One of the biggest benefits of living here is the relative proximity to many other countries/cultures. This past weekend, we were invited to Switzerland to celebrate the birthday of the guy who lived with my family as a German exchange student when I was in high school. And we got to ski! And there was CHEESE EVERY NIGHT! Yum!
The little village where Alex’s family has a chalet is so great – and so small. Let’s just say that it is exactly what you see in your mind when you imagine a small village in the Swiss Alps. Alex’s cousins own one of the oldest chalets in the area – built in 1874 and we were lucky enough to be invited there on the last night to eat raclette (very simple, the most delicious melted cheese you’ve ever tasted over potatoes). I would seriously eat this every day, if it wouldn’t kill me in less than a year.
While we were there, I ate fondue for 2 nights in a row and finished off the trip with the raclette party. Let’s just say that the amount of schnapps I drank (which is supposed to help with digestion) did nothing to enhance the slightly ill feeling I had driving home through the very big mountains. Lesson learned: Cheese is best enjoyed in moderation. Too much cheese + too much schnapps + driving through big mountains = trouble.
With any luck, I’ll be buying one of these babies in Switzerland while we’re here and bringing it back for all of our future raclette parties (get ready friends!):
Francophile Update 