yyz to geneva
Posted: April 8th, 2009 | Author: Darren Chartier | Filed under: travel | 4 Comments »my approach to blogging is, at best, spotty. if i’ve posted on average once a month for since i started this blog i’ll be surprised. it’s not like i’m not doing other things, i’m super busy at work (where, believe it or not, i write the occasional blog post), and i do have a regular podcast with the most awesomest person in D.C., but in general i let darrenchartier.ca slide unless i’m particularly exercised about some issue or other (or have new photos of my tattoo to share).
but, there is one area of blogging which i do believe i have a pretty good track record. travel blogging. i like to travel, generally alone, and while travelling along nothing focuses the mind on what’s happening everyday like keeping a travel blog. in the past i’ve treated travel blogging as one off projects, first with something that wasn’t really a blog but more a thorough flickr adventure documenting my trip to italy, then with my gastronomic exploration of thailand (with a big of japan thrown in for good measure), and most lately with my first adventure into the crazy world of videoblogging (OMFG lots of work), also gastronomically inclined.
well, i’m taking another vacation (to offset the many many evenings and weekends i’ve been putting in lately, and will likely be putting in again soon) and have decided to just blog it on my main blog. also, i hope to depart a little from my normal travel food blogging (although i expect there will be lots of food related posts, don’t despair foodie friends!) and cover some non-food aspects of my trip.
so, here i am again, sitting in pearson airport, typing away on my eeepc (holy tiny keyboard batman), waiting for my gate to open. i hope to post at least once a day, let me know if you have any requests (i’m looking at you pipesdreams, i figure i owe you a custom travel blog post since you’ve been so good at the international scavenger hunt game with your awesome japan blogging) while i travel and ill do my best to cover them if they’re not too crazy 😉
eh, welcome to the travel blog world!
Well now I’m just blushing. Thanks man.
Maybe I’m being selfish by asking you to post about things that interest me, but I’d love to hear some stories about all the new friends and interesting people you meet on your travels!
Geneva – 20 degree C on Friday so you scored dude!
How did I let you depart to Geneva without explaining basic Swiss fondue protocols! The Swiss can be rather rules-based in terms of social niceties – so, thus cautioned, here are the top ‘fon-don’ts’:
– 1.fork spears morcel; 2. morcel-laden fork to cheese pool; 3. cheese/morcel-laden fork back to plate; 4. morcel removed from fork on plate; 5. eat
– if you drop your morcel in cheese pool you have to either: 1. drink half the glass of whatever you’re drinking; or 2. kiss the person next to you
– Note: options 1 and 2 above can be combined in egregious incidents
– Swiss often sit man/woman/man at fondue meals for obvious reasons
– it is acceptable to rip your bread rather than slice it
– if you use someone else’s fork in error you must acknowledge your error, drink all of what you’re drinking (and order another), then splatter a small amount of melted cheese on your clothing (usually the cuff of your shirt)
– HIGH CAUTION: ‘To kiss’ in European French is the ’embrasser’ verb – IT IS NOT the “baise-moi” (‘kiss-me’) phrase heard in Canadian French. You are likely to be slapped or booted out of the establishment if you use ‘basie-moi’.
Happy travels – b
I’m am jealous and look forward to your Switzerland travels – please do post photos. I’m going to have to live vicariously through your travels. 🙂 Have a great time!