This was the heart-warming scene this very morning at nearby Combloux, where a smattering of affluent locals mixed with, well, us. The deserted pistes and empty hotel terraces were the only significant reminder that we are still in November and the ski-season is not even out of the starting blocks. Oh, and the stationary ski lifts - although there are resorts opening up this weekend in the vicinity.
A week has passed since the dump of last weekend, and the snow has even stuck to the valley floor, which hasn't happened since I first set foot in this area back in 2003. Cynics would say that there's still enough time for the green field and cows to make one last appearance, but from today's evidence and the wintry forecast, I would say that booking an early ski holiday would beat the recession and the crowds.
Long live the early snow!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
They've never had it so good...well, not for a while anyway
Posted by Anonymous at 2:43 PM 0 comments
Labels: Alpine 'Appenings
Monday, November 24, 2008
To say something or not to say something.....
Blessed though we are to have things like jobs, food on the table, and picturesque mountains to gorp at, there's no escaping the heavy heart syndrome on a day like today. Sat on the number one bus in Geneva, snaking through the early morning traffic, it seemed almost criminal to be away from the deep untouched powder that tantalisingly surrounds the city. Snow they predicted, and snow it did. At least the lifts are not yet working, that brings some relief......
So then I spotted that a smartly-dressed lady was standing in the middle of the bus with a prominent 'Réservé' sticker on the back of her coat. Put there by a jealous and possessive husband? Put there by herself to put off anyone who fancied their chances? Or just an embarrassing accident? The latter, I presumed - as she would have needed the extra 'e' on 'réservéé' for it to apply to her, unless of course she wasn't a she, maybe a cunningly deceptive 'she-he'. Perhaps. But then, perhaps not.
I was going to say 'Excuse me but you appear to have a reserved sticker attached to your coat', but partly due to my frustrated ski-bum misery, a lack of confidence to be able to carry off that kind of remark in French, and also because I didn't want to scupper a perfectly excellent joke, I let the lady walk off the bus with the offending sticker still attached.
But if the sticker stays stuck, this unfortunate lady could spend many cold and loveless months suffering a crisis of confidence about her lack of approaches from the opposite sex. She could suffer years of celibacy just because I couldn't muster the enthusiasm to get out of my seat and explain what was afoot. OK, I'll stop there......
Posted by Anonymous at 11:16 AM 0 comments
Labels: Expat tales
Monday, November 17, 2008
Snowstorm heads for the alps
A decent start to the season will certainly offer some comfort to those who fear the weak pound and recession could mean significant holiday cutbacks for those precious British holidaymakers. But others are reassured that most skiers would rather poke sharp objects into painful areas of their anatomy than miss out on their 'ski fix' - so they'll be here, credit crunch or no credit crunch.
And there's no need to watch the forecast on TV round here if you want to know what's round the corner - the Mont Blanc tells you all you need to know - courtesy of the X-files-esque cloud that forms on its peak. The locals say 'Quand le Mont-Blanc à son chapeau, c'est signe de mauvais temps' - for the not-so-cunning linguists, when the MB's got it's hat on, bad weather is on the way.
Well, that's the John Kettley routine out of the way - who? I hear you cry. John Kettley was the world's finest weatherman, and so was Michael Fish.......you'll see what I'm barking on about courtesy of You Tube.......
Posted by Anonymous at 9:49 PM 0 comments
Labels: Travel Tips
Gendarme flashes Panis at 212 km/hr
The Autoroute Blanche A40/E25 between Geneva and Chamonix - Mont Blanc
Originally uploaded by Arve Johnsen
But Mr Panis, 42, who had his career curtailed by a terrible accident in 1997, has evidently not managed to get all of that fast track adrenaline out of his system. As a regular to the slow lane on this quiet section of motorway, I can confidently say that Mr Panis is not alone.
The police, however, take a dim view of this kind of caper, and his permit was withdrawn on the spot. Stranded in Haute Savoie with no driving licence, he was forced to phone his family and beg for a lift back to his home in nearby Grenoble.
Posted by Anonymous at 12:38 PM 1 comments
Labels: Alpine 'Appenings
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
EU drive to add cheer to credit-crunched shoppers
Officially, the EU are attempting to reduce prices and cut bureaucracy, but off the record, some Eurocrats will probably tell you that their new law permitting the sale of oddly-shaped fruit and vedge is designed to bring a smile back to the faces of those hit by financial woes.
Let's face it, discovering a parsnip that's exactly the same shape as a thingy is a humourous moment that cuts through all walks of life, and can't fail to help us through the forthcoming months of hardship. If all you have to eat is thingy-shaped parsnips, at least you can eat with a smile on your face.
To underline the point, not every fruit is covered by the bend in the law, and oddly-shaped tomatoes are still a no-no. The powers-that-be in Brussels have evidently decided that tomatoes, no matter how disfigured, would never end up phallic-shaped - so what's the point of trying to sell ugly tomatoes? You can kind of see their point.
But items like the one pictured could have punters fighting in the aisles.........no price is too high.
A great opportunity for some classic Blackadder!
Posted by Anonymous at 10:16 PM 0 comments
Labels: Strange but True
Monday, November 10, 2008
What was that? A behm? Non, watch out for zee exploding couscous!
The Garbit company from Northern France have recalled 80,000 packets of 'Couscous Royal', which contain a cocktail of chemicals that could give a few pounds of Semtex a run for its money. So unless you're planning to bump off your neighbours, best check the kitchen cupboards asap.
The unlucky punter who got more than he bargained for thought that he was the victim of North African anti-French sentiment - the slogan of this product being 'it's good like it is over there'('C'est bon comme là bas') . Luckily, he escaped unscathed and reported the incident to the manufacturer.
This incident comes only a matter of weeks after Comforama recalled sofas and armchairs which had made several hundred more Frenchmen than usual scratch their arses - the cause? An allergic reaction to chemicals in the cushions.
To soothe worried expats, check out the web link below which lists all the products currently being recalled - courtesy of the excellent quechoisir.org. Or just click on the headline.
http://www.quechoisir.org/produits-au-rappel/liste/Consulter-la-liste-complete-des-produits-au-rappel.htm
Posted by Anonymous at 9:56 PM 0 comments
Labels: French Society