Juanita

Early, low sun across Juanita bay on Lake Washington.

Simplon Rail Tunnel

We drove the car onto a train to be conveyed under the Simplon Pass, through a 19km tunnel completed in 1906.  I was expecting a passenger wagon and lounge, but no, one is meant to sit in darkness watching the scenery of the interior of a mountain.

Lugano

Yes, this is just a regional bank branch, facing the main square of Lugano.

If all banks were as attractive, it might be more of a pleasure filling out mortgage paperwork.

Fürstenweg, Liechtenstein

Circling a ridge above the Liechtenstein capital, the Fürstenweg gives views over the Rhine for one section, pine forests for another, and pastureland for the rest.  It was a spectacular midday excursion to break up the drive to Ticino.

Susten Pass

The Swiss build some really nice infrastructure in very difficult terrain.  This is the western side of the Susten Pass, a 2260m saddle between two cantons.

Innertkirchen valley

The spectacular light gave way to heavy rain past the southern end of this valley, so our ambitious hiking plans needed an alternative.  We enjoyed a coffee and then traversed the Aare Gorge, below this viewpoint.  Improbable catwalks are nestled along very narrow walls that confine a fast-flowing river.

Cog Railway, Grütschalp

Above Laterbrunnen, there are numerous railways and gondolas going up into the mountains on either side of the valley.  This is at the Grütschalp station, looking across to the Eiger and Jungfrau.

U Pick Strawberries

It was hot the day we went picking strawberries, and there's no shade to be found in the middle of a strawberry field.  It was fortunate we took the early shift and were home before noon.

Deception Pass hike

A small bay faces westward between Reservation Head and Lighthouse Point in Deception Pass State Park.  The walk around Lighthouse Point is short, rewarding, and recommended.

Flightless Chickadee

This young chickadee must have fallen out of the nest, as it was hopping around on the deck looking quite helpless.  I'm not sure it was capable of either feeding or defending itself, so it probably became a snack for a neighborhood cat.

Niagara Escarpment, Mt Nemo

Looking northeast out from the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, in the Mt Nemo conservation area.

Red Trillium

Red trillium grows on the banks of a Muskoka waterway.

Spruce Bog, Algonquin

This bog shows succession of the different grasses, mosses, and trees that compete for terrain along the meandering path of a stream in Algonquin Park.

Wild-ish Asparagus

Asparagus naturalizes easily in Eastern Canada. It is spectacular when steamed lightly a few moments after having been cut.

Ottawa Tulip Festival

Princess Juliana of Holland was born in exile in Canada during WWII, though the Ottawa Civic Hospital was deemed temporarily extraterritorial by Canada to avoid jeopardizing her succession rights to the Dutch throne.  Once the Germans were booted out of Holland and the monarchy reinstated, a thank you gift including thousands of tulips was sent back.  Ottawa kept the legacy going, and holds an annual tulip festival along the parkland bordering the Rideau Canal.