CHRISTMAS DREAMS

After a few days in France, we turned towards Switzerland to track down some Minnesotans there.  However, we found it very difficult to get on our way!  With the absurd "Google maps" directions I had printed off, we were doomed.  Note to self:  get the GPS next time, it would be worth every cent.   We stopped by in Lausanne where a friend has lived for 4.5 years now, got stuck in her building parking lot, and got lost on our way back to the autoroute, but finally made our way to beautiful Blonay/Chailly sur Montreux.  To save us from our doom Janna met us at the highway exit, and we followed her to their Swiss chalet...really truly a beautiful, serene home with breathtaking views of Lake Geneva and the mountains.  Vineyards surround their residence, which is the 2nd place they've lived, because the first one, an expansive flat with a more urban setting, proved to be very difficult dealing with rude and downright nearly evil neighbors who made it their goal to expel this lovely family from their building.  Not a fun experience, it has all ended well as their current home is really beautiful and in a wonderful spot.
We really enjoyed seeing life in Switzerland - where our friends live, where they go to the market, where the children go to school, some of the tourist attractions in the area....Switzerland is pretty close to paradise!

Formerly of Edina, these girls have known Lausanne for the past 4.5 years! 

 MONTREUX/BLONAY

The Homans showed us the Chateau de Chillon, not far from their house

The Chateau is the most visited monument of all Switzerland!

La Belle Maison

Can you see the JOY on Ally's face??  To be with her friend Erika, words cannot describe!

Wow - Nestle headquarters, not far from where they live

A really cool building which is part of the private British school the girls attend

The Montreux Christmas Market is world-known

Ok so the weather wasn't ideal, but the vin chaud tastes so delightful, and the open fires warmed us up

We loved the little market "log cabins" where vendors show off their wares

Freddy Mercury statue...he apparently loved Montreux, spent a lot of time there, and recorded there as well.  He said "If you want to find peace, go to Montreux".

beautiful - and expensive - Swiss "poya" artwork

Our gracious hosts in front of this "only in Switzerland" farmer's shop just a couple blocks from their home where they can go and purchase fresh produce grown right in the fields surrounding them!  ps we were lucky enough to stop by on the day of an "open house" event with wine tasting and pumpkin soup - both delicious!

putting on a show

 GRUYERES

Gruyere - gorgeous mountain village a la suisse

I just loved the roof on this house and the Christmas wreath wrapping the doorway

Inside a peaceful, serene little village church in Gruyere

At La Maison de Gruyere restaurant

I love the chairs!  However, the most fascinating thing in the Gruyere Cheese factory, the kids will assure you, are the toilets.  Never seen anything like it before... the seat actually turns a full circle under a cleaning mechanism to ensure ultimate sanitation before use!!

Eating out in Switzerland can bust our vacation budget...but here we found a couple items for the kids to share, along with soup for Dave and a "menu du jour" for me was just right!

The Gruyere cheese making

After eating our weight in cheese, why not head over to the NESTLE - Cailler chocolate factory?

Lord help me, it was all-you-can-taste pralines and exquisite chocolats...

The tour is worth it - a multi-media walk through which traces the history of the company and chocolate in general

The world's greatest occupation?  Some kind of professional chocolatiers....

VILLARS!!

Next stop: skiing in Villars where the Homans have rented a little chalet apartment for the season

Just outside their ski chalet

 

Just next to their ski chalet is this great sledding hill, and a telecabine is just around the corner

Villars also had a Christmas market - it's a very Swiss thing apparently

SKIING - that is what this area is ALL about, and we did indeed hit the slopes - an incredible experience for us little Minnesotans....the Alps are truly WOW.

 
 

 

Christmas dinner at Cookie restaurant

 


 We rented a little chalet outside of Villars for a few nights...proved to be quite difficult to get there - up a 20% grade slope, narrow and icy...in fact Dave and I got stuck the first time we tried to get there with our luggage....and the Swiss snowplow guy who yelled at us and drove by us 3-4 times plowing us in further was not help whatsoever.  Thank God we did have snow chains.

Will Santa really find us in Switzerland?

With their crowns from the "crackers" (which are a British thing)

An amazing RACLETTE meal was brought over to our little chalet...what a treat!!  YYYUUUUMMMM

Down the street you could get views of Lake Geneva

Time to pack up and get back to reality...this really was a dream!

There were three units in these chalets

Au Revoir, La Suisse!!  Hope to see you again soon.....

An unforgettable Christmas experience.

Here are some websites regarding the places we went...
Chateau de Chillon
http://www.chillon.ch/en/

Montreux Christmas Market
http://www.montreuxnoel.ch/en-1-christmas-market.html

Gruyere Cheese Factory
http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=142&Itemid=209

Nestle/Cailler Chocolate Factory
http://www.cailler.ch/en/Home.aspx

Cookie Restaurant
http://www.cookie1882.com

Villars Region information
http://www.villars.ch/en/index.cfm