to Bellaggio, across the lake.

Lake Como and the Italian Alps

I also shot this quick video. The city is Mennagio, our port of departure.

This next photo and the video are of an island off the coast of Spain’s Basque Country called Gaztelugatxe. The name of the church at the top of the island is called San Juan de Gaztelugatxe

We were in Spain, along the Atlantic coast, with our friends Jose and Susan, and their two daughters and their friends, 10 of us in all. We walked out to the church was about 2 kilometers each way, the first kilometer steep downhill to sea level, and the second kilometer steep uphill to the church, constructed in the 9th Century. Jose told me that this place was voted the most scenic spot in Spain, I don’t know by whom, but presumably someone who would know.

A church on an island rock in Spain on the Atlantic Ocean

Here’s the video of the panorama I took. 180 degrees from the coastline. (Range of the shot, not the temperature. Because that would have been too hot for a hike.)

A sunrise from our back balcony right here in Geneva, Switzerland
This third image — as I state in the video — is quite possibly the most majestic sunrise I’ve ever seen. Note how it occupies the entire sky. Those are the Alps off in the distance. I’ve seen some beautiful sunrises before, but none like this.