Christmas letter

Christmas 2012

Almost a year has passed since we established ourselves here in the Geneva region, and we are beginning to get used to it. All kinds of habits and routines are establishing themselves, the way they have a tendency to do. There are, however, still masses of things we haven’t done and places close by we haven’t seen. Not to speak of places somewhat further.
But we have travelled, together and separately.

The first part of winter we experienced here sort of just disappeared. We had thought that we would visit lots of places, ski in the mountains and so forth. But suddenly spring was here. Of course, settling into a totally new surrounding takes its toll, see earlier postings about settling in.

Anyway, after the summer break, which we spent at Träskholmen, we have been more active.
We have been in Bourgogne together with the Anderssons, a very pleasant trip. And we have been in Provence to see Marion and Daniel, most rewarding. There is clearly this certain quality to Provence that explains why so may people have choßen to settle just there.
Both of us have spent a week in Avignon on a French language course. Or rather, a full immersion = total brainwash. Very efficient and also very pleasant.

Filip has naturally spent a good amount of time at the White House. Not the one in Washington, but our own Maison Blanche, which is the golf course, only a few minutes drive from Gex. This is also a very nice place for a Sunday lunch. The view from the terrace is outstanding. The principal object of the view is naturally Mont Blanc, and the view serves as a measurement of weather and clarity of the air. In the beginning we did not really fully grasp the distances, and thought that the haze obscuring the view of Mont Blanc meant that it was really hazy. But considering that it is some 80 kilometres to Mont Blanc puts it into perspective. Still, the Mountain does command attention, and many mornings, driving towards Geneva, it is straight in front of us.

For Annika this fall has been a frenzy of work related travels, meetings and conferences, sometimes taking her to three different cities during a week. Which once led her to walking into a hotel in Rome, asking for the key to room number 217. The reception very politely said there was no such room in the hotel. But fortunately it was the right hotel, so the right room could also be found. Slightly embarrasng, but there you are!
Filip has continued his trips back and forth to Finland. The good part is that we can keep a solid stock of Reissumies (rye bread) in the freezer and that there is no risk of us running out of other kinds of necessary Finnish food stuff either.

Africa och Skruttet har fortsättningsvis anpassat sig bra. Skruttet vill visserligen numera helst bli utsläppt paradingången och inte till trädgården, mindre populärt, eftersom det innebär att hon kan springa ut på den ganska ordentligt trafikerade gatan. Och eftersom dethär är Frankrike finns det alltid en risk för att hon blir överkörd. Inte ens ordentliga farthinder, eller smala gator mitt inne i en gammal stad hindrar fransmännen från att köra för fort. Grannens katt levde farligt häromdagen när den skulle korsa gatan samtidigt som jag kom ut med Africa. Omöjligt att bestämma sig för vilken riktning som var mindre farlig, så det klokaste var att stanna mitt på gatan. Ansåg katten. Lyckligtvis hade bilen som kom körande nerför gatan en förstående chaufför.
Hösten har varrit ganska regnig i år, och till allas stora förvåning blev det kallt och började snöa i slutet av november. Lagom till att vi hade bokat in oss på ett “prova slalomskidor” veckoslut i Zermatt. Så vi hade ordentligt med snö och faktiskt också ganska kallt under våra två dagar i backarna i Zermatt. Och väl tillbaka i Gex fortsatte det att snöa och hela nejden förvandlades till ett riktigt julpostkort. Vackert, men mördande för trafiken. Det finns alltför många som uppenbarligen aldrig byter bort sina sommardäck, så folk fastnar, åker av vägen, krockar eller envisas annars bara med att krypa fram i 30 km i timmen. Och att köra in till Geneve om det snöar eller regnar är helt dödfött. Då grötar allt ihop sig och trafiken står mestadels helt stilla.

So the winter is ( or was) here. Late November snow led us to open the skiing season. First we spent a weekend in Zermatt, with friends from Sport 137, then Filip flew up to Lapland to do some Kaamos-skiing in Äkäslompolo, and celebrate the Finnish Independence Day. With Filip back from Finland, we drove to La Vattay on Jura, where they have beautiful cross country tracks.

This year we will celebrate Christmas at home, here in Gex. Malin, Sara and Oskar with Frida are coming here for a week, and we will make this as much of a traditional Christmas as we can. Filip is going to Finland the week before Christmas, and has orders to bring a real Finnish Christmas ham with him. In addition to that, we are naturally also taking in some French traditions, so choosing the right types of foies gras will be important. And obviously it is not nly about foies gras – all kinds of other delicasies are also important. Fortunately we have our own Saturday market, he Divonne Sunday market, and a very good local butchery, open every day including Christamas eve. So everything will certainly be catered for.

God Jul – Merry Christmas – Hyvää Joulua – Joyeux Noël – Fröhliche Weihnachten – Buon Natale

Annika & Filip