Kind of hard to see, look closely at the edge of the gutter's spout, yep, that's a split wood gutter with a copper lip, all handmade. Not sure exactly what the rocks are for, maybe something to do with snow in the winter, or perhaps a supersition about a wolf blowing the roof off...
Attention to detail. Again, those three words come up in my descriptions. From the food to the way its prepared and eaten, to interaction with a new friend, to the craftsmanship of houses and roads, they all show a strong commitment to detail. These are some pictures of houses and homes. It was amazing how aesthetic it all was and the ease with which they fit in with the landscape, both the old and the new. This was largely due to the use of using local materials, eco-friendly and site specific design, and holding true to time tested traditional design concepts.
A Swiss Alp home. Some families live in the lower valleys during the winter months and then journey into the Alps for the summer where they herd and milk cattle, make cheese, and enjoy it all. Simple, fulfilling, meaningful, a great way to live.
Swiss farm home refinished. Right behind me is a doorway open to an amazing old barn with bare wood, hay, and old tools. A very warm and welcoming space.
This old farm home in the hills behind Zurich has been turned into a pigeon hotel, complete with custom entrances, balconies, restaurant, and, of course, a penthouse suite.
In the Dolomites you'll find hundreds year old fixer-uppers like this...
...and not far down the road something a bit more modern. Still equally pleasing to the eye. Even the new architecture incorporated lines and stylings of older homes. They also had plenty of windows and many used solar heating and other "green" features.
Again, the details. Flower box in bloom and I assume the iron crucifix adorning the window is to ward off evil spirits, though I can't imagine too many harboring themselves in the beauty of the Dolomites.
The Luger's house on Lake Zurich. I stayed in the upper right corner. One of my favorite memories of the room was waking up in the middle of the night to go pee, looking out the window, and seeing the full moon (not mine) reflected on the surface of the lake.
High in the Alps lives a man who roams, he writes at night an in the morn sings his poems, the green hills feed his cows smiling fat, and he watches the flowers bend this way and that. If you do see this man, buy some of his cheese, he'll even offer you poem, if you ask kindly, "Please."
Stacking firewood requires engineering and art degrees.
This shot captures a strong essence of the Dolomite culture; strong display and pride in religion, patience and care to bring colorful blooms to window views, prescision and commitment to stack it right, from the first log to the last.
From grocery stores to homes to public utility buildings you'll find "green roofs" in many areas of the Dolomites.
