We discovered the region of the French Alps and much more …

 

What an enjoyable night that was for our group of fourteen participants last Thursday! We first set our eyes on the stunning views of and from the Mont Blanc, the Alpine lakes and rocky needles around it which make the Alps region so attractive to millions of tourists. We admired the wintry snowy slopes as well as the luscious green meadows of the present times and realised how beautiful the Alps are in all seasons.  

One can only imagine the first visitors in the XIXth century stumbling over the ice in long dresses and straw hats. The first rock climbers and budding alpinists were English for the great majority.  We also discovered the history of the oldest European dynasty: the Duchy of Savoy.  This part of France only became French in 1860! There was a mention of Eugène Labiche’s beloved comedy recounting the adventures of Monsieur Perrichon in Chamonix at La belle Époque, the legend of the imaginary “dahu", that mountaineering version of the Loch Ness Monster and other equally interesting Savoyard stories.   

To get into the spirit of things our group sang the traditional “Vieux chalet” and Line Renaud’s unforgettable “Etoile des neiges” and prior to moving into the gastronomic part of the evening we learnt more about the first alpinists who conquered so many summits, giving their name to a pass or peak such as the great alpinist George Mallory or James Eccles.  George Mallory who disappeared in the Himalayas in 1924 replied famously to the journalist asking him why he wanted to climb Mount Everest  "because it is there". Like a number of these famous figures he had studied locally at Magdelene College.   So has Geoffrey Winthrop Young who practised rock climbing on the walls of Cambridge Colleges first and wrote a humorous guide “The Roof Climbers Guide to Trinity" (1899) and of course Sir John Ruskin whose name can be read on a medalion fixed to the rock where he used to sit in Chamonix to admire the Alps in between serious explorations: "La pierre à Ruskin".  An article by Cynthia Gamble on John Ruskin and Viollet-le-Duc  makes a very interesting reading about the man and his passion for the Alps.  

Last but not least the study of the recipes for the evening enabled us to learn not only how to serve the Raclette or make a Tarte aux myrtilles but the true meaning of "Occupez vous de vos oignons" or most importantly "ne mélangez pas les torchons avec les serviettes" which is commonly used in conversation outside the kitchen.   

As always, the meal that followed was quite memorable as a dozen bottles of champagne miraculously appeared on the table to celebrate someone's special bithday.  Note that this won't happen again unless you insist!!!  Cook's Barn, as always was actually the perfect venue for such an occasion I must say. Situated on the old Newmarket Road parallel to the A14, it is within a few minutes from Cambridge. So there's an idea for you...  

Now, if you wish to join one of these exciting evenings make sure you book a space well in advance.  "Noël en Provence" on December 8th is proving to be quite popular but we still have a few places to offer.   Keep an eye on The Way To France calendar... Looking forward to welcoming you soon!