Our first rainy day

Yes, until today, we have had spectacular weather. No new snow, but clear blue skies, blazing warm sun. It's been like spring skiing everyday. But today we woke up to fog and drizzly rain. I'm sure it's snowy up in the mountains, but it looks like that evil flat, white light. So Willy and Christine headed up for some skiing while we stayed inside and caught up on news, emails, work, etc., etc.

We actually started our day with apple turnovers and tea in town with Duncan, as Mark advised him on how to wire the home he is renovating. I sat there with Java (Duncan's dog) and enjoyed just people watching (yes, dogs are allowed inside the cafes and bars and maybe even the restaurants in France). This was the same cafe as the bad milk day, so I stuck with hot tea. The coffee here actually leaves something to be desired, or maybe it's the fact that they use the boxed milk that can sit on a shelf for months before being opened. Blech.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that we met up with Christine and Willy in town, while she was renting her gear. Turns out that Wednesday is market day in Samoens. Just as in Annecy, there were stalls of sausages, cheeses, fresh fruit and veggies, not to mention woolen scarves, cheap wallets, and fur jacket things. So even though we'd loaded up on goodies at Carrefour the day before, we bought fresh vegetables for soup, yet another amazingly delicious cheese, and some tasty local dried and smoked sausages. All for less than what we paid at the grocery store. Nothing like the overpriced "farmer's markets" in Lakewood! END EDIT

Afterward we headed back to Katherine's. Herve, a real estate agent who lives in Samoens, stopped by for some tea and cheese and bread. It turns out that his family has lived in this region since the 15th century. A true native! We met him the other day, as he is a friend of Katherine's. His daughter is traveling to Denver sometime in the summer, so we told him to stop by and we'd exchange contact info. He is a super-nice guy and very funny. It was nice to meet some locals, as all those we have met and hung out with since we got here have been from Scotland and England! I actually had an easier time understanding Herve than I do some of Willy's friends from Northern England, who tend to mumble and speak with an extremely thick English accent.

Now here we sit, Mark on his laptop, me on mine. We've watched the fog (or maybe it's just the clouds) move in and out of the valley, and the rain continues to drizzle down. We've enjoyed several cups of tea and a beer or two. We've snacked on some more amazing French cheese and bread. And now we'll probably settle in for a nap before heading over to Duncan and Saskia's for dinner. Ahhh, life is nice!

Adieu!