La Fete de l'Escalade continues...

This week, life happened. Adalyn had so many fun activities planned at school and a dance recital, and unfortunately she was sick from Sunday night to Thursday with strep throat.  Eliza was also sick with bronchitis, so between the two, we watched a lot of movies this week.  Thankfully, they are both healthy now and we are hoping for a healthy week before our departure and a healthy time back at home.

On Tuesday, Adalyn seemed to be doing better at noon, so I decided to take her in to school so she could be part of her class Christmas program.  It was a lot of fun to watch her performance- after that things went downhill and we were home bound for the next couple days.

Our Little Snowman

All Smiles -

On Friday night, the kids were feeling better so we decided to celebrate the Escalade with the Marmite de l’Escalade, one of the biggest symbols of this celebration.  The marmite, which means cauldron, is made of chocolate and filled with marzipan vegetables.  Tradition is that the eldest and youngest in the room smash the marmite, while reciting, "Ainsi perirent les ennemis de la Republique!"  Which means, "Thus perish the enemies of the Republic."  The marmite is to symbolize how Geneva defeated the enemies by pouring the vegetable soup over the soldiers.  The girls had so much fun smashing the marmite- and of course eating it!

The Marmite de l'Escalade- they range in sizes and price- 

some people spend hundreds on their Marmite- 

Unfortunately the video of Eliza smashing the marmite wouldn't post- 

she cared more about eating it- then actually smashing it!  

It is also tradition during the Escalade for children to dress up, so Eliza dressed up Thursday for Garderie, and they both dressed up for the smashing the marmite.  

On Saturday, it was so nice out so we decided to go check out some more Christmas Markets.  It is impossible to describe how beautiful Geneva and the surrounding villages are during the holiday season.  They put in so much time and effort creating a charming holiday spirit.  In the morning, we went to the Carouge Christmas market- we were also hoping to go ice skating, but they were playing a hockey game, which was probably for the better since we had no idea how that was going to go with Eliza!  In the afternoon, we went down by the lake and Old Town Geneva to walk around their market and window shop.  The streets were packed with people- between the Escalade celebration and Christmas shopping, it was crazy!  

Saturday night, Chris and I went out to dinner with friends.  We went to Old Town, which was a great decision because they were celebrating the Escalade throughout the whole night.  Every fifteen minutes a marching band would go through the town, and they also had musket firing demonstrations.  There was also an area set up as if it were 1602 where people were making candles, pottery, and cloth from sheep's wool.  It was very cool to walk around and see it all- the people of Geneva definitely have a huge amount of pride and it was fun to see them all come together to celebrate the historical day.

They would march to the front of the cathedral and people would sing the Escalade song- 

Sunday was a quiet day- just getting organized for our big trip home!  This week we have Eliza's school Christmas program, which we are really excited about.  Since her school is all in French, we don't know much about what she is learning and doing, so it will be fun to see how she interacts with the other kids, who all speak French, and to hear all the songs they sing.  She does love singing, Frere Jacques, so we know one song!

Looking forward to a wonderful Christmas time back home- wishing you all a Joyeaux Noel et Bonne Annee!

Signing off until January-

Discovering Old Traditions

This week we were catching up on rest and getting back to our regular schedule.  

On Saturday, we went to Annecy to check out their mall.  I have had a hard time finding a mall that resembles a mall from MN, but this was pretty close.  It had a lot of different stores inside the mall, and many stores along the street.  Unfortunately, the girls and Chris were not as impressed, so I was only able to shop for a short time. Hoping to get back there soon- without Chris and the kids!  They also had a small Christmas market going on outside of the mall, so we had some hot wine wth our lunch, which was Subway.  They have some Subways around here- and it sounded good- especially their honey mustard!

This weekend began the celebration, Fete de l'Escalade, which is a large celebration that takes place in Geneva in December.  During the night of December 11-12, 1602, the city of Geneva was attacked by Savoyard soldiers.  The Duke of Savoy, who had previously lost his possession of Geneva, was trying to reclaim it.  There was a short battle, and as the story goes, a lady poured her pot of soup over the heads of Savoyard soldiers while they were climbing the walls of the city, which caused much chaos and attributed to the victory of Geneva.  Throughout the upcoming week, there will be many different types of celebrations, making and eating the vegetable soup thrown over the soldiers, breaking of a large marmite (cauldron) made of chocolate and filled with marzipan vegetables, many parades, and even dressing up in costumes.  Around Halloweeen, I could not find any costumes in the stores, now stores are filled with costumes for children and adults to wear to celebrate the escalade.  We are looking forward to participating in these Geneva traditions-  

Saturday night, Chris ran in the most popular sporting event in Geneva, the Escalade Race, which kicks off the week of celebrations.  The race takes place in the old town of Geneva, and varies in distance based on your age.  Throughout the day, people are racing- each category had a different start time, approximately 30,000 people run in this yearly race.  Chris ran about 4.5 miles- three times around the course.  He ran at 5:00 pm, so it was chilly, windy, and dark- not the best cheering conditions- but we were all there to cheer him on!!

After the race, we had a babysitter and we went out for fondue with Chris' co-workers to celebrate their completion of the run- about 11 of his coworkers ran in the race.  It was a very fun night out- it was really great to finally meet some of the people that he works with and their spouses.

On Sunday, we could finally see the top of Mount Saleve, the mountain right next to our house.  In the winter in Geneva, there tends to be a "grey cloud" that hovers over Geneva and you don't see much sun.  So, we haven't seen the top of the mountain for a couple weeks- since the fog had lifted, we decided to go to the top and check out the snow covered mountains.  The nice part about Geneva is that we don't have to deal with snow, but in 15 minutes, we can be playing in it!  There isn't much snow up there yet, but we are excited to take the girls sledding up there once there is more snow-

Loved touching the snow!  

This picture shows the snowy trees, lingering fog, and the town of Geneva below...

This week, we are looking forward to Adalyn's school Christmas program, her dance recital, and participating in Escalade activities.  We are also preparing for our trip home!!  Can't believe in less than two weeks we will be seeing family and friends!

The Adventures with Grandpa and Grandma Continue...

Wow- what a wonderful and busy week we have had with Bev and Randy.  They just left today after a memorable ten day visit.  We were able to go on so many adventures with them and enjoy our time together- the girls loved having them around!  It is such a blessing for kids to have such wonderful, loving grandparents in their lives.

On Monday, I took Randy and Bev around the town of Carouge to do some window shopping, unfortunately, the town of Carouge doesn't come alive on Mondays and many of the stores were closed.  After school, Bev and the girls made cupcakes and Special K bars.  Special K bars made by Bev are one of my favorite treats, and she had brought over the ingredients from MN, since it's hard to find them here.  It was such a special treat!  They also made cupcakes for Adalyn's class for her birthday- which we were all able to sample as well!

Tuesday, while Adalyn was at school, Eliza and I took Randy and Bev to Annecy, France.  It was a dreary day in Geneva, but when we entered Annecy, the sun broke through and we had a wonderful, sunny, warm day for enjoying the lake, the market, and the shops along the way.

Loving the tapenade!

When out with Grandma, must use the wine glass!

After school, we went to Adalyn's dance class and they were able to see her dance a little.  Then, later in the evening we got a babysitter and the four of us went out for a traditional Swiss meal, cheese fondue and raclette. It was an enjoyable evening out without the little ones!

First Fondue Experience

Wednesday, Bev and Randy visited Adalyn's class in the morning.  They were able to meet some of of her friends and teachers.  We spent the rest of the day preparing for our trip to Paris.  After school, we headed to Santa's House in Andilly so Grandpa and Grandma could see the spectacular site.

Adalyn picked out their outfits!! 

Thursday morning, bright and early we boarded the train and headed to Paris.  The train was definitely a good decision- no delays, more space, and a much faster way to travel, especially with kids!  In three hours, we arrived in Paris and found our flat.  We started to explore the area and decided to be real tourists and hop on board the "Big Bus " tour!  It was an easy way for us to understand where the major sites were and get a feel for the big city.  That night, instead of a traditional turkey dinner, we ate Italian!  We had such a wonderful night, great food, good laughs, and thankfully we were the only ones in the restaurant! (Helps to eat early!!)  Eliza even had some of Grandma's beer to celebrate the night!  (She always has to be watched...)

Bus Tour

Thanksgiving Dinner

Friday, we woke up before the sun rose, and got ready for a busy day of touring.  Our first stop was the Louvre, which is the world's most visited museum.  It houses art from all over the world, and the most famous piece, the Mona Lisa.  Luckily, it was not very crowded, so we were able to see the art close up and really see the amazing detail in the paintings.  Unluckily, we discovered Eliza is a bit young to really appreciate art which made the tour a bit shorter than anticipated.

My favorite picture!!  True tourists- where are we supposed to go???  

"Selfie" with Mona Lisa

After the Louvre, we had lunch at a cute French restaurant outside along the Seine River.  While eating baguette sandwiches, crepes, and omelettes, we truly felt part of the Parisian culture.

Such a happy girl at lunch!

After lunch, we went to the Notre Dame Cathedral.  We walked around the cathedral and admired the French Gothic architecture, the attention to detail in these older buildings is truly fascinating.

Adalyn asked to light a candle for Great Grandma and Grandpa Schultz who are in heaven.

Next on our list was the the Eiffel Tower.  The Eiffel Tower was originally built for the World's Fair in 1889 that would celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution.  Many people were not in favor of the tower being built believing that it would just be a large metal structure taking over the architectural beauty of Paris.  The Eiffel Tower took two years to build, 1887-1889, and was only permitted to stand for twenty years.  It was later decided that it had become an icon of Paris, and would be left standing, and is currently the most-visited paid monument in the world.  It was quite surreal to be standing under the tower.

Trying to reach the tower-

Our Little Parisian Girl 

On Saturday, Randy and Bev took a half day tour to the Palace of Versailles.  We spent the morning walking around the Christmas market and playing down by the Seine River. In the afternoon, we met up again and spent the afternoon walking along the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, which is a two km. street filled with luxury shops and during the Christmas season, a huge market.  It was crazy how busy this street got throughout the day- Bev and I were hoping to do some "Black Friday" shopping, but most of the stores had lines outside of them to get in, and long lines to buy anything.  Also, I don't think Paris participates in "Black Friday!"

So happy along the river-

Napping along the river...perfect.

A "Grandpa Sandwich!"

When in Paris, you must have Creme Brulee!

Around 6, we got back on the train and headed back to Geneva.

Playing cards on the train ride. 

On Sunday, it was Adalyn's 5th Birthday! Chris and I can't believe that we have a five year old.  We are so lucky to have been blessed with such a caring, funny, free-spirited daughter.  Adalyn wanted to spend the day playing with grandpa and grandma, which was a perfect end to their trip.  We had been so busy traveling, that it was a great day to relax and have some play time!  Monday morning, we had to say good-bye to Randy and Bev as they flew back to Minnesota.

Birthday Girl

Jumping with Grandpa on her new trampoline- 

This week, since it was Thanksgiving, I was also thinking about just how thankful we are for having the opportunity to live abroad.  We are so thankful for all of the support from family and friends during the past year during the transition.  We are also thankful for our new friends that have made our days in Switzerland so much more enjoyable.  Last but not least, we are especially thankful for FACETIME!  Being able to talk and see family and friends frequently has definitely made the distance between us not seem so far.  In three weeks we will be home for the holidays, we are so excited to see everyone!

Grandpa and Grandma Pothen Arrive!

This week we were busy running errands, creating itineraries, and getting the house ready for Chris' parents.

On Monday, I went into Adalyn's class and did the presentation on the United States and Minnesota.  I'm not sure what they got out of it, but it was fun to teach and hear their random comments.  It is much different teaching to a group of 4-5 year olds than 10 year olds!  They ate the apple crisp for snack that day, and unfortunately Adalyn reported not many of her friends enjoyed it- guess they prefer Swiss Chocolate!

Ready to represent Minnesota-

On Friday, the BIG day had finally arrived!  Adalyn was very excited- she has been counting down for about two months, so she couldn't really believe that Grandpa and Grandma Pothen would be in Geneva.  Chris' parents arrived around 11:00 am and were pretty exhausted from the flight.  They took a short nap, and then it was time to get Adalyn.  Once we got to Adalyn's school she could see us through the window and instantly began jumping up and down with the biggest grin on her face!  Once they all reunited, we headed down to the lake and visited the famous clock and the Jet D'Eau.

All smiles!

Happy 60th Birthday Grandpa!

After going around the lake, we visited Old Town and did some window shopping.  Chris met us down by the lake for dinner and then we headed home to celebrate Randy's 60th birthday.  Grandma had also brought goodies in her suitcase, so the girls enjoyed getting treats that different people had sent.  It was a great first day of their visit. 

Saturday, we went to the Montreux Christmas Market, which is a festive market with over 150 different vendors selling unique gift items, specialty foods, and live music.  Of course, they also had different drinks to try including mulled wine, and apple cider mixed with vodka (Punsch a La Pomme).  We spent a few hours walking along the lake enjoying the festive atmosphere, it definitely put us all in the Christmas spirit.

First stop- Punsch a La Pomme

Loving the view from Grandpa's shoulders- 

Christmas card???

Dancing to the music-

Mulled Wine

After the market, we drove to the Chillon Castle, then headed home for dinner.  We were all exhausted after a full day of touring.  

On Sunday, we went to church and then drove to Chamonix, France.  We arrived around 12:00 and had lunch at a cute little pub with amazing food.  I finally found homemade chicken nuggets that were so yummy- I might drive there every weekend just for the chicken nuggets!  Bev ordered a martini, and ended up with an Espresso Martini, which was not what she had in mind, but still drinkable!  After lunch, we went on the Montenvers train which travels from Chamonix to the bottom of the Mer de Glace up in the mountains, which is France's largest glacier.  The views from the top were magnificent- with snow capped mountains surrounding us.  We really enjoyed our time- we took the train back to the village and spent a couple more hours shopping.  It was an awesome day spent in Chamonix.  

So happy!

Martini + Chamonix= Happiness

Grandma and her girls- 

Train ride- 

Overall, we have had so much fun hosting Chris' parents so far- the weather has been perfect for touring, 50's and partly sunny.  This week, we are looking forward to visiting Annecy, a three day trip to Paris, and Adalyn's birthday on Sunday.  

    

  

A Visit to Santa's House

Life was back to normal this week, with everyone feeling better.  We filled our days with school, playgroups, and running errands.

On Wednesday, the girls and I headed to,"Le Automnales", which translates to "Fall."  Since Adalyn has Wednesday afternoons off of school, we are always looking for activities to check out, so we decided to go there with some friends.  Basically, it was similar to a home show but with kid activities.  Randomly, they even had chickens, sheep, and horses there.  The horses did shows with girls balancing on them- the girls were very entertained!  The girls had a great time playing in the bouncy houses, watching the horses, and walking around the exhibits getting food samples!

Eliza loved bouncing!  She picked her outfit out- can you tell??  She looked like quite the bruiser in her tank top and temporary tattoos on her arm!

Adalyn going for a car ride.

Santa was even there!!! Eliza was scared and kept calling him "Bapa" (grandpa)

On Saturday, it was a rainy dreary day so we decided to go visit, "Le Hameau du Pere Noel" (House of Father Christmas), which was only 20 minutes from our house.  Since it was our first holiday outing, the girls were very excited to wear their Christmas dresses from Grandma Bev.  Adalyn asked how long it was going to take to drive to the North Pole, and we had to explain Santa has multiple houses around the World.  It was amazing.  They had multiple fully decorated houses for you to walk through, the elf's workshop, Santa and the elf's house, and the stable for the reindeer.  The attention to detail in each room was incredible.  

Kitchen area for the Elves

Impressed by the toy workshop-

Eliza thought she got to pick a toy and started to take the doll and carriage-

Santa asleep in his bed... Adalyn was terrified!

Bedroom for the elves

A reindeer who ate too much Nutella in the health room-

This room was full of pacifiers- from what I understand, children in Europe celebrate Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) who comes to their house on the night of December 5th.  If parents are trying to get rid of pacifiers, the children will place them in a shoe and in return Sinterklaas will leave them chocolate.  

Adalyn pointing to Minnesota to let Santa know where she would be for Christmas!

Mailing her letter to Santa-

On Sunday, we had a relaxing day- we went to church in the morning and spent the afternoon getting things done around the house in preparation for our next visitors.  Chris' parents arrive Friday for a ten day visit- we are all looking forward to their visit, especially the girls! 

Tomorrow I am doing a presentation in Adalyn's classroom about the United States of America and Minnesota.  This month her class is focusing on the theme, "We're All Alike, We're All Different."  They have asked as many parents to come in and talk about their home country and their culture.  In Adalyn's class of 21 students, she is the only one from the U.S.  Between the three different international schools in Geneva, 139 nationalities are represented.  There have been moments during the last two years that I have missed teaching, so it was fun to create a PowerPoint- just had to remember the audience would be five year olds instead of ten year olds!  It was challenging to think of what represents MN, and how it is unique from the rest of the World.  We came up with Halloween, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, football, land of 10,000 lakes, farming, apple crisp, and of course, Kraft Mac n' Cheese!  You are also encouraged to bring food from your country, so Adalyn chose apple crisp, surprisingly you can bring homemade goods in to share with the class- hopefully they enjoy it!  

Some things I learned this week...

1)  Chris is not made for Europe! He had gotten a hole in the sole of his shoe, so on Tuesday Eliza and I went on a shoe chase around Geneva with no luck.  He wears a 50 in European size, which is not normal.  Everyone just laughed- so, instead I found a shoe repair store that would repair the shoe- for 50 francs, but we had not other choice.  

2)  Even though you don't see cops out patrolling the streets with radar, they are watching you with their cameras positioned around town.  So far, Chris has two speeding tickets, and I have one.  You never really want to check your mail here in fear that a ticket will be waiting for you.  We now pay close attention to the speed limit signs, which is difficult because in most cases you are just trying to figure out where you are and where you need to go.  Most of the time the speed limit around town is only 40-50 km which is about 25 - 30 mph, which obviously for us has been a bit of a struggle.     

A bientot!