Where to begin? Well, I could start with the memorable 8-ish hour road trip to get to our cottage in du Praz. It mainly involved Juliette and me playing "Qui Est-ce?", the French equivalent to "Who Is It?". We are definitely some cool kids. We encountered some very high-tech coffee machines (that or I'm just impressed by simple things), and also had impromptu dance parties in our seats. There were several points in the trip where blizzards hit out of the blue, and places where snow was nowhere to be found! I was also transfixed by the scenery, and we hadn't even reached the Alps yet! When we started passing through the valleys though, oh snap. My reaction was a mix of wonderment, excitement, and general hyper-activeness.
Again, my joy must be expressed in internet tomfoolery:
(LOLcats - I went there.)
But the fun didn't stop! That evening we stopped near the city of Lyon to sleep over in a hotel, and ate at a typical Lyon restaurant. Oh and one other thing...
UPDATE: THIS CANADIAN IS NO LONGER SNAIL-FREE!!!
That's right! I tried the infamous escargot, and it didn't even make a reappearance afterwards! This was probably because I couldn't taste any snail, just garlic and butter. The texture left a lot to be desired though... ;) Anyways, that's one more thing crossed off my French bucket list. To date I've also tried pain au chocolat (several times ;) ) more crepes, and a very French mountain tartiflette. (Cheese, potatoes and onions)
Although I only got to see it at night, it wasn't hard to deduct that the city of Lyon is very beautiful. Since finding parking for dinner took a good 20 minutes, I got to see quite a bit of the city, including a lit-up Ferris wheel, a miniature Eiffel tower (also lit up), what we assumed were Parliament-ish buildings, and a lot of cool architecture! A shame it's 8 hours away, I'd love to visit Lyon again!
On to the skiing now! (pictures will be in my next post) I'd like you to believe most of my falls were due to the fact that I was mesmerized by the view, but sadly, that was not the case. On numerous occasions I nearly killed myself AND others, such as the time I almost flew off a cliff (second run on the first day), or the time when I fell and took out some guy as I plummeted. (To the man in blue, I'm very, VERY sorry! Sincerely, the girl in red who almost killed you.) I also crashed into Marie, but thank goodness she regained her composure and remained upright.
The chairlifts here are super neat. There's the regular chair ones with bars like in Canada, but some are round and shaped like eggs, and others more box-like with seats and ski-holding containers on the outside: perfect for blustery days. Turns out there wasn't a need for them though, as the weather was perfect the whole week! On every day except one the skies were blue and cloudless, allowing (some) of us to tan. (Thank goodness for sunscreen, which we applied heavily at every opportunity. I have two settings, fish-belly white and toasted. I think some people out there can relate!)
Yes, I'm happy to report that I went from suicidal maniac to somewhat competent skier in just one short week! However, there were a few BUMPS in the road...
Story of my life right there. Every hill seemed equipped with moguls, and I had the gifted tendency to run right into them, rather than around. Fortunately it only got better as the week progressed and I enjoyed it more and more each day! On the fourth or fifth day, the "advanced" skiers (Juliette, etc) took off in their own group to do some hardcore speed skiing. I was relieved to stay with Marie, Philippe and a family friend to do some relaxed skiing, including dropping off Philippe's adorable grand-daughter at ski-lessons. This day also helped me build up some confidence so I could travel at speeds above 1 km/h.
Each day (except the last) we enjoyed picnic lunches in the mountains. Sometimes we found a specific sitting area, other times we found a nice snow pile and munched away. We ate the standard baguette sandwich, hard boiled eggs, and lots of chocolate! After each lunch, we'd ski until we found a mini bar/restaurant place (they were everywhere) so the adults could order coffee, a French standard. On several occasions I got hot chocolate, which was greatly appreciated by my cold fingers!
It could be quite a feat to find enough seating for lunch, because at times there were 20 family members and friends skiing at once. Fortunately, this meant there was a better chance of me finding someone to follow down the hill. (Although they always checked to make sure I hadn't flown off another cliff.) It also helped that most everyone in our group was wearing some form of red, so identification wasn't too difficult.
Almost every night, we visited the chalet of one of Marie and Philippe's friends for an "aperitif". That's basically just a pre-meal party with lots of snacks and drinks. The teenagers all sat around a table and played Uno and President, which I managed to win a couple times. Cards is a language I understand, phew! It was great to talk to some French kids my age(ish), and even more fun to join in on their traditions.
On the final day, I celebrated my skiing achievement by finishing a run without being the last to the bottom. That night, Juliette and I shared children's champagne (sparkling apple juice) and toasted along with the regular champagne-drinkers. What a week! I can't wait to see what's in store for the months to come!
PS. Big thank you to Caroline for preparing crepes for us for dinner tonight!!
Pictures to follow soon-ish, probably tomorrow.
Bisou, Lia
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