PICNIC AT THE LAKE

Saturday and the vacationers exit and the new ones arrive to Praz-sur-Arly is a hive of activity.  I decided to get out and go to Sallanches with the kids.  We went to the Saturday market and then headed off to Lac Passy to have a little picnic.  All the snow is melting fast and you can hear the ice cracking off the mountains as avalanches start.  It was nice to be out of the village for a change.

 Eating a crepe in the market

 Typical street in Sallanches

 Surronded completely by the Mont Blanc Range

 Another typical street

 Samuel's school he attends twice a week for extra French

 Picnic at Lac Passy

 Mostly frozen

 Direction Geneva

 Direction Chamonix and Italy

Train to Switzerland

LES SAISSES

Went off with a friend and her son to Les Saisses yesterday for some fun in the sun.  It's a bigger ski resort than Praz, so much more to do.  They had a fun day for kids and if they participated in all the events they got presents - boxes of lego, books, bakogun, we came home laden. 

 It was such a sunny day most of my photographs are over-exposed

 Samuel with his marshmallow hat

 Benjamin who lost his shades and had to wear mine - typical

 The time trial, a track for timming your descent

 Benjamin clocked 15 km/hour

 Dance moves

Boogy on down

HOLIDAYS ALONE

Well Manu has been gone for over a week, 9 to go.  Shew a long time when I see it written down.  The kids have been off a week already, one more to go for them.  The town is so busy with holiday makers and the pistes are packed.  I had a call from a girl called Michelle, who is the niece of a friend in Cape Town (Tracy and Matthew).  She hails from New Zealand and lives in London where she is the nanny for a family who have a chalet in Megeve.  What are the chances.  Anyway she had the evening off so came for dinner and then again yesterday to take the boys skiing.  This is a great opportunity for them to ski all the way from the top as I don't ski and they can't go down unaccompanied.  Also so nice to speak English to someone.  I went up with them as a pedestrian and then Aunty Fifi joined me too. It was fun, although Samuel wasn't feeling well as you can see by the photos.  We've been plagued by tummy bug after tummy bug.  Hopefully that's it now.

Crete du Midi.............

 Michelle with Samuel and Benjamin

 And they're off

 Anne-Sophie who is working here at the moment arriving on the ski lift

Taking in some sun

WHAT'S IN A WORD, HOT CHOCOLATE AND A LITTLE EXCERCISE

I was laughing on my way down to Sallanches the other day whilst in the car listening to Benjamin speak.  Not only do my kids have to contend with learning the English language but they now are learning the French, and the French accept nothing but the perfect word.  So how are my kids meant to speak perfect French when English is so difficult in the first place. 

Benjamin often mis-pronounces English words and it's just too lovely, I sometimes don't even correct him.  Here's a short list;

BISTIK - Biscuit
ALAVANCHE - Avalanche
CHOCOLOCO - Chocolate
GIWRLS - Girls

And then you have the Franglais which is the best;

Look it's Neiging (snowing)
Aggghhh I fell on my fess (butt)
Well they are all in one equipe (team)
Come on lets have a batai (fight)

All the spellings above were given to me by Samuel and assured at time of going to press correct - DAD.

But my favourite at the moment is together because whenever Benjamin says it he says it twice; '....but I told you they were all together together.'  or '...can you staple the pages together together.'
So you are in no doubt.

When I take Samuel to his appointment on Wednesdays' we have a date.  We go to the bakery at the top of the road and choose a pastry and have a hot chocolate from the machine.  I love my date days with Samuel but he's always wanted to take Benjamin so with Daddy in Miami we had no choice so he tagged along.

 Funny faces

 Croissant for Samuel

 Dunkin Donuts for Benjamin

Oooooo yummy

Well Manu has left me.  Ha ha, temporarily, he's gone to Miami for two months or so to feed the family he works for who are there for a while.  So I have started an exercise regime.  Swimming twice a week and ski de fond once a week.  Went with my friend Sylvie today to Cote2000, up in Megeve.  So many tracks to choose from.  My shoes hurt me so I only did 5kms but hopefully will double that next time.  Also it was -9C so a little stiff and cold to start.

 These are the tracks for Ski de fond, the skiiers on the left are doing skating, different technique, different skis.

 Sylvie

 Sylvie, also doing skating.  Need to try this.

A ski de fonder.

A BRISK WALK

That's what we did today went for a brisk walk in -16C but it was so beautiful.  It's been the coldest day with a reported -24C in Megeve at 4am this morning.  I wasn't up. 

WHEN IT'S TOO COLD..............

...........COOK.  Just checked the mercury and it's -20C.  We have cancelled the skiing for the weekend, not that the kids are on a course but they always like to ski on the weekend.  Benjamin's face is just cut up with the cold.  It feels like razor blades on your cheeks.  So I've been cooking.  Yesterday I made Arancini.  Never tried them before but my sister-in-law made them a couple of weeks ago.  They are delicious.  Left over Risotto that is too stodgy to eat, rolled into balls, place a filling in the middle, I used blue cheese, roll in bread crumbs and deep fry.  I re-heated them in the oven for 10 minutes to make sure they were hot all the way through and next time I will re-fry them for 10 seconds for the extra crispiness.  But they were delicious.

Anne-Sophie and Romain making Arancini a couple of weeks ago.

The other thing that keeps you warm at this time of year is Tartiflette.  A local dish made with potatoes, either smoked meat or thick bacon and Reblechon Cheese.  Then the whole thing is doused generously with Savoie white wine and baked till bubbly hot.

On Wednesday's I take Samuel to Sallanches, our nearest big town 30 minutes away, for an appointment and we always have a little date.  We go to the local bakery and have a hot chocolate from the machine and buy a pastry or two.  We decided to treat daddy and Ben, so we got a few.

Strawberry tarts and Custard slices, there were chocolate eclairs involved too but they were eaten up to quickly.

On February 2cnd it was Chandeleur so I made crepes for the school.  Everyone eats crepes on this day, it's a Catholic festivity for the blessing of candles.  It's amazing how many Catholic celebrations they have and a few involve food too.

On Friday Manu and I braved the -12C weather and headed for the market.  We bought some Bulot.  These are whelks in English, I think, it's like a sea snail, delicious though.  You eat them cold, cooked and dipped in mayonnaise. 

 This was taken last year, everyone was a lot more dressed up and more grumpy this year.

Bulot

And that's it from me re: food.  Manu is leaving this week for Miami for about two months, so I'll have time to loose all those extra kilos gained in Winter.