Winter Wonderland in the savoy Alps, February 6-7, 2013

(Note to blog followers: I am undergoing a "copy and paste" of some blogs I tried to post unsuccessfully during the winter months, which is why you will notice that they are out of sequence from the recent posts in April. Please bear with me!)


The chic ski village of Megève, about 1 1/4 hours drive south-east of Geneva, is at 1113 meters, just high enough to look like Christmas even in early February! Pat had company meetings at the posh spa resort, Les Fermes de Marie, while I explored the village as it snowed heavily! The village was developed in the 1920's by the Rothchilds as an alternative to the increasingly popular and crowded St. Moritz in Switzerland. Truly something right out of an old fairy tale, well-dressed skiers parade in the pedestrian-only steeets in their best furs and Ugg boots, surrounded by horse-drawn carriages and fancy boutiques! In the central square was the tallest Christmas tree, still beautifully lit with blue lights. Winter opulence at its best...

Below are snowy scenes from the balcony of our hotel room at Le Lodge Park, probably one of the darkest rooms we have ever stayed in, with wood floors and low dark-beamed ceilings, dark red plaid wall coverings and the lowest watt lightbulbs in what few lamps were scattered around our comfy suite. I had to resort to reading my book in the lobby lounge over a cup of afternoon tea when I had thoroughly explored the village itself!








Front entrance to our hotel, Le Lodge Park:




Main square in the village with a huge Christmas tree all lit up in blue....only at night, sorry!





Horse-drawn sleigh in the village:



















Apologies for the dark photos...we never did see the sun until the next day...read on!

Location:Megève, France

Day Trip Saturday, February 2, 2013

We had such a lovely day trip the previous weekend to the winery in the Penedès, that we decided to head out again to Vic, in central Catalunya, about an hour's drive from Pat's plant in Granollers. Vic aims to please with some Roman ruins, remnants of medieval times, an elegant Gothic cloister, a beautiful new art museum and some wonderful restaurants! We got there in late morning and enjoyed wandering around the weekly market, also held on Tuesdays. First we found an underground parking garage and while waiting to get in, I snapped these shots of the house across the street.









The regular market is held in the Plaça Major, the largest of Catalunya's central squares, which is beautifully lined with medieval, baroque and Modernista mansions, albeit hard to distinguish inbetween all the market stalls and people! It is also known as the Plaça del Mercada (for just that reason!).













Note the Catalan flags hanging from the balcones!




Town Hall with "sgraffito" style decor:












Another example of "sgraffito" style, popular on many Catalunyan buildings:





Pat posing with an unknown student of Vic, by artist Joan Seguranyes 1978.





Beyond the central market is a maze of medieval streets, a veritable treasure trove of ancient buildings! Below a former Roman temple:














Typical, also, is a ceramic tile scene placed into the stonework or stucco of a building:





This looked like a popular eatery...to try next time!





Front entrance of the beautiful Museu Episcopal on Plaça del Bisbe Oliba. We were most impressed with the extraordinary collection of Romanesque and Gothic art, second ony to MNAC in Barcelona. It merits another visit, to be sure, there was just too much to take in all at once!




Some images from inside the museum:





Skull and crossbones symbol!






















Examples of Catalunyan ceramic tiles:




Some old doors:




The Catedral de Sant Pere, inside rather gloomy and dark with square-based pillars:




The main doors at the back:




After a lovely lunch at Restaurant Magda Subirana (c/ de Sant Sadurni), we took a final stroll around the outskirts of the downtown core, beside the remnants of the ancient Roman walls:
















A view of a more modern Vic, Catalunyan hills in the background:











We had such a lovely day here in Vic, and hope to return again before too long! My friend, Sheila, from the International Women's Club in Barcelona, has recommended a sidetrip to Rupit, some 30 km to the northeast, staying in the quaint Hostal Estrella. We'll plan a hiking trip there when it warms up a little bit!

Hasta luego...

Location:Vic in central Catalunya