Juan Convers

The Eurovision Song Contest, created in 1956 in Lugano, Switzerland, is considered Europe's longest-running international music competition. Currently includes over 40 participation nations, celebrating a broad variety of musical styles and cultural expressions.

This year the competition is taking place in Basel for the 69th edition (third time Switzerland is hosting) and the city has transformed itself in Eurovision town!. Certain public spaces like Münsterplatz are adorned with heart-shaped decorations like the one you see above.

Last weekend, we passed by the Rathaus on the tram, where the Turquoise Carpet event was taking place. Once again, for these few weeks, the capital has transformed itself into a hub of cultural celebration for Eurovision.

Bern has become one of our favorite destinations for weekend day trips. The fact that it's only an hour from Basel, with plenty of connections throughout the weekend, makes it incredibly easy to just hop on the next available train without much planning at all.

Our usual routine is to get off at the central train station and walk straight to the BärenPark, passing by several iconic Bernese landmarks like the Zytglogge and the Einsteinhaus, and crossing the Nydeggbrücke bridge over the Aare River. The walk always ends at the Gelateria Eiswerkstatt, tucked inside the old tram depot, where we treat ourselves to some ice cream.

It was right there at the BärenPark where I took the photo you see above—on a day when the weather was perfect and the light couldn’t have been better for capturing the moment.

We were lucky that the weather last weekend in Morges was really nice: sunny but not too strong, perfect for a light jersey and a slow walk.

While strolling along the Cure Air beach, I sat on a bench near the lake and noticed a couple of people taking pictures. Among them, two women caught my attention, standing with the mountains behind them and the sun in front.

The scene felt perfect for a picture. The light, contrast, and shared desire to capture the moment came together to create the composition you see above.

This year, A and L were really eager to see the famous Morgenstreich—they’d been hearing about it non-stop. I hadn’t been in a while, not since Covid and everything, but I wanted to make them happy. So, I got up before 4 AM, as one must, and found a spot that wasn’t too crowded (at least by Morgenstreich standards). We ended up spending almost 45 minutes immersed in the atmosphere, listening to the different groups in traditional costumes play the drums and piccolo, marching alongside the iconic lanterns. It was there that I took the picture you see above

During the Christmas season, we went to the Gartenbad Eglisee ice rink a couple of times and had a great time skating for hours each visit. On one of those occasions, just as the sun was beginning to set, I managed to capture this picture, with beautiful colors painting the sky above the rink, as you can see in the previous photo.

The history of the famous German physicist Albert Einstein is closely intertwined with that of the renowned Swiss city of Bern. It was here, in 1905, while working at the patent office, that Einstein published four groundbreaking scientific papers that changed the course of modern physics: the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, the special theory of relativity and the iconic equation (E = mc^2).

Many years ago, when I visited Bern for the first time, I had the opportunity to visit the Einstein House, a museum located in the apartment where Einstein lived during his time in the city. However, last weekend, I discovered something new: the bench near the Bear Pit that I had passed many times also features a statue of the famous physicist. Quite fascinating!

A couple of days ago, winter came early to Basel, and out of nowhere, the city turned into a winter wonderland. Snow was falling throughout the day and night, and the next day, the city was completely covered in white. It was so sudden that the city was not prepared for it; as a result, many tram lines were not working, and the streets were full of snow. The snowplows were out and about, trying to clear the streets, while people walked around in their winter jackets and boots.

Nevertheless, it was a beautiful sight to see! I took a walk through the city and captured some pictures, like the one above, taken over the Rhine River, next to the Wettstein Bridge. I always love the sight of snow falling and the city covered in white—it is so peaceful and quiet. Walking on fresh snow is always enjoyable, especially with the crunching sound under your feet.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the Basel Herbstmesse. This year, I had the chance to ride the Ferris wheel again, which they usually set up in Münsterplatz. From the top, I snapped this picture—showing the cathedral and the Rhine River in the background. The view is amazing, and it gives a nice vie on the city!

Even though I've been going to this fair for years, I realized I’d never actually read up on its history. Turns out, it’s not just any fair; it’s the oldest and largest in Switzerland. It’s been held in Basel since 1471! The fair was first allowed by Emperor Friedrich III and started out as a market for selling goods and livestock. Hard to imagine that now, with all the rides, food stalls, and fun attractions we see today.

The fair’s changed a lot over the centuries, but it’s amazing how it still feels like a local tradition and brings the whole city together every year. If you’re ever in Basel during Herbstmesse, I definitely recommend a ride on the Ferris wheel for those city views—it’s worth it!

As I mentioned in my last post, a couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the Valencian city of Alicante. One of the most interesting experiences during this trip was spending a day on Tabarca Island, located just an hour's ferry ride from Alicante (the journey can tak only 20 minutes from the town of Santa Pola).

The island is tiny but incredibly beautiful. It has been declared a marine reserve due to its diverse aquatic life and is surrounded by stunning, crystal-clear blue waters. One of the activities I enjoyed during this visit was walking from the port through the small town to the end of the main street, which leads to "Porta de la Trancada" (Trancada Gate).

There, I stored my clothes, put on my goggles, and easily spent an hour exploring the various fish species that can be observed, as well as swimming to the "Ilot de la Cantera" (Quarry Islet) where, at that moment, there was absolutely no one else around. I have a beautiful memory of being in this amazing place, enveloped by total peace.

Later in the day, I wandered through the town, crisscrossing its narrow streets until I stumbled upon a truly authentic restaurant. There, I enjoyed the 'Menu del Día,' which included a fresh salad, crispy fried sardines and shrimp, followed by an authentic Valencian paella. The meal was so satisfying, it kept me full for the rest of the day!

Frankly, I'm very eager to return there someday.

AnimeGAN is a deep learning model designed to convert real-world images or videos into anime-style artwork. Using this model, it's possible to transform photos into nice anime-style images that look like they were taken a Japanese animation.

A couple of weeks ago I passed by this place early in the morning I was able to capture a nice photo of the beach. I decided to use the Tenorflow.js version of this AnimeGAN model to convert the photo into an anime-style image. The result is quite interesting as you can observe in the image above.

One of my favorite plans is to jump on a train and head to Geneva. I always walk along Quai Gustave-Ador to the Jet d'Eau, enjoying the nice path along Lake Geneva.

A couple of days ago, I did this again. After passing the Jet d'Eau, I looked back and noticed the setting sun creating a beautiful backlight behind the fountain. It was a view that I tought it was worth a picture, so I quickly captured the moment with my camera.

This unexpected photo turned out to be one of my favorites on that spot, so I'm sharing it here with you.

I have been fortunate enough to visit the Republic of Poland on several occasions, allowing me to explore fascinating cities such as Gdańsk, Warsaw, Poznań, and Kraków. On this particular trip, however, I had the opportunity to discover a new destination: Lublin, a city that is clearly underrated and boasts some truly remarkable sights.

One of the most impressive features is the beautiful castle perched atop a high hill, which can be clearly seen from the ruins at Plac Po Farze. This square, whose name translates to 'Former Parish Square,' contains the remnants of the old parish church. Although the church no longer stands in its entirety, the site provides a perfect vantage point to admire the panoramic view of the city and the castle. Reaching the hill where the castle sits is relatively easy, and we were are rewarded with a stunning view of the inner courtyard. There, one can find comfortable seating areas where you can replenish your energy with a small snack and some refreshing water. En route, we paused beneath the iconic Grodzka Gate, to get some amazing sorbets.

This castle holds great significance in Polish history, as it was here that the Union of Lublin treaty between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was signed in 1569. This momentous event led to the creation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest and most influential states in 16th-century Europe.

Lublin's rich history, combined with its architectural beauty and cultural importance, makes it a city well worth exploring. After experiencing its charm, I'm determined to return if possible, to discover more of what this nice Polish city has to offer.

Last week we had the opportunity to spend a few days on Usedom Island, in the Polish city of Świnoujście. This is the third time I've visited this region, and this particular town has a fascinating history. It turns out that before World War II, Swinemünde, as it was known back then, was a popular seaside destination that attracted tourists from Germany and other parts of Europe. Its beautiful beaches and spa facilities made it an extremely attractive location.

However, the charm of this resort town was brutally interrupted at the end of the war. Świnoujście became a military target and was virtually obliterated during an intense bombing campaign on March 12, 1945. Among the few structures that survived this terrible event was the Christus König (Christ the King) church. Although damaged by the bombings, it was immediately repaired after the war.

Today the city is still a popular tourist destination in Poland, but the place looks very different than it did back then. During our visit, I had the opportunity to photograph this iconic church. It remains one of the remnants of what the city once was.

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit the village just before the Vallorbe station, thanks to a kind invitation from a friend and former work colleague. He invited me for dinner at his house, which is conveniently located right next to the station 'Le Day'. Not only was it a very pleasant evening with excellent food and company, but it was equally interesting to get to know this region of Vaud.

Before heading to his place, he suggested that we take a walk near a meadow where we spotted some chamois grazing on the cliff near the viaduct. These animals are indeed very interesting. We then went through the tunnel under the viaduct, where I had the opportunity to take the photo above.

It’s a very nice region, and I will definitely come back again.

Last week, we were walking near Schützenmatt Park when we stumbled upon an unusual sight in the middle of the central meadow. One of the storks that typically wanders through the park in the early morning was having a confrontation with a bird of prey, which looked like a falcon. The scene unfolded over a few minutes, during which the stork protested with its distinctive "clack-clack-clack-clack." Finally, the falcon got fed up and flew off to a branch of a nearby tree, close to where we had parked our bikes.

I discussed with L. how unusual this situation was. It's rare to see such wildlife behaving this way in the middle of an urban park. It made me wonder if the argument had started earlier, perhaps in the sky, between these two fascinating birds.

A few days ago, I once again had the pleasure of visiting Berlin, a city that holds a special place in my heart, as I've mentioned a couple of times on this blog. This particular trip was made even more memorable by reuniting with some former Spanish colleagues from my Google days in Dublin. Together, we spent a few days exploring this very interesting German capital, solidifying why Berlin remains one of my favorite European cities. Though I'm happy with my current life, a part of me will always miss this fascinating place.

One of the highlights of my trip, besides having great conversations and reminiscing about old anecdotes, was finally doing a couple of activities I'd always wanted to experience but never had the chance to before. First on the list was climbing the stairs to the top of the Berliner Dom. This morning's cardio workout rewarded us with some beautiful panoramic views of the city, which you can see in this picture: the TV tower and the Berliner Rathaus in the background, bathed in the sunny sky we were lucky to have.

Again this city full of living history with endless exploration possibilities and such a diverse culture, will always hold a special place in my heart. Auf Wiedersehen, Berlin!

A few weeks back, I visited a dear old friend, a guy that I know from our school days, who now is living close to me in Vaud, Switzerland. My routine for these visits usually involves taking the train on to Montreaux and descending at the Burier station. This time, everything aligned perfectly, allowing me to witness a really nice sunset painting on particularly quiet lake Leman a set of vibrant colors.

It is almost 9 years since the last time I had the opportunity to visit Locarno. This is a beautiful city in southern Switzerland, located on the northern shore of Lake Maggiore. It is known for its mild climate, its mediterranean air and its amazing landscapes. Last night I took this picture in the Piazza Grande which is the main square in the city center. I was remembering that just on that occasion in 2016, I attended a screening of the movie "Lo chiamavano Trinità" in this square.

Augusta Raurica is an ancient Roman archaeological site located near the modern town of Kaiseraugst, Switzerland. It was once a thriving Roman settlement and served as the capital of the Roman province of Rhaetia. Augusta Raurica was founded in the 1st century BCE and reached its peak during the 1st and 2nd centuries CE.

The proximity to Basel, along with convenient transportation options, makes this place an excellent destination for a day-trip excursion, especially when the weather is nice. Last weekend we visited again this place and enjoyed the did a walkround the site. It's interesting because it contains a number of well-preserved ruins, including the theater, the temple, and the forum. It's recommended if you are visiting Basel.

Yesterday we were celebrating the New Year's Eve in Switzerland with a delightful Bogotanian dish called Ajiaco con Pollo. We placed the steaming pot at the center of the table and everyone pour a good amount of it, adding capers, cream and the important avocato slices. This Colombian dish always bring some nice memories of my childhood so I was delighted to discover that we still had some dried "guascas" to recreate it as close as possible to the real deal. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year 2024!

Photo taken a few days ago while I was walking in the city center of Basel. If you celebrate Christmas, I wish you a very happy one today.

All my life I have enjoyed coffee very much and I have no doubt that it is one of the beverages that keeps my engine running during the work days, but last night, after drinking this Colombian coffee I remembered that it is one thing to drink coffee and quite another to drink artisan Colombian coffee imported from local producers in the region of Manizalez. Absolutely delicious.

A few weeks ago, Basel experienced an unusually chilly couple of days, including a particularly frosty weekend that gave us a fresh layer of snow. This wintry weather was the perfect excuse to enjoy classic winter activities such as crafting snowmen, engaging in friendly snowball battles, and enjoying some fun ice sliding.

The following day was bright and sunny, and as a result, the lingering cold ensured the snow stuck around a bit longer. These moments presented some interesting photo opportunities, as the example captured in the image above. The photo showcases the sun's rays creating interesting patterns on the snowy rooftop.

Every time I visited the city of Geneva, whenever I had to wait at the train station platforms, I always noticed those luminous works of art in the street in front, and I always wondered what the story behind them was. Even the last time I visited Geneva, I took the photo you find above, when I was passing by

Some days ago I was reading the story of those displays and it's as interesting as beautiful they are: In December 2016, this work, titled "Pinta Cura", created by the local artist Frédéric Post, was setup in the center of Geneva for the 3rd edition of the Geneva Lux Festival. The work details the shamanic symbolism of Yage medicine among some indigenous people in Colombia, featuring the figures of the anaconda and the jaguar, two animals of power linked to healing and care.

On the past Saturday, I started the day very early since I had to catch a train to Freiburg. As I was cycling towards Badischer Banhoff station and approaching the Mitterebrücke bridge over the Rhine River, I noticed that the sky was really beautiful with its pink multicolor hues. I had to stop suddenly to capture the photo you see above. When I was about to take out my phone, I turned to the right, and there was another cyclist who had done exactly the same thing. With a smile, she said, "We have to take a photo of this, right?" and smiling back, I said, "Yes, indeed, it's a must!"

During the previous weekend, I went on a nice bike ride to purchase a few items for breakfast. My journey took me across the Franco-German border, crossing "la Pasarelle des Trois" Pays bridge. As I pedaled along, the sun began to raise casting a beautiful multicolored hue on the horizon, while birds were flying from one side to the other, I couldn't resist the urge to stop and capture a photo. You can see above the results.

I've been fortunate to explore several European cities showcasing remnants of Roman civilization, such as the Colosseum in Rome, the Library of Celsus in Turkey, the Theater of Merida, and the city of Augusta Raurica. However, Pompeii undoubtedly stands on a different league altogether. Last weekend I had the opportunity to go there and it was a truly fascinating experience

Since this Roman city was frozen in time after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD and it took multiple to centuries to discover it, the extend of its preservation is remarkable. It's surreal to find yourself walking along the original Roman streets, where once the horse powered carriages use to ride. These narrow, cobblestone streets are flanked by impeccably preserved remnants of residences, stores, and public structures, such as the Amphitheater, the Forum, and even the impressive Tower of Mercury, which offers a panoramic view of the vast archaeological park.

Quite a magical place!.

A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to visit Geneva again, with a good friend of mine who was visiting me for the first time in the region. We decided to pay a visit to this interesting city, without definite plan, just chill and walk around the city. When we were passing near the cathedral I noticed there were some people up there in the tower and I proposed her to go up to have a panoramic view of the city (I had never done it before).

The plan turned out to be very interesting one, offering beatiful views of the different parts of the city with a clear and sunny sky. One of those views is captured in the previous photograph: The iconic Jet d'Eau in the middle of the clear water from the lake Geneva.

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.

This morning when the sleepy town of Cubelles was starting to come to life and I went for walk in the fresh morning, I was lucky enough to experience this amazing view, while the first rays of sunlight started to pierce through the thin veil of clouds, creating the very interesting picture you can see above.

Saint Suplice, a beatiful village in close proximity to Lausanne and Ecublens, has some amazing scenery along its lakeside promenade. One of the landmarks in this nice place is a meticulously well preserved 12th century church, that you can oberve in this backlight picture taken a couple of days ago.

This picture taken in Morges last weekend features an amazing landscape with an interesting composition: In the foreground, there is an group of multicolor tulips arranged in a nice lane, in the middle ground, there is the Leman lake with some boats and the reflections on the lake and finally in the background, there are the alpine mountains with snow-capped peaks.

I think the contrast of colors in this picture is particularly nice, with the bright colors of the tulips contrasting with the blue and green hues of the lake and the earthy tones of the mountains, combined with the perfect sunset light. Nice!

A couple of days ago, while strolling through the center of Geneva city, I stumbled upon a fascinating sight: In the background, I noticed an interesting composition with the Jet d'eau visible in the distance, seemingly on the verge of reaching the grey clouds before it started to rain.

The Tulip Festival in Morges is an annual event that takes place in this pictoresque vadois. The festival is dedicated to celebrating the arrival of spring and the blooming of thousands of tulips that adorn the parks and gardens of Morges.

A couple of days ago, as I was strolling near the lake, my eyes caught this intesting sight. The scenery, which featured the lake and the mountains in the backdrop, with the bright yellow tullips on the stage. I couldn't help but think that it would make an nice composition for a photo, such as the one I attempted above

One of the advantages of the EPFL campus is its location relatively close to lake Leman. Sometimes the landscapes that can be seen in the background are really spectacular and this was indeed hat happened last week: I was on the esplanade walking towards the library when I noticed in the background this composition that I thought definitely deserved a photo and a post about it.

As the sun began to rise over the horizon, the sky above the town of Morges was awash with some brilliant shades of pink and orange. The tranquil waters of Lake Geneva below reflected these vibrant hues, creating a stunning and serene scene.

The calm waters of Lake Geneva stretched out into the distance, their surface rippling gently in the light breeze. As the sun continueed to rise, the colors of the sky deepened and the reflections on the water became even more pronounced, creating a breathtaking visual spectacle."

... and all this text was AI generated just by asking the model to describe this picture. I had to make some corrections but still, quite impressive :)

Last week I was at the office, when suddenly it started to snow heavily and you could see the snowflakes falling very quickly through the window. I thought at that moment that it would be worth taking a picture and you can see the result above this text.

Sometimes taking a good picture involves a bit of good luck and being in the right place at the right time and that's just what happened in Morges, Switzerland a couple of days ago. I was riding back on my bike after buying some coffee, when I noticed the silhouette of the Morges church reflected in the lake, with that spectacular sunset in the background. Definitely a moment that called to stop and take this shot!

Yesterday when we were on our way home, my gf pointed out the window and said "look, look there in the background". I couldn't see at the beginning what she was talking about but then yeah, the amazing Bernese Alps where on full display there in the background. I quickly snapped this shot with my phone that you can see in the picture above. Really nice!.

A couple of days ago I was testing my electric bike, doing a ride from the university to Vevey (about 25 km). At some point when the sun light was getting started to dim, I decided to stop and look back and I saw this beautiful sky that I captured in the photo you find in this post.

These days I had the opportunity to visit the city of Cubelles, a catalan tourist town near Barcelona. I was very lucky to find an apartment very close to the beach and I have spent almost every day enjoying the sea, constantly refreshing myself.

But every time I watch the news I realize that I was lucky to spend my days there during the heat wave that is hitting Europe. There are roaring fires in many places in southern Europe, and on the other hand places where the summer is not particularly strong like the UK are experiencing record temperatures.

No comments. The Climate Change problem is already here :/

A few days ago I had the opportunity to visit Berlin again and I spent some very pleasant days in the company of my dear friend C. In those days I remembered why the German capital is one of my favorite cities in Europe, and although I am satisfied with my life at the moment, I will always miss that very interesting place!

One of the things I was always curious about before leaving Berlin was what had happenned with the famous Humboldt Forum. I remember the first time I visited that space in 2015: At that time it was atemporary construction, created by the Humboldt foundation, that served as an exhibition space and viewing platform for the Berlin Palace - Humboldt Forum reconstruction project.

Well 7 years later, this project is finished and the palace is back to his former glory (at least the exterior facade) and it has some interesting expositions inside. Above you can find a picture on how it looks like nowadays. bis (hoffentlich) bald, Berlin

View of the Freiburg im Breisgau city center, including the cathedral from the top Schlossbergbahn last weekend.

Last night when I passed near the rathaus in Basel I found that a Ukrainian flag had been placed on the flagpole of this emblematic landmark. There was also a group of young people gathered in the square with peace signs and notices imploring an end to the unprovoked invasion of this European country. Sending my love and best wishes to all my ukranian friends.

This morning, before starting work, I noticed that the day was quite beautiful with a bright sun, so I went for a short walk to the lake here in Morges, and when I was passing by the harbor I captured this image with an interesting composition.

Sometimes you are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to capture an interesting photo. This is what happened last weekend in Ouchy, Lausanne: We were relaxing by the fountain in the main square and as the sun was setting, illuminating the bridge and the water, people were passing by, including this cyclist who was captured in the image.

Last weekend when I was walking home after getting a PCR test (which is part of the routine in this pandemic era), I passed by markplatz where I have walked thousands of times, but from the angle where I was, looking at the clear sky, with the Rathaus in the background, I said to myself: wow it really looks beautiful!

Nice picture of the moonlight through a tree branches shadow a couples of days ago in Morges, Vaud, Switzerland

The city center of Morges can be quite beautiful when there are snowy days in these winter months. That was the case a couple of days ago as you can see in the photo above this post.

On this first day of 2022 I had the opportunity to enjoy this beautiful sunset on the shore of Lake Geneva, with the church of Morges in the background. I felt at that moment that in spite of the difficult beginning of 2022, I have hope that everything will be better and that it will be a great year!

In a couple of days the year 2021 will be over. It seems incredible to me how fast the time passed and how the seasons and months went by so fast that this period is indeed going to end. The covid-19 pandemic continues to present serious problems, particularly with the new Omicron variant, and perhaps that is one of the reasons why this year and last year have passed so quickly: It has been a tug-of-war of hope and despair associated with the desire we all have for this pandemic to end once and for all!

Anyway, since I don't update this blog much lately, I wanted to take this time to write a longer post and remember what are the events that marked this year through a few illustrations. In my opinion these events were the most important of this year:

James Webb Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) developed by NASA with contributions from the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) was launched on the 25th of December. This telescope will support a broad array of research across the fields of astronomy and cosmology.

Facebook Files

Beginning in September 2021, The Wall Street Journal published "The Facebook Files: A Wall Street Journal Investigation", a series of news reports "based on a review of internal Facebook documents, including research reports, online employee discussions and drafts of presentations to senior management." A couple of weeks later the face of this whistleblower materialized in Frances Haugen, a courageous former product manager for the Civic Integrity team, which was in chage to curb misinformation and other threats to election security

It's not news that Social Media has been used for years to spread misinformation. But having an "insider" to document and record the action (or inaction) coming from the senior management of the social giant, was quite a moment.

Tokyo Summer Olympics

A year later than budgeted and with a lot of restrictions associated with it, but finally the summer olympic games took place in tokyo this year. A number of athletes discussed the importance of participating in the games, but also they expressed their frustration for the lack of spectators and the confinement, not able to enjoyone of the most interesting cities in the world!

COVID-19 vaccine rollout

In January started the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, naimly in the industrialized countries, leaving the poorest nations behind). But then the scarcity of this valueable resource became clear, having many nations compiting for the same vaccines.

There was a lot of criticism in particular about the EU, since he pace of the roll-out was quite slow at the start.

Insurrection at the US Capitol

I remember I was working at home in January when those images of people attacking the US congress appeared in my news feeds, so I switched to a live a streamming to check what was going on.

My first thought was "there can't be a coup d'etat in the USA!" ... but they weren't that far off, from everything that has been discovered so far. Democracy can be quite fragile.

PS: All the source pictures used on the illustrations come from wikimedia commons.

Last week when I was leaving work the light was just perfect to take this snapshopt at the EPFL Campus.

Lausanne is a city that can be quite photogenic, and one of my favorite areas for taking photos is the Ouchy area. This area has stunning views of the lake with the alps in the background. A couple of weeks ago I took this photo of the Éole sculpture created by Clelia Bettua in 1995.

I wish you all a very happy year 2021. I hope that this year comes with good health, with vaccinations that will end the pandemia and with a return to that normality where it is possible to travel again.

Last week I went out at lunchtime to do a little walk to the lake that is quite close to my home office setting and although the day was quite cold, the sun reflected on Lake Geneva created a beautiful view that I captured in the photo you can see above.

I have been walking up quite early these days. A couple of days ago I was lucky to get this beautiful and peaceful sunrise.

A couple of days ago we were visiting the old windmill in Swinoujscie and when we were heading back to the car I looked and saw this amazing view of the mill silhouette and the people walking by, while feeling the fresh breeze of summer in our faces. Nice memory.

4 years ago today I was in my a career break travelling in Asia, Australia and New Zealand. This was one of the last countries that visited during my itinerary and I'm completely fell in love. It's in my opinion one of the most beautiful spots in the planet. Additionally, all the people I met over there, were really nice.

It's sad that the country suffered a terror attack last friday, targeting its muslim immigrant community. Fortunately the perpetrator was arrested and the kiwis are doing everything possible to get the punish he deserves without providing any platform to further advance his deregend views.

Update: On the 21st of March the New Zealand goverment announced a ban on the military style semi-automatics and assault rifles. Well done!

Yesterday I noticed the Autumn colors are already here. It's beautiful as you can see in the picture above, but with the crazy weather this year and the temperature going up and down I hardly noticed this season is already here.

This picture was taken in Łańcut, a Polish city in the southeast of the country. The Łańcut Castle in the picture was completed in 1641. The idea was to build a fortified residence to repel an attack from the Swedes.

Today the weather in Berlin was completely bouncing between sunny and rainy, but this created a quite stunning sky that you can observe in this picture.

Today I was coming back from a quick bike sprint to the store to leave some PET bottles and buy a couple of things. When I was about to enter the key to open the garage door, I obseverved this nice nail moving slowly around the edge. Its shell was beautiful so I thought it was worth it to get the phone and shot a picture,

Today I was making a copy of the pictures I shared in twitter a couple of years ago during my career break and when I was reviewing those photos, I remembered this particular shot on a long exposure where a guard stayed only for a brief time creating this cool phantom effect

Yesterday before I boarded the plane, I noticed the sky was just beautiful with an amazing summer sunset. I started to climb the stairs and just before I entered the aircraft I was able to snap this quick shot throught a narrow gap in the door. Sometimes the light, time, station and weather is perfect for a picture like this.

Last night my colleagues joined me in a walk to the city center of Krakow, where I wanted to look for a present at the old city market. There were flocks of tourists in the old town, but on the other hand the weather was quite pleasant so it was nice to walk around.

Did ever tell you the Sky in Berlin can be amazing? Look at here yet another example. When I was about to board a plane a couple of days ago I observed this nice clouds decorating a nice warm summer night.

A couple of days I was walking back to my place in Berlin, look up and saw those nice patterns in the sky that you can observe in the picture above. A couple of times I mentioned in this blog how the Sky in Berlin is one of the highlights of this city.

Beautiful sky in the basel airport

Today the French are voting in their presidential elections and the possibility of having a far right president, who has campaigned against Europe and NATO brings dark clouds to the European horizon. I'm hoping the french people will reject those proposals. Allez le bleus!

Last weekend we had the opportunity to visit the big sur park, a quite beautiful region on California's Central Coast. This region is quite beautiful as you can see in this picture.

It had been awhile but today I had the opportunity to stroll again through nice streets of San Francisco. I really like this city and I'm happy I had the opportunity to visit SFO one time more.

In Berlin you get very frequently the chance to see nice sky worth to take a picture as it was the case today at the office.

Another picture I shot last weekend during a sunny Sunday. In the background you can see Pauluskirche. This Reformed Church in Basel was built between 1898 and 1901, in a Neo-Romanesque architectural style.

Yesterday the weather was quite amazing here in Basel. Spring is definitely here already.

Yesterday when I was working, I recieved a news notification related to a London Attack, where five people were killed and many other were injured after an attacker drove a car along a pavement near to the Parliament. I always enjoyed visiting London and Westmister near to the Thames river is beautiful. As I say when it happened in Berlin: I will keep visiting this amazing city and no terrorist is going to change that.

This morning when I was landing in Berlin I was staring at the window and I realised sometimes I forget how many lakes and water sources there are around Berlin. I shot this picture to remind myself about it.

One of the most interesting parts of the Basel Fasnacht is the big latterns that participate on the parade on Monday morning. On tuesday they were exposed in Munsterplatz and this year there were a lot political motives related to politics and the far right trends. One of the most descriptive ones was this one.

Sometimes you look and the window and the view is so nice that it doesn't look like a normal window but rather as a picture that was presented to you instead. That was the case today.

The last couple of days have been particularly cold in Basel, but a nice gift that you get with those type of days is the Snow. Yesterday I saw this beatiful snowy tree next to the snow on top those leaves.

Finally 2016 is ending. As John Oliver mentioned in the last episode of his last week tonight show, 2016 has been a pretty shitty year. There were so many musical and movie legends passing away (David Bowie, Alan RIckman, Prince, Gene Wilder, Leonard Cohen, Carrie FIsher, Debbie Reynolds and George Michael) and Europe experienced terror in many cities including Nice, Istanbul, Brussels and Berlin.

On the other hand the populists and far right anti-immigrant movements gained a lot of traction in Europe and America. The popular vote brought many unexpected outcomes including the Brexit victory despite the Scottish and Northern Irish opposition, the Colombian plebiscite rejection to the peace agreement reached in Cuba and finally the astonishing Trump victory on the electoral college, even though he lost the popular vote by almost 3 million ballots.

The only silver lining of this year was the historic Paris Agreement on climate change. Let's hope this doesn't change in 2017 (cough trump), since that will make it a horrible year as well.

This morning I was talking to my father in law and he mentioned he wanted to check out the Synagogue in Basel. I had no idea there was such a building in the city, but I checked online and discovered there is a neo-Byzantine domed structure indeed, originally constructed in 1868 and enlarged in 1892. Above there is a picture of this Synagogue.

This weekend I did a small city break to the Bulgarian capital. On my last day before coming back to Berlin I experienced my first snowing of 2016 and it was quite a big one as you can see on this picture of the Sveta Nedelya cathedral.

We enjoyed the sunny sunday morning by making a quick visit to Freiburg. Last time I visited the city they were restoring this building and the result was great.

Last weekend a colleague of my girlfriend was in town and I was happy to walk with her around the city. During the evening I remembered it was the last day of the Berlin Festival of Lights. During this event the main landmarks of the city are used as canvas for very interesting light displays. Some of the most beautiful ones were at the Humboldt university where I shot the pictures above.

The sky in Berlin is not only amazing in Spring but it can be in Autumn as well. Yesterday a former colleague was visiting the office and when we went up to the terrace I had the chance to see this amazing sky.

I didn't update this blog in the last week because we went with my GF to Tenerife and I decided to leave this computer back home to unplug for a while. We had a really amazing time in the biggest canary Island: The weather was warm but not scorching hot, the landscapes are really nice and quite different across the island, the seafood was so fresh and delicious and finally the people were extremely friendly. It was just great.

So of the highlights of the trip were (besides the stunning Teide you see in the picture above):

1- The nice town of La Otorava:

2- The picturesque town of San Andres where we stayed, and the nearby "Playa de las Teresitas":

3- Walking around in Santa Cruz:

4- The old town of Garachico and its natural rock swimming pools:

A couple of days ago we visited Lindau, a major town and an island on the eastern side of Lake Constance. We stayed at a hotel in the Island that's connected with the mainland by a road-traffic bridge. The current harbour of this island was built in 1856 and the iconic Lion sculpture and lighthouse mark the entrance of this port. An interesting fact is that this lighthouse is the only one in Bavaria!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit the Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria and I learned about the interesting history behind this castle. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria, as a refuge from his constitutional monarchy duties, in order to revive his romantic dreams of the medieval king figures. The guide described how the king was deemed insane, he was arrested and died mysteriously. We were discussing yesterday with my GF that insane or not but he brought good fortunes to this region of Germany for sure!.

My old LAMP hosting is about to expire and I’m using that account only to host a travel blog of my career break two years ago called breaksian. This weekend I migrated the contents to a node platform and I took the opportunity to review and publish a post about a week I spend in Ko Lanta, Thailand. Quite an special place.

In the last days I had the fortune to visit Iceland for the first time and I loved the country. The people are very friendly and the landscapes are just stunning. The capital Reykjavik has also very cool atmosphere and it can quite picturesque as you can observe in the picture above taken at the lake Tjörnin with the city hall in the background at the left corner.

Also look at the Geyser blowing off steam every couple of minutes.

And finally the Þingvellir National Park has some beautiful landscapes.

If you have never seen a picture with a soldier like the one in the statue above then you don't know who is the soldier depicted in this piece, then you don't know who is Comrad Schumann. This soldier from the East is one of the first and most famous defectors to West Germany when the border was being built and it was just a line of barbed wire. This is statue is located in a building near Bernauer Straße

A couple of days ago I was walking by the Berliner Dom and I realised I haven't seen the progress of the Humboldt Forum construction in a while. The project is scheduled to finish in 2019 and as I you cans see in this picture it's definitively moving along.

I have walked by the Chapel of Reconciliation in Bernauer St. many times, but yesterday I noticed for the first time the sculpture you see above. It's called Reconciliation and it was created originally by Josefina de Vasconcellos, an english artist of Brazilian ancestry and placed at the University of Bradford. According to wikipedia there are copies of this original work in the ruins of the Coventry Cathedral, the Hiroshima Peace Park and this one here in the Berlin Wall Memorial.

Time really flies by! One year ago I took this picture in Berlin.

The german border in the eastern part with Poland is located in the town of Görlitz that before 1945 it was a single town. This border post shows the end of the country

Last weekend we did a long weekend trip with my girlfriend to the Ticino region of Switzerland, staying in Locarno. I wasn't aware but the Locarno Film Festival was starting this week and part of this event was a preview showing of a movie on Sunday night open to the public.

The organizers decided to honor Bud Spencer, one of the classic italian actors from the 70's in the action-comedy genre who passed away earlier this year. They featured Lo chiamavano Trinità, one of the best examples of the "Spaguetti Westerns". I really enjoyed this movie!. It brought really nice memories since the movies featuring the duo Bud Spencer / Terence Hill were one of my grandpa's favorites.

I have been living in Berlin for more than a year now and last weekend on a sleepless night I setup the site pics.inberl.in to check the different pictures I have been taking in the city. When I was browsing through my collection I found this cool photo I took in my first weeks in Berlin at the Lustgarten. I'm proud of the composition.

In the Canton of Solothurn, Switzerland, relatively close to Basel there is a Benedictine monastery, called Mariastein. Apparently this place is a must for the catholics, but it's also a nice to walk around in the fields as you can see on this picture we took yesterday."

View of the TV Tower from the Strausberger Platz. Nice colors in the sky."

Two days ago. Amazing Coldplay concert in the Olympia Stadium in Berlin.

I was reading on the news that at least 36 people were killed in suicide attack at Istanbul airport. It's pretty sad that this amazing city has been hit by different terrorist attacks this year: the March suicide bombing in Beyoğlu district, the January bombing in the Sultanahmet district and now this attack at the airport. I had the chance to visit the city in 2013 and I loved it.

Last weekend I watched the Ireland / France game in the Tempelhofer Feld (pitty we were so close to beat les bleus!). When I was leaving the place I shot this picture with an interesting composition

It's shocking the UK decided to leave the European Union, but on the other hand Scotland voted clearly in favour of the UK staying in the EU by 62% to 38% - with all 32 council areas backing Remain. Heading towards a new Scottish independence referendum?

As I was mentioning a couple of days ago, the sky in Berlin during springtime is quite amazing!

Backlight is not necessary bad. Sometimes you get really nice silhouette pictures like this one I was able to shot in Birgu, Malta.

The island of Malta is in the middle of the mediterranean sea and it was in the past, a crossroad between Africa and Europe. The history of this place is therefore fascinating!.

The Berlin sky is so photogenic during springtime!

In downtown Basel there is a wall with a mural that shows portraits of rock stars like Janis Joplin, Keith Richert, Mick Jagger and David Bowie, that you can see on this picture.

Yesterday I did I nice bike ride from Berlin to the Wandlitzer lake, located some 30 km north of the capital city. The area is really beautiful as you can see in this picture.

Walking from the Nordbanhoff through Gartenstraße, you arrive to the roundabout in Liesenstraße where there is a hidden but nice remain of the former wall.

The weather is improving in Berlin and the skies are very nice again. This picture was taken in the colorful street of Oderbergerstraße

The Hanseatic League was a confederation setup by different merchant guilds and the market towns where they operated with the purpose of mutual defense and commercial trading. Between 1400–1800 it dominated the trade in the northern coasts of Europe. The German city of Stralsund was one of the most import cities from this confederation.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit the city where I took this picture.

Last friday when I went to the airport to catch a flight I was able to capture this nice shot of the Berlin airport with the spring sunlight.

One of the last vestiges of the Berlin Wall in the Topography of terror in Niederkirchnerstraße

Beautiful Sunset in Bornholmer Straße. I love the colors in the Sky. Last year I remember we had many of those spring days with amazing photogenic colors such as this one I was able to see today.

Picture taken in the Görlitzer Park last weekend. It as a sunny and warm Saturday so the people poured to the Cafes and Parks in Berlin!

I was thinking today that one year ago I was flying back to Europe after finishing my 6 months career break travelling in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

I tried to document this experience on the road in: Breaksian.com. I was checking today some the interesting experiences I described there and I found these posts:

Visiting the Angkor Temple Complex by bike

Making new friends in the Jeju Island of Korea by playing the Piano:

Cruising the Halong Bay in a 1906 replica boat

Travelling from Bangkok to Penang in an overnight train:

Experiencing the Portuguese flavor in the Chinese Macau

enjoying the amazing Autumn Colors in Nara

Biking in the isolated Island of Zamami, off of the coast of Okinawa.

Or visiting Taiwan, and understanding the politicial and historical issue regarding China

I was such an amazing experience that I would definitively recommend it to anyone!

Last weekend I visited Dublin for the 100th year anniversary of the Easter Rising, when Ireland started the process to become and independent republic. The city was absolutely packed as you can see in this picture taken at college green.

Interesting picture taken today in the vitra design museum when sun was starting to come down.

Today we were walking along the east side gallery and when we pass by the Oberbaumbrücke, I got this picture of this landmark bridge on a cloudy day.

Time passes really fast!. A year ago I was exploring the beautiful city of Queenstown in the south island of New Zealand. Nice memories from my career break.

This weekend I wanted to do a smal city break and I realised visiting Prague by train was relatively easy (it's only 4.5h by a direct train). I went there, met and chatted with a Czech friend and spend the rest of my visit walking around and taking pictures. One the most interesting ones I was able to get contains a street performer making huge soap bubbles. Here the colorful bubble make a nice contrast with the people staring and walking around.

Last week I provided at work a couple of my pictures for the article The Lowdown on Living and Working in Ireland . One of the pictures I selected was one of my favorite ones. A completely empy O'Connell street in a Monday morning:

I love this picture not only for the beatiful colors in the sky and the nice contrast they do with the shadows of some of the Dublin landmarks (The General Post Office and the Spire), but also because of the strange feeling of seeing one of the busiest spots in Dublin completely empty.

Almost the same picture taken near to Rosentharlerplatz in two different seasons in Berlin.