stroms en suisse

a new name

2010-03-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

This will be the last post on Stroms en Suisse. But don't worry, pics and updates are just moving to a new blog location. Derek and I started Stroms en Suisse to blog together when we we getting ready for the big move last summer, but seeing as how I have completely taken over (besides one or two early posts) I decided to merge this blog with my old blog.

Starting now, I will be posting on fieldfareflock.blogspot.com and I hope you'll follow me.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to update me on your reading list.

Yea, Science!

2010-03-30T00:43:00.000-07:00

A big day for physics, CERN made it's first 7 TEV collisions. (You'll have to ask Derek if you want more information as that's about the best I can offer). I do know that it has been a long time coming- its taken careers worth of planning and fixing, the world's largest collaborative efforts, lots of hard work, waiting, and tons and tons of coffee. And no, no giant black hole swallowed the earth as far as I can tell. Congratulations to all those physicists out there! Now when are you getting up to 14 TEV?

CERN offered a live web cast of the days events- a slight delay in the AM that was quickly resolved and interviews from the control rooms. I have to admit, I got sucked in and spent the better part of the day glued to the webcast. Here are some screen capture shots I made from the broadcast of the first collisions:

If you'd like to read more, here is the official CERN press release, a good place to start.

Left: Atlas control center at first collisions. Right: CMS detector (the one Derek works on).

Above: First collisions recorded by CMS detector. Photograph: Marzena Lapka, Date: 30 Mar 2010

Première Américaine

2010-03-29T00:20:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I went exploring some of the trails around the nearby horse farm and took a walk down by the river and across the border into the Swiss vineyards. A muddy trip because of the recent rains, but a sunny day to be out. I stopped to read on a stone wall on a quiet road and had a friendly conversation with a French woman out walking her dog. This conversation was almost entirely in French! She was nice enough to speak slowly and repeat things when necessary. I was so excited to be able to answer her questions and talk about the snow in the mountains and hiking and the greening vineyards. Turned out that her English language skills were quite good (despite her modesty), but we stuck with French even after I found this out. And then she said that I was the first American she'd ever met. I thought this was pretty cool.

Then I walked to the grocery store and then home to make dinner. Personal pots of veggie yum in 3, 2, 1...

Starless Night

2010-03-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

End of the season

2010-03-27T04:30:00.000-07:00

We officially survived our first ski season without major injuries! Today was (presumably) our last ski outing until next winter. Despite the 60 degree warm sunshiny weather we've enjoyed last week, we got to end on 6 inches of fresh, ungroomed powder. Derek and I joined friends from home and here for a trip to Ovrannaz in Switzerland to repeat the ski/soak experience. Nothing beats relaxing in the natural spring water after a day on the slopes.

Okay, it's been fun skis, but I'm ready to trade you in for some hiking boots.

It's raining sideways, blech

2010-03-26T03:12:00.000-07:00

Today I am planted on this side of the window since it is raining sideways (why does the rain look like snow now?). A good day to tidy up, catch up on blog reads, and start planning our April trip to Paris. What should we do over a long weekend? Jazz clubs, marketing, garden wandering, people watching, maybe the Rodin museum, a quick spin past the Eiffel Tower, a stroll through Montmartre, cafe at Les Deux Magots, Derek hasn't been to Notre Dame...hopefully it will be a nice weekend since mostly I want to be outside, watching people and photographing. I better get to researching, listing, and mapping- some of my favorite things. April in Paris- What have you done to my heart?

Classe de français

2010-03-25T02:48:00.000-07:00

Today was our last day of French class (level 1). Now we can say some things in French, write stories using different verb tenses, know the gender of some nouns, and tell what we did over the weekend. The class met 3 days each week for 2 - 2.5 hours. The professor was amazing- otherwise I don't think we would have survived, had fun, and looked forward to class. We have a break until the end of April, and then will hopefully continue with the same student/teacher combo, fingers crossed.

Plainpalais on a sunny day

2010-03-24T03:07:00.000-07:00

This week has been spring (hence the no-time to blog since the sun is shining and I am outside). This morning Honey and I met in Geneva for the Plainpalais market (every Wed and Sat). This is a huge flea market on the outskirts of the old city proper- where the sick and dead were brought to keep disease from spreading within the city- yum. It's been since this fall since I've gotten to the market, much more enjoyable on a warm sunny day than in the winter rain. We arrived at the market fairly early (about 10) and only made it about halfway around before I had to leave to catch the tram back to CERN for French leçons. The market is crowded with treasures, boxes of old records, watch parts, instruments, furniture, doll heads, books, jewelry, kitchen goods, kitsch and etc. Endless items to gawk at and desire.

Browsing some glass wares and a hairy hoofed stool.

Yes please. I'd love to get one of these crank record players...maybe some day.

My find of the day: Christian Dior lunettes de soleil vintage! So bring on the sunshine.

*Tired feet today. Bike ride to CERN, bus, tram, walk. Walk, tram, bus. Walk (I made a trip to Meyrin after class to pick up a giant chocolate bunny). Walk. Bike ride home. = 16 km on bike + 15 km walk. A lovely day :)

28 hours later

2010-03-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

Despite somewhat threatening skies, Derek and I decided to take a bike ride out to Ferney-Voltaire to enjoy the huge market and meet up with some friends yesterday. It was a nice bike ride, we stayed dry, bought some market goodies, had fabulous truffle ravioli, some olives, blackberries, wine, and chatting. Then we played this game:

When the game ended, we all noticed that at some point it had gotten dark outside. Soooo....dinner, a movie, rain, darker outside, another movie and a slumber party to be followed by a bike back to Thoiry this morning. (Actually only 23.5 hours but I was sticking with the whole zombie theme). For more about our Ferny-Zombie day see Honey's blog.

'stirringofbirds between my arms'

2010-03-20T03:14:00.000-07:00

i have found what you are like
the rain,

      (Who feathers frightened fields
with the superior dust-of-sleep. wields

easily the pale club of the wind
and swirled justly souls of flower strike

the air in utterable coolness

deeds of green thrilling light
                           with thinned

newfragile yellows

                lurch and.press

-in the woods
             which
                   stutter
                         and

                            sing

And the coolness of your smile is
stirringofbirds between my arms;but
i should rather than anything
have(almost when hugeness will shut
quietly)almost,
              your kiss

-e.e. cummings

Happy first day of SPRING!

écureuil roux

2010-03-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I was sitting on a bench in the middle of a field finishing a book. I heard a rustling at my feet and looked down and found the cutest little red squirrel in pounce mode- somewhat like the photo on the right. See his tufty ears. We looked at each other and he scurried off. By the time I dug my camera out of my bag, he was far enough away that I only got this one shot of his blurry red tail. I wanted to put him in my pocket and take him home, but I don''t think red squirrels like to go in my pocket. (Left photo from wikipedia.)

A crêpe-y day

2010-03-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

My tummy is sooooo happy right now. This vegan crêpe recipe is amazing. I made them this morning with black and red currants. There would have been enough for tomorrow, but I ate the rest for second breakfast. They were that good. I put a bit of a vegan cocoa spread in the later batch and also ate one plain and they are just perfect plain too! Okay, so make these right now, or sometime you have 5 minutes to mix up the batter, but then refridgerate it overnight so that they are easier to flip- your tummy will thank you even if you're not a vegan.

Scrumdillyumptious Vegan Crêpes:

Ingredients

- 1/2 cup soy milk (vanilla flavor is good)

- 1/2 cup water

- 1/4 cup melted soy margarine

- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

- 2 tablespoons maple syrup

- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, blend soy milk, water, 1/4 cup melted margarine, sugar, syrup, flour, and salt. Cover and chill the mixture for 2 hours (or better- overnight so you don't have to wait 2 hours for your crepes in the morning).

2. Lightly grease a skillet with some soy margarine. Heat the skillet until hot. Pour enough batter into the skillet to thinly cover skillet's bottom. Cook until golden, flip and cook on opposite side.

3. Add some berries, chocolate, whatever and roll or fold.

Thank you recipe from allrecipes.com.

Bon Ap!

Today was the first really pleasant-be-outside-and-not-be-cold day. Bright sunshine, buds, birds, and everyone coming out of hibernation. I also got to pull some weeds, get my hands in the dirt, and dream about green things growing. Can I declare an end to winter? I'm hopeful, but we'll see...

Hello yellow

2010-03-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

Last week after my third trip to the post office to retrieve my package, I finally made it home with the box containing this adorable yellow dress. The package arrived the last week of February, but was still on the truck when I took my delivery slip to la poste. We left for Italy the next day, so I had to wait an entire week to try again. Finally home with my package, I tore in and found star-shaped sprinkles- which prompted me to make myself a week-after birthday cake with sprinkles on top, crocheted slippers for both Derek and I, and a neatly wrapped package with the bow perfectly in-tact. In that box was the yellow dress. I felt very special and spoiled- merci beaucoup!

Getting warmer

2010-03-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

Lovely roses.

Market goodies.

A Sunday stroll sans full winter wear.

Watching some birdies.

Saturday in the city

2010-03-13T00:35:00.000-08:00

Derek and I spent today wandering around Geneva- something we haven't done since the fall. Usually Saturday is ski day, but today we enjoyed the balmy (39 degree) sunshine and strolled through the Botanic gardens and along the lake. Things are starting to be green, there were lots of birds singing, a few early bloomers popping through the soil, sailboats on the lake, and a clear blue sky. Spring, I am ready for you!

I couldn't resist climbing this giant stump and striking a few poses.

Neither of us knew that the Botanic garden also had a small zoo with some goat, deer, sheep, flamingos, and various water foul. And of course plenty of peacocks.

A few signs of spring: cute little fuzzy goat and yellowness! Despite the flowers and budding trees and baby animals, winter still has a hold on the lakefront. Last week we had some strong storms and lots of wind. The waves from the lake broke onto the walkways, park benches and trees and froze there.(Actual waves). A few areas along the lake looked like ice castles in a forgotten frozen city. It was really cool- pun! Check out this crazy ice world:

Making our way back toward the center, we stopped for a mid-afternoon "brunch" at a creperie that I have been wanting to try since they make crepes sans lait and glutton free (still egg though). We need a good name for our 3:30 meals, any suggestions? It was nice to warm up in this tiny little cafe and have both savory and sweet crepes.

Blue bag

2010-03-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I crocheted this little cotton produce bag using a pattern by my friend Cassie back in Illinois. You can make one yourself using the pattern on her blog. The blue bag brought back beer to go with our calzones tonight- Edelweiss beer with an Alpine pattern on the bottles- I buy it because it's pretty.

I often see the lady in the red coat on the way to the grocery store. Today her dog started sniffing my bag and she told him not to drink my beer (and I understood it since these are some French words I've learned in class). We also remarked on the bit of sunshine and hoping it continues- we can almost have a simple conversation (almost).

I made clazones for dinner, mozzarella for Derek and tofu for me.

Spare-Ohs

2010-03-11T13:36:00.000-08:00

Wish Andrew Bird could walk around Thoiry with me. I love whistling.

Encore une fois

2010-03-05T06:45:00.000-08:00

The week went too quickly. I'm just getting pretty comfortable on just about any of the slopes, and having lots of fun. But today was our last full day of skiing before we return to Thoiry tomorrow. Luckily the sun was shining, but it was still really cold. In the morning, we skied over to France for a bit past WWI lookout fortresses, and then back in Italy to finish the afternoon.

Bye to La Thuile and thanks to our new ski companions for a great week!

If you want to see more photos of us wearing goggles in the Alps, Derek added an album on facebook which you can view here.

Pista Tre

2010-03-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

We took yesterday off from skiing due to high winds, snow, and white-out conditions. Today, we were back at it, and the goal- surviving the infamous #3 piste with a 73% maximum slope (one of Italy's toughest). Before (left) after (right). Notice all arms and legs are in-tact. Really wasn't so bad after all besides a few icy spots near the beginning. I never would have done it if Divonne hadn't talked me into it.

Alpine anniversaire

2010-03-02T06:19:00.000-08:00

Today I'll have to start the count-down to leaving my 20s, yikes. But Derek and I celebrated my 29th birthday under a clear blue ski, with lots of sun and perfect snow. My skis even cooperated by staying mostly parallel, as seen above.

Mt. Blanc kept us company during our runs on quiet, uncrowded slopes.

The town below.

Getting close to the end of a full day of skiing. Time for espresso and chocolates.

Half-day ski

2010-03-01T05:45:00.000-08:00

After breakfast, (early) Derek attended the morning conference session. This session conveniently ends each morning around 11:30- plenty of time to change and hit the slopes with the half-day lift pass. I went wandering around the town for the morning and enjoyed the sunshine. Then up the highest lift, a few runs, lunch, and as many more runs as we could squeeze in until the chairs stopped- we caught the very last lift and made the long run all the way back down, ending at our hotel- also convenient. A few more physics talks, cocktails, and then multi-courses of food.

Ski week (aka physics conference, La Thuile)

2010-02-28T05:23:00.000-08:00

After sleeping in, we packed and left on the bus for La Thuile, Italy. Derek is presenting at a physics conference and I am as usual tagging along. We arrived at the hotel and got settled, found the ski lockers, and went for a walk around town before welcome drinks and a huge dinner. I was so surprised to see the vegan and vegetarian food was labeled- oh joy! Above is the hotel. We could watch the chair lifts and a few pistes from our room window.

My plans for the week: eat, ski, sleep, repeat.

Cocoa, cats, and clubhouse

2010-02-27T04:45:00.000-08:00

I have been really excited to try this hot coca: le cuiller Suisse (Swiss spoon). It is made from pure cocoa butter that melted in soy milk). Just stir it until it has all blended. I picked them up from Urban Bio in Geneva- a new organic specialty shop that is horribly expensive, but I wanted to check it out- just once. The cocao was very nice for an afternoon treat before heading into the International Cat Fair held in Carouge. Yes a cat fair, like a dog show, but cats. No, they are not led around on leashes. Cats are not big fans of leashes. Basically, the cats sleep in fancy beds with screens around them so that you cannot touch them. Sometimes they will open one eye and glare at you if you are bothering them. For judging, they are carried from judge to judge and then the winner is presented Lion King style to the audience. Yes, there is an international panel of judges. I believe scoring is based on a combination of cuteness and attention to the feathery thing waved in front of them. Yes, I did think this was an awesome way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Here's some of the cats and the judging:

I like the ones that look like little leopards and tigers. I want one.

One the right: what the cats see.

Today was planned around birthdays 2/28, 3/1, and 3/2 (one is mine!) So cat fair, dinner, and Geneva nightlife. As the group grew quite large we split between Indian food and fondue, and then reunited for drinks on comfy couches at the Clubhouse. The special beverage for the three birthday girls (+1 since it was so much fun) was called a backdraft. Now, I have to admit, this was my first shot at a bar, so I am glad it was a good one: free, involved fire, cinamon, vapors sucked with a straw, and tasted a bit like liquorish- yum.

2 Geneva trips

2010-02-26T05:04:00.000-08:00

I got to play Geneva tour guide on Tuesday to show Honey around a few of the cities highlights for her first trip in after moving here about 2 weeks ago. So we went past the Jet d'Eau, a DNA exhibition with creepy mannequins in the purple dome, a little around old town, the cathedral, an art gallery, and organic grocery. Unfortunately it was raining most of the day, but 'tis the season - for rain.

Thursday night, Derek and I also headed into Geneva for an orchestra concert at Victoria Hall with Tim and Daisy. First, tapas style dinner at the Cottage Cafe. Gorgeous food, atmosphere, and company. We also enjoyed the concert with free tickets from a generous woman who shared her extra tickets!

This little piggy went to the market...

2010-02-21T02:25:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday, so that means market, nice lunch, social time, and some walking. The sun was shining again today and we were able to open the windows to let in some fresh air, and let the wintryness out. We got a free bottle of apple juice from our usual vegetable seller- yeah! And came home with lots of goodies like strawberries, beans, potatoes, artichokes, pumpkin, salad, avocados, olives and more.

The market had a renewed energy and everyone was enjoying the warm sunshine. Then off to enjoy some of our market treats with friends and Sunday strolling.

Ovronnaz ski and spa Saturday

2010-02-20T01:34:00.000-08:00

Today we joined new friends from Genova, Italy for a day of ski followed by a relaxing soak in the thermal pools in Les Bains d'Ovronnaz, Switzerland. First a beautiful drive around the end of the lake and up into the mountains. Then ski, lunch on the patio, and more ski. Top it off with a steamy indoor/outdoor wellness soak not far from where we left the lifts. And we can't forget a cinnamon sugar or honey waffle treat before the contentedly exhausted trip home. We had a great day of fun with the company of a wonderful couple. Okay, lots of pictures now.

Riding the chair and t-bar lifts.

Awesome rock faces.

Time to eat.

Our first chance to ski together in the Alps (since Derek was in a more advanced level for lessons).

Here we all are.

From slope to spa. I borrowed the pool picture from the resort's digital postcards since we didn't drag the camera into the pools). The Swiss have an amazing locker room system with plenty of changing cabinets and multiple washes before entering the indoor pool to swim through the exit to the outdoor pools.

CineGlobe film festival

2010-02-19T14:27:00.000-08:00

Tonight we joined our friend Tim for one of the screenings of short films as part of the film festival at the Globe at CERN. It was a good excuse to finally go inside the large ply-wood dome that is one of the most recognizable symbols of CERN. The films were short 3 - 10 minutes each. We liked the oculus and the fancy Rolex clocks, and the films weren't too bad either. After the screening, we got to enjoy a raclette dinner with Derek's office-mate from Poland and her boyfriend visiting from Brazil.

Thaw

2010-02-18T01:09:00.000-08:00

Walking home from CERN after 2.5 hours of French class. That's right, there is sunshine, the mountains have decided to show themselves, and it felt somewhat warm and pre-springish. I even got to take off the winter coat for a while...

Winter Olympics

2010-02-17T01:40:00.000-08:00

Need a break from speed and spandex? Above is a really beautiful and fun video of the Olympic Winter Games (1924 - 1968). I especially love the old black and white footage of the earliest games. The winter games had their beginning just down the road in Chamonix, France in 1924, and the Alps have hosted many of the subsequent Olympics. The video contains footage of these Olympic locations:

1924 - Chamonix, France
1928 - St. Moritz, Switzerland
1932 - Lake Placid, New York USA
1936 - Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
1948 - St. Moritz, Switzerland
1952 - Oslo, Norway
1956 - Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
1960 - Squaw Valley, California USA
1964 - Innsbruck, Austria
1968 - Grenoble, France

Some extra Chamonix skating moments. In this video, Sonja Henie is only 11 years old and the first Olympic figure skater to compete in a short skirt (it's okay, she was young enough that it wasn't improper).

Je t'aime

2010-02-14T02:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's day! Did you do anything special?

Our unplanned day turned out to be full of sweet treats. After lattes and dressing up in tights and a skirt (exciting) Derek and I ran into four friends at the farmer's market. We gathered some goodies including these lovely flowers. After a lunch of market goodies tea, wine, and sweets, we ended up tagging along with two friends as they walked to two apartment viewings nearby, looking for their new home. (Newlyweds, they just arrived Friday!) The second apartment visit turned into a three hour cafe, treats, and conversations by the fire with a very sweet French woman in her fabulously French home, cozy and filled with antiques and stories and a cat.

We're not the ones with jet lag, but I was tired when we returned home, so we made an easy curry dinner - oops a little too hot! Derek was sweating and it made my ears hurt... painful but good for a few laughs. I think I can dilute the leftovers with a can of coconut milk and lots more rice and hopefully make it edible. We topped things off with another cafe and some chocolate almonds.

Ski Lesson: 5

2010-02-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

This Saturday's outing at Les Carroz was the last of our 5 CERN Club ski lessons. We had a beautiful, clear day. It was quite a bit colder than it has been, but with intensely warm sunshine. We spent most of the day above the clouds among the floating island-like mountain tops. This week's snow was fast and somewhat icy. I prefer the slower, deep powder we skied on the last 2 weeks (although it is more leg work), but also enjoyed the increased speed of today's conditions. It was a winter-wonderland, with heavy snow piled on the tree branches, snowbows (think rainbow, but no rain), and a glittering blue sky.

Lesson 5a: A little wine at lunch increases ski courage and enjoyment. (actually recommended since it is vital to be relaxed while skiing).

Lesson 5b: Don't ski with a migrane.

Lesson 5c: Skiing is necessary to survive the winter and get above the permanent clouds settled in the valley. I understand why EVERYONE here skis.

Lesson 5d: Five weeks of lessons goes by too quickly- but ski season should last through April :)

Not just yet...

2010-02-09T12:25:00.000-08:00

I've been catching an early spring fever, but today has been a big reminder that it is still February, and yes, still winter. I think I should put hopes of fresh new colors, and buds, and yes even sunshine out of mind for just a little while longer. So, thanks to another wet, gray day, I decided to embrace what's left of this season before letting all my daydreams slip into the next. Today I went for a walk in the snow/slush and stopped to take a few photos of the gathering snow-blossoms and watch the birds. Enjoying the last weeks of flannel scarves and giant pots of lentil chili.

Girlie girl

2010-02-09T04:05:00.000-08:00

To offset my usual twelve-year-old boy look, I stopped at Sephora on my way home from French class yesterday afternoon. Sure, the store is in multiple countries, but it is a French store and I had never actually gone into one. Thinking pink, I decided to look for some super girlie lipstick. Maybe it's anticipating sunny spring colors or nicing-up a bit for Valentine's day, but I treated myself to a Lip Attitude-Chic, Rose Prodigy #08 for 5€. I don't wear lipstick, but that was fun...now I want a brighter, paler, pinker, pink...

BTW: It's NOT Spring. Just a little reminder for myself- it's been snowing all day.

Ski Lesson: 4

2010-02-06T03:21:00.000-08:00

Our fourth ski lesson was at Avoriaz, France, but we also took a lift across the border to ski a bit in Switzerland in the afternoon. My enthusiasm toward skiing continues to grow...I can't wait for next week, and I really can't wait for a full week of skiing in Italy the first week of March - a nice way to spend my b-day (Derek has a conference). In the morning there was a nice view of some of the nice teethy-looking Alps (above). It started precipitating around lunch time which made for low visibility and interesting "unsee-able" moguls and cliff edges. Looking through my goggles below (looking down-hill or up in the sky?). Whiteness everywhere.

Lesson 4a: Snow is white, so is the sky when it is snowing, and so are the ski slopes. Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between them, but then your legs learn to absorb whatever is below them.

Lesson 4b: A day of skiing should be followed by an apéritif.

Lesson 4c: Be ready for testing next week...the final lesson for the season.

la langue française

2010-02-05T01:52:00.000-08:00

Derek and I started our first French classes at Cern just two weeks ago. It is really interesting to start to learn something entirely new. We've learned to introduce ourselves, count to one hundred, and say the alphabet. While it looks the same, the alphabet is full of surprisingly different sounds for the French language.

I am really learning to appreciate the musicality of the French language, even if you only pronounce approximately half of the letters in a given word. Our class is composed of 14 students from various backgrounds. The native English speakers (us included) seem to have a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to producing the round, nasaly, throaty, or breathy sounds, but we are learning. Our teacher is enthusiastic and makes the 2 hour classes pass too quickly. We spend the periods building vocabulary by playing games like bingo, 20 questions, and attempting to trace our way through a map while given directions. We also get to draw to test our ability to understand spoken instructions and prepositions. It's kind of like kindergarten. The classes are fun, we are learning much faster than I expected, and I'm starting to feel more comfortable having "very small" conversations in French.

Spring?

2010-02-03T01:21:00.000-08:00

Since February has started, there have been more sunny days than in the span of the past four months. Yes, that makes three days of sunshine! The temperature is generally the same as it has been, but add some sunshine (actual sunshine, not just "not as dark as usual grayness" that I would pretend to be sunshine through most of the winter) and it feels a lot warmer. So, I have been out walking with the unusual company of my shadow. As we were walking home from French class, I realized that yesterday was groundhog day back home. I have never quite understood this tradition because I think it is completely backwards. If the groundhog fails to see its shadow, it will come out of its burrow and winter is almost over, but if the groundhog sees its shadow, it will go back into its burrow, and of course winter will continue for six more weeks. First, unlike the groundhog, I come out of my burrow when I can see my shadow, this means it's not raining and it might be warm out, so I think the groundhog is confused. Second, if you live in Illinois, you're pretty much guarunteed another 10 weeks of winter and then only a day and a half of pleasantness before it is full-on summer.

Back to the lovely February sunshine...I really feel spring coming...and just around the corner. The Midwestern me keeps cautioning not to be too optimistic about the nearness of Spring, but I've been told that Spring qualifies as a legitimate season around here, lasting approximately three months. I don't know what to make of this, but I'll let you know.

Big bread and tomato bisque

2010-02-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

Mmmmmmm..... homemade tomato bisque and a beautiful rustic loaf. I bought this loaf at the farmer's market Sunday morning - it is at least the size of a curling stone. We also picked-up tomatoes, brussels sprouts, white carrots, French beans, a whole rotisseried chicken, clemetines and these lovely tulips. After a nice dinner with friends yesterday, we enjoyed some leftover soup before French lessons this afternoon. Below is a friendly robin who stops by outside our kitchen window.

Ski Lesson: 3

2010-01-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

This week's ski lesson was at Le Gets, also in the French Alps. We had several inches of snowfall overnight, gracing the slopes with beautiful fresh powder. The trip up to the lifts was rather wet and foggy so we were afraid we would be skiing in white out conditions, but as has usually been our luck, the sun comes out while we are riding the lifts up. In three lessons I feel like I have progressed from 1. I need find away out of ever having to do this again, to 2. okay, I don't hate it, to 3. skinig is my favorite, when can we go again. I wonder what next Saturday will bring.

Lesson 3a: Fresh powder is the best.

Lesson 3b: Be a spring.

Lesson 3c: Once you stop being afraid, skiing can be really fun. I even went off a few small jumps and won some of our group races.

Lesson 3d: Beware of the button lift- it took me out on my first attempt. The next time it flung me 4 feet in the air, but I rode it.

Lesson 3e: A totally parallel wipe out (nose nearly hitting ski tips) means that I'm improving.

There have been some interesting get-ups on the slopes...the penguins are an obvious winner for best dressed. Thanks, Derek, for taking some nice photos on our outings (I can't carry the camera or I would probably break it).

The bus ride home was somewhat magical. Everyone was completely exhausted- it takes a lot more strength and endurance to navigate the deep powder. We watched out the window - clusters of snow gathered on the bare tree branches like spring cherry blossoms - until blending into the silhouettes. Blinking in and out of sleep, we saw the last colors drain from the sky, lulled by Bon Iver. Home for hot cocoa and an turning in early.

Oo la la, it's Francophile Friday!

2010-01-29T02:56:00.000-08:00

From food to fashion, music to mustard, wine to window shutters, Francophile Fridays will share some of the reasons I love living in France and what I am learning to love about French culture. To start things off - this week's Francophilia: yé-yé.

This style of pop music emerged from France and Spain in the early 1960s. A special thanks to my fabulous Francophile friend Emily back in D-Town for pointing me towards this genre and especially Françoise Hardy. Emily sent me the link to this song Tous les garçons et les filles (which she was lucky enough to find a first pressing 7" single of it when she was in Paris!) I love the video on the ferris wheel.

She also sent me the lyrics and her own translation, part literal, part interpretive which you can read here in a previous comment section. She has also sent me some other great leads that I will be following up for future Francophilia).

Some of the yé-yé girls like France Gall have become a favorite. I love Françoise Hardy best so far (pictured above from google images) for her sweet sad songs. Look for another: si c'est ca.

Bon week-end!

*Emily, check out Ooh la la Vintage! If you ever come to visit, wouldn't a weekend in Paris playing dress-up be exceptionnel!

Ski Lesson: 2

2010-01-23T05:04:00.000-08:00

This week we went to Les Contamines in the French Alps beside Mt. Blanc and just about at the Italian border. It was a beautiful day and warm enough to bask in the sunshine for a long lunch on the restaurant patio. It took me all week to work up the courage to ski again, but today was a ton of fun. No bruises, very few falls, and more confidence. At the end of the day I even wanted to keep skiing. My group has been spending our days on red slopes, which are pretty comfortable. This area was less crowded than last week's destination- that played a big part in enjoyable conditions.

Lesson 2: Recreation is hard work. We get up at 5:30, out the door before 6 to catch the 6:11 bus from Thoiry to CERN. Walk about a mile to the pick-up point. 2 hour bus ride into the mountains. Ski from 9:30 until 17:00 (with a lunch break). Then reverse, bus, walk, bus, walk back home a little after 20:00. Hot cocoa and straight to bed.

Skiing backwards down a mountain is always a fun idea.

Cet air là

2010-01-22T03:17:00.000-08:00

I'm digging this song and video by France Gall (1966), but I love the very sweet version by April March (1995). Sorry no link to that one...but you might want to go find it. Lyrics below in French and English translation.

Quand ils sont longs les jours de pluie When rainy days are long

Quand je suis seule quand je m'ennuie When I'm alone and bored

Que dans un rythme monotone And in a monotonous rhythm

Au fond de moi ton nom résonne Your name is ringing inside me

Il me reste cet air-là All I have left is that melody

Qui vient me parler de toi Which is always talking about you

Car en chantant cet air-là Cause while singing this melody

Je ne peux penser qu'à toi I can only think about you

Lorsque tour à tour dans ma vie When succesively in my life

Que je n't'ai pas vu de la semaine I haven't seen you in a week

Que je dis comme une litanie I can't stop telling to my pillow

À mon oreiller que je t'aime "I love you so"

Il me reste cet air-là All I have left is this melody

Qui vient me parler de toi That is always talking about you

Car en chantant cet air-là Cause while singing this melody

Je ne peux penser qu'à toi I can only think about you

Sur le triste quai d'une gare If on a sad train station's bank

Si un jour la vie nous sépare One day life tears us apart

Ou que ton cœur change de route Or that your heart takes another way

Moi j'aurai le mien en déroute And mine would be ruined

Il restera cet air-là This melody will remain

À jamais au fond de moi Forever inside of me

Car pour toujours cet air-là Cause forever this melody

Parlera de toi et moi Will be talking of you and me

Il restera cet air-là This melody will remain

À jamais au fond de moi Forever inside of me

Et je sais que cet air-là And I know this melody

Te ramènera vers moi One day will bring you back to me

For the birds

2010-01-21T02:15:00.000-08:00

Back to fog, and slick streets, so I am making a bird feeder from things in the recycle bin: used soy milk cartons, an old magazine, and a French copy of H.G. Wells Abrege de l'Histoire du Monde that I picked up from a box of free books left on the doorstep of a bookstore in Carouge (nice find). Since it is paper, the birdies are only going to get fed on days that it is not raining. Also listening to The Finches and some other good folksy music.

It might be time to hide the scissors...très français, no? I had thick bangs for the first 20 years of my life until I grew them out in college, and now I'm going back, for a little while anyway. To get this style, all you need is a pair of kitchen scissors and some scotch tape. Stick the tape just above your eyebrows and cut along the bottom, just like mom used to do. And now, on to a walk through the fog.

Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Icing

2010-01-20T05:34:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow (today) did indeed bring a snow/rain mix. I've been staying in mostly today, catching up on two weeks worth of missing posts for my photo-a-day blog: seules le simages, and eating some vegan cookies that I made yesterday morning.

Icing: (I had made the icing a few days earlier and had it refrigerated)

Ingredients

- 8 peppermint candies

- 1/2 stick buttery type spread

- 1 cup confectioners sugar

- 2 TBS soymilk

- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Directions

1. Unwrap the peppermint candies and crush them in a bowl into powder using the bottom side of a sturdy glass jar.
2. Heat the "butter" and soymilk in a saucepan on low to melt the margarine.
3. Stir in the other ingredients.

Cookies:

Ingredients

- 1 cup sugar

- 2 TBS cornstarch

- 1/3 cup palm oil

- 1 tsp lemon

- 1/2 cup soy milk

- 2 1/2 cups flour

- 1/2 tsp salt

- dash vanilla sugar

Directions
1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Roll into balls and flatten in your palm.
3. Place on a baking-paper lined cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.

*Icing can be added after baking or before. If the cookie is baked with icing on it, the icing seeps into the cookie, giving it a chewier texture.

For tomorrow may rain so I'll follow the sun

2010-01-19T08:00:00.001-08:00

Today and yesterday have been full sunshine and blue sky...very unusual. So, I am out for long walks and aimless wandering to absorb some warmth. Is it wrong to be dreaming of spring already - it's only January? This week's unseasonal temps and sun have me thinking about all the goodness of spring- wildflowers in the mountains, birds singing, fluffy clouds, no more black ice. Winters here are much milder than in Illinois; the temperature has hovered in the upper 20's to low 40's most of the season so far, and I am hoping that it doesn't last until April like back at home. Despite the easy temperatures, the winter has been horribly gray and foggy. Most days the mountains seem to have been flattened by dark clouds or swallowed by fog... you can almost forget they are there. I'm sure tomorrow will be back to the usual dreariness and maybe a bit of rain, but for now, I am enjoying the company of my shadow and humming songs that have "sunshine" in them.

Ski Lesson: 1

2010-01-16T00:29:00.000-08:00

Today was our first outing and ski lesson with the CERN Ski Club at St. Gervais in the French Alps with a nice view of Mt. Blanc. The next four Saturdays, we will be skiing at nearby locations in France and Switzerland. It wasn't a sunny day in the mountains, but it was warm. (photos, left to right: Daisy, Tim, Derek, me- We all have sweet retro boots and poles from a used sports shop in Geneva- actually my boots are pretty current- Derek's are yellow).

We took a guess as to which level to sign up for, settling on 1.5 which we thought might be okay for both Derek and I. It was pretty clear I wasn't going to be able to keep up after I fell within a minute of putting my skis on. I got to move down to level 1.0 after lunch. (There is also 0 and .5 and ranges up to level 3.5). The last time either of us skied was in Taos, 2001, almost a decade ago! For Derek, it was like riding a bike, for me, it was more like riding a unicycle with a flat tire off the side of a mountain. But this is why we have lessons, right?

Lesson 1a: Get back up. Sure I fall, a lot, but I always get back up and keep going. Falling is the best way I know to slow myself down...it's either throw the body on the ground or aim for a snowbank. Getting up is only difficult when your legs are tangled in directions that legs should not get tangled.

Lesson 1b: Accept the speed. Not my favorite thing to go straight down as fast as you can. (Do we have to practice this?) Needless to say, each person in my group totally wiped out at the bottom. I think the real lesson was that even when you wipe-out hard, it doesn't hurt too badly (if you are already low to the ground like I am).

Lesson 1c: Watch out for trees. This is what happens when you volunteer to go first...you end up stuck in a tree.

Lesson 1d: Even a five year-old skis better. No matter how many little kids pass me, sitting on their skis and doing flips off of ramps, I am not going to try it. I am a product of the American Midwest: it is FLAT.

All in all, a good day, no major injuries, a bump down into an English speaking group, and great views. The toughest part was lugging our skis, in the rain, more than a mile to the bus stop to get back home. Luckily the Y bus was late (as usual), otherwise we would have been standing in the rain for an hour waiting on the next one. Hot cocoa and sleeping for 12 hours- mandatory recoup.

Button-Up Cowl

2010-01-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

I am really happy to not be feeling sick anymore. I have been moping around for a week and a half since we got back from our trip to the Alps. When I could finally sit upright, rather than wallowing in bed watching episodes of Glee, I made this two-shades-of-gray cowl from yarn I got in Geneva in the fall. I had to finish crocheting our Christmas stockings before starting on this little project, and it kept me occupied one afternoon so that I wouldn't be so antsy to get back outside.

We got nearly a foot of snow overnight and it kept snowing all day, so I had to get out for a walk. I finally got around to mailing a few holiday cards and such that have been sitting in their red and green envelopes for nearly a month, and tromped down to the shopping center to restock my oranges and a few other necessities. I got to test out the cowl... it kept me warm.

My home haircut is also courtesy of my efforts to stay in-doors and get some rest... glad to be back outside!

2010 Calendar

2010-01-07T08:13:00.000-08:00

This year's calendar is going paperless! You can download the complete calendar pdf, here or each page individually (as a jpg) month by month using the link in the side bar. Use the calendar as your computer desktop or print your own if you want to (4.25" x 6.25"). Happy 2010!

10 for 2010

2010-01-06T02:05:00.000-08:00

It is a beautiful sunny day here, and this morning in the warm sunshine, I can feel my week and a half long worst-cold-I've-ever-had finally starting to ease up. I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions, but I have a few plans for the start of the next decade.

Learn French. Classes start the third week of January.
Go vegan. Not by choice, but it is going to take some resolve to eliminate French cheeses and Swiss chocolate from my daily intake.
Make some art.
Survive ski lessons.
Keep in touch.
Complete year 2 of living without a car…and continue into year 3 sans automobile.
Find good walking/hiking shoes that will not cause blisters or toenail death.
Watch all 22 Bond movies. Random.
Read more.
Get involved in the arts in our new location.

Snowsuit Up!

2010-01-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

Derek, Tyler and I have returned from our week long Alpine adventure. We had a blast playing near the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau.

Stroms en Suisse Alpine Tour, part 4

2010-01-02T02:32:00.000-08:00

Our last day in the Alps, we rented sleds and took the train up to Kleine Scheidegg (2061 m) overlooking the resort town, Wengen.

After we made our way down to the town, we had enough time to hike back up to Wengernalp and sled down again. During our two hour hike up, we saw a family of three golden eagles.

Stroms en Suisse Alpine Tour, part 3

2010-01-01T02:19:00.000-08:00

Today's excursion took us up to Schiltgrat (2145 m) to begin our snowshoe descent all the way back to Lauterbrunnen.

Hot cocoa break.

We took an extra descent into the small mountain town of Gimmelwald and continued on to the car-free town of Murren for a warm dinner.

It started snowing big fluffy flakes and after dinner, we finished our long day with a two hour snowshoe across the ridge and back down to the valley.

Stroms en Suisse Alpine Tour, part 2

2009-12-31T01:14:00.000-08:00

We spent the morning ice skating in Interlaken, my first time on hockey skates (much more comfortable) before continuing our trip to the Lauterbrunnen valley. After check-in at the Hotel Oberland, we wandered down a winter hiking trail along the valley floor with mountains all around. Lauterbrunnen is famous for its 72 waterfalls plummeting from steep cliff faces.

Our quiet walk ended back in town just in time to catch the New Years choir of bells from the church:

Happy New Year!

Stroms en Suisse Alpine Tour, part 1

2009-12-30T00:45:00.000-08:00

We left Thoiry early Monday morning with a two hour wait and quick walking tour of Bern before continuing on to Unterseen near Interlaken.

We spent some time wandering around in the valley and relaxing the rest of the afternoon to be ready for our first day of snowshoeing. Tuesday. We took a train and then cable car up to First (2168 m) and snowshoed back down to Grindelwald (1050 m) in time for dinner.

Wednesday morning brought a bit of rain while we were walking to Brienzer See. We made it as far as the town of Ringgenberg and explored the church/castle by the lake to get out of the rain a bit.

The sun came out in the afternoon for some more wandering once we dried off.

Scherenschnitte

2009-12-27T01:32:00.001-08:00

For our make-gifts this Christmas, Derek and I designed and cut our own scherenschnittes. Based on the Swiss/German traditional paper-cut folk art, our scenes depict rural life and farm animals, mountains and forests. Derek's paper-cut below also represents the four seasons. These are each mounted in a 4" x 6" frame, so the details are quite small.

We always enjoy looking in the window at this gallery in Old Town Geneva that is filled with beautifully detailed scherenschnittes.

Joyeux Noel

2009-12-25T13:59:00.000-08:00

Joyeux Noel! Merry Christmas!

We had a fun day here with sunshine and lots of holiday goodies Our gifts were gathered from France, Switzerland, Sweden, and some comforts from back home in the US. Derek, Tyler and I each got snowshoes for our trip to the Alps next week.

I made vegan cinnamon rolls for breakfast with mint mochas. After a a morning of gifts and chatting with good friends and family, we joined new friends in Sergy for a Christmas feast and walked home again under the stars.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T13:56:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve we celebrated with a traditional Swiss roclette dinner, and vin chaud. After a long dinner, we filled the fireplace with candles and enjoyed the warmth and light.

Krampus is coming to town

2009-12-21T03:13:00.000-08:00

I don't know why the Krampus hasn't caught on in American Christmas celebration, but he is one Alpine tradition I plan to adopt. The Krampus is mainly an Austrian tradition, but present in other Alpine regions as well. He is one of St. Nicholas' sidekicks who punishes naughty children by beating them with birch branches and chains and toting them off to hell in the basket on his back. So when St. Nick knocks on your door, if you have been good you'll get a gift from his sack, but if you've been bad, you better watch out...

Modern day Krampuses (plural?) are much scarier than these vintage characters, so you might want to check out google images for other Krampus (maybe plural like deer?) Anyway, we are mostly safe from Krampus this close to Christmas. He and St. Nick usually make their rounds in early December but may show up throughout the yule season. The Christkind will be the one delivering our traditional Christmas gifts this week.

Stocking up

2009-12-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

Today was the last Sunday market before Christmas dinner, so we spent the morning (after amazing homemade mint mocha lattes) gather some of the necessary ingredients for our holiday meals. The sausages are for the guys - seven kinds.

Later in the afternoon, during our walk to the Val Thoiry, we stopped to pet a couple friendly horses and listened to a cheerful robin. It was dark and snowing quite a bit on our return trip.

I finished our Christmas stockings and hung them above the fireplace.

Christmas countdown

2009-12-19T10:59:00.000-08:00

Today we met Samichlaus at one of the Geneva shopping centers. I wanted to go into the city for the Oratorio Noel by Bach performed at the cathedral, but when we got there, we discovered that the concert is actually tomorrow. Oops...but since we were in Geneva we decided to the make the best of it and spent the afternoon wading through the crowded stores, trying not to get separated. To avoid some of the holiday congestion, we walked mostly outside of the central downtown area bustling with week-before-Christmas shopping. We were surprised by the crowds, but since the city closes at 6 pm on Saturday, not to reopen until Monday, everyone was out and about. So we enjoyed staying out of the stores and checking out the trees and lights.

After an afternoon out in the cold, we came home and made a pot of vin chaud, a traditional hot spiced wine sweetened with black currant liquor and watched vintage Christmas specials by the tree.

Vegan Lasagna

2009-12-15T02:37:00.000-08:00

By request, here is the easy recipe for the vegan lasagna I made for Derek's birthday. A warning, I am not very good about measuring things, and like much of my cooking, there is an element of "use whatever vegetables are lying around and need to get used." This lasagna is in an 8" square pan, smaller than what I would normally use in the States, and between two of us, we ate about 2/3 of the lasagna (we were also pretty hungry after 7 hours of hiking). All ingredients are organic (bio) and mostly local (made/grown in France).

Ingredients

-lasagna noodles (I used green noodles)

-chunk of firm tofu (instead of the usual ricotta, parmesan, egg mixture)
-olive pate
-mushrooms
-fresh spinach (the leaves I used were each nearly the size of the pan)
-1 small sliced zuccini
-1/2 onion chopped
-lots of chopped garlic, 2-3 cloves
-tomato sauce (I just used a jar)
-salt
-ground black pepper

Directions
1. Boil the lasagna noodles until al dente, then drain and rinse.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Mash the tofu in a bowl with the olive pate, some garlic, salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients together by squeezing pieces of tofu through your fingers.
4. Assemble the lasagna: Spread tomato sauce in the bottom of a pan. Arrange a single layer of lasagna noodles, and then layer the tofu mixture over the noodles, spinach over the tofu, onions, mushrooms, and zuccini, along with occasional garlic. Next ladle a little more tomato sauce and begin again with another layer of noodles. Continue layering nearly to the top of the pan and finish with tomato sauce and remaining tofu mixture crumbles. (I also added dollops of a basil tofu spread at the top)
5. Cover the pan with foil and bake the lasagna for 30 minutes, remove foil and let it bake 10-15 longer. Serve hot and enjoy.

Easy Vegan Torte

2009-12-14T02:48:00.000-08:00

This torte is really easy and has a great texture.

Ingredients

-1 cup couscous
-1 cup sugar
-1/4 cup cocoa
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-2-1/2 cups water

-2/3 c ground almonds (pecans or other nuts would also be good)

top layer*

-1/4 cup sugar

-2 tablespoons cornstarch (I used farin de mais, more like a corn meal - translation error - but it worked and not so starchy textured)
-2+ tablespoons cocoa

-1 cup soymilk (I like vanilla soymilk-it's sweeter)

Directions

1. Mix the couscous, 1 cup sugar, cocoa, salt, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 7 minutes. Pour into a 7” - 9" springform pan and cover with ground almonds.
2. In a medium saucepan, stir the remaining sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, and soymilk together and wisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until very thick (like pudding). Spread evenly over the top of the cake.

3. Refrigerate until the cake is set, at least 3 hours, before serving. (don't forget to loosen pan sides before opening the spring).

*The top layer is yummy, so doubling it would work if using a 9" pan. I also drizzled a raspberry glaze over the top when serving.

L'Escalade

2009-12-13T08:11:00.000-08:00

First, a bit of history about the celebration from myswitzerland.com:

"During the night of December 11-12, 1602, the city of Geneva was attacked by Savoyard soldiers, who attempted to scale the city ramparts. The Duke of Savoy, who had lost his former possession of Geneva, was trying to reclaim it. The battle was severe, but the people of Geneva valiantly defended their town. Examples of bravery were many: one especially remembers Mère Royaume, who climbed onto the ramparts and poured her pot of hot soup over the head of a Savoyard soldier.

Ever since that time, the people of Geneva have remembered and celebrated their day of victory. A large, torchbearing procession dressed in period costumes proceeds through the streets of the old city along both banks of the Rhone. Historic and legendary figures like Mère Royaume, armed with her pot, are always present. At several points along the traditional route, the procession stops and a herald on horseback reads the proclamation of victory over the invaders. Arriving in good spirits at St. Peter's Cathedral, the participants sing patriotic songs. The entire ceremony concludes with generalized merrymaking."

This weekend called for two trips to Geneva for L'Escalade merrymaking in streets of the old town. Saturday, we met up with a large group from CERN and enjoyed the spectacular holiday lights, roasted chestnuts and plenty of vin chaud being ladled from every street corner before a long dinner. Traditions also include eating soup and chocolate cauldrons full of marzipan vegetables and a trip through the narrow secret passage along the old wall of the city.

Rarely appearing together in photos:

Since the parade didn't occur on Saturday, Derek and I returned for more festivities Sunday afternoon. We managed to watch the entire procession three times from different locations to watch the flaming torches, fifing and drumming, horses and sheep, big spears, cannons, and beautiful costumes and armor. It was absolutely freezing, but worth it. We left early - instead of joining the singing crowds at the steps of the cathedral for a huge bonfire - we had an impending five mile walk home after reaching the border (French Y bus stops running at 6, but at least it runs more than twice on Sundays starting with the new schedule today).

Happy 30th Derek!

2009-12-11T00:41:00.000-08:00

Yeah, birthday sunshine. It is rare that we don't have rain, so this sunshine was a great birthday treat. After internet installation (big YEAH), cookies and singing from our neighbor, and a pancake breakfast, we started out for a long birthday hike to Cret de le Niege, the hight peak in the Juras.

Blue sky, great views of the Alps, and snow!

After six hours of hiking, we were pretty hungry, and home to make a lasagna dinner just at the very last bit of daylight. So we celebrated with a completely vegan/organic dinner and chocolate cake, and champagne. It took a little work, but we even got all 30 candles lit.

Granny cart

2009-12-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

Grocery shopping just got a little easier. I have been searching for a pull cart ever since my first grocery trip carrying bottles of wine, soy milk, and san pellegrino. When we have guests, it would take me two trips down and back up with food for a dinner hanging off my back and shoulders...so now I have a cart to help with that. It also came in handy trudging through Geneva with ski boots and poles, and to finish Christmas shopping (so early this year to factor in the international shipping). By the way, made from used truck tarps...waterproof and indestructible...exactly what I need as I have just worn holes through my third pair of shoes this year.

tree

2009-12-06T07:34:00.000-08:00

After a long walk through the countryside, we stopped at the shopping center on the way back home. It is open for the three Sundays leading up to Christmas, so we had to stop in simply for the novelty of shopping on a Sunday. Since trees we being sold outside, and we decided today was the day to get one. Despite the rain and our tired feet, Derek carried our little tree (almost as tall as me) the 3 km uphill to our house. The photo looks snowy and festive, but really it's just rain and exhaustion.

We did have a nice walk despite dreary weather, and wandered along the Swiss border, birch forests, horses, and grazing sheep. Our usual Sunday trip to the farmer's market brought home some walnuts, corn bread, and lots of vegetables for a hot, hearty soup for the evening while we warmed up and dried off.

pb & j

2009-12-02T04:02:00.000-08:00

Today I am really excited for a pb & j sandwich. It might not sound like much to celebrate, but it is the first sliced white-bread that I have bought, and I finally spent the nearly 5€ for a small jar of organic almond butter (a jar of Skippy half the size is about the same price). So comparable to a good pb & j at home, but such a very special treat here. It was good.

Dindon day

2009-11-30T03:11:00.000-08:00

Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone. We celebrated here on Saturday with friends and a traditional American feast including turkey, stuffing, kilos of mashed potatoes, green bean salad, cranberries, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, corn, pumpkin pie, apple pie, sweet potato pie, etc. Many (actually most- except for potatoes) of these necessary ingredients are difficult to find and awfully expensive once tracked down, but between the group, everything was covered and with piles of leftovers.

Below is the Euro version of the Anderson family traditional candy turkey. They turned out pretty good since every turkey part is substituted with something new, we really only missed the candy-corn kernel head...

Poladroids

2009-11-20T02:42:00.000-08:00

This is too much fun. Through the CERN photo club, I found out about this handy app called Poladroid. You just drag your photo onto the camera and it spits out Polaroid style effects along with stellar sound effects. Then you wait, and wait, watching your image emerge. You can even save it at varrying stages of "development." I bought some film for my 1980s version Polaroid camera this summer, but it just doesn't come close to the authentic SX-70 look (and horrible at $20 for a ten pack). I bet this as a good as it gets digitally.

Try it out here and have fun :)

Weather Channel says that it is 65 and sunny here today, so I am suppose to be playing outside. Instead it is 45 with heavy fog that gathers in wet white beads on my mittens, (frost !#@*) so I am having fun with poladroids and catching up on much neglected email correspondences.

Le Reculet and beyond

2009-11-17T04:58:00.000-08:00

At the Narderans, almost there.

Today I set out for a solo trek up to Le Reculet. Once I reached my goal, I decided to spend a little time along the ridge before decending, since I was all the way up there anyway. I ended up visiting Cret de la Niege, which is the actual highest peak in the Jura Mountains as of a remeasure in 2003, pronouncing it 1 meter taller then Reculet. From there I continued along the ridge until I realized I would have to double back to make my way down and home. Although it was not as clear as I had hoped and horribly windy, I had a great day, a good climb, and only saw two other solo hikers (they were both faster than me and at least twice my age). I even did a bit of trail running-mostly downward- to help get ready for ski season.

Lunch break.

The black dots are grazing chamoix.

Still climbing.

Le Reculet

At Cret de la Niege and looking back at Le Reculet.

Erie Jurassic overlook.

Hoping a chamoix doesn't fall on me on my way back down.

my new bike and some art

2009-11-14T04:42:00.000-08:00

This is my new-old bicycle! It's a few years old, but rides nicely and has brakes a bell. It is Swiss made too, which makes it even cooler in my mind. We are suppose to have warm sunny days next week, so I hope to take it out for some rides. We got the bike on in Geneva and a drug it home on the bus after a pleasant afternoon in the city visiting the market and happening upon several gallery receptions in one of the main gallery districts.

The above piece is by French photographer Georges Rousse, painted on the gallery wall. The rest of the exhibition included large photographs of derelict structures in which he has painted and built other structures creating spacial illusions. His website here. I think this was my favorite work among our gallery stops. The piece above creates a better illusion if you are standing in the right spot, but I was taking advantage of a moment without other viewers in front of it so I am a bit off.

Fog

2009-11-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

Thick fog made for a moody looking morning- not a single mountain in sight. It is rather warm though and finally after lunch time, it is starting to clear and promising some sunshine next week.

Boundary markers like this are placed along the path which winds along the border. Switzerland and Cern are in that white area beyond the French stone.

Bourdigny, on the way

2009-11-11T05:47:00.000-08:00

On my walk to Cern this morning, I thought I would wander a bit along a trail that intersects my usual route. I ended up in the Swiss wine town of Bourdigny, which borders the lab. Although, not really on the way, I will be sure to come back this way again.

On a rainy Saturday

2009-11-07T05:32:00.000-08:00

We had a great rainy Saturday- sleeping in, the annual used book sale at the English library in Geneva, bustling through the crowded department store, and an Indian feast. So now we are well rested, have gathered enough novels to last the winter, bought yarn and key chains (never realized just how important a key chain actually is), and have warm, happy bellies full of fabulous Indian food.

Cows

2009-11-05T06:31:00.000-08:00

There are cows everywhere. I really enjoy them and stop to watch them once and a while (and am realizing that I am gathering tons of photos of them, but I can't help that). Herds are moved from field to field for grazing...I think they are the community lawnmowers. This morning there was a herd with nose rings along my route, and even more with bells. It's a lovely sound:

Truffles

2009-11-04T05:28:00.000-08:00

If there wasn't already enough chocolate around... I made some truffles. Front to back: sea salt, marzipan filled, hibiscus hazelnut. They almost disappeared before I could get a q quick picture.

Neige!

2009-11-02T02:27:00.000-08:00

I got slightly soaked walking back from the grocery store this morning, but after lunch, writing, and a bit of art-making, the gray haze cleared, and I discovered that the rain that got me was snow in the mountains. I, like many other people in the town, went out for a little walk to enjoy our first snow, dramatic lighting, and rainbows. I'm glad we weren't at the summit today.

Le Reculet

2009-11-01T01:56:00.000-07:00

Marked with a large metal cross, Le Reculet is the second highest summit in the Jura range at 1719 meters (second only by 1 meter), and directly above our town. After about 3.5 hours of steady climbing, we reached Le Reculet for stunning views of the parallel Alps and the valley between. We also got to see what is on the other side of the Jura (more fields and ridges) since we live in a bowl and can't see over the encircling mountainous rim. It was a great way to start November and a gorgeous day for a long hike. Our legs were good and tired by the time we got back home, not 15 minutes before dark. We scarfed some hot food and rested our tired legs. Can't wait to make this hike again!

Along the way:

Anyone planning to visit us, bring your hiking boots, oh and start training...

Halloween Marche

2009-10-31T01:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! To celebrate the last day of October, we went to Geneva without a strict agenda, just hopes to explore more of the city's treasures while staying outside the main city center. Moving away from the train station, we hopped on a wooded path along the Rhone. It was a beautiful day, and the leaves and the hazy sunlight were magical.

Four hours later, after crossing the river and strolling along the Arve for a bit as well, we arrived near Plainpalas and its Saturday market. It is always fun to walk through this enormous outdoor market. Miscellaneous doll heads and instruments were my favorite find this time around.

We also made a trip to Bric-a-Brac, a second hand store on rue de Carouge, specializing in books and sports equipment. I found my next four novels to read, and Derek hit the jackpot with vintage, orange, Swedish x-country ski poles (we discovered that one of his broke) and a Rough Guide to Switzerland. We also found marrons (hot roasted chestnuts) to munch as it was getting cooler late in the afternoon.

A little more exploring and making our way back to the tram for the ride home and a hot bowl of chili to wrap up October.

Weekend at Bern

2009-10-25T14:48:00.001-07:00

Zahringerbrunnen and the Zytglogge (Zahringen Fountain and the Clock Tower)

We had a great weekend in Bern. I booked some super savor train tickets and we left for the capital early Saturday morning. First stop, the street market for some bread and cheese, and lunch overlooking the Aare.

Then to the Einstein Haus.

View from the museum's upper floor window overlooking Kramgasse.

The rest of the afternoon we spent walking around the city with a trip to the rose garden, which offers a great overlook.

Mountains...

I spent part of a day in Bern 7 years ago, and was determined to find the restaurant I ate at with two friends that afternoon. Working really hard to remember, some intuition, and wandering, I found it. Just like I remembered: warm and dark, lots of wood and strong cheesy odor. We had a huge pot of fondue and bad beer and enjoyed the Germanic atmosphere, watching plates of meat topped with meat with a side of meat being served at the tables around us. Later, I realized the restaurant should have been pretty easy to find, next to the Kindlifresserbrunnen!

Kindlifresserbrunnen (Ogre Fountain / baby eater)

. . .

After breakfast Sunday morning, we walked to the Zentrum Paul Klee. I have been wanting to make the trip for months, even before we came over. The center opened in 2005 and is spectacular. Architect Renzo Piano borrowed some elements of this slightly earlier project for his Modern Wing at AIC, like the lower level creative classroom area and overall clean-line design. We spent the entire day moving through two exhibitions: Paul Klee. Life, Work and Responses and Paul Klee's Graphic Work, Eberhard W. Kornfeld's Passion. After a coffee break in the museum cafe, we took a walk around the grounds and through the sculpture garden.

We had a relaxing dinner on the Aare with chocolate mousse for dessert, and wished that we could stay a few more days. Extra trip photos on Facebook.

A night in

2009-10-22T04:02:00.000-07:00

Can't think of a better way to keep warm on a drizzly Thursday night: hearty home-made pasties that make your belly warm and full. Then fasten the shutters, grab a blanket and a book, some pear-liquor filled chocolates and nod-off early, content.

Recently

2009-10-20T07:59:00.000-07:00

Making a spinach tart for Friday night guests.

Saturday afternoon in Geneva:

Giant Flea Market:

Centre d' Art Contemporain and the Centre de la photographie:

Found in our apartment:

Sundays are good, too

2009-10-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

Our Sunday routine includes a trip to the weekly farmer's market for some produce, bread, cheese, and even sausages this week. The mid-morning trip to the outdoor market is one of the best parts of the whole week. Today we bought some snacks to take along on our afternoon hike in the Jura (also becoming part of the Sunday routine).

We hiked for most of the afternoon since it was a beautiful day and starting to become very colorful higher up the side of the range. Hiking was easier this week than last Sunday. I think it took the week, for me, to adjust to the altitude. It is a steep climb for a couple hours to reach Narderans, and next time we will continue to Le Reculet, the summit only about an hours hike further.

The hike was steadily steep until we reached this open grazing area at Narderans with an amazing view of our town below and Geneva in the distance.

Saturdays are good

2009-10-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday starts off with cappuccinos and chocolate, banana crepes. We spent some time exploring the town and picking up even more food from the grocery store.

Although we can't have pets at the apartment, I have several furry friends to keep me company around the town. This guy is super soft.

This is Thoiry Marie, the town hall. The main public space with the patisserie, la post, play area, and bus stop are nearby.

After we pass through the town center, we continue on this road to the grocery store and mall area. (New glasses on Derek.)

In the evening we relaxed with a long dinner and wine and books.

Thoiry

2009-10-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

After a bit of rain yesterday, I took advantage of a break to walk around our town and take a few photos since the light was very nice. By the time I got my camera and went out, it started to drizzle again, but it was a nice walk anyway. I even had about a minute of sunshine. So, in no particular order, here are some of the photos I took while wandering around Thoiry late yesterday afternoon.

Apartment tour

2009-10-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

apartment

We arrived in Geneva last Friday and have been trying to get into a good sleep/eat/be awake pattern, and have been getting settled into our new apartment. I have got a month's worth of updating to do on the the blog including our trip to Italy and lots of fall fun back home in Illinois while we packed and prepared for the move. But first I wanted to post a little tour of our new home in Thoiry, France.

The apartment is part of a farmhouse built in 1701. The house has two apartments and a larger family home. We have a private entrance at the back of the building with a large wooden door and wooden shutters on all the windows. When we arrived, our landlord had left us a window box of yellow flowers and also stocked the fridge with cheese, salmon, pear preserves, butter, juice, and a loaf of bread to help us get through our first day.

This is our kitchen/living area downstairs. Our favorite part is the cappuccino maker.

There is a spiral staircase in the corner that leads upstairs to the bedroom and bathroom/changing area with wardrobe and access to the heater room to hang laundry.

There is also a comfy futon in the downstairs area, so start planning to come visit.

Crepes

2009-10-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

Breakfast before Derek heads off for his first morning bike ride to CERN. Chocolate crepes and vanilla latte :)

Weekend

2009-10-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday in Thoiry is the farmer's market. We went to get salad, peaches, cheese, olives, blackberries, and avocados. We ran into a friend there and ended up hiking in the Jura in the afternoon. The main trail head is literally behind our house.

Parts (a lot) of the trail was pretty steep, but the view is worth the climb. I hope we will get accustomed to the altitude and the inclines after a little time. After the hike, our party of seven stopped by to be our first guests and have a little cheese and bread before they went to dinner.

Departure

2009-10-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

My mom took us (and all our luggage) to the airport. We had a stop in DC before the longer flight to Geneva.

A little tired and stiff from the journey, but we made it and so did our luggage including skis and a bicycle!

While we were home

2009-09-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

We spent about two weeks in Illinois, packing and visiting family and friends as much as possible. Good timing put us in Illinois for three galley receptions.

Reception at the Jack Olson Gallery for Crafting Maya Identity, co-curated by my friend Mary Katherine, featuring 4 artisans from the Puuc Region of the Yucatán:

It was really great to see friends at NIU, and then head over for show at Bad Dog too.

The following evening was the Grand Opening of the Water Street Studios in Batavia. There was a fantastic crowd and the new space is great.

Of course, we had to take advantage of all the fall fun in the midwest: apple donuts, apple picking, pumpkin picking, caramel apples, mostly apple-centered and picking things.

At Honey Hill:

We also spent a Sunday afternoon at my parents' for an open house, and the following Sunday at the farm with some friends, lots of food, and the kuub game. Jess stayed an evening with us and helped with the rhubarb tart and pumpkin picking.

We also bought liter bottles of Stockholm's raspberry and honey brown from Geneva, Illinois, not Switzerland.

We finished packing, sold the car (the night before we left while enjoying a last Chicago style pizza with friends), and were pretty well ready to go.

Milano!

2009-09-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

Also, more catching up to do...

Florence, in a few hours

2009-09-10T02:53:00.000-07:00

Florence, also more to come.

Bologna

2009-09-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

Bologna, text and photos coming later...

Thoiry Salon des Vins

2009-09-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to the annual wine tasting festival in Thoiry. We tasted several wines from vineyards throughout France. We were good and only brought home one bottle from Bordeaux. The salon featured about 50 wineries mostly from France and a handful from Switzerland and Italy. Luckily the rain stopped before the event, but it was terribly windy and felt like the wine tent might blow over. Here we are enjoying wine with friends from CERN.

Cool clouds.

Before we left for the wine tasting, I did a little laundry to get ready to leave for Italy this weekend. Since I didn't have enough change for the washing machine, I had to run down the street to make change by grabbing a few of one of my favorite treats from the local chocolatier...third time this week. They are irresistible.

Montreux, Switzerland

2009-09-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

Château de Chillon, Montreux

A bit about Montreux (our destination of choice for a Sunday trip) courtesy of Wikipedia:

Montreux lies on the north east shore of Lake Geneva at the fork in the Roman road from Italy over the Simplon Pass, where the roads to the Roman capital of Aventicum and the road into Gaul through Besançon separated. This made it an important settlement already in Roman times. In the 12th century, viticulture was introduced to the region, and the sunny slopes of the lake from Lavaux to Montreux became an important wine-growing region. The region was subject to various princes, most notably the princes of Savoy from the south side of the lake. They unified the territory which comprises the present canton of Vaud and were generally popular sovereigns. After the Burgundian Wars in the 15th century, the Swiss in Berne occupied the region without resistance, an indication of the weakness of the princes of Savoy. The Reformation made the region around Montreux and Vevey an attractive haven for Huguenots from Italy, who brought their artisanal skills and set up workshops and businesses. In 1798, Napoleon liberated the region from the Bernese. In the 19th century, the tourist industry became a major commercial outlet, with the grand hotels of Montreux attracting the rich and cultured from Europe and America.

It was about an hour walk to the castle from where we left the car- a beautiful walk along a tree and flower lined path beside the lake. We spent several hours exploring the castle dungeons, chapels, banquet halls, and latrines (a nice seat that drops down an open chute into the lake). Despite being a warm August day, it was cold inside the stone wall of the castle. This is a proper castle with a moat and keep with defensive slits for shooting arrows and everything.

Château de Chillon: "An architectural jewel located in the most beautiful setting imaginable, between the shores of Lake Geneva and the Alps, this monument with over 1,000 years of history, has always inspired artists and writers, from Jean-Jacques Rousseau to Victor Hugo and Lord Byron, from Delacroix to Courbet.

You will surely also fall under its charm..."

Here are several photos of us at the Château de Chillon in Montreux.

Wall painting

Chapel ceiling painting

Dining hall

Castle moat

BTW: the castle is an incredible museum. The signage and text is some of the best I have ever seen, all around. It is well designed and provides interesting information in just the right amounts. I was quite impressed with all the displays. The bits of guided tours that I overheard also seemed entertaining and informative.

After spending much of the day at the castle, we walked back to the car to grab our picnic lunch. We walked to the town centre where some sort of heritage festival was going on, a covered market, costumes and live music throughout the day with polka dancing. We dance the polka at family weddings - I wasn't quite ready to get up there with good dancers, but it did look fun.

*Fun fact: Deep Purple's song, Smoke on the Water, tells the story of a Frank Zappa fan with a flare gun who burned down the Montreux Casino in 1971.

“

We all came out to Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline / To make records with a mobile - We didn't have -much time / Frank Zappa & the Mothers were at the best place around / But some stupid with a flare gun burned the -place to the ground / Smoke on the water, fire in the sky

”

Home Sweet Apartment (in a farmhouse dating from 1701)

2009-08-29T06:02:00.000-07:00

Our apartment.

Today we signed a rental contract! Beginning October 2 (when we return from our trip to Italy and stay in the US) our new home will be in an apartment in a recently renovated farmhouse in Thoiry, France. Thoiry is on the Y bus route which goes to CERN and connects to Geneva. It will only be a 7 km walk or bike ride to the lab (on a path), the organic grocer a patisserie, and several shops are even closer. Thoiry also has a Sunday farmer's market year-round.

The farmhouse was built in 1701- yes we found a home older than America. It has a ground floor patio, large windows, a fireplace in the bedroom, and heated floors throughout. It even features some luxuries such as a freezer in the dorm-size refrigerator, a washing machine, and sink and toilette are in the same room- each of these can be difficult to find here. We are really excited to move and think that we will really enjoy this place for the next couple years.

View from behind the farm. You can see the Jet d'Eau in Geneva down below. We are partly up the Jura.

Thoiry has corn fields like DeKalb, but with the Jura on one side and the Alps on the other.

Finally, fondue

2009-08-26T12:17:00.001-07:00

Yum, baguette chunks dunked into a heaping bowl of melted cheese. It sounds like a great idea, and I have been anticipating this dinner for at least a year... but really think about it ...an entire bowl of cheese. Okay it still sounds good, but after a consuming about a pound of cheese, not such a good idea.

I am still enjoying the fondue here, but not so much five minutes later. And now we are dreading finishing the leftovers. Tastes great though. I made* the fondue at our apart-hotel at a small fraction of the cost of ordering restraint fondue. By made* I mean a bought a sack of fondue at the market, heated it in the microwave, and dumped the melty cheese goodness into a bowl.

Geneva

2009-08-24T10:10:00.001-07:00

The Mercer 2009 survey ranked Geneva to have the third-highest quality of life in the world (behind Vienna and Zurich). Geneva is the most expensive city in Switzerland- easily inferred by looking at any menu or searching the classifieds for an apartment. It has been called the world's most compact metropolis and the Peace Capital.

Derek and I spent Sunday walking around Geneva. We took the bus and tram to the city centre and walked to the lake to enjoy watching the Jet d'Eau while lounging on a park bench. The day started out a bit hazy, but by afternoon the sky had cleared enough to see My. Blanc in the distance behind the Jet.

Derek at Jet d'Eau. Yes there are mountains back there too.

Geneva

We have photos of me stopping at the fountains on every outing we make. Most of the water is potable, so I like to fill our bottles, wash hands, and get a drink at each of the sculptural fountains. On really hot days, the stone also provides a cool place to sit.

Fountain in Geneva.

Old cannons

Geneva Cathedral

At multiple locations throughout the city, there are commemoration exhibits for the 500th birthday of John Calvin, like his chair on display at the Geneva Cathedral. Other forms of commemoration include Calvinus beer and stressing the contributions of his "reformed Reformation" on banking.

Also visible throughout the city: puzzle pieces, like Chicago cows on parade (or DeKalb Huskies...)

Swiss flags and Geneva flags

After wandering through several areas of the city, having a picnic of bread and cheese, and browsing through a Sunday market, we decided to walk along the lake to enjoy the view of Mt. Blanc emerging from the haze.

Looking at Mt. Blanc (the snow caps) across the lake.

Each time I have been to the city, there has been no shortage of sun bathers and swimmers enjoying the summer weather and clean water. The city is full of parks and gardens and beaches to relax and cool off.

Lake Geneva

Along the lakefront, we also stopped at the History of Science Museum which is in an old mansion filled with beautifully crafted scientific tools and equipment.

Poster for current exhibition on hydro-technology.
*56% of Switzerland's electricity comes from hydroelectric power.

Museum interior

Telescope

Our legs were finally tired, and even had a head start from hiking the day before. We found some ice cream and headed back to the countryside for another apartment viewing...maybe this will be the one.

A warm week and Saturday hike in Chamonix

2009-08-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

Alpine view hiking in Chamonix

This past week has been pretty warm. I have been swimming to keep cool. We also had several apartment visits, but are still looking for the right place.

Today was a cooler, pleasant day, so we drove to Chamonix and spent the day meandering through the town and hiking up the mountains. Chamonix is an hour on the highway from our apart-hotel. It is a bustling ski town with tons to do and lots of windows to look into at sausages, sky supplies, and sweets. We joined the crowds of tourists wandering through the town streets, but really enjoyed heading up the mountains on the steep, quiet trails, in the refreshing mountain air. It was a great day and the first Alpine challenge for our legs.

Chamonix

Chamonix

Trail

Trail with a view

Derek enjoying the breathtaking view of Mt. Blanc

Kim climbing some boulders over a little stream

Resting in town after the hike before returning for the evening

Lausanne, Ouchy, and Rolle (Vaud)

2009-08-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

For a relaxing Sunday afternoon, Derek and I drove up to Lausanne. We picked up a few provisions at the local Migros (including spicy Dijon mustard and blackberries) and had a picnic along the lake (Lake Geneva). We spent some time walking along the water to find a quite place to swim and rest on the rocks in the sun.

Lausanne

Waterfront sculpture between Lausanne and Ouchy

I enjoy all the eau potable fountains throughout the region.

We made a stop at the Olympic Museum, but we are waiting for the rainy season before we start indoor touring. The museum has markers to awe at the highest high jump and pole vault, and shot puts that are barely liftable.

Musee Olympique, Lausanne

Derek on the podium above the Olympic flame, Lausanne

One of many Olympic tribute sculptures

Cyclists on the Olympic rings

After spending most of the day in Lausanne, we began the drive back along the lake stopping where something caught our attention. We visited Rolle, since we saw a huge castle from the road.

The Chateau de Rolle, dating from the 13th century. I couldn't get far enough away from it to fit more into the photo, so here is one of 4 turrets.

A borrowed aerial view of the chateau.

Swiss flag at the chateau.

There was a boat race or had been a boat race, or maybe something like that had recently finished in Rolle. I liked the poster (actually all the posters/Swiss design all over is really cool).

Boating poster

Rolle, Vaud

A relaxing/exhausting weekend. We are just about ready to turn in for the evening after some ice cream.

Annacy on a hot day

2009-08-16T00:03:00.001-07:00

Swan dive

Yesterday, a hot Saturday, Derek and I drove down to Annecy with Tim. Annecy is a great place to be in August, avoiding the heat of the cities by swimming in the lake, surrounded by mountains. The town is less than an hour on a new tollway from our apartment to parked and in the water. The only cost is the 5.50 € toll in each direction!

Annecy, France

Canal, Annecy

Canal, Annecy

Canal, Annecy

Boats in the canal

Boats on the lake

We spent a little time walking along the lake and along the canal before stopping in the shade for a picnic of mustard and cheese sandwiches and pears. We didn't last long walking before we needed to be swimming.

Swimming between the slopes

Swimming in the lake is like swimming in a giant bottle of Evian water (Evian, the town is not too far from here either). We swam three separate times during the afternoon between sunbathing and eating gelato along the canal, and before we knew it it was already after 6 pm - time to return for a cookout (burgers, potato salad, chips and dip, blueberry pie and peach cobbler, even cheddar cheese, all American style) hosted by new friends in a beautiful home in Sergy.