Twice a month on alternate Tuesdays I am allowed to work from home. Because the work I do for my employer is stored on servers that the employees access through a client application called Citrix and as the files and the applications we use for our work are available from any location provided that we have access to the Internet, there is no real need for most of us to be working from the office all the time (in fact, many of my colleagues have to travel as part of their duties, which is probably why this system was chosen). As a colleague of mine and myself contributed to lowering costs at our firm quite substantially during 2012 and as we both live some distance away from the office, we were rewarded with the possibility of working from home on Wednesdays (for my colleague) and on Thursdays (for me) as well as on alternate Tuesdays (i.e. in turns).
One of my two pairs of winter running shoes, Adidas CLIMAPROOF, shot before and after my run. I like the shoes’ good grip and the fact that they keep my feet dry unless I run deep in the snow without any gaiters.
What I like about going to bois de Sauvabelin for a run is that I no longer have to cross any roads as a pedestrian bridge was recently put across rue du Vallon as part of the rearrangement of Place de la Sallaz. I think this is a definite plus.
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The first part of the wood, approximately one fourth up the hill.
Whilst going to the look-out point at Signal de Sauvabelin (which we call a belvédère in French), I came across the only runner I would see on my run yesterday (unlike the last time I ran at Sauvabelin, which was on 11 December).
The view from this spot is simply … gorgeous. Please believe me that the pictures (click to enlarge) offer only a pale reflection of the beauty of the place. Note that a man wearing a suit and a tie was resting on a bench in front of the small chapel, enjoying the view and probably relaxing before going back to work.
Lausanne’s own leaning tower … tour de Sauvabelin, a long wooden tower with a spiral stairway which leads not to heaven, but to a spot offering a really sweeping view of the whole of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva, for the Anglos). When I used to live closer to the centre of Lausanne, I would run to Sauvabelin, up and down this tower and then along the very same course through the woods I followed yesterday.
The articial pond which was excavated in the nineteenth century for the Lausannois/es to come and enjoy on Sundays (people would still work on Saturdays in those days). It seemed frozen but, of course, it is strictly forbidden to step onto the ice in winter. Note that there is a restaurant, which was built in 1891 and is thus a historic building in its own respect (Heimat style). The menagerie is on the other side of the pond, not far from the restaurant.
Passing by the menagerie by the pond at Sauvabelin, not long before the path starts to go downhill.
The course is hilly, which makes for a nice run with a bit of a challenge to it. The outskirts of the city of Lausanne, the lake and the mountains were visible through the trees, almost totally bare on this sunny winter day.
Almost back to where I started. From this side, the tower does not seem to be leaning as much as it does when we see it coming from Signal de Sauvabelin.
Almost the last flat stretch before reaching the huge wooden hall (also built in the nineteenth century) and then starting my ‘descent’ towards La Sallaz. The bright sunshine really made it a really enjoyable run and I was glad that I was able to experience such a pleasant run thanks to this ‘home office’ agreement with my employer.
Other entries on running in winter near Lausanne
- Some of the greatest pleasures in life are free – snow, water and ice (2015)
- Mauvernay on a Sunday afternoon in winter
- Me faire super plaisir, courir de Vennes à Mauvernay lorsqu’il y a suffisamment de la neige
Other entry on running to a lookout point near Lausanne
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