Syrene statue in Thonon
May 13, 2025

Earlier this week, on my way back to Lausanne, I took a quick walk by the port in Thonon and stumbled upon an interesting bronze sculpture of a mermaid. I was curious so I took a picture, but I wondered about its story. Soon I discovered on the internet that this piece is called La Sirène, a reproduction of a work by Marguerite Peltzer, a Belgian-born artist who made Thonon her home.
The original sculpture has been available the Town Hall patio since the 1960s, but this new bronze version now stands in the lakefront, bringing Peltzer’s art into public view. I was very lucky to stumble into it!.
Early morning in the pasarelle
Nov 7, 2023

Iconic Hôtel de Ville in Paris
Aug 30, 2023

A few weeks back, as I was en route to Poland, I found myself on a connecting flight in Paris. During my stroll toward the Chatelet train station, I had the opportunity to encounter again the majestic Hôtel de Ville, with its amazing Renaissance architecture. However, on that particular day, another historical event came to my mind, that unfolded many years ago.
On the 6th of July in 2005 there was the announcement of the chosen host city for the 2012 Summer Olympics. As I looked at the Hôtel de Ville, memories came back about the disappointment and the "nooos" from the gathered crowd when "London" was declared as the selected city.
As I reflected on that past occasion, I couldn't help but think of the future. The people of Paris will be on the spotlight next year, since they will host the 2024 Summer Olympics.