Last Friday afternoon I headed for Geneva, Switzerland, where I spent a wonderful weekend with very good friends. Geneva is 320 miles (500 km) from Paris, it can be reached in only 3 1/2 hours thanks to the marvellous French High Speed Train (TGV). The weather at destination was gorgeous, blue sky and 76 F. I have been numerous times to this very international city, therefore I did not go with a list of "must-see" things and I let my hosts organize the outings. 
The region around the Leman lake is a well known wine producing area, and last weekend was a very active one as the grape harvest took place. During the grape harvest the scenery is always beautiful! The orderly vines loaded with heavy and generous grapes were beautiful to look at. We stopped at one place that announced: "Grapes for free" and strolled in the vines admiring the stunning beauty of the landscape - and eating the sweet free bounty!Saturday the weather was as beautiful too, and my hosts had the best plans I could expect!
Sailing on lac Leman was new to me, so I promtly accepted the invitation! Lac Leman is in the border of France and Switerland - I am sure you all know Evian water, bottled on the French side of Lac leman. 
After sailing, a night walk in the old city was also a welcome option. 
No cars, a gentle breeze, a bit of music, people gazing and strolling, cafes and restaurants with tables outside, the premises to a good time were thus reunited. We walked into a brasserie to have a little something to eat. 
I had a plate of Viande de Grisons, a cold cut typical from the canton of Grisons, in Northern Switzerland. Viande de Grisons is made with lean beef ternderloin that is seasoned, compressed, and kept for several weeks in very cold temperature (almost freezing), before being cured in the fresh air. As you can easily guess, it was a way to preserve beef throughout the cold winter.
My friend, an "habitue" of this brasserie, ordered a good red Chamoson wine - with lots of character! It is made with Humagne Rouge grapes, a variety that grows also in the Rhine. 
On Sunday we drove along the lake, from little town to little twon, and bumped into a "brocante" where the items were very different from the ones one finds in Paris. Here, used clothes are everywhere. I stopped to have a look at this black velvet jacket - I had a very similar one 10 years ago that I loved! 
What about buying a bell for your cows? Or a scale, or old chairs, new tables, a model sailboat, chinaware and more. 
The stroll was so delightful that I did not want to leave .... A bientot Geneva! 
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