spring forward
Happily, the past weekend was full of sunshine, making it a great time to take D, who was finally done with work, out. The last time she was here it was so foggy she couldn't see the mountains on the horizon, and it was freezing as we walked along the lakeside promenade trying to look at the famous jet fountain. This time round, the trees were budding and the flowers were beginning to bloom. The cherry blossoms right outside my building are in full flush but as of today the petals are finally shedding, a pity because my mother, who arrives next Thursday, would have loved to see them.
We picked D up from her hotel at 10am and headed across the bridge for some shopping. She is on an eternal bag hunt so we hit a couple of the usual big name boutiques and dallied with a potential purchase but ended up empty handed. After that we went to the nearby Globus department store to check out the food hall so she could buy (more) chocolates to bring home as gifts. Geneva isn't really known for its shopping so after a bit of a browse around we went back into the sunshine, watched some buskers for a bit, and then headed off to lunch.
I had heard of this lunch place from the Geneva Facebook group I'm in. Since we're rarely on the other side of the lake, I thought today would be a good chance for us to drive around and explore it. And so off we went in search of Auberge de la Ferme, located in a tiny village called Jussy right next to the French border. The drive proved very scenic, snaking down narrow country lanes, through the woods, and across vineyards, always with the mountains in full view. Thank goodness for the GPS because I'm not sure how anyone would otherwise find their way through all the tiny country lanes. We nearly got lost at the end because the GPS simply declared that the roads were now 'unmarked', and turned into a stable by mistake, but a nice guy obviously saw that we were tourists (don't think they get many Asians around these parts!) and came up to us to give directions.
The drive was worth it, though. The auberge ('inn' in French) was set in a very pretty stone farmhouse surrounded by endless fields everywhere you looked, and the mountains, of course. I'm pretty glad for the tip-off from Facebook because I doubt we would otherwise have discovered this place. The waiter was very welcoming and all of us instantly felt comfortable inside. The food was traditional French food with a contemporary twist. J had lamb done three ways (a filet with jus de thym, a confit with honey, and a cutlet grilled with rosemary), I had perch with a citron foam, and D had a gorgeous looking rumpsteak which I plan to order if I ever find my way back. Oh, and they served a lovely mixed salad with greens from their farm, and it is noteworthy because it was one of the rare salads that The Bun actually ate and asked for more.
My perch served as a 'crown'; chocolate cake.
It was a very long meal, and towards the end The Bun was getting bored so we kept sending him out to the terrace and the playground to play, but he kept returning to complain that there was no one playing with him. Bao sat in her high chair rather happily, occupied with some drawing paper and a pen. We ordered dessert, a chocolate fondant for me The Bun and for D, a spectacular whole clementine drenched and filled with honey, balanced atop a Breton galette. All in all, a very satisfying meal, even though service really slowed down once the restaurant filled up. There was only one waiter and he did an impressive job of making coffees, serving the food, and taking orders from guests while keeping a big smile on his face.
We had a long drive out ahead of us so I decided to let the kids run off some energy in the playground before we got in the car. Bao in particular was very relieved to be out of her chair and ran around the place with great joy. The playground was very simple, with weathered wooden slides, climbing frames, and a merry-go-round, but it was its setting that made it stand out. The grass was lush and ankle-high, the daisies and weeds were growing freely, the huge oaks above us were just starting to bud, and there was no other noise apart from birdsong and er, the children shrieking. They had the playground all to themselves, and it was like we were in a verdant bubble out in the middle of nowhere.
Finally we all got back into the car and drove on, this time to Hermance, a small village along the lake with buildings that date back to medieval times. It was very pretty and apparently there are several good restaurants there, so we'll probably be back for a return visit. We spent most of our time at the little beach looking across the lake and throwing pebbles into the water. The kids (and D!) enjoyed the swings and the playground. When it was time to leave Bao wailed and tried to escape her father, who kept trying to catch her and strap her very unwilling body into the stroller.
Of course the minute we got back into the car Bao fell asleep. The Bun too, which is unusual for him. They remained asleep all the way home and while Bao woke up refreshed and happy, The Bun was a grouch all the way until dinnertime. (This is why I try not to let him nap!) For dinner we went to a neighbourhood restaurant called Chez Ma Cousine ('at my cousin's home') which specialises in roast chicken. The supposedly famous roast chicken, unfortunately, was unspectacular, although The Bun enjoyed his meal and I enjoyed my green curry chicken. I think their other restaurant in the Old Town had better chicken when we tried it last summer. Lesson learnt.
On Sunday it was time to 'spring forward' and all the clocks were adjusted one hour ahead. J, D, and The Bun went to the Sunday market in Divonne-les-Bains, a town in France about twenty minutes away, and I stayed home with Bao because I wanted to do a Sunday pork roast and a load of laundry. I knew that Bao would act up at the market because the time change meant that her sleep schedule got wonky (over just one measly hour!) and it wouldn't be much fun to browse the market with her like that. As it turns out, this was a good decision because Bao seemed to have a bit of a tummy problem and threw up once and had diarrhoea twice while she was at home. She was completely fine, not sick at all, and probably just needed to purge all the toxins out, but I'm really glad I didn't have to deal with vomit and diarrhoea while out at a farmer's market!
Sunday seafood.
The others enjoyed themselves at the market - J and D shared a dozen fresh oysters and a sea urchin with crisp white wine, The Bun conned his father into buying him a huge candy cane, and they all returned with fresh fruit and warm bread. We had a leisurely lunch of roast pork, bread, new potatoes, white asparagus (I'm a little addicted to these and they're in season now so I must eat all that I can) and fresh fruit, and after D was packed we took her to the airport and saw her off.
So that was D's weekend with us. I hope she enjoyed seeing the city in an off-the-beaten-path kind of way, and the lovely weather definitely helped. Next week, my family arrives, the Easter break begins, and we'll be off and about.
We picked D up from her hotel at 10am and headed across the bridge for some shopping. She is on an eternal bag hunt so we hit a couple of the usual big name boutiques and dallied with a potential purchase but ended up empty handed. After that we went to the nearby Globus department store to check out the food hall so she could buy (more) chocolates to bring home as gifts. Geneva isn't really known for its shopping so after a bit of a browse around we went back into the sunshine, watched some buskers for a bit, and then headed off to lunch.
I had heard of this lunch place from the Geneva Facebook group I'm in. Since we're rarely on the other side of the lake, I thought today would be a good chance for us to drive around and explore it. And so off we went in search of Auberge de la Ferme, located in a tiny village called Jussy right next to the French border. The drive proved very scenic, snaking down narrow country lanes, through the woods, and across vineyards, always with the mountains in full view. Thank goodness for the GPS because I'm not sure how anyone would otherwise find their way through all the tiny country lanes. We nearly got lost at the end because the GPS simply declared that the roads were now 'unmarked', and turned into a stable by mistake, but a nice guy obviously saw that we were tourists (don't think they get many Asians around these parts!) and came up to us to give directions.
The drive was worth it, though. The auberge ('inn' in French) was set in a very pretty stone farmhouse surrounded by endless fields everywhere you looked, and the mountains, of course. I'm pretty glad for the tip-off from Facebook because I doubt we would otherwise have discovered this place. The waiter was very welcoming and all of us instantly felt comfortable inside. The food was traditional French food with a contemporary twist. J had lamb done three ways (a filet with jus de thym, a confit with honey, and a cutlet grilled with rosemary), I had perch with a citron foam, and D had a gorgeous looking rumpsteak which I plan to order if I ever find my way back. Oh, and they served a lovely mixed salad with greens from their farm, and it is noteworthy because it was one of the rare salads that The Bun actually ate and asked for more.
My perch served as a 'crown'; chocolate cake.
It was a very long meal, and towards the end The Bun was getting bored so we kept sending him out to the terrace and the playground to play, but he kept returning to complain that there was no one playing with him. Bao sat in her high chair rather happily, occupied with some drawing paper and a pen. We ordered dessert, a chocolate fondant for me The Bun and for D, a spectacular whole clementine drenched and filled with honey, balanced atop a Breton galette. All in all, a very satisfying meal, even though service really slowed down once the restaurant filled up. There was only one waiter and he did an impressive job of making coffees, serving the food, and taking orders from guests while keeping a big smile on his face.
We had a long drive out ahead of us so I decided to let the kids run off some energy in the playground before we got in the car. Bao in particular was very relieved to be out of her chair and ran around the place with great joy. The playground was very simple, with weathered wooden slides, climbing frames, and a merry-go-round, but it was its setting that made it stand out. The grass was lush and ankle-high, the daisies and weeds were growing freely, the huge oaks above us were just starting to bud, and there was no other noise apart from birdsong and er, the children shrieking. They had the playground all to themselves, and it was like we were in a verdant bubble out in the middle of nowhere.
Finally we all got back into the car and drove on, this time to Hermance, a small village along the lake with buildings that date back to medieval times. It was very pretty and apparently there are several good restaurants there, so we'll probably be back for a return visit. We spent most of our time at the little beach looking across the lake and throwing pebbles into the water. The kids (and D!) enjoyed the swings and the playground. When it was time to leave Bao wailed and tried to escape her father, who kept trying to catch her and strap her very unwilling body into the stroller.
Of course the minute we got back into the car Bao fell asleep. The Bun too, which is unusual for him. They remained asleep all the way home and while Bao woke up refreshed and happy, The Bun was a grouch all the way until dinnertime. (This is why I try not to let him nap!) For dinner we went to a neighbourhood restaurant called Chez Ma Cousine ('at my cousin's home') which specialises in roast chicken. The supposedly famous roast chicken, unfortunately, was unspectacular, although The Bun enjoyed his meal and I enjoyed my green curry chicken. I think their other restaurant in the Old Town had better chicken when we tried it last summer. Lesson learnt.
On Sunday it was time to 'spring forward' and all the clocks were adjusted one hour ahead. J, D, and The Bun went to the Sunday market in Divonne-les-Bains, a town in France about twenty minutes away, and I stayed home with Bao because I wanted to do a Sunday pork roast and a load of laundry. I knew that Bao would act up at the market because the time change meant that her sleep schedule got wonky (over just one measly hour!) and it wouldn't be much fun to browse the market with her like that. As it turns out, this was a good decision because Bao seemed to have a bit of a tummy problem and threw up once and had diarrhoea twice while she was at home. She was completely fine, not sick at all, and probably just needed to purge all the toxins out, but I'm really glad I didn't have to deal with vomit and diarrhoea while out at a farmer's market!
Sunday seafood.
The others enjoyed themselves at the market - J and D shared a dozen fresh oysters and a sea urchin with crisp white wine, The Bun conned his father into buying him a huge candy cane, and they all returned with fresh fruit and warm bread. We had a leisurely lunch of roast pork, bread, new potatoes, white asparagus (I'm a little addicted to these and they're in season now so I must eat all that I can) and fresh fruit, and after D was packed we took her to the airport and saw her off.
So that was D's weekend with us. I hope she enjoyed seeing the city in an off-the-beaten-path kind of way, and the lovely weather definitely helped. Next week, my family arrives, the Easter break begins, and we'll be off and about.