La Palette AirBNB Celebrates 2 Years in the French Alps

I just realized that we have now completed our second year here in the French Alps! Wow, how time flies. We've learned a lot about cultural differences, language barriers, perceptual differences between AirBNB and traditional gîtes, and cultural adaptations we made for the French culture. However, now I can truly say I have friends all over the world, and invitations to visit in Brazil, Australia, Russia and the UK, to name a few.

Pierre has rediscovered food from Haute Savoie and added his own creative touch. Like Fondue Savoyarde made with Roquefort, or with local porcini mushrooms he found in the nearby woods. Or one of my favorites is a perch pizza, made with local perch from Lac Léman. We've added a table d'hôte menu since our town has only one or two restaurants. On my end, I started to make liqueurs like Café-lua, or limoncello called LeMon Blanc.

I've had to become a political expert, as I was here during the Trump election, and watched it as an outsider in a fish bowl looking in. I had to explain the American election process, so it was like going back to school; then six months later, I experienced my first French presidential election that was very intriguing to compare.

I'm also learning about this beautiful Haute Savoie Region that I'm now calling home. I've watched the seasons change and learned to adapt to French cultural mores that are pretty much the opposite of what I feel or see as an American. I've dramatically changed my opinions of French people--I hope that will eventually improve, as maybe I'm going through a mini-cultural crisis right now.

The best thing I can say though, is hats off to AirBNB. I have finally found a way to be able to communicate daily with cultures all over the world, interact with them, share amazing travel stories and really have an affinity with our guests. The only other time I felt this way was back in Monterey, California, at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, where almost half of the students came from outside the US.

Just so you know, too, here's just a short list of non-skiing activities you can do. (PS--summer is actually starting to surpass the winter season)

l'Aiguille du Midi (Noon Needle): Chamonix is a world-renowned ski resort, however, is also home to the 2nd most popular tourist attraction in France, l'Aiguille du Midi (Noon Needle). It's the 2nd highest telepherique in Europe. You take it to an elevation of 3842 meters, but what a stunning view from the top. They even created a transparent floor called Step into the void where you can see for yourself how high you really are.

White Water River Rafting: I did this for the first time ever this summer. Throw roller coasters out the window, there's really no comparison. The adrenalin rush made we want to do it over and over again. I chose one of the hottest days of the year, which was also a great idea.

Paragliding: Several jump sites exist for paragliding enthusiasts, and it's not quite a year-round activity except if you can withstand very high winds. However, it's yet another adrenalin-pumping sports activity that is well worth the risk. And the instructors are really top-knotch with quite a bit of psychology built in.

Hot Air Ballooning: This is one of my bucket list activities, so I'm hoping to be able to do it this coming year. We have seen numerous hot air balloon landings in the field in front of our house, watching while the champagne pours afterwards and wishing we were in the basket! They typically leave from Praz Sur Arly which is only about 15 minutes from us.

Cycling: Cycling in the Alps has been the training ground for Le Tour de France, starting with the Critérium du Dauphiné in June that is viewed as a warm-up for Le Tour in July. Last year, we were very lucky to host 3 events for Le Tour, so I got to experience it firsthand! (I even had 10 seconds of fame on French TV!)

Mountain Biking is a newer activity, and as the ski resorts add capabilities to use the lifts to bring moutain bikes to the summits, this activity will continue to increase in popularity.

Hiking: This is the most popular summer activity by far, as you can do it at any age, don't need any special equipment, and so many trails exist, people come back for decades and are still discovering new trails.

Horse-Back Riding: Since many parts of Haute Savoie are still very rural, horse-back riding is a popular sport here. Just like my native Colorado, you can experience the beautiful mountains like our forefathers did, before the automobile.

Eco-Tourism: Visiting local farms or producers is a great way to support the local community. They just opened La Fruitière, a boutique that sells food direct from local producers--a cooperative of sorts.

Thermal Springs, St. Gervais-les-Bains is home to the world-renowned hot springs dating from the early 1800s. The locale was recently purchased by L'Oreal and will be renovated to its former glory. It's a great way to unwind after a long day of skiing or hiking, and they offer numerous ways to relax, including sauna, steam showers, electric massage chairs, just to name a few.

Here's more information about our AirBNB, or like our Facebook Page. We hope to see you soon.