L'Escalade and market Sunday...

So a little over a week ago we finished out our crazy non-stop weekend with the Thoiry Sunday Market and an early afternoon trek into Geneva, Suisse for one of their biggest annual festivals, L'Escalade. The Thoiry market was chilly but beautiful that morning, and it seemed even more packed than usual.



[Cat burglarin' santa with a view...]


[Renversé et Speculoos.]

After finishing our shopping and and catching up with friends, we decided that we should go into Geneva to be a part of the L'Escalade fun, despite nearly falling asleep in our renversés that morning. I especially wanted to go since I had never seen it, whereas Dan had gone last year. So what is L'Escalade exactly? It is a weekend long festival commemorating the Swiss's ability to defend themselves from a surprise attack by the Savoie back in 1602. This defense was successful because of the smart wits of a village woman who saw Savoie offenders climbing the walls of the city, and poured the hot soup that she was making out her window onto the offenders, thereby giving the Swiss time to ready themselves...or at least, that's what I've been told. For us it means going into Geneva, being super cold, drinking delicious vin chaud and vegetable soup to keep warm, taking pictures of all of the medieval dressed folks, lots of lanterns, trying to not step in horse poo, and a bonfire in St. Pierre's Square. If you'd like to read more about L'Escalade go here.



[I have no idea what this is about...]







[Ice skating rink...]



[Yumm.]



[St. Pierre's Cathedral...]




[St. Pierre's Square and waiting for the bonfire...]


[Vin chaud...]


A good and chilly time was had by all in our group, but by the end of the night we were so tired that we were falling asleep standing up. We left a little early and were able to avoid the inevitable tram-turned-cattle-train scenario that is customary for Geneva events, had some chocolate chaud and called it a night.

A la prochain friends...

Chrismukkah tree, oh Chrismukkah tree...

The madness of our crazy busy weekend carried on into Saturday after a very late Tartiflette night (or, er, morning) on Friday. We took a nice little stroll down the mountain to grab a few things to make Chrismukkah stockings...




Then we went up the mountain to get a Chrismukkah tree and some Chrismukkah ornaments (translates to vin chaud and roasted chestnuts) at the St. Jean de Gonville Christmas market...


[I need coffee. And vin chaud.]

And on the way we ran into one of the many training schools for cat burglarin' santas...


[Quick! Hide your stuff!]

And finally, we found ourselves at the St. Jean de Gonville Christmas market...




I was hoping to borrow a child so that I could participate in the trivet basket weaving fun - but alas no children that we knew of to be found...




[Le Buvette...]


[Vin chaud happiness...]






I'm sure this newspaper has been cleared by the health department for serving food on...


It began to get dark and much colder (or maybe it was just the absence of the vin chaud in our cups), so we grabbed our tree and along with our holiday cheer, bid adieu to the St. Jean de Gonville Christmas market...


So, Dan threw said tree up on his shoulder (because he's rugged like that), and we walked the dimly lit streets of sleepy little St. Jean de Gonville towards home (He's that peacoat looking blur on the left there)...


It was chilly, and like a couple of smart kids we both had forgotten our gloves, but it was such a beautiful night for a walk on long mountain/country roads. Easy for me to say though as I wasn't the one carrying the 6 foot Chrismukkah tree...

Next up: Soupe de noel and my husband is kind of crazy (the good kind though)...

A la prochain friends...

The Ferney-Voltaire Saturday Market...

On our first full day in France, we started out at the boulangerie (bakery) for coffee and breakfast and then made our way out into the Ferney-Voltaire market which happens every Saturday.

So much fresh produce, cheeses, meats, wines - it was just so much fun!

It was a bit chilly, but a cup of vin chaud (hot mulled wine) can definitely do the trick to help keep you warm and toasty while shopping the Ferney-Voltaire market! This gentleman above served us up some vin chaud while serenading me with "America." I sure hope he's back this Saturday!