A hike up Le Parmelan

Back on May 18, yes that was nearly 3 months ago, R and I spent a spectacular day hiking up Le Parmelan, near Annecy in the Haute-Savoie. From a distance it's easy to pick out Le Parmelan from the other mountains in the area—it is massive and cliff-like. You can see its gray rock face for miles and miles away.

The summit, or la tete, of the Parmelan is 1,832m, which is over 6,000 ft. We parked at the lot near Le Petite Montoir path which we decided to take up—it's longer but not as steep as Le Grand Montoir. In total we ascended 660m which is about 2,165 ft! On a clear day the panorama from the top is impressive. Lucky for us, R and I picked a clear day with steel blue skies.

On the way down, we decided to take Le Grand Montoir—faster and much much steeper. For someone who's afraid of heights, I did pretty well, thank you very much. I also thank Le Parmelan's caretakers who put up some chains and handrails so hikers have something to hold onto to as you make your way down the steep steps and narrow ledges. Oh, we also had to climb over a few huge fallen trees that blocked the path down. In the end it was 100% worth it for the 360 degree views of the Alps, Lac Annecy, and even Mont Blanc!

The Parmelan is classified as difficile but I found it much harder to descend than to ascend. Both R and I were happy to reach the parking lot and even happier when we got home and took a nice long shower. Despite being completely sore for two days afterwards, our randonnée up Le Parmelan was easily one of my favorite days in France. Have you seen anything more ridiculously beautiful?

Au revoir la France

Just as France is feeling like home, and I've made some good friends, we are moving again to start a new adventure abroad. R has accepted a great job opportunity in NYC, and for the past few weeks we have been spring cleaning inside and outside the house, as well as finishing up some bricolage. It all feels a bit surreal really.

Au revoir la France—I arrived as a stranger and part as an admirer and friend. Re-bonjour à Boston and New York City where R and I will make our new home come June. So much to do and pack and see and eat before we skip back to the other side of the pond.

Last weekend it was sunshine and rain. Amazing meal in Annecy-le-Vieux under tree-covered terrace. Cleaning and purging stuff. Red Cross Bric & Brac. Antique cars meetup. 1922 Bugatti. Special goodbye BBQ. Champagne. Sausages. Japanese crepe-like thing that was so yummy. Seasoned sushi rice triangles. Homemade blueberry mousse Charlotte.

On Tuesday R and I spent a day hiking up the Parmelan, a steep mountain to climb. It took us 6 hours round trip—we took the Petit Montoir up, and then the Grand Montoir down. The latter was extremely steep in many places, so much so that I had to hold onto rails and chains that were attached to the large rocky surfaces along the route down. While descending our path was blocked at one point by several huge fallen trees. For someone who is a bit afraid of heights, I was grateful for the extra security. One of my favorite days with R and a great memory of France. I was so very sore at the end of the day and a little bit the next day, but the climb was worth it, if only for the stunning views of the Alps, Juras, and Lac Annecy.

Hiking Le Vuache, on my birthday

This morning the late winter sun rose again on another February 13th, and I turned one year older. In Boston, I usually spend birthdays with family and friends—and sometimes not just one birthday celebration but one spread across several weekends with different friends. This happened last year. I felt lucky because some years, my birthday plans are foiled due to pesky Noreasters and blizzards! But this year, there is little to no snowfall in my part of the Juras. Instead of spending my birthday indoors, R and I got a little closer to nature with some new friends.

We met at the church at Chaumont, next to the mairie. I could tell this was going to be a great hike...because the starting point of Chaumont is just beautiful, with old farmhouses, a very quaint centre-ville composed of one main street basically, and views of the château ruins atop the highest point of Chaumont. Our group of fifteen (including me and R) were composed of expats from different countries around the world. We already knew a few Dutch friends, and quite coincidentally, there was a Scottish woman there who was also in R's softball league years ago. But for the most part, the rest were complete strangers, but not for long. During the day, each of us took turns leading the group. I started conversations with a good number of people who were hiking alongside me at different points of the trail, meeting a Norwegian (this time I knew a bit more about Norway), two Turkish, a Peruvian, a Hungarian-German, a Malaysian, a Scot, a true Genevoise (born and raised), and a few Swiss Germans. 

Chateau d'Oex Balloon Festival

On Balloon Sunday R and I awoke to gray overcast skies with plenty of fog. Not a good sign for the 9th and last day of the 33rd annual Chateau d'Oex hot air balloon festival. Despite the real chance that balloon flights would be canceled due to clouds and wind, we took our chances and hoped the weather would improve in a few hours.

Let it snow!

We arrived home to snow, lots of it! And temps in the minuses, Celsius that is! But still it was très cold. Mais très jolie, non?

Pictures taken on Dec 3 and 4th..starting with this one taken from the kitchen of the landscaping in front of the house and in front of the driveway. Today, the rain has washed away some of it, so I'm glad I took the pictures when the snow was still pristine and soft.


Photo of Le Sorgia, part of the Jura mountain chain in front of our house.


Views from Le Plateau de la Retord, with nordic skiers and snowshoers in the distance. R and I took a while, enjoying the beauty, the crisp blues of the skies overhead, and the powder white snow all around.


A view of the Mont Blanc on a clear day from Le Retord. I live at the foothill of Le Sorgia which is the mountain on the left side. Le Sorgia is 1600m, or 5200 feet high. On the other hand, Le Retord is still high but only 1200m, or close to 4000 ft. I was hoping to see animal tracks in the snow, but alas, I saw nothing but then again, we didn't go too deep in because the snow was so deep. But on the way home from Maastricht, we saw a fox in the median alongside the autoroute. He looked at us, then went back to doing whatever he was doing there. R says that sangliers or wild boars who live in the forests will start coming down to our village soon seeking warmer pastures and food!

Spelunking is NOT a stroll in the park

Gray skies and light rains lasted throughout the day but it didn't keep us inside. First, a quick stop at the dechetterie to drop off our recycles and yard waste. Next, a visit to Ville's school where the kiddies were having a fundraiser and selling freshly pressed apple cider and tarte aux pommes - yumm! Then, a stop at Bellegarde's mushroom "expo". It was a tiny expo, but to our delight, the hosts were really nice and they baked 5 different savory "cakes" with different mushrooms in them. We ate the "cakes" with homemade alcohol made with local ingredients - one was made from sage; another from basil; another from a local berry.

After Skyping with May and the boys, R and I got ready for our big adventure of the day. This summer, when there was an open day for the local clubs in Bellegarde, R and I met the speleo club and told them we'd be interested in their "initiation" day.

So today was it! At the beginning of the week, the club sent us a really simple email. Dress warmly in layers in clothes you don't mind being totally dirtied; bring water & snacks; wear boots; bring rubber kitchen gloves. Thinking it was an initiation day, we expected a fairly easy expedition for novices...maybe a bit physical but nothing crazy!

We drove to the meeting place which was a parking area by the side of road next to a big mountain. At the location, we met the group (10 in total including us; 5 experts; 5 newbies like us) and had to pay for insurance (12CHF for both of us which is freaking ridiculously cheap) and sign in case something happened to us. To prepare for our expedition, we donned knee high rubber boots and helmets with lights (grace au club). Then we started walking to our entrance - within minutes, we stopped. I was puzzled because I didn't see any entrance to our grotte Felicite which means happiness in French.

The guides were pointing at a small hole in the mountain which was 2 feet in diameter (or slightly less). We had reached our entrance into the grotte - my first thought? Sh**!!!! What have I gotten myself into. Did I mention I've had nightmares where I've had to crawl into tiny holes which seem too small to fit me but then it does.

But I was there, so I was going to do it! One by one, we got on all fours and slid in head first because the hole was so low and narrow. R went ahead of me, barely fitting through because it was a small hole but also because we had on so many layers. When it was my turn, I took a deep breath and went in, feeling a bit like Alice in Wonderland, not knowing what to expect inside.

How do I describe the descent and the spelunking expedition? It was dark, cold enough inside so we could see our breaths, and after crawling into the hole, we descended down it pretty fast into a small landing with a pool of water a few inches deep. And then we sort of walked down a little bit, noticing that the ceiling got lower and lower as the cave walls got narrower and narrower.

In many places it was so narrow and the cave ceiling so low, we had to crawl on our stomaches; in a few places, it was too low to really crawl so we had to drag our selves with our arms through sand, stone, pebbles and pretty F****** cold water to get to the other side.

It was a long meandering expedition and I for one didn't know how long it was..just knew it would take 3 hours to do. Dowwwwwnnnnnnn and then Uppppppppppp we went. We navigated deep pools of water (deep enough we were advised to not step into it) so we had use the sides of the cave to navigate across the water. Thank god there were ropes at the very dangerous points. But every step was made judiciously because some places were super high and it was also pretty slippery (thank goodness for the rubber boots and rubber gloves, which are now totally shredded). I don't have claustrophobia but there was a point towards the end where I would have given anything to emerge outside - but then I learned we had to crawl back out the same way we went in!

The whole time, I continued, sometimes stopped to take a look around..and then we had to move forward again. It was SO COOL - being inside the belly of a mountain. We saw cool stalactites, the ones that hang down like icicles. It was a real physical and mental challenge but it was such good fun...and I'm so happy I did it but if I had known what I was getting myself into, there would have been NO WAY I could have done it.

I'm now sitting in my PJS, all warm and clean after having taken one of the BEST showers in my life. The endorphins are rushing through my body! Despite the bruises, and the aching muscles, I'm so happy for the experience and surprised I was not really afraid or lose my sh** at the scary parts.

This is what I love about France - or about the French countryside. Everyone is really gracious and ready to share their knowledge and passion! The guides were great and so helpful at the points where I needed help navigating. Even though it's only 36Euro a year to join the speleo club, I'm pretty sure I'm not signing up anymore for these type of spelunking expeditions (considering the one we did today was for debutantes). I'll post pics when the members send them to me!

Walking in the woods

I should be reading about Service Operation for my ITIL certification exam - but I'm taking a break. Take a break with me...photos from Friday's outing with the local mycologie club.

Non-edible and toxic mushrooms! Please, please do not collect and eat any wild mushrooms before very, very careful identification. I don't eat any mushrooms unless they have been identified by the local mushroom expert and 3 other members of the club.

Two kinds of edible mushrooms (cep de Bordeaux, chanterelles-en-tube); marasmus oreades, quinces and sage from the garden.

The wild mushrooms I found with the club on Friday are a total taste explosion! For the chanterelles-en-tube, a quick saute in beurre, sea salt, then folded into an airy omelet. The porcinis (known locally as cep de Bordeaux)? Sauteed with fresh thyme, bay leaf, sea salt, pepper and spooned onto slices of whole wheat French bread. MON DIEU.

Photos from Land Art - an art exhibit using things found in nature:

Photo from monastery/church in Bourg-en-Bresse. We were on our way to Beaujolais but the rain came on strong so we decided to take refuge by walking through the grand church in Bourg built by Marguerite de Autriche.

August 22 harvest and food, food, more food!

Yesterday was a good day. Before R and I drove to Lausanne, a French-speaking Swiss city north of Geneva, I had the best omelette I have ever had. On Friday, at R's invitation, our neighbor Pierre came over to pick the mushrooms in our backyard. And yesterday morning, his wife Denise made the omelette below using eggs from the chickens that they keep! The mushrooms were tiny, but full of flavor and this is a taste memory that will last a lifetime for me. Mmmm.


Pierre and Denise's chickens and rabbits - the eggs came from these chickens, which ones exactly, I don't know! The big breeder rabbit is going to have a new litter in a few days and I can't wait to go over there and meet the new bunnies.


It's been a strange, wet month...but now the sun is out and my garden is thriving. The past week, I've been harvesting 5 tomatoes daily; smaller in size than the ones you may find at the market, but these ones taste so much juicier and full of tomato goodness. Yesterday I harvested another monster zucchini, or courgette in French.

To combat the heat today, I decided to make something fresh and healthy using ingredients picked fresh from the garden: Vietnamese summer rolls with peanut sauce. Everything you see on the plate was picked this morning (except for the store bought red peppers and carrots): garden lettuce, mint, baby tendrils of cilantro, tomatoes, 1 lonely baby beet with beet greens, and zucchini.


With so much zucchini, I wondered what I could make. After a quick Google search, I found a great recipe for Korean zucchini pancakes, or Pa Jeon. Has anyone made these before? Looks simple enough...if only I could also have Korean BBQ and all the side dishes with it too.

Yesterday, before driving to Lausanne, R and I stopped at Mekong Market at Ferney-Voltaire so I could stock up on a few Asian staples. I got nori, pho paste, cha lua, rice flour, and tapioca starch to make Bánh Cuốn, steamed Vietnamese rice rolls with pork sausage.

I also got some nems, yellow mung mean cakes, sate paste (to make satay skewers), and a Chinese pork bun with Chinese sausage, egg, and pork in it.

And finally a view of the mountains from a skylight in my bedroom - the mountains you see are the Juras, a chain of mountains that are older than the Alps but much lower. They run from this area all the way to Basel, Switzerland, which is near Germany. I often hear and see cows grazing on grass on these meadows between our house and the mountains.

Photo catchup

Photos from the past week. My friend J posing by le Valserine et Rhone with a box of petit French pastries. She didn't pose long...we pretty much finished it all in under ten minutes.




Standing on Mount Saleve with amazing views of Geneva below. We got lucky and captured a paraglider in the background. I would love to do it one day, when I can get over my fear of heights. I parasailed in Thailand and wasn't scared. It was so cool to watch the takeoffs and see them playing with the wind. Even though I can learn to steer and control how rapidly I descend, my fear of heights makes me hesitate. But perhaps next year.



The next few pictures are of Nyon, Switzerland.




Seyssel and Aix-les-Bains. Bought some guimauve framboise (housemade raspberry marshmallow) and brownies. The "brownies" in France taste like chocolate cake rather than the deep, chocolately, fudgey brownies I know and love. According to David Lebowitz (Chez Panisse's former pastry chef who now lives and bakes in France, it's because the French flour is more like cake flour than all purpose flour).






At the Fête des bucherons

Saleve and Aix-les-Bains

It's been cool here the past week, a welcome respite from the heat. Tonight R and I stopped by the neighbors' house to have an apero. R has known them for so long that neither an invite nor a call is necessary, even though we haven't stopped by their house in almost 3 weeks. Like always, neighbor P brings out a bottle of something (which he generally has made himself) and we have to guess what it's made from. Tonight, we drank a dark caramel wine called muskat that the neighbor had bought in Spain. It was quite yummy but I had to dilute it with water and even then, it was still quite strong.

A few exciting events marked this past week
On Friday I finished my first week of the 2nd session of French classes. R is not taking this session. Now that I have my resident permit sticker, I'm taking the train into Geneva everyday. The ride from my town into the center of Geneva takes 25 mins; if I catch the 8:04h train I'm in Geneva at 8:26h. The train is silent, comfortable, with bathrooms in each car. The only downside is that they don't sell food for such a short ride.

My classes are going well—I tested in B22 but after 2 days, I decided to change into a lower level class, B17, where I could learn more grammar. Every night my head is filled to the brim with new vocabulary, grammar, French songs, French idioms. Tonight I had a lot of homework, so I did it on the train ride home but on most days, I just sit back and look at the landscape past by.

After class on Friday, I hurried home to see my friend J who was visiting for a day. The visit was too short, but the weather cooperated and we had a great Friday and Saturday together. It was so cool to see her in my house in France. Now she knows exactly where I cook, sleep, and garden. She's my first visitor from Boston, and she even brought some pieces of Boston with her. Namely, my mail, a jar of peanut butter, and a can of baking powder. Before I arrived R had given her the grand tour of the house. When I got home, we immediately started talking about what to make for dinner and decided on a BBQ and Vietnamese summer rolls, one of our favorite foods to eat. Cooking together again reminded me of all the times we had in Boston.

On Saturday morning R and I took J to Mount Saleve, a French mountain overlooking Geneva. From the peak, there are stunning views of the city and jet d'eau. We drove up to the peak but another cool option is the Teleriphique cable car. In retrospect driving up was a great idea since the cable car is super steep and neither J or I like heights much. Saleve is a really popular place for paragliders—apparently, people from all over Europe come to Saleve to paraglide. After Saleve we drove to Nyon, a beautiful town on Lac Leman. R and I had driven by it many times, but this was the first time we had stopped to really walk around in it. J's husband's company is opening an office in Nyon and it would be really great if they could move here. But in reality if Julia and Mike move back to Europe, they would probably move closer to Germany where her family and friends live. After a nice afternoon in Nyon, we said our goodbyes at the train station and she was on her way back to Germany. I held in the tears until after she boarded and got a seat. I love hellos but I'm not so good at goodbyes. I have to plan a trip back to Boston soon.

Sunday turned out to be beautiful too. Back home in Boston, I had a huge framed print of Aix-les-bains and on Sunday, we drove there, stopping at several towns on the way. It was a bit surreal...I've always wondered what the place looked like..and yesterday, we had dinner there. Aix has a beautiful lake framed by cascading mountains—the farther the mountain, the darker it is. I'm not sure my camera did Aix justice, but I will try to post the pics tomorrow night.

Fort l'Ecluse: Archery..then 1165 steps to the very top

As the heat subsided this afternoon R and I returned to Fort l'Ecluse, a fort set dramatically in the steep cliff mountainside nearby. By the time we got there, the winds had picked up, and the Via Ferrata was closed to newcomers. I breathed easier knowing I wouldn't have to ascend today. Hoping to summon up some courage one day soon to attempt it.

At the Archery zone, R and I queue up to try our hand at archery. We watch members of the local archery club demonstrate how to use the different bows and arrows and teach people how to stand and hold the different bows. What is the correct stance? Elbows are 90 degrees to your body and your right hand is resting squarely below your right cheek bone. See pictures below. R and I both do well—with most of our arrows landing in the red zone. On my last try, I score big with the arrow landing in the yellow inner circle. 

More on the fort: there's a lower fort and an upper fort and 1165 steps up to the very top. Your reward? A fantastic view of the valley and the Rhone below and on a clear day, you can see out for kilometers. The lower fort is connected to the upper fort via tunnels and terraces. On the climb up we passed lots of rooms and corridors that led to probably more rooms. I stopped a few times to catch my breath as it was a super steep climb, much steeper and longer than the Bunker Hill Monument and maybe the Statue of Liberty climb too (which I did with my sister many years ago).

We're now parked on the sofa with a John Wayne WWII movie after a dinner of homemade pork dumplings and Vietnamese summer rolls. Did I mention that I'm growing coriander, mint, and ciboulette (chives) now?

Above the clouds on Crêt de la Goutte

Yesterday R and I worked on the driveway again in the morning. As the forecast predicted a beautiful day...we decided to take advantage of the wonderful weather with a hike up the mountains nearby. A quick drive led us to a little parking area at 1400m. R normally parks the car at 1100m and does a longer walk, but yesterday, my thighs/hamstrings were already sore after squatting for hours weeding the driveway. Thus we parked at 1400m and took a small forest trail that led us to a large clearing which opened into a field of pretty cows grazing on the mountainside. There must have been 50 cows up there. Minutes after our arrival, R and I spot an old fox high up who tears down the mountain, dashing into the field of cows and quickly disappearing into them. By the time we make it to the cows, the fox is long gone.

We planned to hike up to the highest point, Grand Crêt d'Eau, a summit which promised a spectacular 360 degree panoramic view of L'Ain and Haute Savoie. We started up 2 peaks, and did not find our peak. In the end, we ascended the highest point we found, Le Crêt de la Goutte. Huffing and puffing up the steep part of the hike, I stopped to take pictures and make the following observations. 

On La Poste and motorcycle riding

Clouds hung overhead as R and I made our way to La Poste today on the motorcycle. La Poste, or the French postal system is more than just a post office. Not only can you buy those pretty French stamps and send letters and packages, but you can also make copies and do your banking there too. The reason for today's visit was official—I have a long stay visa (visa de long sejour) that entitles me to stay in France for a year. However, such a visa is only valid if OFII (Office Francaise de l'Immigration et de l'Integration) grants me a residency permit. 

Which leads me to La Poste. I'm here to make copies of my passport, French Visa, and the passport page displaying my entry stamp into France. The cost for copies and mailing the OFII form: 5€ by registered mail to the local OFII office in Bourg-en-Bresse.

At La Poste, we queued behind a long but orderly line. La Poste was extremely efficient—while two tellers at les guichets were helping people, an additional two employees were roaming about, answering questions for people in line and directing them to the automatic stamp dispensing machines. I've read about the French way of cutting the line. Was that in David Sedaris' book "Me Talk Pretty One Day" or was it in the "Sweet Life in Paris?" by David Lebovitz. This time I didn't see any of that...perhaps that only happens in Paris or bigger cities, but not in a small town like mine.

Now that I've sent in my form, the waiting begins. OFII will contact me in two to three months for an interview and medical exam which will take place at Bourg. At that interview, I'll need to produce additional documentation/proofs of identify, and pay a tax/processing fee before receiving my residency permit.

After La Poste, we continued to the bank but forgot it was closed Mondays. With the sun now out, and the temperature in the low 60s, we sat outside, sharing the small lunch I had prepared. Food tastes better when eaten outside with your fingers and with the one you love. We shared a baguette with pâté du canard and terrine du porc; an apple; smoked almonds from Mom; and milk chocolate with hazelnuts/raisins.

As R and I are going to our friends' wedding next weekend, we drove vers Annecy to purchase R's early birthday gift from me—a TomTom, good for this trip and others I hope we would take together this summer.

On motorcycles. My first time riding on a motorcycle was in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I rode behind my uncle and it totally freaked me out as the traffic in HCM is intimidating (kind of an understatement). Bikers, motorcycles, trucks, cars all move together in total chaos—there are no marked lanes, and traffic moves in all directions.

Even though R is a very careful and good driver, I felt pretty nervous on the motorcycle the first few times. Now that I'm more comfortable, I've learned to lean into turns with him, sit so my helmet does not knock into his, and hold onto my handbar firmly without overstraining or gripping too hard. R and I have signals to indicate 1) something pretty to see 2) if I need to reposition my weight 3) if I want to stop for a minute 4) when going over big speed bumps. My behind is a little sore now after today's long ride. But it was so worth it—I like the thrill of the ride and the 360 degree view of nature around us. We drove through beautiful countryside, up and down mountainsides overlooking farms with cows resting under trees. At some point, we saw free range chickens roaming next to the side of the road. I always knew whenever we were approaching a farm—I smelled cowpies as we approached the farms!

Since we were so close to Annecy, we took the motorcycle to Lac Annecy. Picture a lake set at the base of the Alps with sharp peaks reaching out to the sky, some with snow still on them. Imagine living here —skiing in winter, watersports in warmer months, and hiking all year long. Annecy has been called the Venice of France due to the many canals in the city center. Even though I am in France, I still had a craving for rice, so R and I had a nice sushi dinner in a cute modern sushi bar (run by Chinese people). We were happily surprised by the quality, portion, and the cost 20€ (for a big plate of sushi with miso soup and salad).

Returning home, we found our vegetable garden had been tilled during our daytrip. Tomorrow's plan: plant our veggies, stop at neighbor P's to thank him for tilling the veggie garden, and then head to Geneva. While R meets with former colleagues, I'll look for a Swiss mobile phone and tour the University of Geneva (UNIGE) where I may be taking French classes this summer.

Springing forward

Spring is in full bloom in our mountainside. I just missed the cherry trees blossoming, but everywhere around us, plants and animals are waking from their hibernation. After many months away from R, I am so happy to be where I am right now.

For the past few days, I've been getting over jetlag and settling into my new environment. R and I visited our town's farmer's market yesterday and today we visited le mairie and strolled along the belle river walkway. Throughout the day, we spotted a woodpecker, a sleeping bat behind our shutters, large snails without shells called limas, swans, and creamy cows grazing across the meadow. At the nursery we looked for plants and seeds and came home with strawberry, tomato, eggplant, zucchini, lettuce plants; raspberry and groseille bushes; and seeds for beets, leeks, basil, coriander, mesclun, green onions, and bell pepper. Still looking for mint. Looking forward to doing some planting tomorrow!