15-17 janvier 2024
We left New York on Monday, after we celebrated the marriage of Tamar and Jacob, a wedding we did not want to miss.
After packing up NYC, repacking in Tenafly, NJ at Rena’s house (thank you so much, dear Rena), we flew JFK-Amsterdam-Geneva. On the Geneva flight, early Tuesday morning, I was happy to have a window seat as I waited for the flat land, coated with patches of snow, to become hilly, with valleys and then mountainous. This is where snow belongs in wintertime. Closer to Lake Geneva, also known as Lac Léman, no snow, just beautifully manicured acres of farmland, and then, just beyond the crescent-shaped lake, tall, snow covered mountains appear.
When I see the green pastures, all I can think about is that this region is filled with dairy farms and we will have an over abundance of raclette and fondue over the next ten weeks.
The plane glides along the calm lake, descending; it must not be too cold because boats are still docked along the way and surrounding the lake the valley is very flat and green. We landed and were met by Jean, who manages our rental apartment. Not only did he pick us up at the airport, but he had a loaf of bread, charcuterie platter and a bottle of wine for us at arrival.
17 janvier 2024
This morning, Jean delivered a Nespresso machine, croissants and his “extra” car which we certainly do not “need,” although, it came in quite handy today. Unfortunately, we awoke to rain (which we hope is snow on the top of the mountain) so we did not ski. Instead, and exhausted from travel and jet lag, we slept in, went to a big supermarket and stayed in until dinner.
The apartment is spacious with a nice living space, primary bedroom, loft for guests and one large bathroom. There are so many dishes that I feel like I am in a kosher home (nope) but surely a lot of cooking and entertaining has happened here. The owner is from Italy so there are both French and Italian accents throughout. I must comment on the exterior. Well, the entire town’s look is quaint Alpine village. We have seen this look in Vermont, Colorado and even Argentina but this is the real deal. Even the shutters on the windows are functional. It has always bugged me that in America, shutters are for decoration and could not possibly properly close to fit their respective windows. So I do love our apartment with all its alpine character!
Tonight, we went to a delicious restaurant with a typical Savoyardes menu: les fondues, les raclettes, les tartiflettes — and everything is made with local cheeses such as Beaufort, Tomme de Savoie, Tome des Bauges, Tomme de chèvre de Savoie and Emmental de Savoie. The charcuterie platters are also features on Savoie menus and look wonderful.
Since we are here for more than a week’s vacation (till end-March), I am pacing myself regarding the abundance of the heavy local Savoyard cuisine. And since it’s still France, I had a delicious chicken dish for dinner. France is just about the only country in which I will order chicken; they know how to prepare it, always juicy and delicious. Andy tried a glass of local Mondeuse noire, which he enjoyed; he had never heard of this grape variety but we have since learned that is is fruity, fresh, spicy with hints of cherry with strong tannins. And we will order it again! As usual, the dessert was wonderful, even its name, fôret noire, a combination of French toast with layers of chocolate, cherries and chantilly (that’s whipped cream in French). Who wants to come and visit?
More posts after we get on skis! And still more Paris posts, so stay tuned. I just wanted to let you know that we have arrived safely and that Chamonix is lovely.
À bientôt ❣️
The Innocents Abroad, 21st Century Version 