HOT SUMMERS
Even though I had a couple of interior photography shoots at the start of last month, the rest of the month was a month of holiday. Total bliss. Here in Switzerland, it is been apparently a pretty hot summer; in fact, it’s been the case across all of Europe.
Swimming pools and hot tubs have been a real bonus to the summer heat. However I was on holiday far away from this European summer heatwave. To be perfectly honest, the heat has been nothing in comparison to one of my holiday destinations.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque at sunset
Louvre Abu Dhabi
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque at night
Arabian days & nights
I travelled to Australia via Abu Dhabi. There, it was not only hot but also humid. The morning air was never filled with a chill; the damp of the breaking day wrapped around you. A dip in the sea at the start of each day was not the usual shock to the system; the water had a little freshness to it but nothing more. This was definitely not Wim Hof-style.
As the day progressed, the warmth moved to heat and the slight morning damp became a heavy humidity. Each evening after a day filled with tourist adventures to the Sheik Zayed Mosque, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the mangroves, I returned to base (the luxurious Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri on the way out and the very zen Beach Rotana Hotel on the return). An evening swim washed away the day. With its warmth and saltiness; the water was the ultimate thalassotherapy.
Philip island, Australia
Melbourne Skyline, Australia
LIGHTSCAPE, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Australia
Simpsons Gap, West MacDonnell Ranges, Australia
Melbourne to the red centre
The final destination was of course Australia to visit my husband’s family. It is actually now winter in Australia and so it isn’t that hot. Most of the time, Staying in and around Melbourne, the weather is frequently compared to that of London, damp and cold. In fact, a weekend visit to Philip Island to see the penguins was perfect conditions for these little creatures. Dark, cold and raining. Rooftop drinks, art museums and light shows in the Botanical Gardens were the perfect way to balance the demands of the weather.
A highlight of the trip was the detour into the desert. I travelled to the Red Centre to see Uluru and the many other spectacular sights of the Northern Territory. The desert in the winter is definitely not as warm as you’d expect; very cold mornings filled with sunrises across Uluru and Kata Tjuta turned into glorious afternoons that were no warmer than European spring days.
Uluru at sunrise
HOt tubs and Swimming Pools
And with that my summer/winter holiday was over. Returning to Switzerland, the weather is gorgeous with sunny cloudless days and just the the perfect temperatures even here in the mountains.
Outdoor swimming pools in Zurich or even Vevey are a luxury especially when they are closely located to the ZürichSee and Lac Leman respectively. However, the banks of Lake Zurich and Lake Geneva do become quite busy in the summertime, so potentially a necessity or even an investment rather than an outright luxury.
Indoor swimming pools such as this one at the Residence Victoria & Valentine in Verbier offer a certain degree of protection from summer UV rays which are more intense at altitude. Most of these swimming pools are in fact better designed for offering the possibility of protection from cold, dark winter days.
Whether it is winter or summer, a hot tub is just the best way to take in the alpine views. Relaxation guaranteed before returning to work.
BAck to work
Enjoy the rest of your summer; I’m now back at work.
Interested in working with an interior photographer in Switzerland or anywhere else for that matter, Haute'Xposure is always open to talk; or even why not just drop us a line.
