The heatwave in Geneva is severe. The place is going crazy! I head for my favourite mountain destination. The little village of  La Fouly is high in the Swiss alps. It is tranquil and blissfully cool.

My hike takes me past the discrete chapel that hides among pine trees. It is unassuming. From the outside, I see neither overpowering crucifixes nor demur madonnas.

What catches my eye is an exquisite little bronze relief by the door. A bearded man kneels. His hands are clasped. He has a rosary around his wrists. I am not sure if he is in prayer or contemplation. The work resonates with the chapel’s simplicity. This is J.J. Tornay’s representation of the ascetic recluse Nicolas de Flüe.

If you find yourself in La Fouly, (and even if your spiritual beliefs, like mine, idle in neutral) take a stroll by the chapel and stop for a minute before Tornay’s little masterpiece. It exudes peace and quiet.