“I can fit five in the Land Rover for a quick photo op. Who wants to go?”
Lake Moiry, Grimentz, Sierre, Valais, Switzerland.
I was mid-bite into a hearty lunch of paper-thin dried meats, savory Swiss cheeses and a superb regional Pinot Noir when Martin Hannart, our guide for the week, made his announcement.
Clouds had obscured the view all morning. But glancing out the restaurant window, I spotted what had prompted Martin’s spontaneous change of plans—sunshine: a glorious pocket of stormy light.
We were in Switzerland as part of the 2012 Adventure Travel World Summit and had a train to catch. But the shutterbugs among us had put down our forks, gulped down our wine, grabbed our cameras and claimed a seat in the Land Rover - plus one on the rear bumper - without question. Photogs know the drill.
The magnificent play of light and color captured in the image above (yes, the glacial lake water really IS that Windex blue) lasted only minutes. Long enough for us to summit the windy ridge, snap a few pics and bounce down the winding dirt road back to the restaurant, before the sun tucked away and clouds shrouded the landscape again.
Thank you, Martin.
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About Ellen Barone: Consumer travel expert Ellen Barone is the founder and publisher of TravelUpdatesbyEllenBarone.com and YourLifeIsATrip.com. Learn more here and connect on Twitter at,Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn.