H is for... Helvetica, and Heights

H is for... Helvetica.

Helvetica, which means Swiss in Latin, is a typeface designed in 1957. Then there's the Confoederatio Helvetica, the Latin name for Switzerland. And then there's Helvetia, the female national personification of the country:

Helvetia in the Jardin d'anglais
From Wikipedia: "The allegory is typically pictured in a flowing gown, with a spear and a shield emblazoned with the Swiss flag, and commonly with braided hair, commonly with a wreath as a symbol of confederation.
The name is a derivation of the ethnonym Helvetii, the name of the Gaulish tribe inhabiting the Swiss Plateau prior to the Roman conquest."

His also for heights!


We took a drive up to St Cergue, on the foothills of the Jura mountains. The temperature dropped five degrees Celsius on the way up!


If we'd gone a little higher, we would have seen snow -- but I had enough of that back in Montreal!

From there we drove down toward the village of Gland, which is near Michael Schumacher's estate and ranch, and where apparently Phil Collins has a house. It's also near the UEFA headquarters.

In the afternoon we stopped by a bakery that had some inspirational sweets:

Comments

Linda G. said…
Yum! Those Swiss treats look wonderful.

One of my favorite memories about Switzerland is a visit to an ice cave in Grindelwald. Cold, but so beautiful!
Unknown said…
Nice pick of Helvetica. Such a classic font in our culture. And yummy, those sweets look tasty :)
Misha Gerrick said…
Always wondered where the name Helvetica came from. :-)
Nas said…
Lovely post, Deniz! I'm following your photos on FB and enjoying living though you!
Glad you're getting out and exploring. Now I know the origins of Helvetica.
Anonymous said…
Is that a little bit of Swiss chocolate I see? Thanks for the history on this font. I had no idea, honestly! Happy A to Z posting!
klahanie said…
Hi human, Deniz,

Your Swiss adventure continues and I love the way you add the fascinating extras. I wonder if Phil Collins' former wife still lives in Vancouver.

Of course, my human, coming from Vancouver, could understand why you might be a bit tired of snow from your Montreal days :)

Pawsitive wishes,

Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar!
Hi Deniz .. I always remember Helvetia from my stamp collecting days ..

Well you're doing your exploring - maybe not far .. but how fun - and that bakery does look good ..

Cheers Hilary
shelly said…
Sounds like a sweet time.
Trisha said…
I quite love the Helvetica font - the light one is one I've been addicted to in recent times.
Deniz Bevan said…
Thanks everyone! It's fun to be in a completely new-to-me place.

Ooh, an ice cave sounds intriguing, Linda!