Sikh families circumambulating Golden Temple
Entire families visit the Golden Temple, as shown here. Because of the relative chill, they are dressed in high-quality, warm clothing.
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Exceptionally careful craftsmanship can be observed in this picture. Note how the artisans placed semi-precious stones in the hard white marble, using hand tools only.
The richly-ornamented Golden Temple -- completely rebuilt after having been severely damaged by an Indian government attack in 1984 -- stands as the crowning architectural achievement of the Sikh community. Funds for the reconstruction were raised privately. The Sikhs cluster in Punjab State, the richest agricultural area of India.
Children before bathing pool with Golden Temple in background
These Sikh children have been brought by their parents to Amritsar, where they can share in the group's proud religious heritage.
Sikhs of any age (and visitors of any faith) are welcome to visit the Golden Temple, so long as they respect its silence and reverential atmosphere.
After worshiping or visiting the Golden Temple, persons share a common meal inside a large hall. There is no charge, reflecting a basic tenet of Sikh belief, although voluntary donations are willingly accepted.
All visitors to the Golden Temple are invited to join in lunch. Given the thousands who flock their daily, the kitchen is large and efficiently run.
The two lines include Sikhs on one side, non-Sikhs on the other. All are considered equal, however. While standing on the bridge to the Temple itself, persons hear parts of the religion's sacred text.
The Golden Temple, sacred to all Sikhs, stands in the center of Amritsar. This picture depicts the tomb of [insert name], the religion's founder. Although not required, Sikhs try to visit and pray there at least once in their lives. Long lines patiently wait the opportunity to enter, then can (at the appropriate time) enjoy a light lunch within the Temple grounds. Following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by a Sikh member of her bodyguard, the Golden Temple was destroyed by the Indian Army ('Operation Blue Star', in June 1984). It has since been totally rebuilt by contributions by Sikhs from around the world.
Dunant was a successful Swiss businessman known as the moving spirit behind the creation of the Red Cross. He was deeply moved by casualties at the 1849 battle of Solferino, where the wounded were left untreated and the dead unburied. He urged humanitarian steps be taken on an international basis, leading in 1864 to the establishment of the first version of the Red Cross [now the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies]. This bust is located in the Red Cross museum in Geneva.
Just inside the headquarters of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, one sees this group of victims of war. Their spectral appearance symbolizes the lack of treatment they may have received, particularly were it not for international humanitarian eforts.
The noted French philosopher Rousseau was born just outside France, in the Swiss canton and city of Geneva. The home of his birth is currently the site of one of the city's largest department stories. Rousseau is known for such philosophical concepts as the General Will, his theories on education and ideas that influenced the subsequent French and socialist revolutions. In his "Confessions", Rousseau is said to have invited the concept of autobiography.
One of the most serious spectator sports in staid Geneva is chess, played in public on several large-scale boards. When they are not in use, of course, children find them ideal places to romp.
Every spring, a large traveling circus comes to Geneva. Its arrival is heralded by a major parade featuring elephants and other attractions.
Officially known as the 'Grand Theater of Geneva,' this building was originally constructed in 1876, in a style popular at the time. After destruction by fire in 1951, it was eventually rebuilt in its current form in 1962.
The city and canton of Geneva are situated at the western end of Lake Geneva -- itself basically an enlarged part of the Rhone River. The Saleve is a mountain just south of the city, which can be ascended by cable car or steep road. The view, particularly in the late afternoon, is superb.
The steep slopes of the Saleve [a mountain just south of Geneva] provide ideal launching places for paragiiders.
Mistletoe, despite its romantic overtones, is a parasite growing on tree or shrub branches. When leaves have dropped during winter, it can readily be spotted.
Access to the central part of Geneva remains restricted, with few cars or trucks allowed. This permits pedestrian-friendly quiet and a more leisurely style of life. However, the old city has become one of the most expensive parts of what is one of the world's most costly cities.
Citizens of Geneva annually commemorate the failed attack on the city made in 1602 by the Duke of Savoy. Successful defense of the city and its Calvinist faith against the Catholic Savoyards has become part of the city's central historical myth or sense of itself.
Switzerland hosted part of the 1994 World Cup [football the world around save for the US, where it is called soccer]. The competition is held every four years, and without question draws the largest audience of any sporting event in the world.
Outside Lausanne, Switzerland, near International Olympic headaquarters
When the major cathedrals of Europe were built in the Gothic period, the reliefs on the entrance were usually painted. The color has been allowed to fade away in almost all cities, thus giving rise to the belief that naturally colored stone was the 'original' way in which persons of centuries back came to mass. However, in fact the figures were painted brightly, thus adding to the emotion of the religious experience.
Citizens of Geneva annually commemorate the successful defense of their city from an assault by troops from Savoy in northern Italy. The holiday provides an occasion to dress in manner appropriate to 1602, when the so-called 'evil Savoyards' attacked.
The careful carving on this chalet and the carefully tended flowerpots indicate both the wealth of the family who lives here and their care for an old property. Such chalets have been copied for use by skiers -- but this is the 'real thing.'
What more can one say about this magnificent Alpine scenery?
With increased affluence and mobility, persons from around Western Europe have gravitated toward the Alps in the winter. Multiple-occupancy units such as these provide space for scores of families.
Found high in the Swiss Alps, this belfry towers above the rest of the village
View from Swiss train, glacial flow and Rhone River
The Swiss railroad system contends with some of the toughest terrain in the world, yet is renown for its efficiency, cleanliness and widespread service. This picture was taken from the 'Glacier Express,' which travels around the entire country in a single day. It is designed particularly for tourists and, on a morning like this, shows to great advantage.
View from Swiss train window, isolated village
Note the steep grade down which this train is traveling. The Swiss railway system is totally electrified, which provides plenty of power for ascents, and dynamic braking for descents. ['Dynamic braking' means that the engine itself works to slow the train, not just the brakes on the individual cars.]
This is one of Switzerland's most beautiful villages, nestled in the upper reaches of the Rhine valley close to Germany. Its medieval wall paintings have been preserved and renewed, giving Stein-am-Rhein [literally 'stone in the Rhine'] a special aura.
Stein-am-Rhein, Schaffhausen canton, Switzerland
This picture was taken from our apartment in France, just outside Geneva. The drama of the Alps is obvious.
The sound of these horns can echo for miles along the valleys. Composers [including Richard Strauss] have been intrigued by them, but you will never see a true Alp horn in a symphony orchestra.
Many European cities safeguard quiet in their central areas by banning automobile and truck traffic totally, or for selected days of the week.
Geneva is one of the four French-speaking cantons [the equivalent of provinces or states] in Switzerland. Three other cantons are partially Francophone, while one is Italian-speaking. The remaining ones of the 26 are German-speaking, although one canton is officially trilingual. Note how the square is free from traffic, done each Sunday to preserve a sense of quiet through the city.
In most European countries, heavy baked tiles are used on roofs instead of shingle. They have the advantage of rarely if ever needing replacement. Hence, save in cases of new construction, it is rare to see an already-finished home like this being retiled.
Taken at the central point of the old city, this photograph depicts a typical feature of older European towns: use of statuary to help illiterate citizens recognize where to go for specific goods and services.
The wooden bridge at Interlaken, Switzerland, is one of the two or three most famous pedestrian-only bridges in the world. The paintings remind pedestrians of the inevitability of death and the lottery of life.
Constructed around 180 of the Common Era, this symbol of Roman power stood at the fringe of the Empire. The Rhine river provided the major defensive against Germanic tribes. The gate itself shows extraordinary craftsmanship. It measures 118 feet long, 70.5 feet wide and 90 feet high. The entire structure is made without mortar - the sandstone blocks are connected only by iron rods. The stone blocks weigh as much as six metric tons each.
This small church stands in Ferney-Voltaire, in France just on the Swiss border. The country estate of the noted French writer Voltaire stands adjacent to this church - and the village itself is on the outskirts of Geneva. Whenever Voltaire got into political hot water, he would cross the border until things quieted down. Voltaire had the structure moved to his property from the nearby town of Ferney.
An amusing tale is told about the origins of this city's name. Reportedly, a young man spent the night in the dense forests of the Aare valley several centuries ago. He was allegedly told to name a new settlement after the first creature he saw. It turned out to be a bear [Berne in German, the language of the area] -- not a squirrel or badger. Berne sports bears on its crest of arms, and features them prominently in its zoo, as well as on a tall column near the center of town.
This extraordinary walking bridge, partly destroyed by fire in 1993, is a highlight of this picturesque, tourist-friendly town. It is situated close to the Jungfrau. The interior contains images reflecting the ravages of the plague in Medieval times. Several bus, railway and funicular routes converge here, making Lucerne an attraction all seasons of the year.
Swiss farmers have obviously taken great care and spent several years preparing these all-wood, single-piece pitchforks. Careful pruning shows its results!
The small Swiss town of Stein am Rhein attracts visitors because of its vehicle-free center and carefully preserved old buildings. It stands close to the Swiss-German border, and shows the common cultural heritage of this area.
The "Glacier Express" literally takes train passengers around all of Switzerland in a single day. They sit in coaches with large picture windows, often providing spectacular view like this. Note the train track far below. Many twists and turns lie ahead.
Roman pottery, excavated under or near the cathedral. Given its location on the Rhine, Cologne served as frontier between the Roman empire and Germanic groups. Archaeologists have found rich troves in the city, especially near the cathedral.
Large rural families -- with more than one generation -- typically lived in homes of this style. The ground floor would be used for farm animals, whose body warmth also helped heat the house as a whole.
Roman vases, Gallo Roman Museum, Köln (Cologne), Germany
Frescoes mark the center of Lucerne, complementing the medieval architecture. Pedestrians in the center of Lucerne enjoy elegant frescoes, whose figures and designs recall medieval Swiss culture.
This masterful mosaic depicts Plato, whose name is spelled out in Greek. Great reverence for his and other classical Greek teaching marked the "Carolingian renaissance," the period at the start of the 9th century, when the Holy Roman Empire had been established and relative peace reigned through much of Western Europe.
Now used primarily as tourist objects, these extraordinary instruments were used for communication among Swiss mountain valleys, including sounding alarms in emergencies. They also inspired music, including parts of Richard Strauss' 'Alpensymphonie.'
This main entry into the cathedral is marked by high-quality sculpture, typical of the high Gothic style of church construction. This cathedral is Germany's most visited church. Its construction started in the mid-13th century, continued for over 200 years, and then - owing to warfare and other factors - was not completed in 1880. Miraculously, it escaped significant damage in World War II.
In keeping with traditions of the time, Biblical figures exemplify virtue stand on the right of the main cathedral entrance
In many respects, this splendid building had a tragic beginning. It originally housed the League of Nations. Opened in 1936 on the site of a former private estate, the League was already limping toward its demise, given its inability to slow the mad rush to war in Europe and East Asia. Although the focus of the UN's political attention has now shifted to New York, the Geneva office provides a useful venue for meetings, both formal and informal. And, as the picture indicates, the setting is spectacular, with Lake Geneva and the French Alps in the background. This picture was taken from the top floor of the World Intellectual Property Organization [generally known by its acronym WIPO].
As a city proud of its heritage, Geneva generously sponsors arts and commercial festivals of various sorts, as shown in this picture.
The "old" city of Geneva rises from the shores of Lake Geneva, in its western extremity. Two distinct parts exist. The newer sections -- basically, dating from the mid-19th century onward -- were built in the flatter areas, spreading toward the French border. [Indeed, part of the Geneva airport lies in France, and there are separate entrances for both countries.] The old city typifies other European towns of that era: buildings constructed of stone or brick
narrow streets appropriate for horses and carts
cobblestone streets. This area is restricted in traffic, and is totally car-free on Sundays.
Heinz Schwarz’s “Clementine” in the Place du Bourg-de-four, Geneva.
The statue is used to represent various human rights causes, especially those related to women and girls.
Because of the many large diplomatic and international groups in Geneva, various houses of worship have been constructed for them. [For example, more than 140 permanent missions have been sent by governments to Geneva to represent them]. This Russian Orthodox Church in the old city is the most splendid example of sacred architecture in the city.
The noted French philosopher Rousseau [1712-1778] was actually born in an adjacent country. His actual birthplace lies in the heart of the 'new' city of Geneva, and is covered by one of the largest department stores. However, Rousseau is commemorated by this statue on an island just off the shore, an easy walk from downtown. Rousseau's many contributions are summed up thus: He was a "major philosopher, literary figure, and composer of the Enlightenment whose political philosophy influenced the French Revolution and the development of liberal, conservative and socialist theory. With his Confessions, Reveries of a Solitary Walker and other writings, he invented modern autobiography and encouraged a new focus on the building of subjectivity that bore fruit in the work of thinkers as diverse as Hegel and Freud. His novel Julie, ou la nouvelle H??lo?Èse was one of the best-selling fictional works of the eighteenth century and was important to the development of romanticism. Rousseau made important contributions to music as a theorist and a composer." [From Wikipedia entry]
The picturesque ruin of the Heidelberg castle dominates part of the Rhine valley. Its construction started before 1214, but fires caused by lightning and wars resulted in what you see here. More barge traffic goes along the Rhine than any other European river.
Parents in Berne use this fearsome image to get their children to eat their meals. If they don't do so, the 'Child eater' will devour them instead
At the end of the 19th century, a new architectural style swept through much of Europe, North America and other areas under their strong cultural influence or economic/political control. These stylist apartments in NAME represented the height of fashion then, and remain in style in many European cities.
The dark interior of the bridge contrasts with the bright waters of between Lake Brienz to the east and Lake Thun to the west.
Originally built for the League of Nations, this magnificent structure was opened in 1936, when the League was verging on collapse ini the face of Fascist and Nazi aggression. Regular meetings are held here by special UN groups
The castle ruins of this stand high above the Neckar River. Given its excellent defensive position, construction may have started by the end of the 13th century. Extensive damage occurred during the 30 Years War and at other time. The castle has become a popular tourist mecca, easily reached by a funicular
Goethe, Schiller and other noted 19th-century German intellectuals made the small town of Weimar a thriving cultural center. Goethe's bust is shown here.
Alpine flowers dot the landscape once the snow has melted
The first bridge was constructed in the 13th century to connect the Muhlenplatz (Mill Place) on the right bank of the Reuss river with the mills in the middle of the river. The extension of the bridge to the left bank was completed only in 1408. This was the only bridge in Lucerne where it was allowed to dump chaff (in German: Spreu, therefore the name Spreuerbrucke) and leaves into the river, as it was the bridge farthest downriver. The bridge was destroyed by a flood in 1566 and then rebuilt, together with a granary as the bridge head, called the Herrenkeller.
Professor Jeannette Ludwig stands at the right.
This medieval bridge provides the tourist center of Lucerne. Professor Claude Welch stands at the right.
The colorful frescoes in the pedestrian-only center of Lucerne convey a sense of the city's long, rich history
Given its position between two lakes, on a busy river and in the midst of the Alps, Interlaken has many gray days. Buildings in the old center of town are hence often painted with designs.
Strict zoning laws in Switzerland maintain rural atmospheres close to major towns. Note the elaborate home.
The French writer Voltaire frequently got into trouble with the court because of his barbed writings. When the political situation heated up, he left his comfortable chateau and fled just over a kilometer into adjacent Geneva, Switzerland. This is a private residence, open only a few days per year to visitors.
Falls of the Rhine, northern Switzerland
Shortly before entering Germany, the Rhine plunges dramatically over these falls. No significant navigation exists upriver of them
Even in this suburb of Geneva, a weekly Saturday morning market is held, attracting people from all around the metropolitan area.
Well-off individuals often decorated their homes with carefully carved window frames and evidence of hunting prowess
Likely constructed late in the 18th century, this large home could accommodate several families or a wealthy household with many servants.
These stelae were erected in pre-Christian days, and may have figured in religious ceremonies.
The Jura range runs through eastern France, just north of the Swiss border. This picture was taken from my apartment. As winter deepened, the snow line crept down the mountains, driving the livestock to lower pastures close to 'La Ferme de la Fontaine.'
Decorated window shutters, rural Switzerland
Wooden shutters of this sort are needed in rural Switzerland, to guard against the strong winds that sweep down from the mountains. Well-off residents often decorate the shutters with pleasant designs.
Berne -- Switzerland's capital -- literally means 'bear' in German (spoken by over 70% of the Swiss population). This column is one of the best-known features of this attractive city. Note the bears at the bottom and the ambitious figures climbing the sides.
This crowd is demonstrating against raising the pension age for women.
This entrepreneur attracts many onlookers, and a few buyers, of his wares.
To commemorate their successful defeat of Savoyard invaders in 1602, Geneva holds an annual festival. This victory helped Geneva maintain its Protestant Reform tradition at a time when religious passions ran strong.
This huge pan of fresh paella attracts hundreds of buyers each Saturday morning.
Fresh fruits and vegetables dominate this part of the Saturday morning market. Clothing, meat and other desirables occupy separate parts of the market
This 'lake' is in reality a broad part of the Rhone River. The city of Geneva lies at the right. Its airport cuts across French as well as Swiss territory, and has separate enfrances/ exits in both countries
The 'Mer de glace' - ice sheet - retreated considerably during the 20th century due to climate change. Even further loss of ice has occurred since this photo was taken.
Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in Europe, and a popular site for skiiers on either the French or Italian side
Given Mont Blanc's altitude, this platform provides an excellent vantage point for much of the Alps
The Chateau de Nyon has gone through numerous renovations over the centuries. It probably was first constructed in the 13th century.
Frescoed exteriors, European town center
The combination of timber frame construction with exterior frescoes makes this town center especially attractive
The ruins of Heidelberg's noted castle provide an excellent place from which to see the city
Stein-am-Rhein ('Stone on the Rhine') retains its medieval character in its justly-noted town center
Students at the University of Heidelberg have a reputation for drinking lots of beer. These ruins stand many dozen meters above the city itself
The staunchly citizens of Geneva annually celebrate repelling an attack on the city by soldiers of Catholic Savoy. The title 'Escalade' refers to an unsuccessful attempt by the attackers to scale the city's walls
While working as a patent inspector in Berne, Einstein came up with some of the most concepts in physics. His home has become a museum