Tuesday, January 13, 2015

The road less travelled: A Walk Along the Swiss Border

 

 

 

 

   

A Walk Along the Swiss Border

 

In a few weeks, Switzerland will vote on a proposal to dramatically restrict immigration. A group called Ecopop has gathered enough signatures to hold a referendum that proposes to limit immigration to 0.2 percent of the resident population. The new limit would be 75 percent lower than current levels, about 16,000 immigrants per year. Reuters photographer Denis Balibouse took the occasion to make a photo survey of the border regions Switzerland shares with France, Italy, Germany, and Austria.

Roped parties of climbers walk on a glacier marking the border with Switzerland (left) and Italy on the way to the summit of the Breithorn at 4,164 meters (13,661 feet) in the Alpine resort of Zermatt on August 4, 2014. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse)

   

The road less travelled:

  • Andy Lee has shot routes running through the Snaelfellsnes Peninsula in Iceland, and the Lake District in England
  • One image also features The Dark Hedges – a tree-lined road in Northern Ireland used in hit series Game of Thrones
  • His latest series of work, which also includes images of Pembrokeshire in Wales,  is simply titled: ‘Roads’
  • Talking about the inspiration for his work, Lee says: ‘Getting lost is half the fun’

A photographer has captured a series of haunting images showing some of the world’s most breath-taking roads.

Andy Lee has shot routes running through areas such as the Snaelfellsnes Peninsula in Iceland, the Lake District in England and the Hebrides in Scotland.

One image also features The Dark Hedges – a tree-lined road in Northern Ireland that was famously used as a filming location in the hit drama series, Game of Thrones.

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The Dark Hedges, a tree-lined road in Northern Ireland, was famously used as a filming location in the hit drama series, Game of Thrones

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The Dark Hedges, a tree-lined road in Northern Ireland, was famously used as a filming location in the hit drama series, Game of Thrones

Photographer Andy Lee has captured a series of haunting images showing some of the world’s most breath-taking roads, including the Snaelfellsnes Peninsula in Iceland

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Photographer Andy Lee has captured a series of haunting images showing some of the world’s most breath-taking roads, including the Snaelfellsnes Peninsula in Iceland

The avenue of beech trees, which was used as the location for the King's Road in the HBO series, was planted by the Stuart family in the eighteenth century.

It was intended as a compelling landscape feature to impress visitors as they approached the entrance to their Georgian mansion, Gracehill House.

Two centuries later, the trees have become one of the most photographed natural phenomena in Northern Ireland.

Andy Lee photographed a series of routes across Iceland. This haunting black and white image is simply titled: Road to the South, Iceland

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Andy Lee photographed a series of routes across Iceland. This haunting black and white image is simply titled: Road to the South, Iceland

Welsh-born Mr Lee works as a film maker, photographer and painter. His latest series of work includes an image of Isle of Skye in Scotland

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Welsh-born Mr Lee works as a film maker, photographer and painter. His latest series of work includes an image of Isle of Skye in Scotland

The 100km-long Snaefellsnes Peninsula features fjords, volcanic peaks and dramatic sea cliffs.

The area is crowned by the glistening ice cap Snæfellsjökull, and was immortalised in Jules Verne’s fantasy tale, Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

Welsh-born Mr Lee works as a film maker, photographer and painter.

His latest series of work, which also includes images of Pembrokeshire in Wales and the Isle of Skye in Scotland, is simply titled: ‘Roads’.

Talking about the inspiration for his work, Lee says: ‘Getting lost is half the fun’. This shot was captured in West Iceland

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Talking about the inspiration for his work, Lee says: ‘Getting lost is half the fun’. This shot was captured in West Iceland

Photographer Andy Lee started taking pictures seriously around ten years ago when he was filming a documentary for a charity in Ethiopia

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Photographer Andy Lee started taking pictures seriously around ten years ago when he was filming a documentary for a charity in Ethiopia

Talking about the inspiration for his work, Lee says: ‘Getting lost is half the fun’.

He continues by quoting a line from Jack Kerouac’s famous novel, On the Road, saying: ‘There was nowhere to go but everywhere'.

He adds: ‘I've been taking pictures most of my life, but started it a little more obsessively about ten years ago when I was filming a documentary for a charity in Ethiopia.

Mr Lee's images are accompanied by a quote from Jack Kerouac’s famous novel, On the Road: ‘There was nowhere to go but everywhere'

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Mr Lee's images are accompanied by a quote from Jack Kerouac’s famous novel, On the Road: ‘There was nowhere to go but everywhere'

 

 

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A Swiss aircraft is seen at Cointrin airport on the border with France (front) and Switzerland in Ferney Voltaire near Geneva on April 28, 2014. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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A marker stands at the Dreisprachenspitze (Three Languages Peak) in front of the road to the Stelvio Pass at the border between Italy (R) and Switzerland in Tschierv May 13, 2014. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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The Saut du Doubs waterfall, on the border between Switzerland (L) and France in Villers-le-Lac April 23, 2014.(Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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Military enthusiasts dressed as World War I soldiers (L-R French, Swiss and German) shake hands above a marker during a re-enactment in Le Largin near Bonfol in the Jura July 20, 2014. Le Largin, where Germany, France and Switzerland met in 1914, was the kilometer zero mark of the Western Front during WWI. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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A tractor drives past WWII military defenses, known as "toblerone", at the border between Liechtenstein (behind) and Switzerland in Flaesch on May 14, 2014. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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A replica of a Diatryma stands in the dinosaur themed Prehisto Parc at the border with France (front) and Switzerland in Reclere on April 24, 2014. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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A marker stands on a ridge dividing Switzerland (L) and Italy (R) at the Monte Generoso near Mendrisio May 11, 2014.(Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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A sign marks the border between France (back) and Switzerland (front) at the disused Tonkin railway track in Saint-Gingolph on April 22, 2014. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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Swiss Customs officers walk back to their vehicle after checking a path on the border between Italy and Switzerland in Arzo May 12, 2014. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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Stalagmites grow in a cave on the border with France (behind) and Switzerland (front) in Reclere on April 24, 2014.(Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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Luta Menduh, captain with the Lake Geneva General Navigation Company (CGN), steers his ship on Lake Leman on the border between Switzerland and France near Lausanne on May 8, 2014. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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A sign in front of the Punt dal Gall dam marks the border between Italy and Switzerland in Zernez on May 13, 2014.(Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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A sign on the Punt dal Gall dam marks the border between Italy and Switzerland in Zernez on May 13, 2014.(Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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Three countries corner on the Rhein river where the borders between France (L), Switzerland (sculpture) and Germany meet in Basel on April 30, 2014. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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A lizard rests on a marker at the border between Italy (back) and Switzerland (front) at Santa Margerita near Stabio on May 12, 2014.(Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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Roped parties of climbers walk on a glacier marking the border between Switzerland (right) and Italy on the way to the summit of the Breithorn in the Alpine resort of Zermatt on August 4, 2014. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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A sign on the Punt dal Gall dam marking the border between Italy and Switzerland in Zernez on May 13, 2014.(Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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A fleur-de-lis coat of arms and the Franche Comte Lion adorn a marker, dating from 1649, on the France (front) to Switzerland (back) border in the Marguerites Forest near Lajoux in the Vallee de Joux on April 9, 2014. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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The route of the border is engraved on the top of a marker on a ridge dividing Switzerland (L) and Italy (R) at the Monte Generoso near Mendrisio on May 11, 2014. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse) #

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Climbers leave the summit of Breithorn at 4,164 meters (13,661 feet) on the ridge marking the border with Switzerland (left) and Italy in the Alpine resort of Zermatt on August 4, 2014.

   

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