| 1. Pain Au Chocolat - could there be a more perfect snack food? 2. Tomme cheese (a local raw milk cheese). 3. Reblochon cheese. 4. Strawberries that taste like it. 5. Haricots Verts - these are not the green beans yo mamma forced you to eat as a kid..... 6. Tomatoes with flavor. 7. Bolted routes and bolted belays without political fights! 8. Glacial runoff and waterfalls everywhere. 9. We can see snow year-round, even when it's 34C (90F) down in the valley. We can go up and play in it too.....then come back down and get a nice tan while climbing in the valley. 10. That the word 'poubelle' sounds pretty, but means garbage pail. 11. Everyone says 'bonjour' or 'bonsoir' when you walk into a store or pass someone on a trail. 12. Wine can be cheaper than water in the supermarket. 13. Nestle brand chocolate actually tastes good here! 14. Free mountain rescues (when this is not abused by people who call if they twist an ankle). 15. The inability of people to sue the ski areas or government if they fall off a cliff due to their own stupidity. 16. Wildflowers and more wildflowers. 17. Orangina Rouge - with blood oranges and guarana! yum. 18. Hitch hiking is legal, and in small towns it's easy to get rides. 19. Between 12 and 3 all shops close and you are 'forced' to eat a nice lunch and rest. Darn. 20. Nice open air markets on weekends with mummified pigs and other interesting sights. 21. Good discounts on auto insurance if you have a good driving record. 22. Homeopathic medicine is available in every pharmacy, and the pharmacist is actually a friendly and helpful person who suggests remedies for common ailments. 23. The water is so nice here that you don't need conditioner for your hair. 24. Dating scene for straight women: ratio of men to women is 7 to 1 and it's not a gay bar - you're in sister! 25. The rules at the climbing gym: 1. "No soloing". C'est toute. C'est simple. We like this. 26. Alpine fighting cows! Moooo! You go girl! 27. Dogs in restaurants, dogs in shops, dogs on the street, dogs in cafes, dogs on the trails in Chamonix. And lots of bernese mountain dogs, labs, retrievers, newfoundlands and other big 'real' dogs instead of those tiny pocket pals. 28. Living in a place where we can walk to a ski lift (no wait, make that 5 lifts!) 29. Living in a place where if you go out of town for a month, people are begging to come and 'watch' your house for you or to rent it for the entire season! 30. Bio foods (organic) and the 'slow food' movement! Rah! |