Juan Convers

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

Last week, EPFL announced in its official news channel that it had launched a Mastodon server (social.epfl.ch) for its academic community, choosing this platform because it aligns with its open science values and offers independence from corporate-controlled social media.

Although I've been away from traditional social media platforms for some time, I welcome this initiative and really hope it succeeds. The decentralised nature of Mastodon, combined with transparent algorithms and user privacy, offers a refreshing alternative to mainstream platforms. Additionally, it's really nice to see the EPFL supporting high impact open source projects.

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!

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.

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 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!

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.

A couple of days ago when I was coming back from work and I was arriving to the picturesque city where I live, I started to think: What would happen if I told one of the AI tools to paint this place using the impressionist technique, and then told it to describe it? Well here is the result of this experiment:

"In an impressionist painting of the Swiss town of Morges, we are transported to a tranquil and picturesque scene next to the pier of Lake Geneva. The essence of the Impressionist style is to capture the fleeting moment, the play of light and color, and the atmospheric ambiance. In this particular painting, the artist has masterfully conveyed these elements.

The canvas is alive with vibrant, dappled colors that dance across the scene. The shimmering waters of Lake Geneva, in soft shades of blues and greens, extend toward the horizon, creating a reflective surface that mirrors the world above. The surface of the lake is beautifully textured with strokes of various shades, conveying the rippling movement of the water..."

This is just an excerpt, because then the machine started to describe parts of Morges that are not in the painting, but still this visual and textual test was quite interesting.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

The number of cases of covid-19 in Switzerland increased dramatically in November, reaching more than 10,000 at the beginning of the month which forced the cantonal and federal authorities to take strict measures to prevent contagion.

One of the main differences with respect to the wave that occurred during the spring time, is that the number of hospitalizations has increased significantly as can be seen in the graph above. We hope that those measures taken by the authorities will help to control this new peak. Of course everybody has to their part: #wearamask.

Both in Basel city and Zurich it is required to wear facemask with the objective to reduce the COVID-19 transmission. The country flattened the curve but as soon as it began to reopen, the cases started to up again. The cantons of Geneva, Vaud and Zurich are the most affected as it can be observed in the previous graph.

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.

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.

Wikipedia has a useful page with a lot of stats about Switzerland Statistics. The chart above shows the number of live births per year. Very relevant information today.

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.

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."