The Grammys, La Clusaz style

<Photo of the Foire de la Croix in La Clusaz, France>
<Photo of La Clusaz cow bells for sale>La Clusaz has all sorts of festivals in summer and winter, but now that school holidays are over, today’s fair was all about the locals. The Foire de la Croix is a chance for the local farmers to catch up and socialise (err, drink lots of beer) with one another, and their smiling faces show that they enjoy every minute of it. One Sunday every year, the farmers celebrate the cows’ return to town from the higher pastures (while the cows no doubt despair just as soon as they realise that they’re back in sheds for winter). They display their best Abondance cows and hold a competition for the best Reblochon cheese. The cows are plentiful, and each one is paraded while the MC talks about her special qualities. This is the La Clusaz equivalent of the Grammy awards.

Just last week, those mountains in the background — the Aravis chain — were covered with fresh snow. Recent warm weather has melted it away and provided a hot, sunny day for the farmers to enjoy.

But it’s not all social. Farmers can also buy new bells for their cows, as pictured, along with farming equipment between talking shop with other farmers.

The fair is still running as I type this, with the awards from the day’s events running into the evening. Some farmers will no doubt be milking their cows with very sore heads tomorrow. Let’s just hope none of them wake up with a giant bell around their neck.

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About

I'm a technical author, journalist and writer from Australia who has been living in Europe since 2000 and exploring the world from there. My passions are writing, snow sports and travel.

4 Comments on “The Grammys, La Clusaz style

  1. It looks like a fun festival! I far prefer hanging out with locals than a large group of tourists! I like those cow bells. They’re very pretty.

    We had a sunny day today too but I think autumn is definitely around the corner. I’ve definitely started planning more scarves and jumpers into my wardrobe.

  2. There is a season for everything to be celebrated and your start of the reblochon cheese will signal the return to our Pizzaria’s menu of the Savoyade – raclette on pizza base – my Autumn/Winter favourite!

  3. hi Wendy, when I first moved to the Alps I thought knowing the animals were kept in sheds (and relatively small ones at that!) all through the winter would be terrible for them. Then barely 6 weeks after our arrival we witnessed our neighbour bringing his sheep in early one morning on a cold November morning. The sheep were following the bucket-shaking farmer quite happily down the road until they saw their barn when they literally charged past him and couldn’t get in there fast enough. I’d have put money on them being miserable over the winter but it appears not to be the case! I guess they know how cold it is outside and given a choice……

  4. Emm, I’m still in denial about summer ending, and went wakeboarding today to prove summer is still here.

    Lesley, that sounds like a great pizza. Raclette needs no other toppings but they always mess up the Raclette pizzas here with potato and bacon and other unnecessary things. Just give me the fromage!

    Sally, that’s great to know. I’m not sure if the sheep are like the goats here though (where they can move around freely, eat a bit at the eating station, lick some salt, then wander around the shed) or like the cows here (stand or sit in the same spot, get milked in the same spot, not really move much at all). I guess they prefer it to the cold, but it’s so heartwarming to see them on that first day in spring when they leave the sheds and run and jump around and chase each other with moos of pure joy. 😀