Cheese Overdose

Posting my scarce notes about my recent trip to the French Alps, I somehow managed to neglect the most important part of any trip to France. What comes as a next-to-last course of any distinguished dinner? When most of us will take time to answer this question, the actual answer is very trivial for any French person. Cheese, of course. Yes, cheese can be a separate course during a long dinner ceremony. It usually comes after a main dish and just before you are ready to tempt yourself with a dessert. You will most likely get a plate of various types to choose from. My curiosity always took a hold of me and I tried a little piece of everything that was offered... Tomme, reblochon, assortment of chevre, comte, vacherin mont d'or, Saint-Marcellin... just to name a few. Simply delicious! Just remember never ask anybody at the table how this cheese was made. Otherwise, when you are enjoying a bite of a particularly smooth and buttery texture and starting to appreciate that rich an unique flavour, you are risking to find out that, in fact, all the mentioned above qualities, you so much enjoyed,

are attributed to little warms that live on top of the cheese and can easily be seen with a help of a magnifier. Believe me, even though everyone around you will be very eager to share this information, you might not be ready for it, just yet. Save this sort of discussions for when you become a real gourmand and cannot imagine eating cheese if it does not stink or does not have a fungus growing inside it. It is like an aged vintage wine from a very good year. You need to appreciate it and once you do, it stays with you for ever...

Where from...

It is a holiday season in London... Streets are sparkling with myriads of colorful lights, Christmas trees are greeting you on every corner and store window are crying out loud with mega sales advertisements. I guess it doesn't matter if you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, if you are Muslim or Hindu ... you cannot avoid but join in on a holiday spirit that makes you feel so special, so much appreciative of everything you have...

During this time you more than ever feel how cosmopolitan, how diverse this city is. I was told that there are many people who live in London but there are actually very few people who are FROM London. Now it feels more than ever. It appears that this city is holding its breath as most of the places are closed for the holidays and streets seem to be empty even on a Saturday night...Everyone left to be with their families wherever they might be.

Have a wonderful and memorable holiday season!

*photo howstuffworks.com

Got milk? Welcome to Switzerland...

What is the first image that comes in your mind when you think about Europe's natural treasure, namely the Alps? Fashionable Sky resorts? Endless forests and snow covered mountain tops or, perhaps, Milka advertisement with cows that can talk and badgers offering you to try the latest products of the chocolate industry? Let me re-insure you, the Alps is all of the above and much much more, except maybe talking cows. However even that depends...but let me start from the beginning.

Your Alpine experience depends on the part of the mountains you choose. I will mostly talk about French and Swiss parts as they are best known to me.

This time I flew to Zurich to catch my connection to Geneva. Zurich airport looks like many others: shopaholic haven with the world premier brands and endless duty free offers calling for your Dollars, Euros, Pounds or whatever you have to spend. Surprises started when I got on the ultra modern airport train to get to the domestic terminal. I was deep in my thoughts starting to consider whether I really needed that new D&G underwear, so bluntly advertised on the train window, and staring at the train clock informing me how many seconds I had left before doors were closing, when I heard a loud moo coming from the speakers. For a moment i thought someone was making a joke and I was almost ready to go back to my fashion thoughts when another distinct moo was followed by a cheerful announcement "Welcome to Switzerland". Indeed...Who said cows don't talk? They do, at least in Switzerland! Image of this animal followed me throughout the entire trip. Cow is a symbol of Swiss extraordinary chocolate industry and every time I have a bite of extra dark chocolate or shopping for D&G underwear I now think about Alps and... cows...

*photo alpenschatz.com