World Santa Claus Championships

Monday, December 03, 2007,
We had a fabulous weekend in Samnaun, a little ski village near the far eastern border with Austria and Leichtenstein, at the Santa Claus World Championships! It was a fantastic car trip – the scenery was stunning.

We entered the town at the staging area, full of various versions of enthusiastic teams of Santas.

The parade was terrific, lead by a marching Santa band which was quite good, led by the most energetic conductor we have ever seen.

Each team of four Santas had 60 seconds to impress the judges and make themselves memorable with their introductory presentations and costumes. There were postal Santas in their official yellow, Pontiff Santas, female Santas with short skirts, Santas on motor bikes and lots of silly Santas.

There were also some sort of non-competing sheep-goat monsters who seemed to particpate only by growling at teenage males and grabbing teenage females, lifting them over their shoulders or wrestling them to the ground.

Bribes, uh gifts, were given and then points were awarded accordingly.

The official events included chimney climbing, at which, for some reason, the female Santas drew a huge crowd, reindeer racing, donkey running, sledding and creative ways to ski down a mountain.

It was quite a sight to see Santas on skis, sleds, rollerblades, snow boards and dirt bikes coming down the slopes.

These Santas also know how to party. This little ski town is set up perfectly for fun and partying, with outside bars and music, complete with space heaters and old leather chairs covered with lamb skins and wool blankets to make having a beer, a hot spicy red wine called Glutwine, or hot chocolate in the open fresh air so cozy.

Early in the evening it started to snow, making the whole experience even more wonderful. By the time we fell into our warm, soft beds with those amazing Swiss-German down pillows and coverlets, we felt as if we were in a fantasy, which indeed, I think we were.

Our trip back to Nyon was also full of fun. The most direct route included a train ferry through a long tunnel under a huge mountain!

The other side of the mountain put us on a direct path to a thermal spa where we spent the afternoon. Seriously, when we get back to the States, this is an enterprise that merits investigation. Hot, bubbling water in an outside pool with all kinds of jets, currents and water features with the singular purpose of relaxation and tranquility in a stunning setting. Would this work in the middle of corn fields instead of Alps….yet to be determined…

After the spa, we were able to make it to Zurich in time for the “Singing Christmas Tree”, a platform constructed and decorated to allow little children to take their places, as if wiggly, well bundled ornaments to have a concert. The children on stage as well as in the audience were unbearably adorable.

We still haven't been able to figure out who won the Santa competition, but I think we did. There was something for everyone this weekend!

24th Wedding Anniversary!

Sunday, November 25
We decided to spend a quiet day, first going to the market in Divonne to get supplies for our special supper, lamb chops with sautéed vegetables and poached pears in wine sauce for dessert. Then we strolled the monthly antique market in Nyon by the lake and I rescued the menorah below! It still had remnants of wax; I have had this before in other menorahs I have bought second hand, and there is something about cleaning it out that connects me with the former owner in a way this is very thought provoking.

Matterhorn

Monday November 19 2007
E and I went on his first train adventure to see the Matterhorn. It was spectacular. It took 2 regular trains to get to Zerrmatt, the ski village at the base, and a third cogwheel train to climb the adjacent mountain to see the view.

This track is the steep ascent of the cog wheel train.

The scenery on the ascent was spectacular – glaciers, mountain streams, half frozen waterfalls, tiny villages nestled into the mountain side.

The tiny cloud at the point of the Matterhorn seems to form at mid morning and then remain all day. There is some sort of atmospheric phenomenon at work that we are trying to research. Maybe I will send an email to “ask Tom” in Chicago, our favorite meteorologist.

We couldn't stay up too long, though, because of the altitude , but the view was just as lovely from the base.

Another interesting feature of our visit was the cemetery in the town center with graves of people who had died climbing the Matterhorn. All ages, nationalities, eras, some with their pick axes embedded into the headstones. Very sobering and way too many.

Wine tasting

Sunday, November 11
We went on a wine tasting which was held on a boat in Lausanne. They had wines from Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Australia and the USA. We started off carefully taking notes which, despite our efforts, degenerated to scrawl. First we had white regional wines from our area called “La Cote”, the coast of Lake Geneva. Very light and refreshing, with some effervescence. Then we moved on to the reds and decided to try the really expensive ones first to see if we could tell the difference when we went back to our price range. In hindsight, perhaps we did not approach this correctly, that is to say, our palates and ability to perceive differences had become, uh, blurry. But we continued tasting as we had taken the train and were not worried about our return home.

Right now, we are enjoying the Beaujolais Nouveau just out a few weeks ago and which only lasts a short time. E has discovered that placing a bottle on the window sill outside brings the wine to the perfect temperature. Our private wine cellar, three floors up.

Wild Switzerland by train

My friend Marilyne and I went on a train adventure. We bought day train passes good for unlimited travel through out Switzerland for the whole day.

The scenery was amazing, first like the Heidi area of Switzerland we all visualize.

We went through Spiez, Brig, Sion. Some of it was on special mountains trains.Then we entered the Swiss Alps, complete with castles.

When all of you come to see us, this is what we will do.

Fun in France

Elliott and I went to Dijon to see the 77th International Gastronomique Fair. It was fun, but not enough vendors for me. However, the bread sculpture contest was terrific.



And some interesting snack choices.

So we quit the fair and went to the old part of town and that was beautiful. E tried on berets in 2 shops but they did not have a hat big enough for him!

We also decided to drive through Beaune on the way back. We had been to Beaune 10 years ago and it has become an even trendier place. But we saw Hôtel-Dieu the original hospice and hospital for poor and rich alike built in the 15th century. Its funding has always and still comes from wine, now the Beaujolais Nouveau Auction, due in 2 weeks actually. We bought some wine.