Springtime is really beautiful in the alps. In the alpine valleys, like where we live, spring sprung in mid-April this year, but the mountains were still covered in snow. They made for a gorgeous backdrop to the blossoming trees and flowering gardens, especially contrasted with the brilliant green leaves and bright blue sky.

Last Wednesday, before making dinner for the students, a few of us took a drive up into the mountains to take in the sights.

There’s a spot, Fort du St. Eynard, not too far away where you can see a gorgeous view of the snowy Belledonne alpine mountain range. On a really clear day, you can even see all the way out to Mont Blanc.

It’s a fort that’s perched about 4,000 feet above the city literally on the edge of a cliff. There are no guardrails, so you better watch your step!

It’s located in the Chartreuse mountains, the very green and diverse mountains that make up one of Grenoble’s 3 converging mountain ranges.

It has gorgeous panoramic views of the Vercors, Belledonne and Chartreuse mountains.

Being the obnoxious Americans that we are, we just had to take pictures of us jumping. Shortly after getting this picture, someone asked “are you Americans?” Caught red handed! Oh well. He was American too, and we had a nice chat about his travels, and why we live in France.

You might have noticed a few less posts recently from Rachel’s Farm Table. I’ve decided to go a slightly different direction with the blog. Instead of just re-publishing the stories from the Pennsylvania farms I work with, I’m going to start sharing more French recipes, more farm-to-table recipes of some of my favorite easy meals, and more travel photos of some of the amazing places we see in our corner of the world. I plan to post on the blog weekly, and I’ll be sharing, tweeting and pinning the recipes, tips and stories from the Pennsylvania farms you know and love through social media.

Stay in touch!