It’s started, and started with a bang! After three weeks of painting, decorating, DIY, furniture moving and generally getting our house ready, we welcomed our first guests – Martin and Jeavon – on the 9th of December. And, if anything, we seem to be even busier: this time with partying!
Fresh snow was falling as Martin and Jeavon arrived, so we started gently. Very gently, in fact, with a trip to Ste Foy where we decided that a long lunch was a better bet than a day on the slopes. That theme continued the next day, though we did manage a little skiing in La Rosière. I took my new camera out for it’s first proper use, and got this lovely shot from the “skywalk” viewpoint at the Fort near the top of the resort.
Just a couple of days later the socialising went up a level: the pre-Christmas trip. 13 of us met in Val dIsère for a week staying at the Hotel Chardons, with good food, great company, skiing, and music. The group consisted of Cate and me, Martin and Jeavon, Ros, Godric, Carol, Michael, David, Neil, Laura, Kate and Ollie. Conditions were mixed, with days of snow and cloud, alternating with sun, and temperatures from the bitterly cold to the unseasonably warm. Towards the end of the week, and after a substantial snowfall, Cate, Martin and me joined the guiding company Alpine Experience for a morning skiing some fabulous powder from the top of the lift at Le Fornet. I’ve made a short video of the morning, and posted it at the end of this blog.
For the second half of the week in Val, and continuing into the next week, my brother Richard was out in Val with my niece and nephew (Victoria and Chris). We joined them for a lovely meal (a beef fondue – thank you Richard!) and skied with them on the Monday of our last day in the resort.
Our social life is showing no sign of quietening down! Ros and Godric have stayed on for a few ore days, and have joined us in our chalet in Ste Foy. We have been skiing some more: another day in Val d’Isère followed by a day in La Rosière where we skied across to Italy to enjoy a fine lunch in La Thuile
Today is Cate’s birthday – a special one, though I’m not allowed to say how special! We are celebrating with Oysters and Champagne, and have already had a lovely lunch at Le Monal. Tomorrow we begin the long drive back to England for Christmas with my Dad and plenty of opportunities to catch up with friends and family. Perhaps we will even get to have a bit of a rest!
Phew! We couldn’t sustain that intensive partying. See you soon. Xx