Paris and Lausanne

We spent a lovely four more days in Paris since we posted last. We visited Saint-Chapelle with amazing stained glass windows, the medieval museum Cluny, the Pantheon where Victor Hugo, Louis Braille and the Curies are buried, the jardins de Luxembourg, Notre Dame, Versailles, Monmatre and the Moulin Rouge. Despite it sounding like a lot, we actually took things a bit easy, sleeping in a little in the mornings and just enjoying walking all around the city. The only downside was that it was incredibly hot in Paris while we were there. It was 37 one day! We ate some pastries and enjoyed some very good french food and wine. We also had dinner one night with one of Jerome`s old teamates who showed us around a bit and who we had a very nice evening with. We stayed in a neat little apartment only a block from Notre Dame, so it was right in the center of things and very easy to get around.

On Thursday we took the train to Lausanne where we were met by Jerome`s cousin Sabine who is gratiously letting us stay with her and her boyfriend Red, and showing us all of the sights. In the evening we met Jerome`s other cousin Laurent and his father`s cousins Alain and Marianne. We were treated to the most amazing dinner - all made by Sabine! There were cheese croquettes with fig mustard, lotus chips, lasagna chips, tomato volouté with basil foam, tomato confit with cumin chicken, and avocado and salmon with lime ice in a small glass. Then there was lamb with carrots and snow peas, and for dessert rose gel with lichee foam, coconut mousse with pinapple compote and panna cotta with watermelon. It was a wonderful evening to meet and catch up and have great food while practising our french.

Friday we took a trip with Sabine to Bern to see the city and to have traditional Rosti which is a potato dish. Then on to  Bulle and then Broc to visit the swiss Cailler chocolate factory. It was really interesting and fun, and we got to try all the types of chocolates. Marianne and Alain picked us up at the chocolate factory and took us on a lovely drive up the pre-alps to a cute little restaurant in the hills near Gruyere. There we had a wonderful and very traditional swiss fondue. It was delicious!!! And for dessert we had meringues with famous double cream from Gruyere. Afterwards we took a little walk through the hills, to enjoy the view, and listen to the cows grazing in the fields with their bells ringing. It was lovely.

Today we got to see the sights of Lausanne with Sabine and Red, and then headed to some famous caves where we had a nice afternoon taking lots of neat pictures of stalagtites and stalagmites! Tomorrow we are off to Gimmelwald which is an extremely small alp town where we will relax for a few days.