Highlights of 2017/2018 - A Year in France

Here are some of my highlights from this year. I travelled and experienced a lot, but the thing I'll cherish most are the wonderful friends I've made. So, here goes...

Divonne-les-Bains

The amount of days I spent at Charly's, Full Moon or Le Quatre Vents, particularly over the winter months, was insane. We kind of had no choice but to retreat to the only warm places in Divonne, when our toes were about ready to fall off and we were ready for a hot drink.

Another place I frequented far too often was the lake. I ran around it, walked around, drank and ate next to it. Basically, as soon as the weather perked up again, I was at the lake during most of my spare time. It got a bit monotonous after a while, but the joy of being outside tended to outweigh the misery.

We've had a couple of cool events in Divonne, like Gourmandiv and Fête de la Musique. Gorumandiv was one of the first things I went to. It consisted mainly of just eating a load of free samples, thanks to a bracelet we bought for €5. This is where I met Brenda, which arguably forged our friendship (by our love for food). 

Fête de la Musique was a really great way to finish my year here. Although it was on a Thursday night, we stayed until pretty late. We wandered around for a bit and grabbed a cocktail each, until Waitlist was on (the band of Krisztina's host dad). Brenda and I just danced and sang for the entire set, like absolute fan girls. I didn't get back until about 1am, which is not ideal when you have to wake up five hour later! At least it was a once a year type of thing!

Nyon
What's the fastest town in Switzerland? Nyon.

God that joke is terrible! Anyway, Nyon was a pretty nice place to visit when we had no other options and we just wanted to eat and drink by a different lake. It has some beautiful historic features, like the old buildings and the sloping pavements, but by far its best feature is the castle, from which you have a stunning view of the lake. 
When I first arrived, the host family took me to Nyon Castle and the Roman Museum. It was pretty fun day and we took tons of photos for me to look back on. The museums weren't great, but at that time the company was. As well as this, they took me to Nyon plage a few times, where I saw a lot of boobs...fab

Geneva and surrounding areas
My trip to the United Nations was incredible. It was all the way back in October, which feels like a lifetime away now. I shared the day with some incredible friends and spent the day getting to know them all better. As I remember, we spent the evening by the lake, eating and drinking and generally just having a great time. 

When Krisztina and I went to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum, we were expecting it to be free. Even though it wasn't, we were both desperate to go in because of how much we'd already heard about it. I can't deny that it had a lasting impression on me. The exhibits were interesting and thought-provoking, to say the least. It was quite emotional to put faces to the statistics we hear every day, about refugees and war zones, families torn apart and searching for loved ones. I'm so glad we paid for a ticket, because it's one place that I'll never forget.

Les Brasseurs (Geneva) and ÔBrasseur (Saint-Genis-Pouilly) have provided me with some absolutely cracking dishes over the past months. What's better than food and friends? Absolutely nothing at all.

When we went to the Botanical Gardens in Geneva, it was actually really cold. Krisztina and I were relieved, to say the least, when we stepped out of the cold and into the lovely, warm greenhouse. The plants there are phenomenal and I loved wandering around checking out all of the different sections. I'm a massive loser and thoroughly enjoy garden centres and anything to do with plants (minus my aggressive hayfever)

In March, Brenda, Isa and I went to Palexpo for a car show. I know, I haven't got a clue about cars or anything, but it was actually really fun. I got the opportunity to sit in my absolute dream car - a Range Rover, although that'll probably be my only chance!

I've been to Chambèsy a couple of times. The first time was for a barbeque at the beginning of October, the second consisting of just drinking a load of wine with Kriszti. When we had the barbeque, I had my first taste of red wine and coke, which has been a staple drink for me whilst I've been here. We had quite a laugh that night, as we always did. My more recent visit can be explained through pictures. Except, I didn't take a picture of the literal hole I had to pee in while there...what a shame!

In May, Brenda, Krisztina and I went to a Wine Festival in one of the villages around Geneva. You had to pay 10CHF for a glass, then you could have unlimited refills at the various stalls dotted around the area. Less exciting when you're not drinking (designated driver), but I met some crazy English people and had quite a laugh after all.

When I arrived in Divonne, I created a sort of ‘to do’ list of places I wanted to go and things I wanted to do. This included a boat ride across the lake, especially after a friend recommended I do it before I leave. Although it was only a little shuttle boat, it fulfilled my desire to be on the water. And I would later go on to have another boat ride in Lausanne anyway, which was a little bigger and much longer.

One of the best nights I had during my time in France/Switzerland was, for sure, when I did sober karaoke in Geneva. It was the week after my birthday, which was at the beginning of September and it marked almost a month since I travelled to Divonne. My god, I laughed and sang and did a little boogie all night. That was definitely a night to remember!

Lausanne
At the beginning of June, Jason, Krisztina and I went to the Foodtruck Festival in Lausanne. It was much further away from the centre than we had thought, but we hopped on a bus and nobody ever asked us for tickets, so we got a free ride. It was mildly disappointing when we got there, but I was so happy to finally be having a curry after nearly ten months that I didn’t even care. We got to take some nice pictures by the lake, though, so that’s always a bonus.

Kriszti’s host Dad works on the International Olympic Committee, so we got free tickets to visit the museum in Lausanne. We both admitted that we were glad to have not paid, as it was a more tailored to Olympic enthusiasts than the average person. Even though I adore the Olympics, looking at an athletes sweaty shoes doesn’t really tickle my pickle at all. I can’t complain though, it gave us something to do on an otherwise wasted day.

I spent a day in Lausanne with friends back in October, where I took one of my absolute favourite photos from the whole year. We had essentially hiked up a vertical hill to a museum and gardens, which was well worth the effort. Although we didn't stay too long, we managed to catch the sunset on the way back down to the car.

Morges
One of my absolute favourite days during my time abroad was the Tulip Festival in Morges. Yet again, I went with my trusty best friend and we were both in awe of the stunning arrangements and colours. Tulips are such a simple but beautiful flower and we got to see all kinds of variations, some of which didn’t even look like tulips. It was a gorgeous day, we were really lucky with the weather, but I think if we’d have gone any later the flowers would’ve been shrivelled up.

Bern
We did a little road trip to show Meta some more of Switzerland on her last day. It was a quick visit, but we got to see the bears who live in the centre and have a bit of a wander around, before we had to take her to the bus in Geneva. I still don’t know how she survived such a monumental bus ride, I swear it was like 11 hours or something crazy like that! She’s an absolute champion.

Montreux 
I think all three of us had heard great things about Montreux before we went, which is probably why it was a little underwhelming. Either that or the cloudy weather that, for the most part, covered the mountains completely, which is a kind of staple part of the town. Nevertheless, we took some fantastic pictures that day and just spending time with my friends was more than enough. Montreux actually has a relatively interesting jazz culture, if you’re into those kinds of things. There’s a pretty cool garden where you can find life size statues of great jazz musicians, surprisingly I knew a lot of them. 

Annecy
My beloved Annecy. Everyone who goes to Annecy completely falls in love, without fail. It’s not hard, the mix of mountainous backdrop, historic buildings and cobbled streets are enough to make the most miserable soul happy. I’ve been a few times, but I could’ve easily spent every weekend there. I think Annecy is perhaps the only reason I’d ever return to that area. 
The Four Amigos (Krisztina, Brenda, Jason and I) had an interesting time there once. We went expecting to see a bustling carnival, much like the ones you’d see in South America. How wrong were we?! It was a bunch of people silently moving around the town dressed in what I can only describe as Victorian clothes and masks. We were completely puzzled and thoroughly amused. Moral of the story: do your research before going anywhere. All jokes aside, if you ever get the opportunity to go to Annecy for whatever reason, GO!

I actually spent my last day in Annecy. As you may know, Isa, Guillem, Brenda and I went paragliding over the lake on the Saturday before I left. It was hands-down one of the most incredible experiences of my life and I would do it again in a heartbeat. After throwing ourselves off the side of a mountain, we filled our bellies with my first ever savoury crêpe - mega yum points! Brenda and I watched England beat Sweden, while the others sunned themselves by the lake. It was a perfect end to a crazy year.

Lyon
Brenda and I, along with her cousin, had a bit of a road trip to Lyon one Saturday in May. Although it cost a ton in tolls, it was well worth it. We were super lucky with the weather, but when hiking up some CRAZY stairs to the cathedrals, we were thankful for some much-needed shade. The view from the top was breathtaking and totally worth the three of us sweating to death on the way up. We took a more relaxed approach to our descent, which was less shaded than on the way up, cry. On our way back down, we were captivated by a band who played modern music as well as some old school classics. The old town is stunning, with crooked buildings and cobbled streets and we decided to have some non-alcoholic cocktails before wandering around some more. We ended up meeting Jason and his friend much later than we had previously planned, but dinner called us so we went. The chosen spot: Ninkasi, where I chose a delicious salad and some homemade lemonade, perfect!

Gruyères
LiNK (an organisation designed to support au pairs in the region) coordinated a self-titled 'Cows, cheese and chocolate day', where a bus load of us went to Gruyères, essentially for free food. We watched the yearly celebration of bringing the cows down from the fields, which was kind of bizarre but interesting too. Then, we went to the Gruyère cheese factory, where we got a free packet of cheese of three different maturities. After a short bus journey, we arrived at the Cailler chocolate factory, or heaven as some call it. I honestly don't think I've ever eaten that much chocolate in my entire life, but if it's free what else can you do? Feeling quite stuffed, I'm glad I had opted out of the restaurant dinner and instead explored the Alien themed area in Gruyères. Super random, but really interesting too! This was one of the last times I saw Paula, which was so sad but I'm lucky that we basically got to spend a whole day eating together. The whole bus journey back was spent complaining about how sick I felt and consisted of me desperately trying to not chuck up all over the poor soul in the seat in front of me. That's probably why they don't organise that trip every four months, much to my disappointment...

Versoix
Another day that I spent eating chocolate was the Chocolate festival in Versoix. I feel as though my sugar addiction is less frowned upon in the region, as there are quite a few artisan chocolatiers nearby. Krisztina, Brenda, Isa and I got to sample quite a lot of sweet treats (if memory serves me well, that was my breakfast.)

Yvoire
One weekend, Krisztina and I had a little day trip to Yvoire. It's just the other side of Geneva, so wasn't too far to drive. The weather was a bit iffy, but we were lucky enough to avoid the rain. I guess that's May weather for you! It's a pretty beautiful little village, with sloping streets and old buildings that you can pop into for a bite to eat or find a quirky souvenir. There are some pretty incredible views across the lake, which we tried to take advantage of, but the clouds had other ideas!

Ferney Voltaire
My French teacher organised a trip to say farewell to many of her students. We had a guided tour around the chateau, learning more about Voltaire and his life. He was pretty much the ugliest person I've ever seen, judging by the portraits and busts which coat every wall in the castle. A few of us followed the tour with a picnic in the chateau gardens, which included some really scrummy snacks from the other people. Let's be honest, I'm happy whenever I'm eating!

Crassier
In neighbouring Crassier, there is a park for the kids which has a zipline. As there was nothing even remotely that exciting in Divonne, we journied there a couple of times, once by bike and the others by car. It's a really sweet little park and we spent countless hours there, especially during the holidays. I think I enjoyed the zipline even more than the kids...

Grilly
The band of Krisztina's host dad did an intimate concert at an artisan beer makers in between Divonne and Grilly. This was the first time any of us had heard them play and we were very pleasantly surprised. The 'bar' hadn't been open for long, but it used be a car dealership, therefore the building was mainly made of glass. We stayed for a really long time, much longer than my host family did that's for sure, and we got to meet the band members afterwards. Pretty cool I'd say.

Le Jotty
Krisztina and I had such an incredible day in May, where we went to Les Gorges du Pont du Diable, le lac et barrage du Jotty and Lac de Montriond. Our first stop was the cave, which was incredible. The weather was pretty much perfect, not too hot and not too cold. The guide who showed us around was so lovely and helped out any English speakers as best he could. Afterwards, we took a short drive to the neighbouring lake. It was a little hard to find because it was down a really narrow road between two houses, but my god was it worth the effort! The colour of the water was beautiful, as was the view across the lake and there were barely any people around so we got to enjoy some real peace and quiet. As if one lake wasn't enough, we drove a bit further to another. This one was equally as stunning as the other and although there were still snowy spots when we walked around, the weather was fantastic. That is one day I will never forget!

Zermatt and Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge
The day I went to Zermatt supplied a real mix of emotions for me. On one hand, I was seeing and experiencing such incredible things with my very best friend and her family, but it was tinged with sadness knowing that it was our last weekend together for a while. Regardless of our emotions, we trooped on (up a VERY, very steep mountain actually!) We parked up in a little village called Randa and proceeded to hike uphill for two hours, towards the longest hanging bridge for pedestrian use in the world. Like most things, the end product made the struggle totally worth it, as it was like nothing else I've ever seen. I can't lie, I would've preferred for it to have been less windy, you can feel everything on that bridge. The way down was a tad easier, but it was still pretty hard on your legs. That was until I slipped and ended up sat on my behind. To be honest, I was glad to sit down!

When we eventually made it down, we refilled our water bottles and stopped for some food. That weekend I ate so many Hungarian cakes that I was convinced I was going to go into a sugar coma. We carried on towards Zermatt and, rather than pay a ton for a taxi, we dumped the car and walked to the shuttle train. I have to admit, Zermatt is a little bit like every other ski resort. It was lucky we went to the suspension bridge as well, because otherwise we'd have been disappointed to have gone so far. Nevertheless, we wandered around for a bit and fought to stay awake on the way back. I slept bloody well that night, no doubt about that!

Chamonix
Brenda, Gina and I went to Chamonix in my last month. We had all heard the countless recommendations to go, as it's considered a must-see if you're in the area. I can say with certainty that they were all 100% right, it's stunning. The first hour or so after we arrived was just spent wandering around, taking in the incredible views. With full bellies, we took a train up the mountain, then a cable car down towards the ice cave. The cable car only gets you so far, when it drops you off you have to walk down a multitude of steps. On the descent, you can see very visibly where the ice used to be, which is absolutely terrifying. Only a few years ago, it was so much higher. Every year, they have to add more and more steps down to the cave, so that people can still get to it. Anyone that tells you that global warming is a myth, take them there.

The ice cave was fantastic, although a little wet. Water is constantly dripping from the ceiling as the ice melts, so you're best to take a rain jacket. Someone has done some incredible ice sculptures, you can even sit on a few of them. We managed to take a lot of photos, before getting super cold and having to evacuate. It was definitely a relief to be back out in the sun, particularly for us to dry off a bit. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching the World Cup and chilling out. 

Interlaken and Lucerne
My last real trip of the year was our camping trip to Interlaken. My goodness, what a beautiful place! From the very first moment I set foot in France, I knew I HAD to go to Interlaken. Granted, I left it until the very last moment (my last full weekend), but it was so worth it. The drive was relatively easy, as was setting up camp. We spent the entire weekend walking, eating and soaking up the stunning landscapes. There were so many things to do and see, which we sadly couldn't do in just two days. Maybe one day I'll go back...

***

Now, there has been two big holidays, so to speak, that I've taken with the family. The first was in October, when we went to Provence in the South of France. The second was a ski trip to Verbier in February. Here's how those two went.

Provence
We went to Provence at the end of October, when it was a little quieter but the weather was still decent. Both car journeys were excruciating, squished into the back of the car with Marilie and Kevin, who complained relentlessly until we got there. It wasn't much better when we arrived and I discovered that I had to share a BED, not just a room, with Melanie. 
On our second day, we explored a seaside town not too far from the house. After taking some pictures by the sea, Kevin, his dad and I climbed up the steps at the church so that we could see the view from the roof, it was definitely worth it! It was a bit blustery and I ended up not being physically able to brush my hair until I washed it later that evening.

The day after that, we went to Les-Baux-de-Provence. There's a castle atop quite a high hill, along with some ruins and one hell of panoramic view, that stretches for miles and miles. We finished the day watching a huge video exhibit on the walls of an old building.

For the last day, we chose to visit the hometown of Vincent Van Gogh. He ended up in a mental institution there, cheery! We didn't stay long, as the drive back was long and the kids needed a rest.
I'm lucky really, because there's no way I'd have experienced that otherwise, especially the foods and the places, as some of them were super expensive. 

Verbier
My first, and probably last, ski holiday. Yet again, I had to share a bed with Melanie, who was probably worse than she was in Provence. I rented my skis, sticks and helmet from a local store and started my skiing journey. Even though I spent the whole time on the baby slopes, I was proud to have only fallen over once. In all honesty, I loved it. The feeling of zigzagging down a slope, however small, is sheer bliss. I enjoyed it much more than I had expected and was kind of sad for it to end, although the ski rental was extortionate, so I wouldn't have wanted to stay much longer! Whenever we weren't skiing, we were exploring the town or eating loads and loads of food, my idea of a week well spent.

***

Of course, we can't forget the wonderful few times I've been back home and the experiences I've had while there.

Emily and Hari’s wedding
This wedding was, hands down, the most amazing wedding I've ever been to. Crammed into an all-too-short weekend, I got to spend some much needed time with family. Every single thing was beautiful; the colours, the music, the food. I don't think I've ever had so much fun, I even spent the entire night dancing with strangers who made me feel totally at ease. My god, if I could just replay that weekend one more time...

London 
When I was home for Christmas, I made some time to travel up to London and meet Meta. We spent a whole day together, mooching around the shops and eating an endless amount of food (obviously, what else would we do?) Unfortunately, she had an allergic reaction to what we think was the sauce at Nando's. Thank god it wasn't serious, just a rash. It was so lovely to see her again, even for a short time. 

Good old Daventry
I say Daventry as a general term for spending time with Megan and Katie (and Gina). We've had some great times together, most notably when I nearly killed everyone with my cocktail-making skills. That night was so much fun and I'll definitely remember it forever, perhaps more so than you guys! 

Banbury
Just something as simple as going to Pets At Home with Tash was enough to fill my day with joy. For the fear of not seeing me when I was back, she invited me on her errand run, where we bought stuff for her animals, took a fridge freezer to her nan, spooked ourselves at Rollright Stones and grabbed a quick McFlurry on the way home. Honestly, I laughed so much that evening, thanks Tashy Washy!
(There are literally no photos of us anywhere, why?)

The Kings Head
I can't really do special mentions without talking about my favourite pub. I've been here almost every time I've been back in the country, sometimes more than once in a visit. Every single time I've treated my taste buds to tantalising treats. Thanks for every tasty meal you've ever provided me!