FOIE GRAS

Such a subject for the Green Peace Activists, because foie gras is the liver from the goose which is force fed, to produce this massive liver which is an absolute delicacy all over France and which the French adore.  Usually eaten at Christmas and for special occasions, Anne-Sophie and her husband, Tilak (Manu's sister) brought a fresh one over on their visit.  So we cooked it up.  Manu and Tilak just about set alight to the kitchen heating up the pan too much, and I usually don't eat it as it's so rich but I ventured in and it was absolutely delicious.  Sorry to the Goose.

 Blue smoke

 Pan fried and served with an apple and red onion salad.

From left - Tilak, Manu, Claire and Anne-Sophie

POLO MASTERS

So we finally got to the polo masters in Megeve.  It was a three day event but we had such horrible weather, we made the final day.  It's an interesting game, 4 lots of 7 minutes, and if the team scores the direction of play changes.  Also there are two ponies per player so they swap ponies every 7 minutes.  Great to see them in action, the riders don't even get off the horse they just jump from one to the other.

Then afterwards the kids went running through the streets of Megeve

At the moment there is a census going on, apparently held yearly in France.  I don't remember this much paperwork involved in South Africa.  This is what we have to fill in......

And the questions range from your occupation to how many bathrooms you have in your house, also if you have a fire place, if you have a lift in the building etc etc.  What on earth for I ask you.  The poor lady who is doing it go the door slammed in her face on the weekend because the man owning the house said he wasn't French he was Savoyard.  Hummm a special breed here.  Haute-Savoie and Savoie used to belong to Italy in the 1400's then was taken over by France in the late 1700's and after annexed  to Sardinia in the 1800's and a lot of French people originally from this area still want their independence so call themselves Savoyards' or Haute-Savoyards' not FRENCH. 

WHAT ARE DAD'S FOR?

MY LOVELY DAD

I received this today.....

Dear Judith,

Please sort out your spelling on your blog.  Lots of people read this blog which is very interesting - that's why they read it - but your spelling is not doing you any favours.

Please look at the following

    TIERED - no such word.  A tier is a number of units placed one on top of another.

    TIRED - to be exhausted or weary.

    THERE - not here, over THERE.

    THEIR -  belonging to someone    e.g. their house, their school bag, their skis

    OF as opposed to OFF.  You tell someone TO PISS OFF not PISS OF

These mis-spellings have occurred several time in recent blogs.  We spent good money having you educated and included in your English lessons was spelling.  When I read your version I nearly have another heart attack.  Please sort out your spelling.

Thanks,

Dad.

SNOW ANGELS

Did not achieve much today apart from a morning on the slopes with the kids, but we've had so much snow it took us 40 minutes just to dig out the car.  Perfect for skiing, we had 65 cm on the ground and over 2 meters on the top, but they closed the top for the morning.  I thought I'd only hear blasts living in Simon's Town from the Navy as they practiced shooting practice into the sea, but here you hear them regularly as they set off charges for avalanches.  Interesting.  Haven't seen one though.

 Everyone else digging there cars out.

 Ben de-robing

 Samuel said he was to tired to go up again

 Not to tired for snow angels though

The least of the angels but a snow angel never-the-less

I DO SKI DE FOND

I finally got on the skiis with the kids and then went with my sister-in-law and then with my husband.  So three times to date.  Ski de fond is Nordic Skiing or cross-country.  It's completely different to ski Alpine, you use longer, thinner skis so not so stable and you ski in tracks, more like a walk and slide motion.
The result is feeling muscles you never knew you had.

The Boys taking the lead

CRETE DU MIDI

Well after dropping Benjamin at the slopes yesterday for him to do his skiing with his class we ventured up on the ski lift.  The Crete du midi is the top of our mountain in Praz at 1750m and it gets no sun in Winter so is pretty chilly, but beautiful too.

 Manu

 Me

 Megeve

 Little Restaurant at the top

Going down

THE GRANDE ODYSEE

Well yesterday was the main mans birthday, yip Manu turned 42.   Kids were off school as it was a Wednesday and the dogs were in town.  The Grande Oysee is a dog sled race all over Haute Savoie totalling 1000km altogether over 11 days, poor dogs.  The start to day three was held here in Praz, so with kids trailing and loads of friends we all set off to watch.

 Manu opening his pressies in the morning.

 Kids prefered to luge

 Vin Chaud for the adults, cooldrinks for the kids

 Sam in the distance pulling the luges

The leader.

PERFECT BLUE SKIES

And that's exactly what we've had, after three weeks of grey, freezing rain, heavy snowfalls and now this.....

Isn't it beautiful.  So the kids back in school a week and this week Benjamin is doing Ski d'fond with his class each afternoon and is so tierd in the morning he doesn't know what to do with himself.  It's cross country skiing, twice as physical as skiing so I'm told.  I intend doing it on the weekend so will let you know.  I found skiing completely draining, nobody tells you, you have to push your entire body weight on skiis ontop of slushy snow that moves in every direction, and I am carrying alot of body weight so Ski d'fond should be interesting.  The nice thing is you don't need to spend 27euros on a ski pass for the day because you don't need the lift.

 So that was Cross country skiing, and these pictures are from the weekend. We had a hot air balloon day but there wasn't much happening and they pulled this massive balloon past our window later on that night, it's a massive fish like creature, won't tell you what Manu said it looked like, but it changed colour. Fun.

 

SHOULD ONE LOWER THEIR EXPECTATIONS

My mom was here just before Chrsitmas and I can't remember the exact story but she was really disappointed with someone, and she said she should lower her expectations.  I said NO, you should just accept people for who they are and when they do something to disappoint you, you wouldn't be surprised because that's the way the are. 

Well I'm eating my words because maybe you should drop your expectations.  I always feel I put in the maximum effort in keeping in touch, writing emails, phoning friends/family, and when there is no response, no reply, no effort you feel - well - brushed off.  Then I think; well they have full time jobs, they are busy putting their lives together or keeping their lives together so that would be expected wouldn't it.  Well I am busy, granted I don't work but I work extrememly hard at keeping my family together doing everyday family things, I am really busy too.  So then if I lowered my expectations would it be easier to accept?  But on another note, if a family member breezes into town and doesn't tell you but you find out from another family member, should you be excited when you unexpectidly see them or irritated that you were the last to find out? 

Aaahhhhh life, it's a muddle.

SNOWY MEGEVE

Well I missed all the Christmas festivities in Megeve as I've had no car for 2 weeks, so when Manu finished work I took the opportunity to walk around and see the Christmas decorations for myself.

 A very famous Chocolate shop that has just opened in Megeve, the macaroons are gold and silver.

 Main square

 My big boss suffering from Chionophobia- Fear of snow

 Not sure of this statue exactly a women but can't make out the underneath

 Yip that's an elephant trunk - a massive statue to the left of our beautiful Swarovski Crystal Christmas tree

As you can see heaps of snow.  The kids have enjoyed it but I prefer the blue skies as apposed to the constant grey of snow.


This is what you have to drive through to get anywhere............