A taste of the mountains

A couple of years ago we went to visit relatives who live on the French-Swiss border, near Geneva. We'd been before but only in summer, with the warm heat, and so February was quite a change!

Snow covered the ground and the trees. I'd never seen so much of it! It felt like we were in the Arctic, pulling on several layers, snow boots and a thick coat just to go outside for a quick walk. 

As we all know, mountains + snow = skiing! 

Neither my sister nor I had ever skied before, and so, whilst  a little nervous, we threw ourselves into the lessons with as much gusto as we could, considering that they were spoken all in the French and that we were the oldest in the class by about seven years. 

Still, whilst we didn't get onto using the ski poles (probably too much of a risk for beginners; someone could have got their eye poked out!), we did make a reasonable attempt at learning the new sport and managed to ski down a small hill without falling. It was certainly fun and something I'd do again if we lived closer to the mountains!

After a cold afternoon spent out on the slopes, we were ready for a hot dinner. And how better to finish off a snow day than with a traditional cheese dish - raclette? 

It's a very sociable way to eat. There's a special grill in the middle of the table and you each have your own little shovel to pile every manner of things onto; ham or bacon, peppers and potatoes.

Top it with cheese...

And wait for the magic to occur!

We loved it so much that we received one for Christmas this very year. We tried it out recently and it immediately took me back to that happy time spent with far-away family. 

Isn't it great how food can transport us to a past occasion? What foodie memories do you have?