Saturday, December 12, 2009

Happy Hanukkah!


Happy Hanukkah to all our family and friends during this holiday season!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Christmas Market and Snow!

Caux

Christmas Village


Trying to stay warm!


First Swiss snow experience!


Snowball fight



Fondue



Last Saturday, Mark and I set out on the train down the lake to the towns of Caux and Montreux. Caux is situated in the mountains directly above Montreux. Now that the chilly weather is here to stay, the snow has arrived! As we chugged up the mountain we started to see patches of white and by the time we got off the train, we were surrounded by snow! It was so beautiful (but very cold for a born so-cal beach girl!) We walked through the "Village de Noel," drinking hot chocolate to try and warm ourselves. It was like being in a winter wonderland!

We headed back down to Montreux to visit the Christmas market. Europe is very well-known for it's Christmas markets, and Montreux is known for having one of the bigger ones in Switzerland. We perused the stalls, checking out the goodies for sale. After making the rounds, we met up with our friends Nate and Bianca to devour some delicious cheese fondue! Fondue is a Swiss winter tradition. On a cold night, it doesn't get much better than savoring the taste of bread covered in cheese fondue with a glass of gluwein (mulled wine)!

My first Swiss winter experience was a fantastic one....curious to see what else is in store as we prepare for colder months ahead! Next up in the new year...learning to ski and snowboard! Stay tuned!