St Jean d’Aulps, French Alps

Jackie on one of our first ski lifts

So we’re here in our apartment in the French ski resort of St Jean d’Aulps until 30^th April, giving us nearly four months of skiing and, already it feels like home. Ash and Simon, who we let use the apartment from 28^th December have moved out and into a hotel in Morzine, 15 minutes drive up the road, to give us space to move in and sort out.

The drive down from Reims was uneventful, except for a minor lapse of memory when I went the wrong way round a roundabout in a motorway services, but no harm was done and it was enough to imprint on the mind ‘drive on the right!’ It always is so much harder taking your own car on the continent with the steering wheel on the right, as opposed to renting a car with the steering wheel on the left, as it’s the familiarity that makes it easy to slip back into UK driving habits. We both took turns driving and arrived at the resort at about 14:00, texted Carole who we rented the apartment from and she met us in the village, our Sat-Nav with European maps taking us straight there, except for a minor detour off the main road, onto a tiny mountain road and the back onto the main road further up, avoiding a perfectly good stretch of main road (why do they do that?)

View from the chairlift

Although there was plenty of snow on higher ground the temperature was up at about +4⁰C and it was drizzly rain. Our resort is at about 900m, so unlikely to get full snow cover until the season is well established, probably mid-January, so the sparse snow cover at this level was not a surprise, but the rain did put a bit of a dampener on it. It’s very hilly here and the main village of St Jean d’Aulps (apparently pronounced St Jean doe) is on the main road at the bottom, our bit at the upper end of a hilly, wiggly stretch of road that ends with a little one-way system that contains several apartment blocks, a couple of bars, a convenience store, a couple of restaurants, a couple of ski hire shops, ski school and a ski lift up to the smallish St Jean ski resort, which has 16 lifts and 24 ski runs, rising up to 1800m.

Jackie (in red jacket) in action

Our apartment building, two minutes walk from the lift, is built on the side of a hill and we drive down a steep driveway to park, enter the building then walk down one flight of stairs to the level of our apartment, which has a big window and balcony that gives the appearance of being on the third or fourth floor. The mountainside slopes steeply away down to a river and another tree clad mountain rises just as steeply up the other side, giving a fabulous view. There is one building on the far hillside that doesn’t appear to be occupied, so there is no need to draw the curtains as night as no-one can see in. One floor below us is an indoor heated swimming pool (we haven’t tried it yet) and even that has great views over the mountain.

Our apartment from one corner showing dining table, kitchen area, the little gap is through to the bunk beds, Jackie sitting on our sofa bed and the TV that received all UK freeview programmes, UK radio, plus wifi and a phone with free calls to UK landlines

Although the apartment is relatively small, it’s got all we need, is quite comfortable and quite warm, there seems to be quite a bit of background heat, so we don’t need to use our own heaters much. Just outside our room is ‘the cave’, which is a storage area for skis and we have our own lockable room (as does each apartment on our floor) which not only takes our skis and boots, but all the climbing and summer gear we’ve brought to take to Spain in May after we leave here, so it’s a handy space that allows us to keep our apartment clutter free.

The apartment from another corner, in this one you can see the door to the bathroom (that also has a washing machine!)

Jackie consulting the piste map

One of our first jobs after arriving was to purchase our ‘season lift passes’ to allow us to go on any lift in the massive ‘Portes du Soleil’ ski area (the largest lift linked ski resort in the world), which was a scary prospect: €895 each, that’s about £1,500 for us both. Sounds a lot, but the Portes du Soleil area has 194 lifts, 296 ski runs (28 black, 106 red, 127 blue, 35 green), 11 snowparks, 90 mountain restaurants and a huge quantity of quality off piste skiing, more than enough for four months and, I suspect, we may not manage to do them all even in that time! Not only does it give us unrestricted access to the whole area, including St Jean d’Aulps and another couple of small resorts not linked by lifts, it also allows us 6 days to ski at other ski resorts and three days at nearby Chamonix (I’ve always wanted to ski the very scenic off-piste glacier Vallee Blanche, down from the Aguille du Midi and past the base of Mont Blanc, now’s our chance!) so, when you consider a standard 6 day lift pass costs over €200, it’s very good value.

Jackie with Ash

Day 1 for us was Saturday 4^th January and, after an early night and a late morning (we were still suffering our head colds), we wanted to get out and ski, despite feeling relatively grotty, but the weather was less than ideal, rain, lots of it! The freezing level was up at about 2200m, well above the top station of St Jean, but at least the rain should be just about snow at the top. We went out and, surprise surprise, we were almost alone on the slopes! We did a few runs, got thoroughly soaked and, at the top, snowed heavily on, which was very wet snow, and gave up after an hour and a half, retreating to one of the bars in the village where Ash and Simon very sensibly were sitting drinking coffee in the warmth.

Ash contemplating the 'view to die for'

Our lunch stop today

Day 2 was different, the temperature had dropped overnight and the rain had turned to snow, giving a light dusting of white to everything. The sky had cleared, the sun was out, the temperature about -4⁰C and everything looked ‘picture postcard’, time to try out the Portes du Soleil area! Threw the skis and gear into the car (put a sheet of polythene in the boot first!) and set off for the Ardent area, where Carole had told us you can park for free next to a lift and immediately get up into the heart of the resort. It was very cold and, although the main roads were clear, as soon as we turned off slush had turned to ice, so the mountain roads were pretty treacherous, but our car handled beautifully and I am really grateful Ian convinced us to put winter tyres on the car before we left (well, two on the front only), £150 well spent. The car park was more than frozen slush, it was packed snow and on quite a slope, but we still had no problems with the handling of the car, not a slip or wheel spin occurred (I’m totally sold on winter tyres now!).

A section of the Avoriaz section

We had a fabulous day of skiing, met up with Ash in the afternoon and did a few runs with him and came home very happy people. Day 3, today, was equally as good, another fine day we parked at Ardent again , went up on the same first lift, but this time went off to another area called Chatel, where the pistes were wide and beautifully groomed and we just kept blasting down run after run. Only done up to red runs so far, haven’t ventured onto blacks yet, but did to an un-pisted red which was deep powder snow and a steep run which made the thigh muscles burn and was quite challenging. The skis disappeared under the snow, making turning difficult and slow. There was absolutely no style in that run, probably a bit early for that sort of thing, but we both felt we did OK on the groomed pistes so, with tired legs (well, me anyway), we headed home for tea and home-made cake (baked it on Saturday afternoon), with Ash dropping in as well (Simon was having a massage after a mammoth day skiing yesterday).

At the top of one of the Chatel lifts today

So far so good, this really is the life, we’re very happy people. Trouble is, I suspect subsequent blog entries will be pretty similar to this, so we will have to try to pick out only interesting things and events to avoid boring the pants off all our readers.

New Year’s Eve in Moseley, Birmingham, New Year en France

A very hectic, but very enjoyable few days! After writing our last entry we headed off to Ian and Helens house in Moseley for two days of New Year fun starting, on Monday night (30^th) with, what has become known as, Phils pre New Year Balti, at Diwans restaurant so, despite Jackie and I being there only three days before, we rendezvoused at the Old Moseley Arms for a beer before going on to Diwans. 

Phils Balti in Diwans, LtoR: Manu, Helen, Adam, Danielle, Henry, a blurred Ian, Phil, Sue. Neil, Brian, Jackie, Iain and Crystal

Daniella and Helen talking across Henry

There was Jackie and me, Ian and Helen, Phil and Sue, Manu and Crystal, Iain (sadly Bev couldn’t make it, her ME getting the better of her), plus Phil’s son Henry, his other son Adam with his very good looking girlfriend, Danielle, and Sues son-in-law, Neil (Helen, Sues daughter, was at home babysitting their two young girls). Fabulous night out, taxi there and back, lots of beer drinking, lots of great Indian food, served by our perfect host, Jay and lots of laughs. 

Brian, Jackie and Iain

Phil was being more of a dad in front of his two sons and when talking to Danielle, who he met for the first time, Ian was making his usual comments that, if we all didn’t know him well would be embarrassing, Helen was her usual sweet self, chatting to everyone and making sure everyone was OK and Manu, Crystal and Iain were, well, Manu, Crystal and Iain! Phil’s two boys are great fun, easy to talk to and a real credit to Phil, all in all, a great night!

Danielle, Phil and Sue

Jay making sure everyone has enough to drink

The night goes on...

And on....

And on....What were Helen and Henry talking about?

Preparation in the kitchen

New Year’s Eve started off with hangovers from me and several others but, after a great breakfast provided by Ian and Helen, we got ourselves together, Jackie and I going up into their loft to recover some of our kitchen stuff we have stored there, ready to take to France, Phil and Sue went round to see their kids staying in Kings Heath, Iain went back to Bristol and we helped prepare the huge buffet Ian and Helen had organised for the NYE party. Plenty to do, but good fun, until Jackie’s cold got the better of her and she had to rest, after making her macaroni cheese and the pesto sauce ready for the bruschetta. I made a Tiramisu using lots of Kahlua, a coffee liqueur, making it very alcoholic and then lots of Italian dishes (the theme of the evening). 

Dr Phils special Italian sausage rolls!

Phil arrived back and made his special sausage rolls, using pimped sausage meat with added spices and onion (that Phil sold as 'Dr Phils Italian sausage meat'!) and, before we knew it, people were arriving and the night was away, Must have been at least thirty people (plus 7 teenage girls in very short skirts, one of whom was the daughter of a neighbour of Ian and Helens, had a dinner party next door and were then thinking of going into Moseley until they were invited round to join us – the blokes seemed quite interested in this development!). 

Helen fixes Ians false moustache (I don't know why!)

Phil had one (as did I, but no photos!)

The air hockey game was set up again and the blokes had plenty of testosterone fuelled games, Phil and I having several hectic games, but Helens sisters son, thirteen year Callum is still air hockey king (although I did beat him once!). The food was fabulous, the company was great and then it was midnight and outside for fireworks, then back in for a three hour session of ‘dads dancing’ in the lounge. Loud music, plenty of drunk folk with no inhibitions and we were away. Nothing was broken, the carpet survived with only a few stains and everyone who overbalanced was caught or hugged by someone – how fantastic is that!

Very nice Ian!

Waiting for the midnight chimes

And then into the garden for champagne and fireworks...

I'm quite sure they were all sober!

Dads dancing at its best!

First BBQ of 2014 - in the rain!

New Year’s Day was…late! Breakfast, at midday, was cooked in the traditional way, Ian outside cooking bacon and sausage on the barbeque, in the rain. He was not to be deterred, despite Phil trying to dissuade him, but we all know Phil wanted to have the first barbeque in Poole (where apparently it’s always sunny), wearing his shorts, so Ian was not to be put off and able to claim the first BBQ!

In no time we had to leave to pack our car ready for our trip to France, after several goes it all went in, just, and we even had time for a cake and to watch most of the Sound of Music (great film for New Year’s Day), before going round to Jackie’s mums (Pauline), out for dinner (her treat) at a pub in Barnt Green, me by this time feeling pretty crap, having got Jackie’s cold (she’s now nearly back to normal) and then to bed with a Lemsip, ready for the ‘big off’.

First dinner in France!

We’re now writing in a hotel room in Reims, France, where we arrived a couple of hours ago. My ‘man-flu’ is in full force so, not wanting to go to the restaurant, spends lots of money and sneeze over everyone, we dropped at a supermarket and got a baguette with some pate and cheese (French pate and cheese is fabulous), so that was our dinner along with an Australian bottle of red, some crisps from Sainsburys, a box of Swiss chocolates and a piece of Stephs Christmas cake, all laid out on our bed. All TV channels are in French, so I’m glad to be able to write this!

Looking forward to getting to the ski resort tomorrow, although Ash has phoned to say it’s raining in the village, but apparently it is fresh snow up high, so hopefully it will be OK. It doesn’t matter anyway, we’re there for long enough to see some good snow at all levels.