November 10, 2014

Hike to the Alpine Lake Trail in Chamonix: Lacs des Chéserys, Lac Blanc, Lac Cornu & Lacs Noirs

The visit to Lac Blanc (White Lake) is a classic summer hike of Chamonix: It is possible to get there and back using the Flégère ropeway and a bit of walk. An alternative path to reach that lake (and others in the area) by foot is to follow the Alpine Lake Trail (Sentier des Lacs Alpins): Starting at Col des Montets, it goes through the Réserve Naturelle des Aiguilles Rouges on the north side of the valley and passes by the Lacs des Chéserys, Lac Blanc, Lac Cornu and Lacs Noirs (a slight detour for that one). The other highlight of this hike is the constant view of the Mont Blanc (photo above) and the surrounding mountains. At the end of the trail, the Planpraz ropeway can be used to get down to Chamonix. Probably the best hike I did this summer!

November 9, 2014

Hike to Lanfonnet & Pointe de Talamarche

The Lanfonnet is a mountain in the Bornes Massif, located near Lake Annecy between the Dents de Lanfon and La Tournette. It offers a great view on the lake and those mountains. The Pointe de Talamarche is another summit nearby, with a good view on the Dents de Lanfon. This page describes a path to get to the Lanfonnet and back in a loop, starting from Vérel in Talloires. I didn’t actually do the loop: Instead of going down to Col des Nantets, I basically took the same path on the way back but made a detour to the Pointe de Talamarche on the way.

November 8, 2014

Walk in Amsterdam (Day 2)

On my second day in Amsterdam, I only had the morning free, so I checked out of my hotel early and walked around at random.

November 7, 2014

Walk in Amsterdam (Day 1)

This summer, I had to be in Amsterdam for about 1 day. I arrived in late afternoon at Schiphol airport, took the train to the city and spent the evening walking around.

November 6, 2014

Walk in Geneva

While waiting for my plane to Amsterdam, I spent a couple of hours in Geneva. I arrived in the morning on the LIHSA bus from Annecy and walked around starting from the highway bus station and finishing at the Cornavin railway station. I then took the bus to the airport.

November 5, 2014

Hike to Mont Trélod & Dent des Portes

At 2,181m, Mont Trélod is the 4th highest peak of the Bauges Massif. The trail I followed is a mix of this one (from Montgellaz to Chalet du Golet) and this one (from the chalet to the summit of Mont Trélod).

November 4, 2014

Hike to Circuit de l'Ancienne Mine & Oratoire

The Circuit de l’Ancienne Mine (Old Mine Loop) is a hiking trail in the village of Lathuile, near Lake Annecy.

October 21, 2014

Garden of Hotel New Otani Tokyo

Hotel New Otani Tokyo is a high-end hotel in Kioicho, Tokyo. It was built for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. Its Japanese garden dates back from the Edo period and, like the garden of Hotel Chinzanso in Mejiro, is open to all.

October 20, 2014

Ueno Zoo

Ueno Zoo is located inside Ueno Park. It is the oldest zoo in Japan and has about 500 species, including elephants, giraffes, polar bears and penguins. Its star animal is the giant panda.

October 20, 2014

Arisugawa-no-Miya Memorial Park

Arisugawa-no-Miya Memorial Park (有栖川宮記念公園) is a park located near Hiroo station in Minato, Tokyo. It is named after the Arisugawa-no-Miya branch of the Japanese imperial family.