Witnessing an avalanche
A few weeks ago, I took some friends to look at the picturesque views from the Col des Aravis. There was snow, green grass and wild mountain goats all visible nearby, and Mont Blanc was bright white in the distance. …
A few weeks ago, I took some friends to look at the picturesque views from the Col des Aravis. There was snow, green grass and wild mountain goats all visible nearby, and Mont Blanc was bright white in the distance. …
March isn’t usually a month that you associate with outdoor festivals in either hemisphere of the world, but around these parts, one has just come and gone and another one is on its way. The Radiomeuh Circus festival is on …
Although Saint Jean de Sixt is just up the road from the city of Annecy, certain aspects of life are still very rural. Take this raffle ticket, for example. First prize is a cow. Yes, that’s right: you can win …
This is part one of three posts about how to annoy the locals merely by giving them your custom. My friend Elodie celebrated her birthday this week, and she wanted to start with an apero (a pre-dinner drink). She called …
Last year, the big roundabout between Thônes and Alex that links Annecy to La Clusaz and surrounds was merely a steep mound of grass that locals would sometimes drive over the top of for fun. It’s unusual to find a …
Happy New Year! Sorry it’s been a while. I’m now (hopefully!) back to regular posting. Pictured is a photo I took while I was driving from Annecy back to Saint Jean de Sixt yesterday. The big rock is Le Parmelan, …
Pictured is what happens if you answer to a French friend “Yes, we do need some potatoes.” That’s 20 kilograms of potatoes right there in my house. Small children weigh less. Once a year, a man knocks on the doors …
Pictured below is the Menthon St Bernard castle. There are so many impressive facts about this castle, starting with this week’s posthumous award as Righteous Among the Nations for Count Henri de Menthon, who housed three Jewish kids during World …
Cupcakes. I remember my grandma teaching me how to make them before the muffin came along and took all the glory. This decade’s cupcake revolution has seen shops like The Hummingbird Bakery in London, where the cupcakes are only sold …
The end of August means the approach of la rentrée in France, when kids re-enter school for the year (and thus, la rentrée). Yes, the French have a word for the return to school and work after the school holidays …