halloween

Happy Halloween! We celebrated this year by spooking ourselves up and helping out at the local Trunk-or-Treat. Our friends put a lot of work into organizing a fun event for the kids (and grown-ups too).    

désalpe

My in-laws arrived last night, after a trip to Greece, and are visiting us for a long weekend. We didn't give them much rest at our house before leaving in the early morning for the annual désalping at the Foire d'Albeuve. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the cows were decked-out in their flowers and giant bells as they returned to the village after a summer grazing at higher elevations.

We enjoyed their parade through the streets, and crowded into town with bell ringers, alp horns, artisan stalls, flag throwing, and all sorts of treats. 

We left the festival in the afternoon, making a stop to wander in Château-d'Œx, before continuing our winding route toward Lauterbrunnen.

We booked a bungalow for two nights as our base for exploring the mountains, but first, a walk in the valley, dinner, and a great night's sleep at the cozy campsite.

fête des vendanges

The forecast called for thunderstorms, but we decided to take our chances with the long walk, and headed out for the annual Fête des Vendanges de Russin. We drank a glass of fresh cider to celebrate the harvest before finding a place along the crowded streets to watch the procession of bands and floats pulled by tractors.. 

Russin always hosts a grand procession with fantastic floats...this year there was a great moving dragon, but the giant, lactating cow won my vote.

The crowd gets sprayed by from the utters...best float ever.

The parade is closed by the the bell ringers marching through the street, and we finish our wine, shake the confetti out of our clothes, and enjoy the parties at the wineries before walking back home through the vineyards.

fêtes de genève

Today I tagged along with Dan and Laura and the kids to the Fêtes de Genève. We all ate some carnival food, fed the swans, walked by the lake, the kids rode rides, and we enjoyed a gorgeous summer day in the city.

The tractor on the carousel was definitely a crowd pleaser and the bumper cars won lots shrieks and giggles.

caves ouvertes

After rainy, but still great, Caves Ouvertes the past two years, we were so excited for a  sun filled, perfect, blue sky, wine tasting day in the vineyards. We headed out early on foot to make a first stop in Essertines as the caves open at 10am.  

Maybe it was the generous pours, but waylaid by tasting in the garden at the first domaine, we had to hustle along the vineyard roads to the meet-up point to continue the day with friends and a parade of scooters and bicycles.

A few Choully stops, a feast of wild boar, classic cars and cameras, poor little Eliot's trip to the ER, bike swapping, tree climbing, more tasting, and finally sprawling on the grass in Peissy. We had  a bottle or two stocked for after the tastings finished, and held our position on the lawn longer into the evening. As the crowd disappeared, Derek and I still had the beautiful walk home in the vineyards ahead of us.