Time is relative in France.

Le sigh. You'd think that after almost five years this wouldn't be a surprise to us. How many times have we found that the TPG Y bus schedule is merely a "suggestion of time" for departure and arrival? Or that time Carrefour wouldn't let me in 20 minutes before closing (until I yelled "toilet papier!" at the security guard)? Or the fact that the one bar within a 2 mile radius of us is open in the morning but not the afternoon or evening. And how many times have we showed up to the St. Jean de Gonville Christmas market at the specified open time to find it closed...

...twice, the answer is twice. 

That's not entirely true, but mostly true. Last year we walked on a very cold night to find out that our efforts were for naught, and they were closing up shop before the time listed online. We thought there was no way this could happen again...right? 

We didn't get there incredibly early, Oswin's nap and lunch schedule wouldn't allow that. But we got there before 4:00 PM. The website for the city said that the market would be open from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Well surprise surprise, the whole market was packed up when we arrived, and looked like it had been for a little while...everything that is, except the buvette. 

No surprise there. 

So, we did what any self-respecting Christmas market goer would do: "deux vin chaud, si vous plait." 

I was happy to find that we weren't the only people to show up to a closed market. About 20 or so more people showed up after us, all French, so I felt much better about having missed this Christmas market for the second year in a row. 

I was also happy to see that upon finding the market closed, they also turned to vin chaud at the buvette. Maybe we fit in here better than I sometimes think...

The moral of the story here? As I mentioned in my European Christmas Guide, this market, and some of the smaller markets, are not ones to plan vacations or big trip around. They are small, locally run, and as a result, will sometimes change their posted schedule as they see fit. It was a shame that we missed this market again, despite our best efforts, but had we actually traveled to go to this market it would have been far more disappointing.  

At the least the vin chaud was really good. 

We're heading to Thoiry's Christmas Market shortly, and I'm hoping to find that it is indeed open and stock piled full of great little holiday goodies. Bon courage a nous!

A la prochaine friends...

Honey 

'Tis the season for European Christmas Markets

There isn't anything cozier or more Christmas-y in my mind than a good European Christmas Market. The cold air hitting your cheeks, the uneven cobblestone streets that always seem to be wet, the smell of spaetzel or raclette at a nearby stand...and of course a cup of gluhwein or cocoa to stave off the chill. We've had a good run at the Christmas markets on this side of the pond over the years, and I'm excited to see what new gems we can find this year. 

Not all will be new of course. In fact, most will not. As much as it's nice to discover new and exciting Christmas markets, it's also nice to visit some old favorites. Some are small, quaint and local, others require a passport a full tank of gas, and a Czech polka cd for the ride. This weekend kicks off the season for us with a market in the nearby town of St. Jean de Gonville, a market we haven't been to in a few years. Last time we went to this market there were handmade ornaments, roasted chestnuts served in newspaper (really that's the only way to eat roasted chestnuts, in my humble opinion), a buvette serving vin chaud, activities like basket weaving for the kids, and Christmas trees for sale. Dan carried our tree home on his shoulder well over a mile from that market in the freezing cold, and that made us love that little tree all the more. That is also where I mistakenly took a sample of pate thinking it was peanut butter, and had to force myself to eat it so as to not insult the purveyor. Talk about a rookie expat mistake! 

We're also gearing up for a little road trip next week, one that the mere thought of makes me giddy and causes me to dance around the house like a doofus. Yes, we're heading back to Freiburg, Germany to our favorite of all of the Christmas markets! We included Freiburg on a bit of a European Christmas Market tour last year, which included Mulhouse (France), Freiburg and Basel (Switzerland), and it was so good that returning this year was a non-negotiable for us. We've rented an apartment not far from the market, which means reprieve from the cold and a full kitchen, which we've learned to appreciate more than ever now that we're traveling with a little one. We've planned this trip to maximize not only our time at the Christmas market, but also to be able to attend Freiburg's weekly Friday Munstermarkt at the cathedral, where we had the best brats of our lives....

...because we are the Duggans and we will travel for food. 

We're hoping to hit the Basel Christmas Market on the way home, as we did last year, but omitting Mulhouse as it was a tad expensive (though the lights are amazing). The same ornaments could be purchased in Freiburg for half the price, and in some cases it was even more expensive than Basel! 

I've been a bit slow in updating the "travel" page of the blog, but I'm using my Christmas Market excitement to get going on that. There you will find, hopefully by the end of the day, a nice little guide to the European Christmas markets we've been to, as well as links to the posts from those markets. European Christmas Market one stop info at your fingertips. Hooray for technology!

What are your favorite European Christmas markets? I'd love to have some new ones to add to our wishlist!

Stay tuned for a lot more about the European Christmas Markets coming your way!

A la prochaine friends...

Honey      

Family Boulangerie Walk.

 

If you remember from way back when I was pregnant (ehem, less than 3 weeks ago that is), I loved to go on boulangerie walks with Doc...

 

 

...because what better motivation to get a pregnant woman to walk a little over two miles than to promise her buttery, sweet, nutella filled boulangerie treats?

 

 

Well today, we went on our first boulangerie walk with little Miss Oswin Jade.

 

 

We said hello to the neighbors...

 

 

...looked at the pretty leaves...

 

 

...and waved at the cows grazing on the Jura.

 

 

Ok, I did all that.

 

 

Oswin, the little bugger, slept the whole time.

 

 

Not even the smell of fresh baguettes and croissants would rouse her from her little cocoon of comfy-ness.

 

 

But that's ok, I know it's gotta be hard work being a baby.

 

 

And even harder work being a papa who takes the night shift so that mama can sleep. He really is a keeper.

 

 

How's the weekend shaping up in your neck of the woods? It's sunny and 73 degrees F today, so I'm hoping to get out for another walk to pick up some fresh cut flowers for little Miss Oswin's room...

 

 

...because all little girls should have fresh cut flowers in their room, don't you think?

 

(And I think that their mamas should as well. Hashtag that one "we deserve it." )

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey 

Will walk for baguettes.

 

 

Thank you universe! The rains that we've been promised have finally arrived, and Doc and I jumped on the opportunity to head out for an early walk this morning.

 

 

We headed out literally between raindrops, as it started pouring the moment we got back inside the house.

 

{Master Shake out for a stroll}

 

{Apple trees in a front yard}

 

One of the many things that I love about France is that rather than using ugly decorative shrubbery to adorn their lawns, French people tend to plant fruit trees, and other fruiting plants. Sometimes it's one tree, sometimes it's 10. Or maybe a big row of raspberries. Or a small personal vineyard. Or a wall of blackberries on a trellis. It's so depressing for me to walk around where my parent's live in Southern New Jersey and see every house with the same five ugly pieces of shrubbery that the landscapers put in to take up space.

 

{Assorted fruit trees leading up to a house}

 

 

But I digress. We headed up to our favorite boulangerie in St. Jean de Gonville, where we picked up some bread, croissants, and pain aux chocolat...

 

 

...and spent some time walking around town, as it's been quite awhile since I've been through there.

 

 

I can't even begin to describe how good it felt to be out and walking. I've felt so cooped up lately, being stuck in the house because of the heat, that I couldn't have cared less if it started downpouring on us while we were out...

 

{29 weeks and 6 days}

 

 

...though our baguette would have gotten a bit soggy.

 

 

I decided to go uber American style this morning as well, complete with Phillies baseball hat and my coffee to-go.

 

 

I've been obsessing lately over the fact that summer is soon ending (hooray!) and that fall is fast approaching (bigger hooray!), and I'm hoping that Doc and I can continue on these morning walks with hot apple cider in hand and bundled up in sweaters.

 

 

That is, if any of my sweaters still fit me by then...

 

 

A girl can dream, right?

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey