Wednesday 29 October

I promised I would tell you about my trip to Annecy didn't I?

Saturday was a gloriously sunny day. I had decided to drive to Annecy, as I have been told by multiple people that it is a really lovely town. I had been to the outskirts of the town before, but not seen the pretty part, and going on a Saturday seemed sensible as pretty much everything closes on Sundays. I decided rather than go through Geneva to get there, I would head straight south, going by a more country route.

I had no idea what there would be on the way there that might be interesting and resolved to simply wander, and stop whereever it looked good.

I didnt get at all far before I had to stop, to get a shot of the hills behind Gex. I passed Bellegarde (or the exits to it anyway) and then as I drove up to a Tunnel, I saw ahead of me set into the hill, some sort of building. As soon as I got through the tunnel I saw the turn off and pulled over. The building was in fact Fort l'Ecluse. The fort was built on the foundations of a 13th century maison-forte. Throughout the years, the fort was built up, between the 17th and 19th century, the upper part being linked by an underground staircase of 1165 steps. Now, dear reader, I would have climbed those steps for you, but sadly I went and knocked and although I could hear voices inside the building, noone answered my knocks, so all I could do was look at the outside.

After a little wander around the outside, I drove on to Annecy. The heart of Annecy seems to be a few narrow streets, that are pedestrian only, at least on the weekends. There are canals, and people had market stalls set up beside the water, selling antiques. I bought pizza (which came in the coolest wooden box) and just wandered around the streets, taking some random photos.

I think that so far, this has felt most exotic a place to me in some ways... the waterways running through the town, the narrow cobblestone paving, and the obviously rather ancient buildings, with the mountains as backdrop to it all.

I will make a screensaver of the photos I took during the day.

I wasn't really sure where I was going, when I started heading home. I just kinda looked for signs saying Geneva and followed them. I ended up crossing a spectacular bridge called the Pont de la Caille. I couldn't find any signs telling me how old the bridge was. But, after a little web searching, I have discovered that this bridge was built in 1839, is 192 metres in length and 147 metres over the Usses. All I knew was that the bridge looked great, and the view from it was spectacular. Unfortunately the sun had started to set, which meant that although the view was even more gorgeous, it was really hard to capture.

All in all a spectacular day.

Sunday 26 October

Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday... Happy Birthday to me.

Mum and dad called me in the morning to say hello and to sing to me, and had also sent some ecards (thanks mum). My sister also called in the afternoon, and told me that she had hijacked my webpage. Did you see it? Very sweet.

Sheila woke me in the morning with pancakes and maple syrup in bed. We went for a short trip up to the top of the hill behind the apartment, and played in the snow. Its all pretty like a postcard there, and the way that the snow sits in the trees is so different from back in Australia.

Lunch was with Cairine and Erik at a lovely hotel in Crozet. Entree of a fueillet of chanterelles, mains of a breast of duck in a pepper sauce, with a gratin of potatoes on the side. A few local cheeses followed by chocolate mousse for dessert. The hotel was rather bright and the view of the alps was extraordinary. Unfortunately by the time we left after lunch, the haze had set in so I couldn't get a good photo of the alps, but you can have a look at the rather brightly coloured hotel.

Paul cooked a gorgeous dinner, which I somehow squeezed in. Beef roasted in red wine, with roasted garlic, onions, potatoes, turnip, beetroot and carrot. mmmmmm... this masterpiece was followed up by Sheila with Chocolate icecream, champagne sorbet and a fresh raspberry coulis. Wow what a birthday dinner!

I will tell you about my trip on Saturday to Annercy, but maybe tomorrow.

Friday 24 October

I have decided to create a webpage exploring the world of French and Swiss Cheese. Check out the first review.

Wednesday 22 October

After having dinner with Cairine, I went and met a guy called Marc, who is, like me, looking for a place to live. The theory is that we might be able to find something for two people. We were supposed to meet in a bar in Geneva. It took me a little while longer to get there than I had hoped. I don't actually have a map of Geneva as such, however I just followed the signs to Geneva Centre. The problem once I got there was parking. I didn't know Geneva had such an active night life... I didn't see all that many people around, but there was not a carpark to be found.

Anyway, after abour 20 minutes there was no sign of Marc so I headed back to the car. I phoned him, and it seems he had moved around the corner with some friends to a different bar. I headed back that way and met them. They were really friendly people; one Swiss/Canadian/Chinese, one Indonesian/American and one American/something European. We mutually sympathised about the expenses of living in London and how lousy the American/Swiss/Australian/English governments were, taking turns to potshot at each other's and our own countries.

All in all a good night. Late to bed again... still, nice to have a bit of a social life.

Monday 20 October

Created the first of my screensavers - Augusta Raurica (The Roman Village). You will need a password to download the screensavers, please email me and I will give you a logon and password.

Sunday 19 October

What a full on weekend! I picked up my hire car on Thursday night. Nice to be independant again. Friday night I drove up to visit Christoph in Basel, arriving around midnight. Christoph's flat is very cute and has a truly gorgeous view.

In the morning we wandered around Basel a bit, then went to Christoph's mum's 60th birthday party in Sovingen. not sure if I have the spelling correct there). Christoph had hired a couple of friends of his who busk around Basel to play at the party. I felt a bit awkward because I really don't remember much of my high school german, and of course know no Swiss-german. Still the music was good and I exchanged a halting conversation with Christophs step-cousin.

We then headed off to the Schola where Christoph studied for a concert of Baroque music, which was most pleasant. After the concert I met a few people who spoke English and we talked about music and instruments and how they got to be studying at the Schola.

Then home for a short relaxation, and then off to a party just around the corner from Christoph's house. Apparently this place is supposed to be the oldest share house in Basel and has had continuous shared student occupation for over 50 years. The house/flat has 8 people living in it. I spent most of the party down in the basement, chatting, dancing and helping out behind the bar.

There was a live jazz band on upstairs at about midnight, but I missed them as I was chatting to new friends downstairs. A DJ arrived and started playing dance music at 1am. The music was mostly jazz... swingy sort of stuff, lots of fun to dance to. I did a couple of stints behind the bar and got quite good at my "trinken?" "Bier? Mit ice?" "Zwei bitte". By about 3am I was being mistaken for a resident, people asking me where the loos were and could they bring their own wine into the party, which made me laugh, having been in the city for only just over 24 hours. Christoph did a couple of sessions behind the bar too, but spent most of his time out dancing and schmoozing. A new friend Titziana (sp?) and I wandereda across the road and she smiled ever so sweetly at the cook to get some pizza at about midnight. Titziana is gorgeous, an actress and is making her singing debut in Halfpenny Opera very very soon. Maybe I will have to wander up to Basel again to see her production. Her boyfriend is a Pom and seems to be a sweety too. He's been in Basel for 8 years and has still got quite a broad South-east London accent when he speaks English, but it completely disappears when he is speaking Swiss-german.

I had quite a few conversations with people in varying states of sobriety and in varying levels of broken English. I danced and danced and danced, until my feet and knees were killing me. I finally sat down at about 5.30am. Christoph and I were home by I think 10 past 6. Poor Christoph had to conduct a concert at 11, but I got to sleep in and got a good 4 and a half hours sleep.

I set off towards home. Christoph had pointed out on the way to his mums party, Augusta Raurica, which is a whole Roman village not far from Basel which is being dug up and restored. I decided that I had time to go and explore. Many hours and photographs later, I was back on the road. (I will do a downloadable screensaver of the photos for you, and if you want a higher resolution copy of any particular image, just email me)

I decided that, as I had plenty of time, rather than just heading straight home, I would go to Interlaken. It was only about 50km out of the way. I am most pleased I did, because there was a sort of disposal shop selling some winter gear near the town, and I finally found something to keep me warm, at least until I get a proper coat. It is a soft and cuddly grey poncho. Not a particularly good look, but it only cost 40 francs and will do the job nicely. I did look at some winter coats in Basel but the styles were not all that appealing and for 350 francs I was not going to settle for something I don't like.

I can't find anything at all in larger sizes in Geneva, so may have to do more shopping expeditions to Basel. Someone explained it as the fact that Geneva is in the French half of Switzerland and the French are actually physically much smaller than the Germans. I hadn't really thought of it before, but you know I think they could be right.

Anyway, after a very exciting weekend I am ready to crash. Early to bed for me and back to work in the morning.

Tuesday 14 October

The weekend was grand fun, with a visit to Col de Columbiere, where we played a little in the snow. The kids were most reluctant to leave, and I don't blame them.

I went to Annecy in search of winter clothes, but didn't have any luck. At the end of this week I am hiring a car for a while, so I can get around while Paul and Sheila are off in Italy. So this weekend I am heading up to Basel to visit my friend Christoph. Christoph was my flatmate some time ago and I really enjoyed living with him. I do miss him sometimes and have often wished he would return to Australia to share with me again. We got on famously and both had similar senses of hospitality. It was Christoph that introduced me to enjoying red wine, something for which Charles may never forgive him. It means that at parties there is less wine for him you see!

I am planning on creating some toys for anyone who is interested in downloading them - screensavers of photos from my wanderings. It means I can include a lot of the pics that I haven't been able to put on my site (mainly due to my own slackness). So watch this space!

Wednesday 8 October

The people I work with are really lovely and are being wonderfully helpful in my search for a winter coat. It actually struck me that I haven't actually said what I am doing at work. I am basically assisting with the organisation of a rather large meeting. I seem to spend most of my day at the fax machine, with occasional breaks to try and hunt down fax numbers.

I get to use the UN personnel/finance system, which is, although perhaps a bit, um... antiquated, at least moderately stable, and does seem to do the necessary functions. I have been practicing my french and spanish as I correspond back and forth with missions and delegates, and am still hopeless at both. But hey, its all fun.

On the weekend, we went for a wander through the French and Swiss countryside. Saturday was a visit to the markets... here are a few pics of some of the goodies on sale (check out some of the mould on the cheeses!):

Fresh Seafood and Fresh Poultry

All kinds of salt and some really amazing cheeses

We also went up Mount Jura, and played in the park.

We then headed back over the mountain, and I got a rather lovely shot gazing down into one of the valleys. The rain/snow was starting to set in so everything is a bit misty, but rather gorgeous anyway.

and this is on the other side of the mountain gazing down towards Gex (again rather misty):

Tuesday 7 October

My, I have been a slack budgie; I haven't updated for a week!

Tell you what, it is a weird experience using foreign keyboards. It never occurred to me that keyboards in other countries would be different.

The UK one is pretty much the same for letters, but the symbols for things such as pounds and @ is different. But a swiss keyboard... Sheeesh! For a start the Z and the Y are swapped. Boy oh boy I have had trouble with that one. Its not so bad for y, I have gotten used to it now. But z I have continuous problems with because I use it just rarely enough not to get the muscle memory happening, but just often enough to find it really annoying! The ! is in a different place, as is ; ' ? @ and pretty much every other odd stroke.

The > and < have their own key, down on the bottom left of the keys.We also have the é key and à and è and ¨ which are quite handy once you get used to their existence.

Of course I am using my normal keyboard at night at home, so things are all very odd.

I am missing my friends quite a lot at the moment, and just realised the other day that I will be here for my birthday, which freaked me a bit. Not used to having my birthdays away from my family and friends, and not so sure I am keen on the idea. The concept of being away for Christmas is still disturbing me a bit too, but I figure it will be worth it to experience a white christmas.

Here are some photos of the view from the apartment window, gazing out at Mont Blanc.