V is for Verbier

Welcome back Dear Readers.

Sorry to have been away for so long.

Work has been keeping me extra busy

and I have been missing you all

while many interesting events have been carrying on.

Every year around this time

I dream of heading

to Verbier.

It is there, that for around two weeks,

many of the worlds most talented classical musicians assemble

to create.

This year the Verbier Festival started on July 17

and runs until August 2, so you have a weeks worth

of concerts to attend!

Some of the artists

attending include:

Charles Dutoit

Vadim Repin

Evgeny Kissin

Thomas Quasthoff

Yuri Bashmet

Martha Argerich

Susan Graham

Emanuel Ax

Jean Yves Thibaudet

Lera Auerbach

Angela Hewitt

Joshua Bell

Kim Kashkashian...

So for any of you who are heading to Geneva or Zurich

this is a must do side trip.

Some of the concerts you can still catch:

Tomorrow night - La Nuit Des Pianistes

Tuesday night - Portrait of Lera Auerbach - Composer, Poet, Pianist

Wednesday night - Carte Blanche a Jean Yves Thibaudet

Thursday night - Quatour Ebene performs Ravel, Debussy and Faure Quartets

and Saturday you won't want to miss a rare performance of a Mahler Piano Quartet.

Apres concert fetes should be fun as well

as there are many happening clubs and restaurants.

Relais & Chateaux property Chalet d'Adrian sounds nice.

Try their

" tagliolini with truffles and roasted langoustine

or seared frogs legs with garlic and giant, stuffed

and gratineed Lumaconi and Serac tartar."

Le Restaurant Pierroz sounds great too.

Here's what Frommer's had to say about it:

"The finest food in the Valais is served at this Relais & Châteaux selection. Roland Pierroz is one of the great chefs of Switzerland; gourmets drive across national borders to sample his light cuisine moderne and regional specialties. The menu changes frequently but could include roulades of carpaccio of sea bream with tomatoes en confit; a theatrical but delicious version of fried foie gras in a beet-and-onion "cage"; red mullet soup studded with shellfish; a divine poached chicken with truffles and baby vegetables (for two); and tournedos of lamb with a mousseline of local potatoes (rattes), garlic, and crispy sauerkraut. The cheese trolley emerges with at least 35 selections, followed by desserts such as a crisp and tasty apple tart with ice cream that is celestial. The finest meal we've ever had in Switzerland was had here."

I sincerely hope to attend this Festival one year.

Hoping you'll be able to make it as well.