Juan Convers

Last month, I had the privilege of returning to one of my home countries with my family, and we used this trip to visit some of the most beautiful places Colombia has to offer. I always tell my friends and acquaintances that if they visit the country, one of the most memorable spots is the coffee-growing region — in particular, the "Valle del Cocora" (Cocora Valley) with its unique wax palm trees.

I've had the chance to visit several countries around the world, and this spot is still one of my favorites. During that trip, we visited Salento and took a Willys jeep to the Valle del Cocora. Once I was there, hiking uphill through the wax palm tree forest, I remembered why this place is truly special. I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Colombia.

If you want to check out the exact place where that picture was taken, this is the point on the map.

Last week, with summer weather in full swing, I took the ferry from Ouchy to Évian. Once there, I took a nice walk along the Rives of Évian-les-Bains. Maybe I had always missed it before, but this time I noticed something in the lake—a massive eagle perched on one of those metal platforms near the ferry terminal. The statue is quite realistic.

Curious, I looked it up later and found out the sculpture is called L’Atterrissage (“The Landing”), created by Vanly Tiene. The eagle and its nest together span nearly five meters and weigh around three tonnes. It was installed just after Christmas.

I also learned that this piece now stands where a swan sculpture once floated—until it was destroyed by a storm. It’s really quite a beautiful sight.

A couple of days ago we did our usual day trip from Basel to Bern, but this time we took a really nice walk along the river Aare. We passed by Freibad Marzili and ended up at the Bern Tierpark, enjoying beautiful weather all along the way. We wrapped up the trip with a well-deserved drink before crossing the Kirschfeldenbrücke again. It was the perfect way to unplug from the daily routine!

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!.

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.

Next page