Skiing in The Alps

Skiing in Europe means your typical east coast assembly-line-style cafeteria food gets replaced with cozy alpine lodges and quaint mountainside cafes. The food on the slopes was nothing short of amazing.

One day we skied at Domanie du Balme, starting in the village of Le Tour, and venturing down into the little town of Vallorcine on the Swiss border. Le Cafe Comptoir sat tucked at the edge where the mountain meets the village. We sat outside and enjoyed live music, truffle ravioli with prosciutto, a side of frites and a liter of Rose. We learned it was the cafes birthday when they started handing out free vin chaud. Luckily, the pistes at Domaine du Balme are beginner to intermediate so an afternoon of buzzed skiing worked out well here. 

We spent a day in Courmayeur, Italy, where I was extremely fond of the tree skiing and their perfectly cooked al dente pasta. It was snowing heavy and visibility on the slopes was low. We skied untouched powder in the glades all morning and then discovered the food at Christiania that afternoon. A warm, family run ristorante; here we indulged in a heaping plate of cured antipasti meats, taggliolini in a hearty ragu, warm polenta baked with cheese and wild mushrooms, creamy pesto gnocchi and more. All this was followed by fluffy mascarpone infused tiramisu, frothy cappuccinos and sweet limoncello. 

The day we skied Brévent-Flégère we ate mushroom soup with parmesan croutons and jamon et fromage baguettes at La Chavanne.  At this mid mountain outdoor bar they had a live rock band, towers of beer, gorgeous views, a hot tub! It was a Monday afternoon, so still the beginning of the trip, and I remember having to pinch myself as I took it all in. Is this really my life for the week? 

On our final day, after a fantastic morning of skiing off piste at Les Grand Montets with our guide Pierre, it felt like Chalet Refuge de Lognan appeared out of nowhere in between the powder and the trees. At our table for 12 we drank red wine and ate humble plates of leafy green salads in a mustard vinaigrette followed by croutes au fromage (baked bread and cheese) with mushrooms and tomate. For dessert, soft slices of chestnut cake and steaming cups of espresso.

How I adore this crew! It was the trip of a lifetime.

Genève, Switzerland

Before Chamonix there was a night in Geneva, Switzerland. We wandered along the banks of Lac Lucerne and through Vieille Ville (old town) ducking into cozy bars for a mug of vin chaud or a glass of Kronenbourg. Restaurant Le Thermometre was buzzing on an otherwise quiet street, so dinner was decided on a whim based on the crowd. We were seated at a high table in the back corner by the custom zinc and red painted bar, where we had an amazing meal in good company. (We became friendly with the owner, that's him in the photos.) I turned 30. It was a really nice way to celebrate.