London calling!

This afternoon, we are off to the Grenoble airport (about a two-hour drive from Gap) to catch our plane to London for a week's holiday! Plans include visiting with friends, taking a break from the Frenchies (except the one I'm married to, of course) and all of the following, in no particular order (chances are we'll start first with the last photo, actually!)








(all photos found with help from Google Images search)

Very encouraging indeed

Yesterday afternoon it was actually warm enough to sit outside at one of the cafés on Gap's main square, Place Jean Marcellin, and have un petit café. So great, and such an encouraging sign... Sure, that girl in the background has a winter hat on, but FQ actually took off his jacket! Looks like winter may not last forever after all.

 

Le Crêpe Party

Mesdames et Messieurs,
It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to "Le Crêpe Party", which has changed my life! Best. Kitchen. Gadget. Ever.

 

If you are asking yourself, "Self, is that a fancy griddle-type thing that allows you to cook six individual crepes at the same time?", the answer is yes... yes it is.

And if you are now wondering, "Self, would it also be possible to fry an egg on that there device?", I shall waste no time in giving you the answer:

 

If you need to take a moment to deal with how awesome this thing is, I understand completely. Take your time. Breathe in, breathe out.

It practically goes without saying that "Le Crêpe Party" was exactly what we needed for a little Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras celebration.

 

Is that salad on Tanya's plate? I think somebody needs to explain the whole "Mardi Gras" concept to her...

 

Speaking of not understanding the concept, I am completely befuddled by the fact that the Frenchies are all about Marshmallow Fluff. Just the other day, FQ bought a jar of it at the local supermarché (what the heck was it doing there??!) and has been putting it on baguettes, on pieces of toast, in hot chocolate... I'm sure he eats it out of the jar with a spoon when I'm not looking. As for Thibault, he went crazy for the combination of "le Fluff et la crêpe". I'm pretty sure the French government will come and take away his passport if they ever see this photo.

 

Anyway, back to my latest obsession. I have seen "Le Crêpe Party" for sale in lots of stores here. It's made by Tefal, but I have never ever seen such a thing outside of France.

And you want to know the best part? It comes with six tiny frying pans that you place on the burners, thereby transforming "Le Crêpe Party" into "Le Wok Party". Yes, I am totally serious, and yes, we have already tested that out. But you'll have to be patient... "Le Wok Party" is deserving of a whole different post, n'est-ce pas ?

Le Carnaval des Alpes

Yesterday, bien sûr, was Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras in Gap meant "Le Carnaval des Alpes", which involved masses of kids and adults parading through the streets. I couldn't help but wonder where all these people came from. I had never seen Gap so crowded!



There were some fantastic costumes. The theme this year was "les animaux". Can you tell?





There was also plenty of confetti. Who doesn't love confetti?


And even a few Rio-style samba girls, who must have been freezing!

So yes, it was a big day out in Gap. Even the newspaper was all about le carnaval. This ad for our local paper, Le Dauphiné Liberé, says "Carnival: T-minus one. A look behind the scenes." Excitement builds!

For me, the best part of the afternoon was spending time with my friend Tanya and her son Mathieu (a.k.a. Le Cowboy), soaking up the winter sunshine and enjoying the festivities in what is usually such a sleepy little town. Crowds, confetti, and cowboys = good times!

Rose-coloured snowshoes

 

Winter in the French Alps actually is not as bad as I expected. Sure, minus 8 Celsius sounds chilly... but, as long as you are bundled up properly and you keep moving, staying warm is no problem at all. Such was the case when we went snowshoeing last Sunday in Le Valgaudemar, a valley about 30 kms from Gap. Tons of snow, beautiful mountains in all directions... and just look at the colour of that sky!

 

See all the photos from our day "snowing-shoeing" (as my Frenchie likes to say!) here.

How to have a fantastic Valentine's Day lunch in 8 easy (?) steps

1. Drive 15 kilometres on windy, snowy mountain roads from Gap to Rabou, a little village of about 75 people.

View Larger Map

2. Park the car next to the tiny town hall and look for the trailhead sign. Wonder if the 20 minutes walking time to the auberge was estimated in summer or winter.


(Those tracks? They're from the inn's owners' 4x4. This is the only road in, mes amis !)

3. Start the trek, armed with one ski pole each (better than nothing, non ?)

 

(See that cabin in the background? It's coming up, about 10 minutes down the path...)

4. Stop along the way for some icicle fun.





5. Slip and slide downhill to the half-way point, the stone bridge and little cabin.

 

 

6. Catch breath. Then start walking uphill... and up and up and up, until voilà !

 

 

You have arrived at the Auberge de Moissière, which dates back to the 12th century (!!!) and features an inn with room for 14 guests and a restaurant.

7. Proceed to spend the next three hours eating the most amazing lunch of all time. I didn't want to single myself out as the tourist by taking photos of my plate, but it was simply incredible:

apéritif cocktail
+
amuse-bouche (basically a pre-appetizer appetizer)
+
appetizer
+
main dish
+
half a bottle of wine
+
cheese plate
+
dessert (OK, three mini desserts!)
+
coffee
+
digestif (a shot of strong alcohol to help you digest)
=
three hours à table
=
one amazing Valentine's Day date!

You can see all the pictures of the day here, and visit the Auberge de Moissière's site here.

(And if you come visit me, I might just take you there for lunch!)

P.S. No, I didn't forget Step 8: Hike out back to civilization. And yes, the path did seem a tad bit slippier after the apéritif, wine, and digestif. Just in case you were wondering.