January 14 - Megeve

We set off around 10:45 to drive approximately 37 miles to Megeve, a journey of about 1-1/2 hours on narrow, winding roads – climbing to an altitude of over 2,000 meters.  We had some sleet along the way. Megeve is a very up-market resort that rose to prominence in the 1920's, as s it was promoted by the Rothschild family as the French alternative to St. Moritz (after they apparently had some unsatisfactory experiences there). It is still frequented by a wealthy clientele, and is one of the most famous and fanciest ski resorts in the world. According to wikipedia it was the first purpose-built ski resort in the Alps, and a place visited by the French aristocracy.  It is a beautiful spot with Savoyard architecture, a picturesque square with church, streams and mountains. An interesting aside, it was the resort featured in "Charade" with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant.

We made our way to Chateau Mont d’Arbois, but it was not the place Ron and I had been to years ago (later learned we should have looked for Chalet Mont d'Arbois.) It was a deluxe hotel atop a big hill and seemed to cater to the Russians, as many of the expensive places do. We had an “aperitif” by the fireplace, and I went on the hotel’s computer to try to find a more congenial place for lunch. 

Not having much success with the restaurant search, I asked the young man at the reception desk for suggestions. He called four places, but none were open for lunch – perhaps because it was Monday. He suggested Brasserie Central in the pedestrian area. We could not go into one of the parking garages as we thought the clearance (1.9 m) was too little, but finally found a spot in the street, and walked to the town center. By happenstance, one of the first open restaurants we came upon was the Brasserie Central. It was very crowded and the servers were working like mad. We squeezed into a small space with a table for four. Mike had a big omelet, Pat experimented with chicken fajitas (which she said were tasty but “different”), I had Savoyard cheese fondue (not as good, to my taste, as the Gruyere used in Switzerland), and Ron had poulet roti (roast chicken) with fries. It was a decent lunch, but not exactly the ambiance we had been seeking - a cozy, elegant spot with a fireplace. Since it was one of few places open it was bustling and fun to see all the people.

Mary's Fondue

Pat's Fajitas

Ron's roast chicken

In front of a designer shop in Megeve

We walked a bit in the beautiful village after lunch, but thought it prudent to get down the mountainside before dark, so we left about 3:30 PM. There was quite a lot of snow traveling back from Megeve. Ron took it easy and pulled off occasionally to let impatient drivers go past.

We stopped at a very nice Carrefour in Ugine (near Albertville), and bought groceries and beverages for the next few days.

That evening Pat used a tortilla soup recipe as the basis for a soup with farfalle pasta and Rotel tomatoes with chilis. We did not have all of the called for ingredients, so it was sort of "off-the-cuff" with what was available, and turned out well.

We had one game of Oh Hell. I finally won a game! Everyone was tired and Ron slept with ice on his foot on the sofa. Mike and Pat went up about 11 PM, and I read until midnight, then woke Ron and we went up.