A great day...

"Tu est belle, comme toujours," Joel, my olive dealer told me as I bought several types for the impending visit of my Geneva housemate. Joel is full of it but fun. The marché stands were set up between the melting snowbanks.

At La Noisette, I saw several people I hadn't seen for a while and there was no choice but to have a chocolate chaud with them. Good thing, because one of my friends is off to Sarajevo for a third time. She donates her massage services to war victims, which has proven to help with the aftermath of the hell they lived through.

Then there was the women's film festival: four films and dinner.

YELLA: A German film about an ex abused wife in east Germany seeking work in west Germany.
So-so.

RACHEL: A documentary made by a French7Israeli Moroccan about the death of Rachel Corrie, more meaningful because of the civil process starting in Israel this month and brought by her parents. The debate was not, mainly because the audience was solidly on the side of the Gaza and Palestine.

Dinner followed by A musical interlude honouring the life of Jean Ferrat who died that day.

CAFE TRANSIT: An Iranian film. A widow refuses to follow the custom by marrying her brother-in-law and opens a wonderful café.

Sunday is the fourth film and international effort about a Somalian nomad girl who runs away rather than marry.

The dinner served at long tables where people, all strangers, quickly included me in their conversation. The man next to me wanted to make sure I knew exactly what I was eating and the history of the wine.

Apero with a white wine sangria, olives, chips etc.
Endive, apple, cheese, walnut salad
Beef Burgundy (melted in the mouth) with pasta
Mousse chocolate
wine
water
A second dessert was offered after the last film but I did not go.

All this was put together by our local film association made up of volunteers. The total cost 23 Euros (US$31, CHF33)

Although there's many ways to celebrate a day in March and just being alive this was a great one.