Archive | travel

toy store in Geneva

March 15, 2012 at 4:19 pm

We left our lovely chalet in France a week ago today. Together we drove back to Geneva and then finally parted ways. Goodbyes to family are always the worst!

Elliott, Lena, and I had a few hours before our flight left for Rome so we took off to do some exploring around the city. We saw a Versace model getting dressed and savored some quiet moments in a Starbucks. (No Starbucks in Sicily, so this caramel macchiato was a serious treat!)

Our favorite discovery in Geneva, though, was an magnificent toy shop. Four levels, all toys! Lena had been napping in her Ergo carrier and what wonders she woke up to!

I tried to get her excited about the amazing Haba toys from Germany, but she was more interested in the tags. Elliott was more interested in the tags, too, because when he saw the prices he said, “Not this time, honey.”

We loved this all-wooden toy set with beautifully painted people and animals. Elliott, in particular, was awed by the mountain goats. If we had a million dollars, we decided, we’d get this whole set for Lena. And for us.

We both grew up with a small stash of Playmobil, so we were irresistibly drawn to this brightly colored wall of boxes. When will Lena be old enough for her first Playmobil set? Can’t be soon enough for her parents! We have had our eyes on the veterinary clinic set ever since we spotted it in Solvang, California, this fall.

And last but not least, a picture for my siblings and grandparents. Do you remember the toy pig that Grampie gave us when we were kids that oinked and walked? They had one oinking and walking around the toy store! Elliott and Lena stared on in concerned wonder as I bent down in delight to pet the piggy and then took several pictures of it. Such a silly little toy… and yet what power it had to take me back to happy days of childhood!

4 :: in family, Lena, travel

life in our chalet

March 14, 2012 at 10:22 am

During our trip to France, just as wonderful as speeding down the slopes and just as sweet as the boulangerie was the time spent with family. The little ski chalet was cozy yet accommodating and we spent many happy hours there cuddling Lena, making and eating meals, and playing games together in the evenings.

My mom and I traded “shifts” with Lena. I often skied in the morning while my mom was with her and then we switched in the afternoon. My sister Emily also enjoyed half days of skiing which meant Lena, Em, and I often had hours of quiet playing, reading, and napping time while the others blazed new trails on the slopes. I loved those quiet hours with two of my favorite girls!

Of course, being in France, there was a lot of emphasis on eating. We ate very well! We dined on local specialties, like this goat cheese that Elliott bought for me. (He knows goat cheese is my favorite food.)

We also cooked most evening meals in the chalet and ate together in the living room with our plates balanced on our knees. This was a spicy spaghetti with marinara sauce, compliments of my mom and Emily:

And another night we went out for cheese fondue, a specialty of that region of France. Lena enjoyed goofing off with her Poppy before the three-cheese fondue came bubbling and steaming to our table!

And then there were the quiet moments when it was just Lena and me, spending time together as we do every day. I never knew how much time a mother spends with her first-born child! There is a bond there that I can hardly imagine will be the same with the second, third, or sixth (?) child. I love these hours with my baby, whether we read books or explore pine cones, whether we cuddle each other or read/play side by side in our own separate worlds, whether we talk or not talk, for hours.

And lastly, here’s a photo showing that Lena can stand up all by herself! The week at the chalet you kind of had to trick her, like asking her to clap and she forgets to hold onto something, or helping her hold two toys in two separate hands and letting go of the chair or shelf. This week at home, though, I can set Lena down and she’ll stand there on her own for up to 10 seconds! Still hasn’t figured out the “taking steps” part, but we’re working on it.

4 :: in family, friends, holiday, Lena, motherhood, travel

life in our chalet

March 14, 2012 at 9:22 am

And another night we went out for cheese fondue, a specialty of that region of France. Lena enjoyed goofing off with her Poppy before the three-cheese fondue came bubbling and steaming to our table!

4 :: in family, friends, holiday, Lena, motherhood, travel

Boulangerie Tiffanie

March 13, 2012 at 3:08 pm

One of my favorite things to do while in France was visit a lovely little bakery (in French a boulangerie) for bread and baked goods. Daniel recommended it to us as soon as we arrived, and Elliott and I took the early shift the next morning to Boulangerie Tiffanie to get baguettes for lunch and pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants) for breakfast. That bakery was one of the most heavenly places I have ever seen in my life! Elliott could hardly drag me outside after we made our requisite purchases. I soaked in the incredible view surrounding the bakery while savoring the aromas in my mind.

The next day we dragged our whole family back for breakfast at Boulangerie Tiffanie, eager that they all experience the wonders of a French country bakery. They were dressed for skiing and read to take the Grand Massif Express gondola up to the top of the mountain as soon as breakfast was over. So, struggling through the slushy falling snow and under the weight of their skis, my family walked from the bus to the bakery.

And oh! What wonders awaited them within!

Those gigantic white mounds behind the huge cookies in the photo are the biggest meringues I’d ever seen!

We bought a bag full of goodies and sat out on the warm porch to eat our breakfast. Lena got to taste some too!

Elliott got a coffee and shared this blueberry cake with Emily and me.

The following morning everyone else was skiing while I was watching Lena. We decided to head back to Boulangerie Tiffanie, where I stocked up on pain au chocolat and a baguette (which I would eat right before hitting the slopes myself that afternoon). Lena discovered my baguette while we were waiting for the bus, though, and decided to try it herself!

I bought one other thing besides chocolate croissants and baguettes that day, though. I bought a chocolate eclair, the real French thing. It came in a little white bakery box and it was magnificent. While Lena napped I sat in a cozy chair in the chalet, reading my book, sipping my coffee, and eating my chocolate eclair. Perfect.