37 weeks in Geneva.

 

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we were supposed to have our 37 week appointment with our doctor in Geneva on Friday, but it was cancelled because one of our doctor's other patients went into labor. Unfortunately, (or maybe actually fortunately), we didn't get the message before showing up, so we ended up spending the day in Geneva regardless.

 

{Christian Louboutin}

 

Despite still being a little warm for my taste for the end of September, (it went up to just about 80 F), we had a gorgeous day to window shop... 

 

{37 weeks and a day}

 

...and to take our usual bump pictures at Jet d'eau.

 

 

Being a Friday we were also able to check out the wares at the weekly Friday Book Market in Place de la Fusterie...

 

 

...where I found one of my favorites, "Nadja" by Andre Breton.

 

 

Ever on the hunt for new places to eat in Geneva (that don't require a bank loan or the promise of our first born child as payment), we decided on a pizza place in Place du Molard called "Molino." It wasn't as good as our favorite spot by Gare Cornavin, and it was a little more expensive, but the taste combined with the atmosphere and people watching made it worth it. We will definitely return here for lunch in the future.  

 

{Rebels}

 

 

Another reason why we'll be back? Real Italian espresso. When we first moved abroad I had these envisions of the most amazing coffee I'd ever have, all the time. Not always the case in France or Switzerland, especially when it comes to espresso. Doc is especially a bit of an espresso snob, and had high hopes for what was to come when he heard our waiter speaking to other patrons in Italian. He was not left disappointed.  

 

{Les Genevois}

 

 

And in case you were wondering just how expensive eating at a restaurant in Geneva really is, here's a snapshot of a bar menu. Yes, a BAR menu. That Club Sandwich costs the same as the pizza I ate just a few doors away.

 

 

Oh Louis Vuitton, you always have the keys to my heart, especially when you start detailing your bags and hard case luggage with Swiss flags and the Geneva canton shield.

 

 

After a little bit of final shopping for Homekid at Zara (seriously how cute are the items in the Zara Mini collection?!) I was totally pooped and ready for some Netflix and pyjamas. It's hard for me to believe that we're coming to the end of this journey - the end for bump pictures, the end for trying to make non-maternity clothes work, the end of my feet swelling up after being on me feet for an hour...but I'm also so looking forward to meeting this little one, who already seems to me to be a total goofball like his/her parents. I'm also looking forward to being able to return to my active self, indulge in a glass of wine over lunch in Place du Molard, and being able to walk up stairs without feeling short of breathe. It's just hard for me to fathom that I could literally go into labor tonight, or not for 2-4 more weeks. I just hope that whenever Homekid decides to arrive that it's after a good night's sleep. Is that too much to ask?

 

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey  



Espresso in Pisa.

I had the best table in the house for espresso the other morning...

All pictures taken with my phone from the table...

...not too shabby a way to start the day if you ask me.

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey

Avalanche warning at Mont Blanc/Monte Bianco.

It's hard for me to believe that this was just this past Saturday morning! We left about 6:30 am from our little part of France to head to Italy via the Mont Blanc/Monte Bianco tunnel. I was really excited about this part because it's such a beautiful ride and I know that there's an amazing espresso place  just waiting on the other side of the tunnel...

Those of you who follow the blog's Facebook page may already know how this story goes, but for those of you who don't, we were met with a little bit of a surprise at about 1500 m...

...in the form of an avalanche warning.

Which was really good since we were locked in traffic with nowhere to go forwards or backwards...So what did we do?

We had an avalanche picnic!

Complete with coffee, a baguette, some onion and chive spread, clementines, and chocolate. Not like this part was a major surprise, because I always bring snacks. (I'm an angry hungry person.)

About 45 minutes or so later the warning was lifted and we started moving up the mountain again...

...and through the tunnel...

...to where there was a delicious cup of espresso waiting for us in Courmayeur, Italy.

En fin.

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey

'Merican moment.

Taking a tiny break from what is Wanderlust Week to pay a little homage. Doc got back from his 10 day work trip to Chicago yesterday, (Sidenote: his bags were lost for the second time with a transatlantic flight in the last 3 weeks, but that's another story. FACT: It ain't easy being a sherpa.), and he did indeed come back with some goodies from Star Lounge (subject of an Ode to segment shortly before we moved abroad) in the form of not one pound of whole coffee beans, but two. (French traduction: Almost 1 kilo of whole grain coffee beans!)

He must have seen the threat on the Facebook page for the blog.

I'll be spending the day at home today getting packed and making chocolate chip cookies for our road trip to Italy tomorrow (!!!), so obviously the percolator is on the stove on repeat with some of the amazing beans that he brought back from one of the best coffee shops on the planet.

This got me to thinking: man, do I miss good coffee.

When we were first getting ready to move over here everyone said to us, "Oh the cheese, oh the chocolate, oh the coffee!" Pfft. No, not the coffee. Don't get me wrong, I love me some french coffee, it's just not coffee to me. It's espresso. In a teeny tiny cup. Or it's a (delicious)  renverse/latte/cappucino type thing. (This being said, I plan on drinking my weight in Italian espresso starting tomorrow, but in my mind Italian espresso > French espresso any day of the week.) Maybe it's just the 'Merican in me, but there's something to be said for a really good (or several) cup of jo in your favorite big mug, am I right?

{Dear Bialetti, we love you, but sometimes we want more than three cups of coffee without getting the shakes! Bisous, Les Duggans}

Teeny tiny. But adorable. Like a puppy I'm waiting to grow into a 250 lb. St. Bernard named Bruno IV.

And I know I've gotten on my francophile high horse in the past about certain things, like how cheese, dried meats, confiture, baguettes/bread in general and chocolate are forever ruined for us after having lived here, but for now I think it's time to give credit where credit is due: people in the United States know how to make a damn good cup of coffee.

{Gratuitous flea market find photo!}

And with that, I'm off to pack.

And as always, if you have any suggestions for Pisa, Cinque Terre, Lucca, Florence, and other places day trippable from Pisa, please share, the best suggestions have always been the ones from friends!

Ciao! Talk to you all from Italy! Think good thoughts to the road trip travel Gods for us!

A la prochaine friends...

 

Honey