March 24, 2011: Grenoble - French Conversation, A Walk in The Alps, French Shopping

In the morning I went to the Open House French conversation group at Pain et Cie, where I had the chocolat chaud. I met some new people, and talked mostly in French (last week we were more diligent in sticking to French; this week I think that there were too many English folks close together, so we kept lapsing).

Upon leaving I had an invitation from Sheree to join her and Julie for a walk in the Alps, with her dog Einzel. We ate a quick lunch at her apartment before heading into the hills - Sheree has a car, so it made our trip very easy. After a few switchbacks up a somewhat narrow road we parked in the village, and then headed out for four hours of walking in the beautiful sunny weather. It was so warm in the sun that I took my cardigan off some of the time, so that I was only in short sleeves. There won't be a day like this in Toronto for at least another month!

On the way home I stopped in at the grocery store to pick up just a bottle of red wine and fresh baguette; with my colourful scarf tossing in the breeze it felt like a very French kind of day.

 

Paragliders alongside the cliff

 

A hazy view of distant mountains

 

I pose in the snow - there wasn't much left, but patches remained here and there

 

Sheree, Julie and Einzel

 

There were crocuses in bloom everywhere throughout the meadows

 

A shepherd's hut up on the hillside

 

The view at the far point of our hiking circuit