Joyeux Anniversaire

 This weekend Emilie and I headed back to Morez for her mom’s birthday. On Saturday we all went cross-country skiing and it quickly became apparent that the season was nearing its end. For most of the trail the snow had basically turned into ice, which was a bit dangerous at times.

We stopped for lunch at Le Refuge des Prés d’Hauts, which is a rustic lunch spot in the hills along the ski trails.

Highlighting the danger of skiing in such icy conditions, a man sitting at the table next to us had fallen and skinned up his arm and leg pretty bad. He seemed okay, though, so it probably just looked worse than it really was given all the blood.

If there were any questions of how rustic the refuge in fact was, the bathroom should put an end to them. I can’t remember the last outhouse that I saw. In fact, I’m not sure if I’ve really ever seen one aside from in the movies. And if there were any questions with respect to its purpose, the nearby sign answered them (loose translation: “Pee here”).

On the trail back we passed a large property where sled dogs are raised. The outdoor kennel must have housed 30 – 40 dogs, each with his own dog house. They were running all over the place and enjoying the cool weather.

Here are some pictures during the final stretch when the snow was really bad.

And here’s the sign from a couple of weeks back, only this time it actually was appropriate.

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On Sunday we went out to lunch at Auberge du Coude in Labergement Sainte Marie to celebrate Emilie’s mom’s birthday. While the area and restaurant are known for grenouille (frog), I definitely got my fill last year and decided to instead go with some fois gras for the starter and meat for the main course. Both were very good.

Emilie and her sister decided to stick with tradition, though, and selected the frog legs.

The lunch definitely served as a French exam. I spent the whole time trying to keep up with the rest of the group, which consisted of Emilie, her sister, her mom and her mom’s friend. Overall, I think that I did okay, but it took all the energy that I had in me.