I've visited my brother Tyler numerous times in his 6+ years of living in Wien and all the while Sam has lived somewhat close in the eastern mountains of France. Unfortunately she has always been just a little too far from Wien to make it logical for me to visit. So, this trip we threw logic out of the window and planned an entire month's road trip around seeing her!
We arrived in Vars late in the afternoon on August 19, just in time to take a quick hike up a trail behind her home to some ruins before the day was through. The views were lovely and we and Fila (her golden retriever) enjoyed getting some exercise.
Over the next few days I enjoyed getting to re-know Sam and meeting her lovely family for the first time. Micah, her two and a half year old son, is just adorable! During our time staying with Sam we watched his new favorite movie The Lion King nearly a dozen times. He was too cute when he would answer our questions with a timid but matter or fact "oui." (His mother speaks only English to him and the rest of his world is in French.) We also got a kick out of one of his favorite topics/activities, tombe (to fall in English).
During our time in Vars we were treated to a few hours at Indiana Forest, a local ropes course possibly named after Indiana Jones, visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mont-Dauphin (a fort built by French marshall Marquis de Vauban in the late 1700s), and an awesome afternoon of white water rafting with her husband Benoit as our guide (he started a rafting/mountain bike guiding company last summer). The water was a clear blue and very cold; wet suits were a must! The photo of us rafting makes me crack up - Benoit, Dan (rear left, right) and I (in front of Benoit) are all making ridiculous concentration faces while Sam (in front of Dan) has a calm, composed expression.
One thing I learned about "grown-up" Sam is how much she enjoys cooking and specifically preparing French cuisine. She spoiled us each night with home cooked dishes from various regions around France. One of the dishes was Raclette (pronounced "ruck-lett) which is a traditional dish and a cheese of the Swiss and French alps. Dan and I had a culinary first-time experience of making of zucchini fritters! Not a French dish, but one Sam suggested we try to make with a zucchini fresh picked from a co-worker's garden. Yum!
One of the final highlights of our visit in Vars was getting to celebrate Sam's 30th birthday with her. We had dinner with one of Benoit's closest friends and his girlfriend the night beforehand and then enjoyed an afternoon of rafting the day-of. What a fun and special way to celebrate a "big" year for both of us and I'm so glad I could be there!
After four fun-filled days Dan and I bid Sam, Benoit, Micah and Fila adieu ("goodbye") and continued over Col de Vars (Vars pass) on to the next chapter in our adventures: Italy!
- Kelsey
During our time in Vars we were treated to a few hours at Indiana Forest, a local ropes course possibly named after Indiana Jones, visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mont-Dauphin (a fort built by French marshall Marquis de Vauban in the late 1700s), and an awesome afternoon of white water rafting with her husband Benoit as our guide (he started a rafting/mountain bike guiding company last summer). The water was a clear blue and very cold; wet suits were a must! The photo of us rafting makes me crack up - Benoit, Dan (rear left, right) and I (in front of Benoit) are all making ridiculous concentration faces while Sam (in front of Dan) has a calm, composed expression.
One thing I learned about "grown-up" Sam is how much she enjoys cooking and specifically preparing French cuisine. She spoiled us each night with home cooked dishes from various regions around France. One of the dishes was Raclette (pronounced "ruck-lett) which is a traditional dish and a cheese of the Swiss and French alps. Dan and I had a culinary first-time experience of making of zucchini fritters! Not a French dish, but one Sam suggested we try to make with a zucchini fresh picked from a co-worker's garden. Yum!
One of the final highlights of our visit in Vars was getting to celebrate Sam's 30th birthday with her. We had dinner with one of Benoit's closest friends and his girlfriend the night beforehand and then enjoyed an afternoon of rafting the day-of. What a fun and special way to celebrate a "big" year for both of us and I'm so glad I could be there!
After four fun-filled days Dan and I bid Sam, Benoit, Micah and Fila adieu ("goodbye") and continued over Col de Vars (Vars pass) on to the next chapter in our adventures: Italy!
- Kelsey
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