A LA RECHERCHE DE - IN SEARCH OF...: July 2016

Milan July 2016

Milan seems to have something of a building boom, especially around Porta Garibaldi.
New combines with art nouveau combines with old.

The Floating Piers.

Christo installation at Lago d'Iseo for 16 days only.
About 120 km northeast of Milan, the installation was 3 km of shimmering beautiful cloth, on 300,000 floating plastic cubes.
Walking on water!

Maybe the color of the stucco wall is where Christo found inspiration for the color of the cloth.

These photos are chosen for beauty and do not really convey the experience of what it was like to be in a crowd of 200,000 people. In 90 degree heat/35 Celsius.

At the end of the day a boat went by. When we looked carefully, we could see Christo on the top deck pointing to his creation!

Bologna July 2016

Bologna hosts the festival "Cinema Ritrovato" in early July, a showcase of restored films.
What a feast!

Bourg D'Oisans

Bourg d'Oisans is a small town about 50 km east of Grenoble.
It is a center for the French National Park Les Ecrins.
It is also famous for the Tour de France stage climb up Alp d'Huez.
Below Bourg d'Oisans and Alp d'Huez above.

A 'vide grenier' or flea market.

Chateau de Vizille

The Chateau de Vizille is some dozens of kilometers west of Grenoble, France.
It encompasses 100 hectares, or 320 acres, and is surrounded by a wall 7 km. long.
Here is a brief description from Wikipedia.

A sign in the garden at the chateau poses the question "What is a French garden?"
And the answer: "It is an ordered garden of hierarchy with large perspectives. The quadrants are carefully studied - contrary to the English garden, whose configuration leaves more of a natural liberty."

Regulation and capture of water is the heart of this chateau, which has two springs and three streams feeding into the property. With so little flat, fertile ground in the region, it is not surprising that uprisings of the French Revolution reputedly broke out here, where villagers were walled out from the aquaculture, hunting grounds and lush gardens.

Hike Les Ecrins: La Berarde to Refuge du Chatelleret

This hike starts at the end of the road east of Bourg d'Oisan at a small alp village.
It rises 500 meters over 6 km, starting at 1,800 meters and ending at 2,200. The whole hike is above treelike.

Hike les Ecrins: L'Alleau to Refuge de la Muzelle

Hike from valley east of Bourg d'Oisans rises 1,100 up from L'Alleau to beautiful refuge on an alpine lake.

Hike les Ecrins: Col du Vallon

Total day hike was 20 km from Refuge de la Muzelle over Col du Vallon down to the river valley and back to Bourg d'Oisans. 400 meter rise to col and 1,700 meter descent.

Below shows path up to Col du Vallon from the Refuge (hidden by shadow near the lake).

Edelweiss, above, along the trail.

Kirsten, Michelle and Bryan celebrate at the Germany-France World Football game.

Alpine Flowers, July 2016

Zurich; July 2016

Zurich Switzerland is thriving.
Below are storm clouds and construction cranes.

Turn of the (last) century architecture, statues and opportunities for street life during the summer.

The Swiss pay attention updating infrastructure to accommodate modern business and growth. Isn't this a beautifully crafted water main?

Vitra Visit

The Vitra company outside Basel Switzerland produces famous furniture by well-known designers, both classic and contemporary. Vitra welcomes visitors to the campus to a display of the most important chairs of the last century, a museum of temporary exhibitions, and a gallery of the Vitra products. Here is link to Vitra website.