weekend survival with rocks, brooms and maps

Here's to a beautiful weekend.  I never get tired of this view, a snowy Mont Blanc from a Saint Gervais vantage point.

I learned a new joke about an obscure winter sport. Want to hear it?

How do you keep bacon from curling?    You take away their tiny, little brooms.

Cute, don't you think? If you are as unfamiliar to the sport of curling as I am, then you might enjoy my write up of the international curling competition in Les Contamines. Read it here.  You don't have to like the sport, you just hopefully have to like my pictures.

If you were bummed to arrive at the end of 30 Rock, here is an awesome infographic of nine classic jokes from the hilarious television series.

And the third thing I want to tell you about is an online map-making class taught by the lovely Anne Ditmeyer from Prêt à Voyager. I'm already registered, come join the fun and take it with me!

What would you make a map of?

3 things for a chilly fall day

When we came back from Corsica, we were greeted by a fog so thick the majority of the weekend we could hardly see across the street. The trees would peek out only occasionally.

The gloomy, grey mist and sharp cold were the perfect welcome back to fall reality.  All I wanted to do was curl up with a book on the couch, huddle under thick blankets and slurp hot soup to try to shake the chill. I guess, sometimes the best way to greet the cold weather is to simply submit to it.  The thick brume has  since left us so I'm looking forward to spending lots of time outside this weekend. No matter the weather though, I hope you find a way to keep warm this weekend!

Here are my three picks for keeping cozy:

1. Curling up with a good book -  Bringing up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, the only woman to win the Man Booker prize twice, it looks easy to get lost in the pages. On a fluffier, chick-lit note, 50 Shades of Grey has arrived in France.  Thinking I might just have to add that to my book pile, too. Have you read it?

2. Homemade soup on the stove - One of my new favorite recipes for tomato soup. If you still have a couple good tomatoes left, it's easy and delicious.

3. Bundling up with lots of layers -  Really pretty scarves keep you warmer.  It's a proven fact. I like these from fashionABLE, not only do they look good and keep your neck warm, they also help create sustainable business for women in Africa. It's a win-win.

By the way, these are not sponsored links, just things I like and couldn't help sharing.


So don't hold out on me, what are your picks for enjoying a chilly, fall weekend?

let's head for the hills

Last weekend, we decided to have breakfast at a higher altitude.  After picking up croissants from our favorite boulangerie, we high-tailed it into the hills. We opted for a short hike and decided to walk a small portion of the trek around the Mont Blanc.

Lots of hikers come through on their way around the Mont Blanc.  The trek usually takes about 7-10 days.  Although, some daredevils do it in under 24 hours but those are men and women running the UTMB, the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc and they are very much exceptional human beings. This year's race was this past weekend. It's so exciting and energizing to watch.    Anyway back to our small, small endeavor, we opted for a very short portion of the same trail.

Nature brought out the bear in Clover.  Literally.  Out of the blue, he growled at some fellow hikers that walked past us as we were taking a break and sent himself into a fit of giggles.  Well, it made the passers-by chuckle, too. Not to fear though,  should you cross this little cub in the wild, I  have on good authority that he isn't very dangerous and can be swayed into just about any activity by offering a small square of cheese or chocolate.

We were rewarded for our early morning motivation.  The sun was just peaking over the tops of the mountains when we arrived at our destination, Le Sollié, a high altitude restaurant just off the trail.  It's usually a stopping point for a refreshing perrier on the way back down from a long hike, or a sweet crêpe to give a boost for that last bit of trail.  We ordered coffee and orange juice to enjoy with our croissants and soaked up all the sunshine we could.

Outside the small chalet that houses the restaurant, there are gurgling fountains. They have rabbits that happily nibble away on grasses and a big sand box filled with toys, in other words an endless amount of things to keep a little boy occupied. They did so very successfully.  But, lunchtime and naptime were growing closer and before those things could happen, there would need to be a hike down.

A tired out Clover got a fair amount of rides on our shoulders and a well-coiffed Félix got an even better hairstyle from his new, little hairdresser.   This breakfast in the hills was a great start to our day and a wonderful start to the weekend.

How was your weekend? I hope there was sunshine involved! Maybe some croissants, too?

all lined up

What do you have lined up for the weekend?  Tonight, we're hiking up to a mountain chalet for a little authentic Savoyard dinner with friends. Saturday, we'll be running errands and Sunday looks to have some fun, low-key birthday activities.

 Clover and Félix got to spend the whole day together yesterday.  Clover is a happier boy for it.  I've already caught him twice today sneaking into the bathroom to put on some of his papa's cologne.  The other thing that he is big into right now is clomping around in Félix's boots.  

The louder he stomps, the bigger I smile. I am looking forward to spending some good, quality time with my boys this weekend. Wishing you a good weekend, too!

on the hunt

Another weekend is already upon us. Where does the time go? Tonight, we are staying in to watch les Césars, which are the French Oscars. Champagne is chilling in preparation.  On Saturday, we have dinner plans with a few other couples - very excited about that. We will be testing out a babysitter for the first time, too. Usually Félix's parents take Clover when we have a reason to go out but they are off truffle hunting this weekend, what lucky ducks!  What will you be hunting this weekend? I will be pursuing some very elusive sleep. I hope to bring down a big bear of a nap.  

Wishing you a good weekend!

weekend sunshine

The weekend is under way a little early over here. We started the morning with raspberry pancakes. I know that it's not the usual fruit of choice for pancakes but they are just a touch more tart than strawberries or blueberries. And I find it's that little bit that makes them even more delicious. What about you? What kind of berries do you go for?

The next couple of days look to be filled with lots of fun. The sun is out. The mix of snow and sunshine is hard to beat and it has me smiling and happy. I hope that you are feeling happy, too.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!