24-26 August 2012 - Weekend Getaway (another one!)

Although everyday is a weekend day for me I often have a difficult Monday to Friday.  I am busy touring, blogging, cooking...it never stops!  So I do relish the times when it is the weekend and it also means that S is home too.  S had organised another weekend escape in a town called Ftan (very difficult to pronounce) about 90 minutes form Einsiedeln.

So off we shot in the SLK into the wild blue yonder and up and through mountains.  Speaking of mountains, to get through one of them everyone has to take their car on a train which then whisks you through the middle.  It is pretty neat but very weird sitting in the car and the car not moving.  There was also mobile signal the whole way - very modern.

There were still a number of winding roads but a distinct lack of cows....perhaps they were at a secret meeting to plan their civil uprising.

Anyway we arrived at the Hotel Paradies which overlooks the mountains and the valley.  Again, Switzerland really does know how to do a good view.  The hotel has only 15 rooms but manages to have three restaurants with one of them having a Michelin star.  You will be thrilled to know that pine was a significant feature not only in one of the dining rooms but also the hotel rooms themselves.

After unpacking we enjoyed a little champagne (Perrier Jouet) on the balcony and then went down to dinner in the Pine Enclave - you could imagine that I was beside myself with excitement to be amongst all this wood.  The food was really very good and huge portions.  I managed to find a bottle of Grange on the menu which was incredibly under priced - so what better way to accompany the meal than with an fine Aussie red!

Morning came far too quickly but luckily there is no rush to have breakfast as it is available most of the day.  A pretty cool selection with a crazy meat slicer and even a breakfast dessert!

Brekky buffet

Poached eggs in glass and champagne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Breakfast dessert - Berliners (Jam Donuts)

Crazy meat slicer with large chunk of animal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The afternoon was pretty relaxed with a ride in a ski lift up the mountain with a little drinky and then some time on the balcony of the room enjoying the view and catching up with the world.

 

 

Dinner this evening was in the gourmet restaurant and S had organised a tour of the kitchen with the chef before hand.  It was a bit challenging for me as it was all in German but trusty S was on hand to translate.  I really must get on to enrolling in that German course!!  We also had three amuse bouche in the kitchen before heading into the dining room to enjoy a 13 course menu of which none of it was served on plates but instead a range of wood and stone!  I will not make you suffer with photos of all the courses but give you a teaser of what we enjoyed....with matching local wines....

Next morning was more breakfast and then time to head off once more.  On the way back we went through Davos which is a famous ski resort but also where they hold a significant international invitation only super duper exclusive economic forum.

It was then home to chill out on the couch and prepare for the week ahead.  Can't give anything away, you will just have to wait.



Emergency Post - The Running of the Cows of Einsiedeln

Here I am gentle reader, minding my own business, dedicating my time to you when out of the window I hear the gentle clanging of bells.  Not an unusual sound I am sure you are thinking but when I look up what do I see?

A herd of cows rambling down the main thoroughfare just like in Pamplona.  Well I had to capture this and share it with you.

21-23 August 2012 - Pounding the Paris Pavements

Has it been as long as I think between drinks and by drinks I mean the metaphorical version (as the physical is all too regular) and I have not written to you all in some time?  Fear not, I am back and my fingers are doing the talking.


 

After finally having digested the holistic meal - did not take long as most of it was channelled through my aura it was time for me to cook once more.  Won't bore you too much but suffice to say it involved chicken and breadcrumbs - yes, a schnitzel.  Would you believe another thing I have never done?  Seems like I never left the house, well if that is the case I certainly never entered the kitchen.  Would you believe I could not find breadcrumbs in the supermarket so had to make my own.  How many housewives do that???  So here is the result.....please note that the omelet on the salad was used making the leftover egg wash....waste not want not I say.  And it was all washed down with a delicious Cloudy Bay from the land of the long white cloud.

But enough of this and on to more European adventures.  As Stephan was abandoning me for something called work in Turkey, I was at a loss.  But wait I was saved by the arrival of my dear friends Penny and Darren who have also given up work (well, they are on long service leave) and left their teaching behind to explore the wilds of Europe and then do an eight week trek to Santiago in Spain.

I needed no encouragement to jump on the interweb and find how to get myself to Paris.  I was beside myself when I found the cheapest fare was on Air France as guess what, I have not flown on them before.  Wait for it....it was also to be in economy class!  You will be even more thrilled to hear that as it was such a short flight that there is only minimal description I can give you of the service (there was little) and the in flight comfort (there were rows and rows of seats going on forever.....).  Still I can share some pictures.

21 August 2012

So the day of travel arrived and S and I whisked ourselves off to the aerodrome in the SLK.  S had received some indication that his Swiss flight to Istanbul may be delayed.  Seemed unlikely as this is Switzerland and you can set your watches by how trains and planes run on time here.  It was actually true as we were to discover and the flight was delayed.  I am sure there is a Swiss Airlines employee who is now out of a job.  After some time the lovely agents were able to change his flights and we also got to overhear of a family who missed their return flight to Tel Aviv by three days!!!! 

Goodness, this story has taken some time and I have not even got to Paris yet.  Heard there is not much to do or see there so this should be quick!

In the end my flight ended up leaving before S's flight and an hour later I was in glamorous Paris, well not the airport.  Let me tell you, Terminal 2G, the regional terminal, looks like some sort of prison.  Bienvenue, I don't think so!!

So it was off to Le Marceau Bastille Hotel near, funnily enough, Bastille and where Penny and Darren had secured an apartment.  Lovely little boutique hotel with bright and airy rooms and big for Paris!

I had to wait for Penny and Darren to come and meet me as Penny had a meeting with a giant meringue which clearly outranked me!!  Just kidding...they came to the hotel and it was great to see them and we celebrated in true Aussie style and went and had a beer!  It was then time to pick up some supplies for a pre-dinner snack and aperitif.  This was had in P&D's groovy Paris Pied a Terre.  Penny managed to throw back the wine like there was no tomorrow!!

We then found a little restaurant nearby as Penny was dry and needed more wine (as of course did I...I don't like being dry).  Lovely little place with fun staff and some good traditional fare.  Everyone loves a good coq.......au vin!.

22 August 2012

I wandered over to P&D's for breakfast to discover that Penny was moving a bit slower this morning.  The poor lass was suffering with the effects of the vin blanc.  We have all been there but here not having memory of the naked run down the street was a bit alarming.

I must press on as we had a carefully timed and full schedule to complete by days end.  First stop, where it all ends, the local Paris Cemetery - Pere Lachaise.  Why go there you ask?  It is full of famous dead people....would be less fun for them if they were alive!  So we donned our walking shoes and off we hiked.  Please note that P is the tour master, or was it that D and I were too scared to challenge her?

The cemetery is quite beautiful and we spent a couple of hours wandering the environs.  Some of those interred here include Oscar Wilde (below top left), Jim Morrison, Chopin, Marcel Proust, Edith Paif and Julia Gillard's political career.  We did also wander through the Columbarium (two lower pictures) but not after having to coax P as she believed it would be "boring and just full of boxes".  Some tourists are tough customers!

There are also a series of memorials including those for the holocaust and for air disasters such as the Air France flight AF447 which crashed into the Atlantic in 2009.  As someone who jumps on the occasional jet, it does make you reflect, yes, a sombre moment for me.

We were then allowed a little reprieve from the walking on cobblestones and had a bite to eat at a local cafe.

Time was a wastin' so were were off once more to visit some local parks with some of the best views in Paris per P's trusty Paris App.  I am glad we were in a group as some of the neighbourhoods we has to traverse to get to these "views" were less then savoury.  P kept referring to them as "up and coming" and "you won't recognise them next time you are here".....I think real estate agency is her true calling.  Imagine what she teaches her students!!  That said managing to avoid knife attacks, drug deals and crazy people was all worth it for the view from the top of Parc de Belleville.  In fact one review I read called the neighbourhood "gritty".

Our march continued to another park with more views....some more attractive than others....

Our feet were basically numb by this stage but Penny enticed us to keep walking with a promise of a beer.  We did get to take the Metro which was nice.  The promised beer arrived in the surrounds of the Louvre...aaah, sweet nectar.  We then went to Musee L'Orangerie where some amazing Monet murals are housed. 

It was then back (by foot of course) to the hotel/apartment to meet Penny's friends from Germany Rose and Uli for dinner.  So with bloodied toes we continued but my energy returned when I discovered a cool shirt shop and bought four shirts!!  As an aside the sales assistant was from the USA, married an Australian in Adelaide and had her honeymoon in Broome!  The things you find out!

Dinner was had locally (and much less alcohol) at a cafe and it was wonderful to catch up with everyone.  It was not a late night as frankly we were knackered!!  It was off to bed and rest my weary toes.

23 August 2012

It is morning once more which means another croissant for breakfast and the promise of a river cruise with much less walking.  We all met at about 9:15 am to head off to our cruise through the canals.  Probably not widely known that Paris has a canal network that has a series of nine locks and part of the canal is now underground. 

Anyone who has sailed through locks knows this is not a speedy experience, especially when there are nine!  Still it was a lovely and relaxing start to the day with some lovely scenery.

Approaching the first lock

Uli and Rosa 

 

 Another lock

 

 

If you gotta go...





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heading into the underworld (above) and some local fireman out exercising (above right).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After disembarking near the Musee d'Orsay we wandered to find a little light lunch.  This was followed by a gentle walk through the streets back to the hotel where I had to farewell P&D.

What a wonderful couple of days in Paris with some great friends, a lot of laughs and some sore feet but all worth it!  My little flight home was just fine and I waited at the airport for S to come back from Turkey (it was that night in case you thought I decided to camp out there!). 

 

Would only be home for one night as S had organised a wonderful weekend getaway.  That will be coming up very soon.

 

18-19 August 2012 - Star Dining in the Alps - No Jacket Required

Gentle reader...have you missed me?  It is almost the weekend again and I have so much to share.  I have just had a glorious few days in Paris with the wonderful Penny and Darren but I have some catching up to do with you all.

Last weekend was a pre-organised surprise for me at a one Michelin star restaurant in Switzerland called Gastohof Rossli (yes, it is called "Horse") run by one Stefen Wiesner - is everyone called Stefan here?!?!? (http://www.stefanwiesner.ch/e/)

Of course no good outing is not complete without a decent drive.  So off we set to Eschollzmatt which is a small town near Lucerne which was designated as the first UNESCO biosphere reservation in Switzerland.  I thought we would end up under some sort of giant bubble but it was not to be.

We made it in plenty of time so that we ducked up to our accommodation which was at a local farm house some 15 minutes into the wilderness.  The lovely Andrea and Danny are to be our hosts.  The place is like a B&B so it is modest but just perfect for this setting.  I was of course delighted to see that the room was entirely pine covered!



I pine for this sort of decor

Some decorating tips for Better Homes & Garden

Now you may think that the items in the room are merely to add some Swiss flair (which of course they do) but they are actually awards won by Danny for competing in one of Switzerland's national sports called Schwingen - I know, it sounds dirty.  Here is the link for those of you who are interested (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwingen).  I have to say that the images on the trophies were quite erotic.....bad Rodney.

Anyway we did not come all this way to talk about Schwingen but we did get a quick overview (no demonstration) at breakfast the next day.

So it was off to the restaurant and we were driven by Andrea (so we could drink) and she would also pick us up at the end of the meal at around midnight.  I should note that S's friend Frank was also along for the ride and he is a bit of a foodie.

As you know some of the Michelin Star chefs and their concepts come with a bit of pomp and ceremony.  This Stefan was no different.  To give you an idea, here is an extract from his website....

"Our artistic gastronomy originates from holistic thinking.  I know what it is all about and why I am doing it exactly this way. There are affinities with antroposophy, spagyrics and other sciences. Chemists, magicians, foresters, perfumers, archeologists, foodhunters and composers have influenced my personal approach to cooking."

Tonight's menu was all around the natural elements (wood, air, fire, earth, water and metal).  Each course was explained intricately by the chef (and translated for me by S) including the philosophy mumbo jumbo behind it.  Please don't think I am being unkind, probably too late for that, but generally the concept stuff is fine with me but I do think it "jumped the shark" a little when our soup (served in a cow horn) had a crystal in it for energy.....

Overall there were some standout dishes and a couple of ones which were so so. We matched wines as per their suggestion throughout also.

OK, here we go.

The dining room - nowhere near enough pine on the walls.  Note the piece of bone as the napkin ring.

First course which was wood - I added the napkin ring for effect.  It was actually pretty good - veal from memory and the wood plate is only used once and then used for firewood.

Time for "air" and some potatoes in a blackened crust!

Fire time of some sort of fish.  The fire came from the little bowl which was filled with absinthe and was fun to dip your fish in.  Not sure you were supposed to do that but it entertained me.

The dish you have been waiting for.  Earth - the beef soup in cow horn and crystal within....really it was, and we got to take them as a souvenir.

How to eat the soup being mindful not to choke on the crystal.  That could not be good karma!

This was a pork dish which I did not like much.  The concept was water, can't remember why but there is watermelon on the plate.



Dessert was metal and what looks like a delicious square of chocolate is in fact a plate of steel.

Meal was topped off with a selection from their cheese cellar which has approximately 95 different cheeses.

















we were pretty satisfied but disappointed with some aspects.  It was a good, fun night though.  We were then driven back to the farm house by Andrea and Danny and shared breakfast with them the next morning.  Then I drove back home which is always a bit stressful for me.  The rest of the Sunday was spent relaxing.

Next stop for me is Paris whilst S goes off to Turkey for work.  I am sure it is with baited breathe that you await the next instalment.