Punctual Picks #10 [Christmas Special]

A third Christmas special Punctual Picks, with nine discoveries for the holidays.

3 Contes de Noël ; Marlène Jobert

What better than listening to a Christmas tale, or even two or three? Performer Marlène Jobert offers three stories read especially for the holidays. With her deep voice and its very distinctive texture, the storyteller carries us into her world for a few minutes, as she has done for so many years. Three stories to listen to with a good hot tea and a cosy blanket. To make you want to discover her little book-CDs, here are a few excerpts.

L’Arbre qui Pleure ; excerpt, in French

Une Nuit Bizarre Bizarre ; excerpt, in French

Curieux Noël pour un Vieux Grigou ; excerpt, in French

Glénat

Christmas Recipes ; William’s Kitchen

I discovered William’s channel while browsing YouTube. It did not take me long to subscribe and enjoy his simple, well-explained work. Here are four videos he made to celebrate Christmas. A big favourite: the gingerbread biscuits.

The Christmas House ; Johann Wanner

In Basel, a Christmas shop gets people talking all year round. Over 500 m² of sales space, the Johann Wanner Christmas house offers a vast range of handcrafted festive decorations. It works to preserve ancestral know-how through an exceptional variety of items. For my part, I was spellbound by this work.

Spalenberg 14, 4051 Basel
Website
Photo credits: Johann Wanner

Christmas Albums ; Lea Michele and Idina Menzel

Lea Michele is known on TV for her role as Rachel Berry in Glee, a six-season series. Her rather extraordinary voice and very personal tone are showcased there. Like many artists, she released a fairly successful Christmas album: Christmas in the City. A real favourite: the song Christmas in New York.

Idina Menzel is best known on Broadway for her roles in the musicals Wicked and Rent. She also voices Elsa in the original version of Frozen. On the big screen, she appears in Enchanted in 2007, then in its sequel, Disenchanted, on Disney+. Among her albums is a record of Christmas covers: Christmas: A Season of Love.

Note: the two artists worked together in Glee, where Idina Menzel plays Rachel Berry’s mother.

Cooking Magazines ; Christmas Special

I have a real passion for magazines in general, and even more for Christmas ones. In the digital age, I love turning the pages, touching the glossy paper and admiring the pictures. The festive season is a wonderful source of inspiration. In French or English, I always buy a few.

Fait Maison N°6 ; Cyril Lignac

French chef Cyril Lignac has written a series of simple, easy cookbooks. With clear, indulgent recipes, this issue is specially designed for the festive season. On your marks, get set, cook!

The chef also came to Lausanne, a meeting to read about here (in French).

Cyril Lignac

Christmas Candles ; Yankee Candle

In all honesty, I am not really a candle person. But from time to time, for a scent that brings back the holidays, why not. Here is a selection of those I have already had the pleasure of lighting at home. A warm and comforting moment. I like the Yankee Candle brand, which in my opinion offers good scents and a wide choice.

Yankee Candle
Photo credits: Yankee Candle

Christmas Shopping ; Depot, Søstrene Grene, Manor and Globus

As every year, department stores compete with ideas and ingenuity to put on their festive finery. In Lausanne, the big stores offer dreamy Christmas ideas. Here are four shops that amaze me every time I visit at the end of the year.

For gift wrapping, here are some wrapping ideas at Søstrene Grene (in French).

Depot
Søstrene Grene
Manor
Globus

The Noël Chic Blog

Inspiring, sharing and advising: that is the purpose of the Noël Chic website’s blog. I spent quite some time there reading and noting lots of ideas for the festive season. The site is really well stocked. In any case, it made me dream for a few moments.

Noël Chic

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Punctual Picks #10

Practical info[]

Søstrene GreneRue Saint-Laurent 37, 1003 LausanneGetting there : Lausanne, Bel-Air (bus 1, 2, 4, 6)

DirectionsDetails

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