Yesterday, while riding the train through the city of Neuchâtel, I looked out the window and the scenery was absolutely spectacular during that golden hour when the light is just perfect for taking a photo. So I quickly grabbed my phone and took the shot you can see above.

As you can see, the image captures the city of Neuchâtel in passing from the train, with the historic Neuchâtel Castle and the Collegiate Church dominating the hill on the right. Below them, a sea of medieval rooftops descends toward Lake Neuchâtel. Again quite lukcy with the timing

I took a stroll down by the lake this evening in Morges. The air had a nice chill to it, but the view was absolutely worth it. The sky is rarely so clear that you can see all the way across to the Alps, but tonight was one of those nights as you can see in the picture above.

A couple of days ago a colleague shared one of those "infection tracker" maps about the Andes hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, which was quarantined shortly after. I have to admit, for a second it genuinely felt like early 2020 again — cruise ship, international passengers, severe respiratory illness, deaths. That COVID-era anxiety is still there, just under the surface.

But this is really not the same thing!. Andes hantavirus is already well understood, and unlike COVID it doesn't spread easily — it usually requires close and prolonged contact. Authorities acted quickly once the ship arrived in Tenerife, passengers were monitored and repatriated, and the ECDC considers the risk to the general EU population to be very low. Something to keep an eye on, but not something to panic about.

The Morges is a river in Vaud that flows into the Rhône at Lake Geneva and passes through the town of Morges, which takes its name from the river. This is fact I had no idea about!. Nevertheless last week in the evening I was walking by the independence park and saw the lights in the horizon reflecting on the water with some tullips in the foreground, and I thought it would be a nice picture to share.

The weather was gorgeous yesterday and I had some time to spare near Voltaplatz so I took one of Basel’s little Rhine ferries once more and I remember why this simple plan is something I enjoy every single time. It’s very interesting how this small wooden boat has no engine — it’s just a cable and the river current doing all the work, quietly carrying you from one bank to the other. No rush, no noise, just the water and the nice lady telling some stories in Basler Deutsch.

Now the history of those ferries is interesting as well: They have been around since the 19th century, back when they were actually needed and were part of the standard transport system, before more bridges went up complementing the Mittlere Brücke. Today they’re not really essential for getting around, but they’re still there as a reminder of what they once were. For a few minutes you’re not commuting, you’re not in a hurry, you’re just floating across the Rhine. Really nice!

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