A Magical Christmas & New Year of New Heights

Christmas destination in France? The choice is obvious for us...Alsatian it has to be! Alsace has been famed for their magical Christmas decorations and the father of Christmas' traditions. In fact, the original Christmas Tree originated from Selestat, a town in Alsace. In deed, our journey through the wine route brought us through loads of pastel coloured half-timbered houses that looked like they have been sugar coated. Felt like we were walking on a Christmas log cake!

The little Venice in Colmar, since the houses were only accessible via the waterways in ancient times.

See what I mean? Colmar is filled with pastel coloured half timbered houses that really look sugar-coated!

We based ourselves in Colmar, and visited Turckheim, Selestat and Strasbourg. Personally, I prefer the atmosphere in Colmar. It seems more traditional, and the town is much more charming than Strasbourg, which I think is no different from other cities. Although Strasbourg is the capital of Christmas, but Colmar had a more magical feel perhaps due to the architecture in the old town. Check out their Christmas markets, and you'll find loads of handmade crafts by the local craftsmen.

Artisan wood craft

Hand painted glass candle holders

Hand painted metal mugs/jugs

Iconic half-timbered houses for Christmas decorations

Santa Claus Candies!

This is Strasbourg's scene, honestly we didn't quite enjoy the capital of Christmas. The Christmas market seems less traditional, and most of the goods look like they were imported. The Georgian village was also a disappointment, definitely over-rated!

We felt a little handicapped without our car in this trip, public transport in rural France is a total joke, especially on public holidays. But we didn't want to miss the famed wine routes of Alsace, so we skipped the  more visited villages and settled with Turckheim which can be reached by the train. We were pleased with our find, it is after all still a grand crus estate.

Check out the Stork nest on top of the tower! Somehow, Alsace has a soft spot for storks since it is the region's emblem.

The French name their roads according to what you find there, so at Rue Des Cigognes, what do you find? Cigognes of course (ie. Stork bird)

Alsace is particularly good for sweet wines; muscat, moelleux, Riesling and Gewurztraminer. Through the wine routes, you can also savour the magnificent landscape craved by the Vosages in France and the Black Forest in Germany.

From the town of Selestat, also reachable by train, you can access the Chateau Haut Koenigsbourg via a shuttle service. The schedule is rather erratic, so check the net to play safe. Word of caution, the tourist offices in Colmar and Strasbourg cannot be trusted with regards to the schedule, so it is best to call the shuttle direct for any confirmation.

The interior of the castle isn't much, but the view is something to shout about.

Panoramic view from the castle

Selestat is also the town where the Christmas Tree originates from. Traditionally, people used their harvests such as nuts and fruits as decorations, but there was a poor harvest on a particular year, and people started making glass globes to replace the decorations instead.

An exhibition on the history of Christmas Tree decorations since the 15th century. It started from just apples and hosts.

And so...we proceeded to Switzerland for New Year celebrations.

Birds, ducks and swans have somewhat become part of the tourists' attractions at Lake Luzerne

Can't miss the cruise on Lake Luzerne for a taste of white capped mountains and rustic villages

On the way up to Mt. Rigi Klum - feels like heaven here

What better way to enjoy winter in a outdoor spa?

Continuing our trip with the Wilhelm Tell Express route to Bellinzona - the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. Stark difference in architecture and industrial activities.

We broke our trip by spending a night in Zernez (St. Moritz is too expensive for a night stop), and enjoyed an ice-hockey match. There are endless sledge runs in this region as well!

Last stop at Zermatt, base of Matterhorn. Beautiful village with loads of winter activities. We opted for a hike to the mid slope villages. Essentials for winter hikes: slopes can get slippery especially at a gradient, so try to get detachable spikes from the sports shop. There are the ankle type, which I got as a New Year's Day present from a kind soul in Zermatt, and also the elastic disc type which I think is more effective and versatile for different shoe types. The Student survived with track shoes and thermal socks, so there is no particular need for snow boots, although I find it very comfortable to walk in thick layers of snow.

Ancient barns used for storage and keeping animals

Pit stop for a cuppa cocoa by the mountains

Hike trails are marked very clearly here, no need for a map actually. But trails are not lit, and night falls early in winter, so plan well.

Love the night scape of Zermatt

The Après-ski scene here is really vibrant, this Eskimo bar looks really chic, but I think they need to be hotel guests.

We based ourselves in Taesch, the last village that allow cars before Zermatt. On New Year's Eve, we wanted to experience fireworks with the snow-capped mountains at the background, and was worried that Taesch may not have a celebration like Zermatt. But surprise! There were also fireworks in Taesch...I believe it was beautiful, because we only saw the reflections of the colours through our chalet windows, and fell right asleep when they went BOOM the fifth round....:) 2013 is set to a great start!

Indeed it is...I was 8 weeks pregnant when we went on this trip...

Flip side for pregnant ladies having even the slightest morning sickness: 

1) Since this is winter, we can only have our meals inside the restaurants, however, the odour in the restaurants can really make a pregnant woman VERY uncomfortable.

2) Going on the boat ride with altitude sickness = a queasy stomach that will throw out all your breakfast.

3) Cheese fondue makes me sick, although I used to love it. Plus, I can't have alcohol, so I can't enjoy the meal as much.

4) Going up and down the mountains plus altitude sickness in the trains/buses will also make your vertigo worse.

5) There were a humongous amount of people smoking anywhere any time, which means more passive smoke.

6) You can't go beyond 2,000 ft, so this cancels out a lot of sightseeing.

I went ahead with the trip as I thought that my morning sickness is not very serious to start with, but turns out, the altitude and smoke did make it worse. So if you are in the same situation as me, please think twice about going to Switzerland in your 1st trim.

Croissants with Love

This were our creations for the croissant class at La Cuisine Paris. These yummy puff pastries are no simple task, from laying the butter and dough, to the long hours of proofing (min 6 hours). Further more, working with the butter is tricky, since we don't want the butter to melt before baking. 

Nonetheless, another successful project with La Cuisine, and these are my little anniversary treats for the Student. 

Christmas In Paris

Paris is now bathed in the Christmas spirit. There are Christmas markets at various locations, and open-aired  ice-skating rinks opening from next week. We went to Champs-Elysée to experience a Parisian Christmas, and it feels somewhat like Chinatown in Singapore during Chinese New Year, minus the hot weather. In fact, the weather was pretty chilly, such that our fingers were almost frozen while eating churros without our gloves.

White chalets lining both sides of the street from Champs-Elysée to Place de la Concorde

Play area for kiddos

The tallest Christmas Tree vs Eiffel Tower

We took the chance to snap some night scape of Paris...great time to do this in winter, since we can take ages for the night shots and still be in time for dinner!

This is also the season to go for Christmas light-ups at the châteaus nearby. We went to Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte (http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/ ) to soak up the Christmas spirit in a castle. The Christmas decorations in the castle are just so pretty...

Officially Winter

We woke up last Thursday anticipating a snow covered field. As we sat in front of our window having breakfast, we were constantly awed by the images that were slowly revealing with the rising sun. This is one rare occasion when I see cars travel at half their usual speed.

Little Blue was beyond recognition, and I dreaded shoving snow with short arms! But this is much better than  a frozen car door at least.

Even the sun is getting sluggish in winter...it's 8.30 in the morning, can you melt some snow away?

Virgin Baguette & Fougasse

I had my virgin experience making baguettes and fougasses without a machine...And it was a SUCCESS! But of course credit goes to La Cuisine Paris, my master Justin...La Cuisine is one of the few culinary schools in Paris that offers classes in English. It was a good option for me, as I only wanted to learn baking on a leisure basis and do not want to spend a 5 figure sum on professional culinary schools here. Classes in La Cuisine are flexible and not expensive, easy to book and easy to get to! What's more, I get to learn about things that I'll never get from cookbooks.

http://lacuisineparis.com/

Actually, I can't call this a baguette, since the size is not the legalised dimensions (L: 65cm, W: 5-6cm, H: 3-4cm, Wt: 250g). One topped with poppy seeds, another with sesame seeds, and 2 plain ones.

Fougasse are made from the same dough as a baguette, but with additional olive oil. The toppings are also usually savoury,  so it serves well for lunch or a light snack. I've got some chopped rosemary in there that gives a great flavour.

France's National Sport - STRIKES

I've always refrained myself from writing on such sensitive subjects on a public portal, for fear that I'll get slammed by on-line extremists. But the recent labour strike by the bus drivers in Singapore did ramble my patriotism. Although not a Singaporean by blood, I have every Singaporean cell in me since 7 years old. After coming to France, I realised that living in Singapore is a luxury. True, we have our little quirks, but I really appreciate the order and system that we have in place.

Public transport strikes are so rampant here in France, that the French could call this their national sport. My French teacher told us that at least twice a year during her school days, she'll have to walk 1 hr from home to school for several days a week because it is the season of RER strikes. Just February this year, Air France had a strike to protest against the new policy to inform authorities 2 days ahead of intended strikes. Thanks to this new policy, commuters can now know in advance that they have to take alternative routes to their destinations should there be a strike on essential services.

I'm very glad that Singapore needs 14 days advance notice for such strikes, and I'm proud that the government did not waver from this threat, and stood by our rules. It is common sense that you abide by the house rules when you stay in somebody else's house. If they have exhausted all avenues through the company, there are other ways for the bus drivers to voice their grievances rather than to stage a strike, let alone an illegal one. Ask any Singaporean on the streets, and they'll find the common avenues that work magic, of course if their claims are justified. So really, did the human rights activists get their facts right before protesting for the release of the drivers?