After an unusually cold couple of months here on Crete, this weekend it feels like spring is in the air. It is carnival season and we found several groups in costume singing and dancing. Click on the player to hear a binaural field recording of one of the carnivals. Listen with headphones for a 3D experience.
Revellers dancing in front of Chania Market square
Dancing in front of Chania Cathedral
We spent the Orthodox Easter holidays in a village on the Cretan coast called Kalives. There was a lot of lamb but surprisingly little sunshine – guess you can’t have everything. The wind got up as well which caused some nice waves that I went out to record.
Here I am, photographed by MJ, on a little jetty trying to record wave sounds from 2 directions at once with my binaural (in-ear) microphones. You remember them, right? And that the recording is best listened to on headphones?
Towards the end of the recording some party music from nearby intrudes, punctuated by what I think is celebratory gunfire…
Kalo Pascha!
Paul
We spent the weekend exploring the Chania old town and the harbour area. We were here two years ago, so some of the places were familiar, but lots of new things to discover, too.
The perfect place for a meal after a walk through the old town.
This was my second visit to The Well of the Turk. We arrived early Friday night, hence the empty tables… This restaurant has lovely Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. There is a tapas plate with houmous, tzatziki, baba ganoush, and other lovely things that is just perfect with a glass of white wine.
The old mosque at the edge of the harbour functioned as a place of worship until 1923, but is now used for art exhibitions.
Here are some more shots from around town.
And some from the Old Harbour area…
And the sea… I just love the colours of blue and green you see here.
The 2016 Brighton Marathon took place today, and we were pleased to have the runners running right past our house. I didn’t get out of the house soon enough to get photos of the elite men’s front runners, but here are the first two women to cross the finish line.
Here are a few more shots taken along the route. It really was a gorgeous day for it!
Here are a few of the drawings carved into the rocks along the lakeside promenade in Montreux.
The Montreux Jazz Festival will celebrate its 50th year this July. The festival features both paid and free performances and there is plenty to eat and drink on offer. Click on the link if you’d like to find out more about the festival’s history and who will be performing this year. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to go this year… but I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
The golden hour, a sunset, and a boat ride.
We’re in Switzerland this week. Back in the old neighbourhood (Vevey / Montreux) for work and to visit friends. When we lived here we never tired of the views. The Swiss Riviera is just stunning! This week I’ll be posting photos of a different landscape, and hopefully some street scenes. It has been overcast since we arrived, but warmer than Brighton. The colours on offer are shades of blue and grey… hopefully we’ll get some sun later this week. Until then, I hope you enjoy the view.
Here are a few shots I took while walking from Clarens to Montreux. We boarded the General Guisan at the Port of Montreux and cruised around the lake for a couple of hours. One of our favourite things to do!
While strolling along the lake in Vevey today…
Back soon with more flowers and some street scenes…
This shot was a gift. As we walked out of the house yesterday, I saw this young gentleman practicing his parkour skills on the rail. Luckily, I had my camera with me. There is a double triumph here. He is able to stroll along the rail with ease… I was able to get my camera out fast enough to document it! I didn’t actually change the contrast here. The sun had already taken care of that for me.
Parkour Triumph!
Here are some more photos of his practice.
It is amazing what we can see just outside our door!
Paul and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary this Easter weekend. It seemed only fitting to choose our wedding rings as our Treasure. Our rings were designed by a local artist in Lausanne, Switzerland. They are made from silver and local wood, and we had the pleasure of helping to design them. The boxes that hold them are made from the same wood.
It Feels Like Spring Today
It’s Good Friday today. The first day of the Easter holidays and the first day it has really felt like spring. It is still a bit chilly, but the promenade is full of people walking, and families are enjoying the beach… Perhaps that is why the nearby park at Palmeira Square is almost deserted today.
pichettejennings 