We almost waited too long for the passage across to Menorca! The winds had abated so much that we motored all the way, using the sails only to add a bit of stability and increase the boat speed by half a knot or so. It was a gentle passage, with a moonlit night, and plenty …
We start this season back where we began our first full Mediterranean summer – in Santa Maria Navarrese on Sardinia’s east coast. This has become one of our favourite spots – relaxed, beautiful, great value, and with the perfect boatyard to winter Merryn, owned by Umberto in Arbatax. Umberto, as before, had done a great …
The weather, typically for this season, has not been kind to us. Warm southerly Föhn winds have brought slushy snow conditions and large quantities of Saharan sand that have turned the slopes orange. So our grand plans to spend the spring ski touring have been thwarted. We have managed one small trip to the Leisse …
With the weather still very unsettled we have been stuck in our Chalet for much of the time, albeit enjoying great views, as the pictures of the rainbow above and the mist to the right show. Of course we remembered to celebrate St Patrick’s day, and went to the Monal for drinks and to listen …
The last few weeks have been pretty full-on, with this weekend marking the first time in five weeks that Cate and I have been left solo! Since our friends Alex and Anna left at the end of our last blog, we have entertained my sister Lucy with her family in the first week, and our …
Gary, our talisman, brought the best of weather for a great ski week. Sadly, Kris could not join us as their cat, Gussie, has been poorly and is needing regular visits to the vet. Hopefully Gussie will be well soon and Kris may be able to join us for a few days later in the …
The season keeps getting better! Whilst the weather may have been mixed, the snow keeps falling and we have had some terrific days out making tracks in the fresh powder. Shortly after Ros and Godric returned home, Cate also flew back to the UK to visit her Mum. I was left alone and decided to …
Since the last post we have tried to keep going with the day tours, and had a fabulous day touring around Mont Roup adjacent to the classic Tour du Charvet in Val d’Isère. It hadn’t snowed for a few days, and strong winds had left some beautifully sculpted sastrugi as the picture above shows. We …
It has been an unusual month! The huge snowfalls that started in November have continued all the way into December, but with unseasonably warm temperatures that have turned the precipitation at lower altitudes into rain, and made the off-piste at higher altitudes heavy – more like skiing in late March. Through all of that we …
The snow keeps falling… Towards the end of November I flew back to London – and Cate and I went partying. Our friend Jeavon was hosting his 60th birthday and retirement parties as a combined bash – both several years late (he claims due to Covid restrictions, but we think his notorious timekeeping is more …