A Rainy Day in the Alps

This morning Ashleigh and I woke up early to make a pancake breakfast for everyone. Pancakes are a rarity here, and they seemed to be impressed that we were willing to make them. We had given them a bottle of maple syrup when we arrived three weeks ago, but it wasn't going to feed the 15 people who were here for breakfast. Nutella seems to be a staple in most French homes, so a lot of them substituted Nutella or jam for syrup. Not exactly Canadian, but close enough. Regardless, they all seemed to enjoy the experience.

We had planned to do some rock climbing today, but it rained steadily all day long, so we did the next best thing: Risk. I was quickly eliminated, as the boys are not afraid to form alliances and crush their opponents.

For lunch, Nathalie prepared a beef casserole and salad, and for dessert we had chocolate birthday cake for Jean, who turned 12 yesterday. 

After lunch, we went for a drive through the winding roads of the mountains. The "two-way" roads are about the same width of one Canadian lane, so coming around hairpin turns blindly was always interesting. Although the low clouds made it difficult to see the peaks of the mountains, it was all still very impressive. 

A huge snail we found. Ashleigh's finger for reference.  

For dinner, we had a truly unique French experience. We melted thick slices of cheese in little single serve pans, then poured the melted cheese onto boiled potatoes and different meats. 

Nathalie said that they normally reserve this meal for the winter, but made an exception because it was so cold and wet out today. 

It was a pretty quiet day today, as the weather really hampered any outdoor activity, but we plan on trying some climbing again tomorrow, as the weather is looking to be much better.