30 December

Christmas swept up on me, without warning. I knew it was coming of course, but somehow it snuck up on me nonetheless. Paul and Sheila had kindly lent me their car for a few days, and Terry and I were able to drive out to their place for a magnificent lunch with them and the boys. We couldn't stay too long as that I night was cooking Christmas dinner for some friends. Entree of foie gras ravioli with a pumpkin veloute, Main course of roast turkey with leek and chestnut stuffing, maple and mustard glazed ham, green beans with macadamias, and roast vegetables. For dessert I pushed the edge a bit for my Italian friend and made dessert lasagne. We did a secret santa and ate far too much, and had a generally lovely Christmas time.

The next day Terry and I drove out to Annecy. As usual Annecy was very very pretty, but also rather cold! There was snow all around and we bought some truly gigantic meringues.

Steve and Jen arrived for a long awaited visit. In honour of the occasion, I brought home from work "THE BOOKS" so that Jen could see them in the flesh. I suspect, she, like most people, thinks I am slightly barmy spending this much money on a book, but she has more appreciation than most for the lure.

We decided that we were not going to try to do too much during the visit - nothing worse than spending all your time getting to and from places and not having time to explore them (something I learnt when my friend Angela
came to visit a few years ago). The concept was though, that we would get up in the morning and go check out Chateau Chillon and then go have a long soak at Lavey les Bains. Things kinda fell down at the get up in the
morning stage. My apartment is quite dark so you really don't get the visual cues of sun rising etc to get up in the mornings and every day we slept in. Chateau Chillon was lovely as always, and the pamphlet has been greatly improved with more information about items inside the chateau. Sadly they have removed (for the moment at least I guess) the fascinating
chopping board that I would like to know much more about, but on the good side, there was a wicked selection of old chests there. I forgot my camera, Jen's ran out of battery and Terry's did too, so there is nothing to show you!

It was freezing cold and everyone was glad to be wearing their thermals and we enjoyed our sandwiches of left-over roast lamb and turkey and hot chocolates in the car. Then it was off to Lavey les Bains for some lolling and splashing. Jen was a convert of the sauna which she said was like being about to lie out in the sun in Brisbane, but without risking sunburn. Too hot for me to take for long, but I do like a short visit. Wish there was some way to read a book in there!

Evenings were spent very lazily, cooking and chatting. I finally made boeuf Bourginogne Robuchon style, and it was very good, though I am not convinced it was good enough to justify the enormous number of pots dirtied! We also made a visit to the Geneva Art & History museum.

There was fierce competition over Guillotine (a very silly game) with me committing grand acts of revenge against all attackers. Steve was the most sportsman like, willingly adding up his points so that we knew whether to send the chopper his way or another. I was less so... my points were all on display, but if my opposition wanted to know the sum they could add them up themselves! I suspect I didn't do myself any favours that way, as it just meant my cards were scrutinised all the more carefully. I think Steve was the overall winner in the end. Jen just sewed a fine seam and laughed at how machiavellian we all were.

After delivering Terry to the airport, we had time to squeeze in a quick fondue before S&J departed. I will see them again soon, when I go to London in February.

I got to see Paul and Sheila again the next night, when I joined them for a relaxed grazing dinner and returned their car, which they had kindly lent me for the holidays.

20 December

On the spur of the moment I hooked up with some fellow Glocalers for a trip to the Montreux christmas markets. Uli (from Germany) had posted up a note, which I read at about 3.30pm, saying he was heading to the markets at 5pm. That gave me scant time to nip to the shops for some necessities (garbage bags and lightbulbs) before getting over to the other side of town to meet him.

I didn't know most of the group, including Uli the organiser. Ellen and Deidre were also new, but I had met Emo before. I had no idea when I said I would go along, just how much fun we would have!

By the time we got there the general vote was to go eat and we headed to the giant pans for some sustenance. Fortified by tartiflette and a mug of hot wine, Emo suggested a trip on the ferris wheel. "Why not?" I said, and off we went! Ellen and Uli joined us and we whirled and spun around over Montreux.

But this was not getting the markets explored was it? So we grabbed another hot wine (from a different stall, for serious comparitive purposes of course), and headed towards the stalls. As a silly mood was in the air, rather than taking the stairs, I decided to use the kids climbing frame, and was followed by Ellen and Emo. Uli and Deirdre maintained their dignity... for the moment at least! As well as the stalls, the place was decorated with interesting sculptures made of grass, moss and sticks. There was someone selling flower teas, which none of the others had ever seen before, and the hot chestnuts being cooked in pots over pipes. Uli said that the flower tea would be a real hit for his mum, in her local village - something she could really show off to the neighbours! More hot wine. Keyrings, stuffed toys, jewellry, bags, scarves... more hot wine. Well, what can I say, it was cold! In fact between us we bought very little, but it was not about buying really, just looking and laughing.

Everything closed up and it was time to head home. We got home by midnight, all tuckered out, but very cheerful. I think we had much more fun than any of us had anticipated, and to be truthful I rather smugly feel that I made a large contribution to making it so. I was feeling at my wittiest, and while that did mean that poor Uli and Emo got a fair amount of stirring, they gave as good as they got!

Starting out... new friends, Deirdre, Emo, me, and Ellen - Uli is taking the photo.	The giant pans filled with Swiss goodness
On the hunt for Christmas goodies	A very very bizarre sculpture... I think it is supposed to be a pan of hot cheese being poured into a baguette but what it actually looks like....
On the ferris wheel, spinning and going around	Play of lights on the buildings
Climbing on the children's climbing frame	Tree all lit up
flower tea	sculpted gnomes
sooty faced chestnut seller (a very smokey business)	another very cute goblin.
The happy mob! There is Uli at last...	Santa's family?

13 December

I have been a member of couchsurfers for a while now. I haven't socialised with them before though, but how could I resist the lure of a trip to Lavey les Bains.

We met just across the border of France and drove up via Evian. There had been snow in the last few days and the hills were beautiful and incredibly photogenic. I was able to snap a few photos out of the car window:

We stopped for lunch in Evian and wandered through their strange christmas village. This year they had created a bizarre world of creatures out of sticks of wood.

I can't show you photos of the bains: the steam would just ruin the camera! But you can have a look at the place on their web site, which will give you an idea of the luxurious hours spent there. Afterwards we drove back to Geneva and had cheese fondue at the Bains de Paquis. It was challenging for me to spend a whole day and evening attempting to speak French, but the couchsurfers were a lovely group of people and it was a lot of fun.