Despite a drop in temperature, the good weather has continued in the Alps and we have taken the chance to explore a bit closer to home. On Monday (the 5th April) we put on our walking boots and headed directly out from our apartment up the hill. With no real destination or route in mind, we found ourselves walking up the road above the village of La Masure towards the ski track that, in previous years, we have taken down the valley from the Foglietta descent in Ste Foy. A sign directed us across the river and gave us a path back towards the village, but this time to the village of Le Mirror, the twin of La Masure, on the opposite side of the valley.
Until now, we have only ever driven past these villages en route to ski slopes in the mountains above, so it was a delightful treat to discover the beautiful lanes and houses of this old mountain village.
Today we went back out for a ski. The cold snap is passing, and the sun continues to shine, so we thought we would see what La Rosière has to offer. This resort is just 20 minutes from our place, and in normal years provides a gateway into Italy through the Petit St Bernard pass. This year, of course, is different, and it was strange to walk up the deserted ski slope and empty lifts. The climb to the top is short, taking us about an hour and a half, and the ski down, just as short, taking just a few minutes! Fortunately, the restaurant at the foot of the slopes is still open (for takeaway!), so we stopped for a burger and a beer to finish the day off.
