Savoyard Food Specialities

Areas in and around the French Alps have tasty food specialities. These specialities include simple mountain fare with various combinations of melted cheese, charcuterie, and potatoes. You usually begin the meal with a salad including lardon, which is small chunks of ham-bacon found on salads and within the cheese dishes of this region. Cheese specialities include fondue, which is melted cheese representative of this region (usually reblochon or tomme) which is combined with white wine into which you dip your bread or vegetables. You also may choose a tartiflette which is sliced potatoes, baked with cream, roblochon cheese and lardon. Third, you may choose a raclette, which is half of the hard round local cheese which is melted under a small table-top grill and then the melted cheese is scraped onto your plate. It is named after the french verb, racler, meaning to scrape. It is normally served with French bread, charcuterie, and cornichons. Yummy!!

Mme. Wallace

Super Megève - En face de Mont Blanc

Bonjour mes amis! Hope you're having a pleasant day after Christmas. Today, Sunday, Lee and I met Kendall at Super Megève for lunch which is at the top of Rochebrune, one of the mountains surrounding Megève. We went up two télépheriques(cable cars) until we reached the top. Kendall skied to meet us. The views of Mont Blanc and Aiguille du Midi were breathtaking. Was it ever cold! The temperature on the top appeared to be at least 15 degrees colder than in the village. Lee estimated it to be about 15 degrees. You couldn't take your gloves off for more than a minute. Enjoy the panoramic views of Mont Blanc!!

Mme. Wallace

La Randonnée en raquettes

Bonjour mes amis! Joyeux Noël! Today, Christmas 2011, Lee, Kendall and I decided to try an adventure in the mountains of Megève with snowshoes. We rode a bus up the mountain where we had a rendez-vous with our guide, Julien. He distributed poles, and fitted each of us with snowshoes. We hiked into the snowy mountains and even mounted some of them. We crossed creeks, and tried to master the technique which Julien kept saying in French, "light and quick steps!" At one point all of us jumped and rolled down hills as stepping didn't work! We met some lovely people in our group from Paris and England. We enjoyed Savoyard fare at the end of the hike. Although having snow in our collars and boots and gloves, we had a wonderful Christmas adventure. Enjoy the pictures!

Mme. Wallace

Noël in Megève, France

Kendall, Lee and I traveled to Megève, France, on Thursday, December 23 to spend Christmas in the French Alps. Megève is the essence of rustic chic. It has a medieval feel and was conceived in the 1920s and has plenty of ski chalets and a charming center of town. Friday morning the snow began to fall and continued through the day Christmas. We watched craftsmen mold an ice sculpture of the nativity, finishing the baby Jesus and placing him in the manger just before midnight on Christmas Eve. We attended a church service at 11:00 on Christmas Eve. It was so meaningful to hear the same Christmas songs which I teach my French classes actually sung during the service. We sampled the Savoyard fare of Haute Savoie, which is fondue, tartiflette, and hot wine. We took a sleigh ride in the town and outlying areas with snow pouring around us. This French ski village was a great way to experience Christmas in the Alps.

Mme. Wallace

Route du Vin (Wine Road) in Alsace

Bonjour mes amis! Alsace's Route du Vin is a road in Alsace that connects vineyards, villages and forts since Roman days. The generally dry climate has made for very good wine. We decided to visit two villages along the wine road, Riquewihr and Eguisheim, where we stayed for the night. The German customs and tastes of this region were superb! In Riquewihr, a charming German village, we tried La Tête de Cacao which were meringue treats covered with different kinds of chocolate. Kendall tried a delicious German pretzel. That evening we stayed in the Hostellerie du Château which was on the main square in Eguisheim, and surrounded by more German Christmas markets. Eguisheim is a few miles south of Colmar's suburbs on the wine road and whose main road is built in a circle. This made for a few challenges finding our hotel!!!

Mme. Wallace

Mme. Wallace

anyone for lunch at La Petite France?

Bonjour mes amis! Tuesday, December 21, Lee, Kendall, and I left Colmar and traveled to Strasbourg for the day. We visited the Christmas markets around the Strasbourg Cathedral. The delicate Gothic style of the cathedral begun in 1176 and was not finished until 1429. It is a Franco-German mixture that survived the French Revolution, World War I and World War II. We decided to walk to La Petite France for lunch, which is the historic home to Strasbourg's tanners, millers and fishermen. We had lunch in a restaurant called La Tannerie which used to be the warehouse for the tanners. Kendall sampled Foie Gras Poelée (seared goose liver) and loved every bite. Those of you who remember Paul and Marie Elbling who owned and began La Petite France restaurant in Richmond were from this area. This area of Strasbourg is charming as we walked on cobblestone streets which bordered half-timbered homes and its many canals.

Mme. Wallace

Les marchés de Noël in Alsace

Bonjour All! We picked Kendall up Sunday from the train station in Basel, Switzerland and headed over the Swiss-French border into Colmar, France. We were so glad to see her! Her flight from Philadelphia to Frankfurt was fine until she landed there and was greeted by snow, a sea of humans on cots, and no bags!!! In any event, we met in Basel and continued on to Colmar, with its characteristic red and green-tiled roofs and cobbled lanes, which is one of Alsace's most beautiful cities. Alsace, bounded by the Rhine River on the east and the Vosges Mountains on the west, is the French province which has changed hands several times between Germany and France. You see a great deal of German influence in this area. Colmar's distinctly French shutters combined with ye-olde German half-timbering give Colmar an intriguing ambience. The marchés de Noël were delightful with many homemade goodies to taste and many handmade items to see. Lee and Kendall decided to sample some of the hot spiced wine which is characteristic at these Christmas markets. There was snow on the ground in Colmar, a chill to the air, and truly an "old world charm" indicating that Père Noël was on his way!!!

Mme. Wallace

Qu'est-ce que c'est Papillotes?

Lee and I discovered the most interesting French Christmas tradition this week. It's a yummy treat, as well!! A papillote is a chocolate that is wrapped in tissue paper with a note written on it. The sparkly exterior paper has fringed ends. The papillote was created in Lyon at the end of the 18th century. Legend has it that a young man who worked in a candy shop was in love with a girl downstairs. (the romantic French!) To attract the young love's attention he wrapped love notes around each of the chocolates and tossed them into her window. (Of course striking her heart!) The owner of the candy shop found out their little secret. He found it original, and the idea has flamed into this delicious French Christmas tradition. Each Papillote comes with a thought from a French writer or philosopher, such as Maupassant. Papillotes usually decorate the Christmas table. Papillotes are to the French what candy canes are to Americans. Délicieux!!

Mme. Wallace

Fête Des Lumières in Lyon

Bonjour mes amis! Yesterday, December 11, Lee and I went to Lyon for their traditional Festival of Lights. The origins of the festival date to 1643 when Lyon was struck by the plague. The municipal councillors promised to pay tribute to Mary if the town was spared. Ever since, a solemn procession makes its way to the Basilica of Fourvière on this day to light candles and give offerings in the name of Mary. The event thus commemorates the day Lyon was consecrated to the Virgin Mary. This uniquely Lyonnaise tradition dictates that every house place candles along the outsides of all the windows to produce a spectacular effect throughout the streets. The festival, which includes other activities based on light, usually lasts 4 days, with the peak of activity occurring on December 8th. The two main focal points of activity are typically the Basilica of Fourvière which is lit up in different colors, and the Place des Terreaux, which hosts a different light show each year. The lights we saw were spectacular!

Mme. Wallace

The SNOWY French Alps

Bonjour mes amis! What a snowfall we've had today! We awakened this morning to two feet of snow. It began snowing last night and hasn't stopped yet. We have so many pine trees and parks in Chambéry that it already looks like Christmas. I walked to school this morning in the snow because school never closes here as there are so many students who walk. I walked down the center of the road as snow was covering curbs and sidewalks. It was truly a winter wonderland. Actually, many students came to school since they walk and live in the surrounding area. It is so interesting to live on the edge of town and be able to walk to school, the park, and downtown within 15 minutes. Enjoy some photos of our winter scenes and feel Christmas in the air!!

Mme. Wallace