Sunrise 6:55: Discovering tartiflette

The female Dawn Jogger is not sure how best to capture this experience. Maybe the fact that it's hours after lunch and the meal is still with her. Or that hearing her idea that she might go for a swim now that the sun had come out, the male DJ said, "You'll sink." Or that neither DJ could even begin to think about what they'd have for dinner beyond hot water and lemon. Such is their encounter with the most famous dish of the Haute Savoie, tartiflette.

The day got off to a virtuous beginning amidst still cloudy skies after last night's thunderstorm. They went down to the lakefront and did a good hour of jogging/walking. Their planned outing up to a chalet in the mountains was postponed due to the cloudy conditions, which would have blocked the views. So they headed instead to a lovely lakeside restaurant, Chez Ma Cousine in nearby Bout du Lac, known more for its innovative cuisine than local comfort food.

Neither DJ had ever heard of tartiflette but a New York Times article by Kim Severson - part of a good package of materials put together by their rental home's owner - peaked their curiosity. As described by Severson, tartiflette is..."cream-soaked potato and a smoky bit of lardon married with a smooth coat of reblochon - cheese made from the milk of one of three breeds of French cows that mark to Alp meadows in the spring and return to hay-filled barns in the winter." Voila - three semi-forbidden foods all in one tasty dish! Or as John Madden would say, "real sinking food."

Unlike their first days here, the cooler weather made such a dish appealing. The combination of tastes, intriguing. Their waiter double checked with the chef to make sure the dish (which came prepared for two along with super fresh salad greens) was available. And so it was presented straight from the oven in all its bubbly delight. Something like 10,000 calories in one dish - "a Michael Phelps lunch," proclaimed the male DJ. It was good - and they're both glad they tried it - but sink them it did.

Meanwhile the female DJ is considering doing an "air slide," a kind of tandem paragliding. They spent lunch watching them come down from the mountain across the lake...