Les Fabuleux Village des Flottins

On the last day of Christmas break, our friends invited us to join them in Evian France to see the Flottins. Every year lutins (or elves) come down from the Alps and build huge driftwood sculptures throughout the city of Evian. During this time children can climb on, run through, and play in these beautiful works of art, while their parents enjoy the brisk French air and a cup of vin chaud.

We went on the last day of the festival and got to see the Lutins as they marched through the city by music and torchlight to the shore of Lac Léman. We waved as they boarded their boats to row back to the mountains until next year. So magical, and also a bit unnerving for the four year olds among us! After all, these elves weren't your average run-of-the-mill red and green Christmas elves, they were mountain things. They were a bit ragged and may have had a bit too much of that delicious mulled wine that's everywhere these days!

We had high hopes of grabbing some street food for dinner, but when the only things we found on the street were popcorn and mulled wine, we ducked into the nearest boulangerie and grabbed some sandwiches for our hungry kids.

 Eating around here is treated so differently then it is in the US. People really enjoy sitting down for a long meal with friends and family, and don't seem to settle for a quick meal on the street. The amount of grab and go type food is limited here because of this cultural difference, and I have to say I don't mind a bit!

The kids enjoyed their sandwiches then ran through the flottins like the wild elves that they are until way past their bedtime, when finally boarded the boat and headed back to Switzerland.

It was a night to be remembered, until next year mountain elves!