I have never seen such plump little birds! People everywhere in Switzerland make feeding the wild birds part of their daily routine.
There are entire shops like this one devoted to the feeding and housing of wild birds.
Do they smell a rat? A common foe in Montreux makes for a delicate alliance. Even the street cats like this one are fat and healthy.
Maybe it’s the wine that makes everyone so mellow? Of course it could be the beer….
Or maybe it’s all the exercise? The Swiss like to bicycle up the Alps. I like to sit in the train and take their picture. These last shots were taken from The Glacier Express train.
Of course it could be the continuous hits of Alpine beauty.
The lucky Swiss!
Who knows what it is? Maybe it’s in the water…..
I’m heading off the train now to go eat some Rosti with Swiss cheese!
And at the request of my good blogging friend Yellowcable, I have added a late addition, Rosti with Swiss cheese, minus a bite or three taken before the photo. I can’t help it. I’m powerless over rosti.
Cheers to you from well-fed Switzerland~
They really are chunky little birds! Love the shots from The Glacier Express train, Cindy. Smashing blog post π
There are so many of them and they all are so plump! It’s quite extraordinary. And they are friendly too. Thank you so much for your kind comments~
Beautiful!
Merci beaucoup Timothy~
Spunk was going for the birds, so all I could get in was a beautiful while trying to keep the kitty from attacking my screen. All the photos were great and looks like a really wonderful adventure.
Cute plump birds π
π
Maybe we can tell the character of a society by how well they feed birds and street animals.
Enjoy the remainder of your vacation!
That is a wonderful way of putting it Linda and I do agree with you. Ghandi would too! <3
It all looks so divine – happy munching – and please, have some for me! π
The only unfortunate thing is that the Swiss do have bathroom scales in their guest rooms! π
Say WHAT?! I’m going to be a girl and say they are strictly LUGGAGE ONLY! π
Fabulous pictures π
Mil grazi!
Cute π
<3
I think I prefer cycling, it seems very challenging π
More power to you. It certainly would be good for the mind and body. My brother is like that. He cycles an incredible amount of miles regularly. I am afraid, am way too in to my creature comforts. Let me know if you take it up!
Lovely photos Cindy, as ever. π
My son was so delighted by the fat sparrows we saw in France a few years ago that he gave them a new name: pudgies. (Please don’t ask me where we went – it was only EuroDisney :().
It’s a cross between budgies (budgerigars) and pudgy (plump). I thought it was cute.
I love it! Thats what I shall call them. Pudgies is perfect. Please thank your son for me!
He’s 18 now so he might be a bit embarrassed that I’m still telling people that story. π
Gorgeous! I visited Austria many years back but Switzerland it’s still in my list…
You will be quite happy when you go!
“The Swiss like to bicycle up the Alps. I like to sit in the train and take their picture.” A match made in heaven. π βCurt
Exactly! π
Beautiful. Love the little birdies.
I do too!
Beautiful pictures! I especially love the fluffly birds!! …and mountains <3
Chubby birds, mountains, rosti….what more could one ask for? π
Not a thing!! π
Just seeing the photo of the couple peddling up the Alps gave me a shooting pain down my left arm. (It’s my body warming me not to even consider such exercise.) Have a nice trip.
Laughing…..It pains me too just to think of it ! I’m kinda doubting the woman is having much fun. π The whole endeavor would be out the question for me! I could make it from my hotel room to the rosti restaurant.
These birds are beautiful,Cindy.
They really are!
So clear there! What a blessing to be able to experience that! Beautiful shots!
Very kind and most appreciated! Cheers to you too~
I love those birds! So cute! Switzerland looks fabulous! I bet the food there is fantastic too! Hugz Lisa and Bear
Yes rosti, fondue. schnitzel……paradise! π
So beautiful, and so thinly settled. That alone to me says: “Harsh winters!” Wow, biking up a mountain… to be so healthy would be wonderful. I hope your soul is expanding with all these infusions of beauty. Your photos are stunning as usual.
My soul and my waistline unfortunately! π And I bet you are right about the winters. I’ve seen photos of all the snow, beautiful but nippy!
Many people tend to think, that the healthy and fresh, easy peasy landscape automatically implicates nice and friendly people and society. I hope you only met such good people! The truth is, that swiss can sometimes be blockheaded (too much stone around limits the open mind? π
and many of them do not really like foreigners. Of course one cannot paint everybody with the same brush… but it’s easy to forget, that switzerland has its own Problems – as every other country.
Nevertheless it has of course some stunningly beautiful landscapes, as your photographs prove! π
“Too much stone limits the open mind?” That is funny, and of course you’re right, no place or people are perfect, but Switzerland is pretty close! π
I’m born in Hamburg, where the landscape is so flat, that you can see somebody in the morning, who will visit you for lunch π
People there in the north are teasing the bavarians with this word of the stone limited minds… π
Enjoy your fantastic trip!
Oh that is hilarious, “where the landscape is so flat, that you can see somebody in the morning, who will visit you for lunch!” You’re a flatlander eh? I was born by the beach in a snooty place, and live in the country at The Holler. Life takes us far afield! Cheers to you~
I say:”Change is the spice of life.” In the flatlands I learned to look far and now I live between the mountains, love them too, but look behind them, when they disturb me. Seems clearly to me, as if you love your actual home too. You have the ability to look at the good things – that’s really essential. Cheers!
Cheers back to you!
Beautiful pictures! How cute ..!
They are so darn cute!!! Thanks so much & cheers to you~
What a lucky ducky you are! (ducks are safe. they can swim… π
And there are lots of duckies here too. They sleep on people’s sailboats!
The little birds are so cute. π We may visit Switzerland some day also.
I hope you do, you are sure to love it!
The natural beauty of a region and the art it inspires gives a glimpse of the creativity that is possible despite human worries. Looking at your pictures I thought about the culture inspired by this environment. Your photos and what you say about them in captions really communicate, Cindy!
“The natural beauty of a region and the art it inspires gives a glimpse of the creativity that is possible despite human worries.”
This is such a perceptive thought and I very much agree with you. It is not the absence of worry, but the presence of beauty that can transcend our worries at least for awhile, that can make us happy. Beauty is everywhere! We just need to see it.
Thank you Patty for your insightful comment.
Beautiful scenes Cindy, the birds though are priceless!
They truly are! <3
that cute π
Yep! Cute is good. We need cute! <3
Gorgeous photos. Thank you for taking me along on your adventures! ~Lori
You are a wonderful traveling companion!
What a beautiful country! You captured it well.
Thank you my friend and hope all is well with you!
Train is the best way to go up to Alpine beauty! I get to see the stunning views and beautiful photos right here π Thank you so much, Cindy!
Laughing! I hear you, the vistas from the comforts of home is hard to beat. Cheers to you Amy.
Your post made me think of that famous quote by Gandhi: “βThe greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.β The way Switzerland goes out of its way to help the birds and even the street cats says a lot about its people. A lovely place that you’ve captured in your lovely photos, Cindy.
Yes I think of this quote all the time, especially as I live in a rural area and I see farm animals neglected and abused which has really opened my eyes in a way they hadn’t been before. I agree with you and Ghandi and I do believe it says a great deal about a person when they make the effort to feed the birds everyday. Mary Poppins was right! π
Cindy, these little birds are really fat and so cute. Thank you for sharing all these beautiful images from Switzerland. Hugs! Veraiconica
Hugz and gratitude back to you Veraiconia! <3
What a dreamlike existence! A sunny day in the mountains. The shot of the birds is really something special, cuteness overload! Cheers, Cindy!
So great to hear from you Halim! It is hard to keep up with my friends while traveling and I miss this. Cuteness overload is good for us! We need it~
We even got a bit of your sense of humor in this post.
Humor is essential to sanity! So happy you noticed~
Liebe Cindy einen schΓΆnen Abend wΓΌnsche ich dir und sei ganz lieb gegrΓΌΓt Klaus
Vielen, vielen Danke Klaus fΓΌr die sehr freundlichen Worte ! Ich wΓΌnsche ihnen einen wunderbaren Tag ! <3
There seems to be paradise everywhere you travel! Oh, Cindy… the little birds opening shot is gorgeous! Thank you!
Hang in there Resa, My fingers are double crossed. I see Stevie in your shawl. Please let me know the results and peace be with you.
<3 It was very therapeutic, Zen almost while I was making it!
Thank you for your support, Cindy!
You know you have it and don’t hesitate to send me an email if I can be of any use……
I’m enjoying your trip so very much. Thank you for this vicarious delight. π
You are awesome to have along! <3
Love that stunning first shot!
So glad you do!
There is so much beauty in the world, and you capture it so well!
We need to focus on the beauty! It is everywhere~
tweet, tweet! cheers to you π
Rockin Robin! π
These are beautiful photo’s. The water in the last one is amazing with its reflection.
Thank you! I was surprised because I was shooting through the train window, they aren’t as sharp as they would be if I wasn’t in a moving train, but the beauty sort of trumps everything. This lake is at the over pass on top of the Alps.
Plump birds and happy people. Sounds like paradise to me! Enjoy!
What more could one want? π
They are indeed blessed to be so healthy and have such a beautiful country to exercise in. Beautiful shots and the birds and animals add to the charm.
It is charm personified! Cheers back to you~
Brilliant pictures Cindy.
xxx Huge Hugs xxx
Awwwww, thanks so much!
Yum. All I can think about is Swiss cheese now…
Me too and I just ate!!! lol~
Those birds are adorable. I loved reading that the care and feeding of the birds and strays is so important to the Swiss. I wish that were true everywhere.
Gorgeous photos, of a fantastic country.
Yes, to see a homeless cat and not feel sorry for it was quite an wonderful anomaly!
The birds are such a beautiful caramel colour. (Yum – I didn’t say that really) π
Laughing! You DID! It was just because subconsciously you were thinking of rosti with Swiss cheese~
Oh the projection π
Oh no. I was a shrink for 27 years, this is perfectly normal! Now if you actually were to eat the birds, that would be a different matter, but you can think anything you want…… Promise. You can see why I retired. π
Thanks for the images and commentary on Switzerland, Cindy. I do admire your photographic talents. For example, the image of the moving cyclists taken from a moving train. Excellent work!
Oh thanks so much for noticing that Russel! It was a challenge taking photos through the windows while moving so I was pleased that some worked out!
Now those are little plumb birds.
What a beautiful place to be.
I think the birds agree with you! π
Reblogged this on Spirit In Action and commented:
Thank you Cindy!
Awwww, thank you my friend! <3 <3
The birds are so adorable. All the photographs are lovely but the birds are sweet and beautiful.
They are indeed and I am so glad you like them! <3
Love the plumb birds in the row shot! They are so cute. The place is so attractive. I would like to see picture of Rosti with Swiss cheese π
Only for you my good friend. I can’t post a photo of rosti here because I don’t have the plug in, but I will add the Rosti to the post just for you! Check back soon ! <3
Great, Cindy! Thanks much for sharing! π
Thank you for appreciating!
π Still in Switzerland? Havd safe trips!
π
What a scrappy lot! Great shot.
Merci beaucoup~
These are beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you more for appreciating them!
I love Switzerland. Have visited a few times. Your pics bring it all back to me. Thanks, S x
So glad I triggered some happy memories to you! Cheers to you and thanks~
Einen schΓΆnen Mittwoch wΓΌnsche ich dir ganz tolle Bilder und die Landschaft wunderschΓΆn.Liebe GrΓΌΓe und Freundschaft.Gislinde
Bitte haben Sie einen wundervollen Tag Gislinde und vielen Dank! <3
ich danke fΓΌr deinen Besuch, guten Tag fΓΌr dich, Klaus
Vielen Dank, dass Sie zu meinem Freund und hat einen groΓen Tag !
These are really beautiful. Love the little birds! I’ve only ever visited in winter to ski but it looks incredible with the green landscape.
I have never been to Switzerland in the winter, must be beautiful, but Zermatt would be crowded I imagine. Cheers to you and thanks too~
Oh my, those birds really look well-fed! On another note, I think I’d prefer the train to the bicycle myself π Enjoy all the great food and sights!
The lucky Swiss and lucky you!
Thank you my friend and hope all is well with you! <3
Magnificient photos, makes me want to make a trip to the mountains π
Hope you do! The mountains are good for the mind and body! Cheers and gratitude~
Beautiful pictures .. Bravo…
Merci beaucoup and cheers to you too!
Better to watch everything from comfort of your train seat rather than peddle up the mountainside. π
Very pretty scenes.
I’m with you on this one 100%! π
a little bit of everything π cool
So glad you enjoyed and cheers to you too!
Your first photo (of the three birds) is one of my all time favorites of yours.
Awwwww, very glad and thanks so much!
Your photos remind me – whilst in Borneo a convoy of Swiss cyclists stayed over at our hotel for a couple of nights. Only the bicycle crazy Swiss would choose to cycle around a tropical country!
Laughing, we drove over the Alps a few years ago. It is serious drive and we did it on a super sunny day. There were literally many hundreds of Swiss biking over the pass, some sections are one way. My poor husband had to do the drive, dodging these bicyclists all the way up and down. It was pretty harrowing for us. Can you imagine for them? π
He he! The Swiss are a tough people for sure!
Awesome collection … and the distance shot of the village is my fav.
So glad! Shot through the window of a moving train so not perfect, but so beautifully Swiss! Thanks much~
I can see how that caught your eye from the train.Then again, what tourist wouldn’t be looking out the window at the continuous reel of beauty.
Exactly! Have a wonderful day~
So sweet!
Your country is very beautiful and unique than other European countries!
Thank you! It is so beautiful, I wish I lived here! I am just visiting. So happy you like Switzerland~
Really enjoying your travels.
I love having you along!
I’d pay all my money to visit such a place! So very beautiful π
Ahhhhh, how nice! And the good thing is, you don’t have to pay all your money. There are inexpensive ways to travel and see the world!
I hope so! My bucket list of places to visit is infinite, I should start working on that. π
Good choice, you will be glad you did! π
I am so happy to see that you enjoy Switzerland!
I LOVE Switzerland! π
Switzerland is so much for the birds, Cuz, and it’s so cheesy too. π The mountains are beautiful.
Laughing! Just read your recent story. Beautiful Paul~
You’d better get on your bike Cindy!!!!!
No way!!! I just hike, lots! No biking up the alps for me! π
Cindy – You are making me homesick for one of not only the most beautiful but friendliest countries in the world. Your photos are stunning my friend.
Thank you for saying that! The Swiss and Switzerland are wonderful!
Oh my… So jealous, especially after I saw the food! Glad you’re enjoying yourself out there Cindy! Looking forward to more pictures.
Laughing……you are my kinda girl! The food is a big factor for me too. Thank goodness we are hiking many miles each day so I don’t gain any weight. The Swiss unlike many other countries, put scales in the guest bathrooms so I can monitor my weight. It’s doing great so far despite the rosti! π
Beautiful photographs, I particularly love the three little birds.
They are pretty compelling aren’t they . Sweet little curious guys~
beste GrΓΌΓe und schΓΆnes Wochenende, Klaus
Ich bin froh, dass du wie auf den Fotos! Vielen Dank und genieΓen Sie Ihr Wochenende!
danke
Beautiful images, Cindy. I’d also be on the train, although I cycling would be more beneficial. The rosti looks scrumptious. π
I would not make it up the Alps! I would have a complication and need medivac or something, so no way am I trying it. Hiking works for me! π
Lovely images from the beautiful Alps! And the food…needs lots of cycling afterwards π
Laughing…….Can you imagine getting on that bike and pedaling up the Alps after eating a plate of Rosti???????
I was thinking downhill π
Amazing pictures, Cindy. What a beautiful world π Pawkisses for a Happy Weekend π <3
Back to you my friend and thank yous too~
I love birds but these cute, adorable ‘chubby’ ones are the sweetest! Cindy, I am amazed at the beauty in the shoppes, too.
Just lovely isn’t it! Quite a magical place. Thanks so much for your kind appreciation my friend~
My eye’s are overflowing with the gorgeous of this land. Love the chub-chub birdies and all the green vista’s. I’d live here in a heartbeat.
We could be neighbors because I would too! If………
I didn’t have a home, children, etc…..So happy you enjoyed as I do and thanks too~
Excellent photo story again, Cindy! Great observations.
So appreciative of your support my friend!
I would be powerless over that rosti too! I wonder if that’s what making those adorable little birds so plump!! π
Definitely, you found the answer! No one can finish the whole pan…..so the birdies are getting it! π
Alpine beauty!!!… It has blown me away. Beautiful Cindy.
Happy week ahead to you <3
Aquileana π
So happy you enjoyed my friend and thank you for you wonderful comment! Cheers back to your my friend! <3
You get some beautiful pictures Cindy – love the birds and the cat and Schnauzer (we use to have one of those). Also the stark contrast between the bright flowers and the dull buildings π
Awwww, thanks so much for the very kind appreciation and cheers back to you!
You said it, nothing like the Swiss Alps ~ how lucky can they be. Such beauty ~ the busy travel schedule makes for a nice appetite too, so much better to enjoy the food! Such wonderful photos!
Thank goodness we hike a lot or that Rosti would be adding the pounds!!! π
Love your beautiful photography! Each image tells a story, each creature has a character:)
Awwwww, that is such a lovely comment! Merci beaucoup!
So good to see the birds cared for like that. They certainly look plump and happy those birds in your photo.
They do don’t they!! Lucky little birdies!
I love the idea of the wild bird shops, how nice and the pictures of the mountain scenery stir wonderful emotions.
Cheers Cindy π
Awww, I am so glad and yes the wild bird some was so lovely! Cheers to you James and thank you too~
Your photography is simply amazing! (as usual!) …that food made me hungry!
I am so pleased you like the photos and so sorry I made you hungry!!! π
I am so enjoying this trip with you. Maybe next time I can squeeze in – in a suitcase. π
Deal! You are wonderful to have along! <3
Cindy, I love the Alps. I love the whole drive around Austria, Switzerland, Germany and France! Wish I was there with you. Excellent pictures my friend!
I loved the drive too which we did a few years ago, this time we left the driving to the train and it was even more relaxing. You are with me in spirit and I love having you along my friend. Be well~ <3 <3
Aww, you are such a beautiful soul Cindy. Thanks for letting me share a ride with you through your camera lens. Be safe, enjoy. Love, sheri
Visa versa 2 U X 2 Sheri! <3
I hope you have a good time there. I did bike once across the Alps and switzerland in 2006. =)
kc
You are a brave and very fit person! I bet it was wonderful~
Thanks Cinty, it was a lone journey to test my endurance, and a wonderful journey =).
Incredible and wonderful!! <3
I just love this!
Awww, makes me so glad I posted it!
Cute!!!! π Thank You for following my blog Cindy !!! π Cynthia
You are welcome.