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Another Productive Weekend

Good morning!

Bo and I are currently enjoying a fresh breakfast on the couch with a side of Grey’s Anatomy. Our Sunday breakfast routine in Geneva is a cup of French press coffee with only a splash of local 2.3% milk, toasted maize bread from the farmer’s market, grilled chicken sausage from the local butcher shop, and a poached egg.  We both love that nothing is processed nor laden with preservatives or artificial sweeteners. Historically, my coffee mug would be topped off with skim milk and Splenda even though smart dieticians like Kath and Anne have been trying to convince me to change my ways for years. Sunday breakfast

While it’s tough not to watch my favorite football team play between the hedges, waking up to read the highlights of an amazing win against Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks is a great way to kick off Sunday! (photo credit)

Let me back track to Friday and Saturday and fill you in on our weekend.

Friday

Since it was Ryan and Amy’s last full day in Geneva, we wanted to spend as much time together as possible. Amy and I are running the Hartford Marathon together in October so enjoying a ten mile run through Geneva and France was the perfect way to cap off a great week together. We spent the entire time talking in only a way best girlfriends can; finishing each other’s sentences, talking about our husbands, venting, opening up, and planning future trips. We barely thought about the run other than when I pointed out special sights such as crossing into France or local Geneva attractions. Sunrise in GenevaAshley and Amy long run geneva After work, the three of us headed down to Bains de Paquis as I can’t let visitors leave Geneva without a swim in the lake, especially when it’s 80 degrees and sunny at 5pm!rainbow genevaIMG_1917 Amy and Ashley sunsetSince Bo’s flight didn’t arrive until later we stopped by Cottage Cafe for a glass of wine and a few tapas.   sunset from cottage cafeIMG_1946We met Bo at home within minutes of a huge thunderstorm starting which kept us curled up in our flat, sipping wine together, enjoying an amazing cheese and meat tray, and laughing about our terrific week together. IMG_1954Saturday

After dropping Ryan and Amy off at the airport Bo and I spent the day checking things off our to do list while also discovering new spots in Geneva. The hardest thing about this move is settling in to two cities versus one. This means that the first three months or so we expect to spend the majority of weekends running errands, setting up electronics, unpacking, and trying to get our lives together versus spending our entire weekend with friends our and touring Geneva and London.

Since Ikea is only 5 minutes from the airport we picked up a few needed items bright and early, before the crazy crowds took over. Who knew that Ikea has beer, wine and spirits in addition to home goods. We didn’t buy any as we saw them after checkout but next time we may have to buy some just so we can say we’ve tried it! IMG_1970We relaxed for the next few hours meandering through the Carouge Farmers’ Market or Marche de Carouge. Carouge Farmers MarketThe rest of the afternoon included a run through Parc Des Eaux Vives, hours of working on the flat, a delicious cheese plate, dancing in the kitchen while cooking dinner, and buying a vacuum. See, our life isn’t all that exciting especially when we force ourselves to be productive. IMG_1991IMG_1999IMG_2019IMG_2014Steak and potatoesNow, it’s suddenly Sunday and we both feel as if we have an overwhelming amount of work left to do. The sound system has to be installed, there is a pile of dirty clothes screaming at me, dinner has to be cooked, and a pile of paintings and pictures have yet to find their way onto the walls.

How about you? How did you spend your weekend?

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Cross Training: Geneva Style

No marathon training will be perfect. Life happens regardless of whether you are training for a marathon or not. There are only so many hours in a day and week during which you can focus on your training unless of course you are a professional athlete. This Fall I’m not running the Hartford Marathon with any expectations other than to enjoy every mile with my original running buddy, Amy. It will be her first marathon and therefore I know first hand just how important it is to focus on having fun versus stressing out over goals. No one knows how their body will react to 26.2 miles of running, especially the first time.

IMG_4776Cross training hasn’t been a focus for me this training cycle as I’m finding that cross training is happening each day naturally. I move more now than I ever have before. Ryan, Amy’s husband, joked that he realized why Europeans can drink wine, eat croissants and delicious cheese, while still staying relatively thin. The culture here facilitates lots of movement, especially in the form of walking. On an average day, I walk at least 3 miles around town in addition to my daily workout. These walks include steep hills, multiple flights of stairs and often occur while I carry my large purse which is “always full”.  As you can see below, even market trips happen via walking in Geneva versus driving. While I walked to Whole Foods or Morton Williams in New York, they were less than a half mile away. In Geneva we walk a mile to the market most times which ends up being at least a 3 mile adventure by the time we’re finished. Walking up a hill with a week’s worth of groceries is definitely strength training!

IMG_1021My favorite marathon cross training that I’ve enjoyed to date is hiking. There is nothing that compares to a day filled with fresh air and nature. It is easy to disconnect and forget any stresses when I am a mile up, above the tree line focusing on the beauty that is surrounding me.  Based on the way my body feels the day after a long hike, I can tell that it engages my core, calves and thighs especially though I believe there are benefits to my entire body, both physically and emotionally. Creations like Mont Blanc and etched valleys make everything else around me feel so small.

Chamonix Hike

My favorite hike is Le Lac Blanc, an approximately 3 hour hike in Chamonix. Yesterday I had the pleasure of sharing this area with Amy and Ryan. Nothing makes me feel like a local more than when I can navigate our way from Geneva to Chamonix in France via rental car then successfully lead visitors through a hike, pointing out glaciers, mountain ranges, plants, and villages below. I am so thankful that Renaud shared these special hikes and trails with me early on in my Geneva adventure.

While I questioned at my local friends when they insisted I wouldn’t need a gym membership, laughing at the thought that I could get all the exercise I needed outside, I think they were correct. My body and mind thanks me for spending every minute possible outside this Summer in Europe versus the confines of a gym. I know I’ll want a membership during the winter but for now, I plan to squeeze every ounce of vitamin D out of Europe before the Fall gray skies and rain arrive.

What is your favorite form of cross training?

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Burgundy, France: Wine 101

We spent two days meandering through Burgundy sipping our way through miles of vineyards and caves. As none of us are experts on French wine, we booked a private tour on Sunday, our first full day, so we could learn the basics.

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IMG_1279While it was a bit pricey, having a guide who is a local but also speaks English, was very helpful and allowed us to learn more than we every imagined. By Sunday evening we knew more about Burgundy and the French wines from this region than we thought we could learn in one day.

IMG_1344Here are some of the things we learned along the way from our fearless guide.

  • Burgundy has been making wine for over 2,000 years.
  • When Romans arrived, Pinot Noir was growing wild.
  • Even with only 2 grapes in the region, pinot noir and chardonnay, there are over 1,000 flavors.
  • There are 3 key things which influence the wine:
    • Terroir: Terroir is the description of where the wine is grown. The steepness of the slope, the soil, etc
    • Wine maker: Their education and background can greatly influence the wine and the process.
    • Weather: Was it a rainy year? Warm? Too cold? All of this affects the grapes!
  • There are some key differences between Burgundy and California wines:
    • In France there 1 meter between the rows versus 2 in California in order to stimulate competition between the plants.
    • In Burgundy they want the roots to go deep into the limestone instead of horizontal.
    • There are 4,000 plants per acre in Burgundy.
    • The vines are much shorter than what you find in California as they want the grapes close to the soil so the sun will hit the soil and give off heat.
    • Pinot Noir in France has more mineral flavor than California which is more fruity.
  • It takes two vines to produce one bottle of wine in Burgundy
  • Wines from Burgundy can be classified in one of four ways
    • Regional appellations– 52% of wines produced
    • Village or Commune appellations- 36% of wines produced, only Pinot and Chardonnay grapes
    • Premiere Cru- come from the top of the slope and account for 10% of wines produced
    • Gran Cru – 1.5% of wines from the region, begin at 50 euro but can go up to 2,800 euro in priceIMG_1370 IMG_1432 

Your turn: Are you team red or white?

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