Well I don’t need too many words to describe this one, the pictures very much speak for themselves, even to those who have no knowledge and no interest of skiing! The European winter so far has been practically non-existent; easily the worst start to a winter in the Alps I can ever remember. Christmas and New Year were a nightmare, bare pistes and lots of angry holiday-makers, and January has been pretty snow-free so far, but finally, finally, the heavens opened last week and provided us with the base we need and at long last, the first powder day of the season!
Up until this weekend I must admit that my enthusiasm for skiing was starting to wane… Two months of attempting to ski on grass and ice will do that to even the keenest sportsman (!) But last weekend restored all my faith in the white fluffy stuff, and team this with blue sky, amazing pals and an obscene amount of brilliant banter, it all came together to provide one of the best ski days I’ve ever had.
Happy skiing to all!
Ah, fresh lines…First tracks of the dayHappy skiers on the chair lift!
So wanting to avoid sounding like a weird cat person as much as possible, we took our cat back to the UK for Christmas… Approximately 12 hours driving plus a 2 hour ferry, each way. Sounds odd I know, but we figured it was easier and cheaper than asking someone to come in and look after him, or paying for him to stay in a cat hotel. Plus, more importantly, he’s a really cool cat and quite enjoys being in the car!
Just a few highlights from the journey with the cat: feet up on the dashboard checking out the view, sleeping on the gear stick and voluntarily getting out for a wee at a service station. We’re still not entirely convinced he’s actually a cat…!
Just checking out the scenery…Just having a bit of quiet time in the driving seat…Who ever said that cats weren’t awkward…?!Still interested, even after a 10 hour car journey…
Following the lack of snow in the Alps, the last week has seen its fair share of rain, but as dreary as that is to look at out of your window, rain in the valley means snow in the mountains (yippee!) Earlier this week saw a few days of miserable, grey rain, but when the clouds finally lifted they revealed the majestic Aiguille de Midi as it is very rarely seen; the towering sides too sheer to hold snow except in the event of a heavy snowfall combined with very strong winds. I am truly pleased to have captured it in its brief moment of pure white, a very special view, and out of my living room window too!
So it’s been a slow start to Winter in the European Alps by anyone’s standards, a meagre amount of snow in November to get us all excited about skiing, followed by weeks of mild, sunny weather causing what little snow there was to gradually disappear and meaning panic for anyone working in the tourist industry. Most of the Chamonix ski areas were set to open early December yet barely managed to scrape a few slopes open for the Christmas week. We left here before Christmas desperately hoping for some of the white stuff on our return… And thank goodness, we did arrive back to Winter, rather than an even more extended Autumn! The Valley is now thankfully covered in white, although snow cover on the pistes is still the worst I’ve ever seen it for this time of year. There’s an awful amount of grass poking out of the pistes and the artificial snow canons are in full flow, plus it’s well below freezing every day so it’s all about layering up appropriately before leaving the house! But the mountains look beautiful, the sunsets are stunning and it’s always good to be back on the snow, regardless of of how good (or poor!) the skiing is.
Happy New Year!
Pink mountainsWinter is finally here!Beautiful snowy walks
So just a few days to go until Christmas, and this time of year should be all about spending time with your family, perhaps catching up with people you rarely see, and most of all, having fun. Although I really do subscribe to the belief that you should always have fun. No matter how old you are, no matter where life takes you or what you choose to do with yourself, having fun and enjoying your life should always be top of the list.
Obviously I can’t speak for every situation or circumstance, but I feel I come across and hear about far too many people who simply don’t enjoy their life. Too many people get bogged down by aspects of life that really don’t matter and really shouldn’t have time wasted on them. Seemingly simple things have the ability to make you so happy and without sounding terribly cheesy, can really change your perspective on those little niggles that were so weighing on your mind. And these things often require very little money, and even less of your time, they just need a bit of imagination.
With the arrival of winter and the dark nights creeping earlier and earlier, it’s tempting to hide indoors, hidden away from the cold, damp weather, but as many of us know, this can lead to feeling heavy, grumpy and generally a bit despondent. Heaving yourself up and out to do something as simple as having lunch with friends or going for a walk or a run can make the world of difference. It re-energises you, clears the cobwebs and makes you so much more effective and useful in whatever else you choose to do with your day.
Maybe working with children keeps you feeling young, in which case I have an unfair advantage, but I recently re-discovered an activity which is clearly designed for children (and only children!) But in my opinion should be enjoyed by adults of all ages at every possible opportunity. And this wild discovery is… Going down the twirly slide at the local swimming pool!
Who says slides are only for kids? Yes a gaggle of 30 year old women did get some unusual, and slightly disapproving looks from both the lifeguards and the serious lane swimmers. However, I haven’t seen sheer joy like that on the faces of my friends for a long time, the kind of joy that is generally only reserved for children under the age of 8.
So I’ve decided, yes it’s important to act responsibly and show maturity in most aspects of your life once you reach ‘adulthood’, but this does not mean that fun has to stop. You can still build a snowman, have a snowball fight, and yes you can go down the slide at the local swimming pool, whether you are in the company of a child or not! Laughter is the best feeling and so desperately important in what can otherwise be quite a serious, stressful and often dull existence. So every now and again, go out, do something that makes you smile and let go. It doesn’t have to involve huge amounts of planning or financial commitment, it could be something as simple as going down the slide!
I remember reading the following quote when I was younger, and it’s never rung truer than right now: “You don’t stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing”.
Here’s the latest choice for the Book Club: ‘We are all Completely Beside Ourselves’ by Karen Joy Fowler. I don’t know anything about this other than the blurb, and I don’t know anyone that has read it so I have absolutely no preconceptions, but it certainly did its job and successfully drew me in. I can’t wait to find out what happens on page 77…!
Stay tuned to find out what we think.
Very interested already…!Very interested already…!
So I’ve just spent the last 5 days in Morocco, and despite being fortunate enough to live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, I’m truly sad to be going home. I have never been to the continent of Africa before and still struggle to believe that a mere 3 hour plane ride from Geneva, Switzerland; a bustling hub of tangible wealth and fortune, you can find yourself in a place so far removed from western culture, where subsistence and daily struggle seem to simply be a way of life. It was one of the most interesting and diverse places I have ever been, and I found it really hard to say goodbye!
We started off in Marrakech and those who’ve spent any time there will know exactly what I mean when I say that after just one day you genuinely feel like your brain may explode! Fascinating isn’t the word, it’s not even close, a massive sensory overload is getting warmer. There is just so much to look at, to listen to, to dodge around, to comment on. It’s so difficult to take it all in, there’s just so much of it! I had heard about the souks, the monkeys, the snakes and the bartering, but until you’re in it you really have no idea. It’s wonderful, it’s amazing, it’s a totally different world. What totally blew my mind as a very first impression was the realisation that there don’t seem to be any rules for vehicles in the centre of Marrakech; rental cars, taxis, donkeys and pedestrians share the same road. Horns blaring, fingers waving and no acknowledgment of lanes; a 2 lane road to us was clearly a 5 lane road to a local Moroccan, it’s every man for himself, a stressful start!
Donkey and cart navigating the traffic!
The souks are seriously amazing and such fun! As a white westerner be prepared for hassle and attention, but also be prepared to embrace it! The bartering and haggling is all part of the fun and you just need to stick to your guns and only pay what you were initially prepared to pay. I assumed I’d be a dreadful haggler but was mightily pleased with myself when I managed to negotiate the price for a pair of leather sandals down from 350 dirhams to 150! Marrakech is colourful, it’s noisy, it’s exciting, and it’s so worth a visit.
So many olives!So many plates!
For many people, Marrakech is the first and final stop, where the Moroccan experience both begins and ends, but as we discovered in just 5 days, there is SO much more to this endlessly fascinating country than its most famous city.
From here we headed to the mountains, to the foothills of Mount Toubkal in the Atlas range. The drive alone was worth it, moving quickly from heaving, bustling, crazy Marrakech to ‘real Morocco’. Here we found dirt roads, curious locals perched on their haunches on the roadside and random camels just grazing next to the road. We stayed in Imlil for one night, a beautiful, tiny mountain village, which would be impossible to describe. Suffice it to say that upon arrival in the village, the ‘hotel’ owner came down to meet us and loaded up our luggage to be carried up the hillside by a mule!
Camels!Our own private mule!
The peace, the tranquility and the pure simplicity of such a place was something to be marvelled at. Everyone was busy, whether it was manning a stall selling local goods, hanging out the washing, or moving earth for a new building project, everyone was doing something, from the very young to the very old.
Having had a whirlwind visit to the city and the mountains, the obvious end to our short trip was a few days by the sea. This I loved. It’s December and we wandered round Essaouira in flip flops and t.shirts! Quite the novelty coming from winter in the Alps! A sunset on the beach in December is hard to beat and without a doubt I could have spent a lot more time in Essaouira.
A tough view to beat
I never cease to marvel at how air travel can make you feel so far away from home so quickly. These 5 days have reminded me that I want to do trips like this for the rest of my life. From the precious little I saw of it, Morocco is a country that makes me feel like I have gone back in time, and not just a few decades, I’m talking medieval. People live off the land, donkeys and horses are used as transport on a daily basis, happily trotting along main roads and many people are living in sheer squalor yet seem very content. Fashion plays no part, there is no materalism (wow there’s even no alcohol!) It’s good to see how other cultures live, it’s interesting, it opens our eyes, changes our perspective on our own lives.
Morocco is a wonderful place and I will most certainly be back.
I’m not sure what giving blood involves in other countries; I can only compare the differences I’ve experienced between giving blood in the UK and in France. I’m sure most people are aware of what giving blood involves; in a nutshell: filling in a form confirming that you are not currently unwell, a pin prick blood test from your finger and a chat with a nice volunteer doctor, finishing up with lying on a gurney whilst blood gently flows out of your arm and in to a plastic bag! It’s a wonderful organisation, run by incredibly hard working doctors and nurses who travel around the country collecting blood to be given to patients in desperate need of a blood transfusion.
I’ve been giving blood for many years and would encourage others to support this as often as possible, but this is not a post telling people to give blood, it’s far less high-brow and virtuous. I simply feel the need to let the world know just how wonderful the after-blood-giving food is when donating in France… This is truly something the French do well and should be applauded for.
To put this in to perspective, after having lost a pint of blood you may understandably be feeling slightly weak, perhaps a little dizzy, and are advised to sit down and have something to eat and drink to ensure you are fully well before leaving the venue. In the UK you are directed to a small seating area and offered a packet of biscuits and a cup of sugary tea. Everyone sits around politely whilst they munch their sugary snacks, then quietly sidles out the door.
In France, this is a different story. When the needle has been successfully removed from your arm, you are pointed in the direction of what can only be described as a banqueting table. You are seated at an individual place with cutlery, a wine glass, a water glass and a napkin, very like a slightly makeshift restaurant! Then a helpful volunteer will appear as if from nowhere to place a plate in front of you, laden with treats. At my most recent donation the table contained the following:
White, red or rosé wine
A variety of juices
A selection of cheeses, cold meats, patés, olives, a basket of fresh bread, and a platter of sliced apples and tomatoes.
Main course over, dessert consisted of a smorgasbord of home baked cakes and tarts, from which you could choose. The first time I came across this I was stunned and asked the gentleman next to me if this was normal. “Bien sur” was the reply as he looked at me in surprise and quizzically asked what happened in my country. This was not a sugary snack to check you were ok, this was dinner.
Thank you France, you certainly know how to reward your blood donors! What better incentive to do something good than a delicious big feed at the end?! How does it work in other countries? I’d love to know!
Cup of tea and a digestive? Can’t complain can we?…Quite the evening meal! Totally worth the blood loss!
Winter is coming to the mountains!! It’s getting darker, much much colder and the snow is imminent. It keeps falling high up and we’ve had some teaser flakes on the ground down here, but we’re still waiting with baited breath to see when REAL winter is going to hit. A few resorts have tentatively opened across Switzerland, France and Italy and getting back on the skis was as exciting as ever, but as always happens at this time of year, it’s hard to let go of summer! We’re still clinging on to the beautiful sunny and autumnal walks and the wonderful feelings that come with with hiking up a stunning mountain trail and breathlessly reaching the top, knowing you’ve just done something brilliant.
But this last week I’ve discovered that it doesn’t have to end quite yet! Snowy walks under blue skies are still possible, just! Once the skiing kicks in properly I’ll be all over it and love every second, but I think when skiing people often forget their surroundings and just don’t have the time to stop and appreciate the mountains in the way you can when travelling uphill, and a lot slower! That’s why ski touring is so special. You drink it all in on the way up, appreciating every second and every peak, then when you finally reach that summit, strap on your skis and get your reward, you know you’ve earned every turn.
We’ve done some wonderful early season ski tours already this year and fingers crossed for a good winter so that there will be many more to come, but this week a friend suggested a snowy winter walk, and we managed to sneak one in, maybe the last of the year, and if so it was a good one! Forest trails are so beautiful in winter, and this is the perfect time of the year to enjoy them. In a few weeks they’ll be buried until spring so make the most of them while you still can!
Breathtaking views on snowy walksNature at its snowy bestBeautiful, beautiful ski touring, with the added bonus of the Mont Blanc Massif in the background!A tough finish, but totally worth it when this is what you’re aiming for!
Sharon Wray Writing 