I should really plant some of these in the garden. They are perrenials and appear every year, so what could be more complicated. They are also a beautiful flower.
Daily Archives: 08/08/2017
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Tombstones or Cemeteries
First of all I will take you to Woodgrange cemetery where our family grave was. My grandfather was the last to be buried in the grave which he filled, being the 6th person in the grave. I have a photo of the grave, but black and white and not very good quality. Today the cemetery exists, but only with some old and neglected stones. Otherwise most of the graves, including ours, were removed with machines. Another part of the cemetery has been converted to a muslim cemetery. Somehow everything passes.
I stumbled upon this grave in the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris (yes, I am a grave tourist). Ricardo Menon was an young assistant to Niki de St. Phalle, an artist and she designed his grave.
Carlo Abarth was a car designer who is quite well known amongst the car fans. I found his grave in Vienna in the central cemetery. I did not know who he was, Mr. Swiss explained, but I found his grave something special.
I now have to come to a stop, I have too many graveyard photos.
Daily Prompt: The Last Carousel
“Hey Lady, want a ride?”
“A what?”
“A ride on the carousel.”
“On my own, no I am too old.”
“You’re never to old for a carousel. Even my grandad went on the carousel and my grandma.”
“But your carousel is for kids. With my proportions I wouldn’t fit on the seat.”
“Every one fits into my carousel. We are only here today, so make the most of it. There’s a nice wooden horse just waiting for a customer.”
“But the carousel is empty, and it doesn’t seem to be working at the moment.”
“Now I have your interest. Come on, I will let it run just for you. There is no-one here to see and I will make it extra slow. You won’t fall off, no-one has ever fallen off my carousel.”
“But I would look silly on my own on a carousel.”
“No-one is looking.”
“You are.”
“I will have to concentrate on the machinery, this was not built in the days of automation. I have to do it all by hand to make sure to get you arrive at your destination.”
“I have a destination, I thought it just went in circles.”
“Oh yes, it does, but even circles have their destinations. Come on, climb up.”
“What does it cost?”
“For you. you can pay me afterwards according to how you liked it.”
“Do you really think?”
“Come on lady up you go. See, that was easy.”
“And very comfortable.”
“And now we are on our way, just hold on and relax, I am in charge. Here we gooooooo.”
And that was the last journey that she took in life, but it was the best of them all. As the carousel turned she waved to her dad and mum, even George her husband was watching and laughing. When the carousel stopped turning he helped her to get off the horse and she walked away hand in hand with George. At last, it was 10 years ago that they took their last walk together, before he got his heart attack. She never regretted her last ride on the carousel.
Good Morning
In the Kanton of Schaffhausen there are sunflower fields everywhere. This field is in front of my son’s garden. I said to son No. 2 it must be wonderful when they begin to flower. He said that had already happened two weeks before and now only the remaining seed heads were left. The farmers rotate their fields and next year something else will be planted in this field. Eventually the heads of seeds will be harvested and the seeds processed to sunflower oil. These fields were dotted around all over the area. Where we live in Kanton Solothurn, we grow rape seed for the oil.
This is an extended view from his garden and you can see the vineyard in the distance. Grapes are grown everywhere in Kanton Schaffhausen. I never realised that have such a large wine production. My son took us on a drive around the area where he lives and it seems that every village has it own church on a hill somewhere.
The problem being that I cannot remember which village was which. I believe this might be Hallau, where he lived before buying his present house. Again you can see the vineyards outside the village.
The various villages basically look alike – to me. They have their centre with a road running through it, a local administration, a few shops and of course some sort of building concerning wine production. Here the tables had already been prepared for the evening celebrations with the wine.
This building is very old, a couple of hundred years, and was the centre for wine production originally. It has now been renovated and a lot has been preserved. There is a restaurant next to the building where we stopped for some refreshments. They were grilling sausages and meat outside for consumption, but as it was Suday morning we just stopped in for a drink. My son pointed out that they had preserved the original wine press.
Today it is all done with machines, but in those days they had to do it manually, everything being made of wood.
Although Switzerland is a small country, there are many contrasts, and each Kanton (State) as its own characteristics and dialect, like any country.
And back to the present day – it is raining again, but I am not sorry. Our garden was a little on the dry side when we arrived home and one of the first jobs we had was to water the garden. Switzerland generally has the same weather in most places, although in the East it tends to be a little cooler, but still hot enough in the heat wave days. I noticed that where my son lives he really has a wonderful open view of the sky which seems to stretch forever: a welcome scenery for the camera. And now back to normal life. It is always good to go places and see something a little different, but nice to return home.
Enjoy your day, have fun and as goodbye a view of the evening sky from my son’s terrace taken by Mr. Swiss and his telephone camera.
Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss 