The month of LOVE...

February is a particularly special month for us as it is the month we got married and went on honeymoon and, of course, Valentine’s Day!

This year we celebrated our first wedding anniversary.  We decided to make the most of the cold weather and explore more of the skiing areas, so we headed off to Verbier for the weekend.

We left early on Saturday morning and went by train to Martigny where we switched to the St Bernard Express train which took us further into the mountain area till Le Châble.  From there we took a very windy bus trip up the narrow twists and turns to the top of the mountain, Verbier.

The Saint-Bernard Express

It was beautiful and looked like a postcard. There was so much snow everywhere with at least a meter of snow on the roofs of the houses. It was just VERY cold!



So much snow!



January and the beginning of February was extremely cold here in Switzerland (and I believe in England and many other parts of Europe). We were experiencing temperatures of around -20 degrees Celsius in Geneva when taking into account the wind chill, and the wind does like to blow across the lake.

The temperature in Verbier was similar (-20), although thankfully a lot more sheltered. So being outside for long periods was way too cold.

When we arrived we dropped our bag at our hotel Farinet (http://www.hotelfarinet.com/en/verbier.htm).  Then we headed off to explore the town a bit and find a place for lunch.  The town was very busy with skiers taking advantage of the good snow and had many ski rental shops and stores selling warm clothing.

Icicles on the hotel Farinet

There were quite a few restaurant and we opted for an Italian. Hubby decided on a pizza while I selected a mushroom risotto.  Many times I have food envy, but this time was different. Although Hubby’s pizza was good, my risotto was sooo tasty! It was packed with mushroomy flavours and goodness and I loved every bite!

Relaxing at lunch

My mushroom risotto - looks like porridge but tasted great

We finished off the lunch with some dessert of tiramisu and panna cotta.

Tiramisu

Panna Cotta

After lunch we headed back to the hotel and relaxed in the warmth till dinner time. 

Swiss all the way

View from our room

We went back to the Italian for dinner.  This time we opted for dishes that are not particularly Italian and I slightly regretted it as it was not as nice as the lunch we had.  I should have known, in an Italian restaurant stick to Italian food – lesson learnt.

I opted for the pork ribs as I hadn’t had some since South Africa and Hubby went for a steak.  The ribs were quite dry, although the bbq sauce was tasty. Hubby’s steak was very tasty but a bit tough and sinewy.

Steak

Ribs

After dinner we headed to the bar in our hotel. Our hotel is known for being a party hotel and has a huge bar area where people go for après ski drinks and it also has a night club. They even give you ear plugs in your room to block out the noise!

We had a couple of drinks but after a while started feeling decidedly old as we were not enjoying the repetitive beat of the dance music, where every song sounds the same.  

The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel, which was served in the bar area. The selection was good but being in the bar the place smelt like beer, not great for me but Hubby didn't mind.

Breakfast

We then headed to the slopes.  We rented ski gear (which was so expensive compared to what we paid in Italy) and hopped on a bus to meet our ski instructor as we booked a 2 hour lesson for the morning. 

Let’s just say the lesson did not go great for me. The instructor was very helpful and tried to encourage me but I am too much of a scaredy cat and would not go fast.  He kept telling me to pick up speed and put my skis parallel but I refused.  Somehow I don’t think skiing is my thing.

Hubby getting pulled up the slope

So tiny...AMAZING!

After an hour and being very nervous and refusing to go down one of the baby slopes I asked the instructor to rather spend the second hour with Hubby.  This turned out great as Hubby is a better skier than me so the instructor helped him improve his technique and by the end of the hour he had improved so much and was a lot more confident.

We headed for the restaurant on the slopes and opted for a good old cheese fondue. The view was great and we enjoyed relaxing and watching the skiers.

The restaurant

Cheese fondue...mmm

After lunch we headed back home to Geneva. 

The beautiful sunset on the way home

We really had a wonderful anniversary in Verbier! It is a great place to go visit with beautiful scenery and has a good vibe.

Mmm, what to do next year…

South Africa ...week 2

So let me get back to our South African holiday (I was distracted a bit by our Italian skiing trip - http://keep-calm-and-eat-cake.blogspot.com/2012/02/first-skiing-trip.html).  

We were in South Africa for 2 weeks over Christmas and New Years and had an awesome holiday. You can read about what we got up to in week 1 here: http://keep-calm-and-eat-cake.blogspot.com/2012/01/south-africaweek-1.html.

For the second week of our trip we headed to Hubby’s family in Knysna.  The week was very relaxing and as always in Knysna revolved around food, drinking and of course family!

Highlights included:

Meeting our nephew Keagan – Of course we were so happy to see everyone again and see how much little Maddie had grown but what made it extra special is that we got to meet our new nephew Keagan.  He was already 4 months old and such a calm and relaxed cute little bundle.

Little Keagan

Keagan and Uncle Al

Keagan and Aunty Mich

Maddie’s 3^rd Birthday – On the 27^th December was Maddie’s 3^rd Birthday and we lucky to be there to spend it with her.  Hubby and I had been working on a cake in PE as a surprise for Maddie (and the others) so on the morning of her birthday we lit the candles and sang “Happy Birthday” and surprised her with the cake. She was spoilt with lots of pressies and spent the afternoon at the beach.

Happy Birthday Maddie!





Opening presents

Ile de Pain (http://www.iledepain.co.za/) – This must truly be one of my favourite places to eat in Knysna and I try and ensure to eat there at least once every trip.  It was a lovely day so we all took a stroll from the house to the restaurant. 

Ready for the stroll

All the options on their menu looked great and as always it was a very tough decision, but in the end I opted for the sandwich board.  It was divine! Different breads were served on a cutting board with a variety of toppings, fillings or dips. My favourite was the mini hamburger which was so tasty (my mouth is watering as I type this!). 

The sandwich board

Hubby opted for the steak sandwich. This was amazing! Even though mine was divine I still found myself having food envy when his plate arrived, even more so when I tasted the soft juicy steak with caramalised onions (ok now my stomach is rumbling!).

Hubby's steak sandwich

To end the lunch we shared a delicious pecan nut pie served with ice-cream. I would definitely recommend going there if you are ever in the Knysna area.

Pecan nut pie

New Years Eve –  Well a trip to Knysna is not complete without a prawn braai.  We saved it for New Years Eve and it was worth the wait! We had starters of oysters and then the guys got into braaing action and started on the prawns.  The ladies made rice and a salad and the feast was ready. The prawns were succulent and, if I may borrow the phrase, “finger licking good”! The rest of the evening was spent drinking wine, playing the board game 30 Seconds and dancing to the ipod music.  A great night with great people.

The boys working hard

The girls relaxing

The prawns!

What a spread

Other good meals – As usual we ate out a lot in Knysna and there are a few others worth a mention. We had lovely calamari and sushi at The Drydock Food Company (http://www.drydock.co.za/).  A variety of sushi was served on a huge board that Hubby and I shared.  

Calamari

Sushi

Josie and Keagan

Maddie enjoying her lunch

The cheesecake from Café Mario (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g312664-d1719793-Reviews-Cafe_Mario-Knysna_Garden_Route_Western_Cape.html) is definitely worth a mention, I truly think it is the most soft and creamy cheesecake I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. 

Good times with the family

All in all a wonderful holiday and amazing 2 weeks - thanks everyone!

First skiing trip...

This past weekend I went on my first skiing trip! 

My sister, her hubby and 6 of their South African friends planned a week long skiing trip to Champoluc in Italy.  They invited us along but as we just recently returned from South Africa we could only join them for a long weekend, but what a great weekend it was!

Hubby and I rented a car and drove to Champoluc on the Saturday morning.  It was a 3 hour drive that was pretty stressful as we were driving a new car, on the opposite side of the road (right hand side) on a route we did not know in very cold and snowy conditions and up narrow winding mountain passes.  We were both very relieved when we arrived.

On the way there

Champolac looked magical and everything was covered in so much snow and the houses looked so quaint and the mountains looked huge.  It really looked like a winter wonderland!

The rest of the group had not arrived yet so Hubby and I got the keys for Champoluc Apartments (http://www.champolucapartment.com/eng.html) where we were staying and got kitted up in some serious winter gear before walking into town for lunch.

The town is very small with one main street running through the centre. On each side there are shops and restaurants. We found a nice restaurant I ordered pasta while Hubby opted for a cold meat dish served with salad and bread.  The food was good and the service was definitely relaxed.

Enjoying lunch

After lunch we headed to the Ski School and booked a lesson for Sunday morning. Then we headed to the Tako Ski Rental (http://www.skirentalchampoluc.com/index.php?lang=2) to get ourselves sorted and kitted out for the next day. We rented ski boots, skis, ski poles and helmets.  You store your equipment there, which is great as it is so heavy to carry around and the rental place is close to the Ski Lift. We then bought our Ski pass for Sunday. We were all ready and prepared for an early start on Sunday!

We then headed to the only supermarket in the town and bought a few supplies for the apartment and ingredients for dinner, as it was our allocated evening to cook.

In the late afternoon the others arrived (minus 2 people as a passport was lost between flights).  They were tired after their travels but excited to be in the wintery snowy Champoluc.

After a few drinks in the pub below our accommodation, we went upstairs to cook and all had an early night ready for Sunday’s skiing.

Hubby and I got going early as we had our ski lesson booked for 9am.  We headed to the ski rental shop and got kitted out in our gear. The ski shoes felt so weird to walk in as you can’t really straighten your legs with them on and the skis are heavy to carry so it all look a while to get used to. 

Feeling a bit wobbly we headed to the ski lift which took us high up the mountain.  It was beautiful looking at the view (although it was very hazy so we could not see too far).

Going up the ski lift

We met our instructors at the ski school and started our lessons.  As Hubby had skied before (12 years ago) he picked it up quite quickly and was doing very well.  While I on the other hand, was a complete novice and struggling on the very baby slopes. The instructor was helpful and by the end of the hour I had learnt to stop (pizza slice style) and zip zag left and right, all on the baby slopes.

All kitted up

I stayed on the baby slopes the whole morning and only managed to fall once, but what a spectacular fall it was! I was on the steeper of the 3 baby slopes and my sister had just headed down before me. I started my decent and was going from side to side when I started picking up speed and could not pizza slice stop.  I shouted to my sister as I was about to fly into her and she slowed enough so that I just clipped her skis. She fell over but I flew forward onto my stomach with my hands in front of me, and my skis and legs somewhere behind me and proceeded to slide down the hill for about 20 meters with snow spraying in my face. Hubby heard me shout at my sister to move and turned around just in time to see my spectacular fall. After I assured him that I was fine we all had a good laugh. What was even worse was that it happened next to the escalator that takes the people to the top of the slope so they were all watching. And after my fall I could not get up with my skis on so I had to take them off and do the walk of shame down the slope! Ha ha, good times!

After a late lunch at the one of the restaurants at the slopes I called it a day and started the process of desending down the hill and returning my equipment to storage for the night.

It was a tough day

The 2 missing friends arrived! Amazingly the South Africa embassy in Italy were great and arranged a temporary passport and visa so they could stay and enjoy their trip. Well done SA!!!

We all went out for dinner. I ordered a pizza with parma ham, rocket and parmesan; while Hubby opted for beef and polenta. Both were very tasty and was washed down nicely with some red wine.

The gang

Sis and her Hubby



Is it a frozen tree or a fountain?  We still don't know



Monday morning was a bit of a slower start with everyone feeling a bit achy and painy after the day before. I felt exhausted and could hardly drag myself and equipment to the ski lift. I did the baby slopes again but called it a day after a couple of hours. 

The sun trying to make an appearance on the slopes

We met for lunch on the slopes and then Hubby and I had to pack our things and head back to Geneva!

On the way home

We had an awesome weekend with my Sister, her Hubby and their friends. THANKS SIS!