31st January 2008 - Happy Birthday Fiona

Well it's a massive happy birthday to Fiona who is 21 today. The day started out a bit foggy but eventually the sun came out.

Many many thanks for all the cards and emails and phone calls we had today wishing birthday girl the very best. Also thanks to all of you who read the blog and send us emails. It's touching that so many keep in touch. It's good to have all our friends and family keep in touch.

So, we went to our favorite cafe for breakfast and walked H in the local park.

Adam and family (the guy who we rent this place from) arrived late yesterday so we had a good chat today. He is here for three weeks.

This afternoon we went to La Plagne as planned. We went as far right and down as we could go, ending up in Champagny. Wow, do they need some snow down there. We took the red down to the resort and nearly came a cropper. The run should have been shut. In the resort itself, the runs are brown and out of use. Some of the nice reds into the mid station are also full of brown patches. The snow gods have gone to sleep!!

The heavy snow forecast from Friday night has been down graded to moderate. So 20 cm's goes down to 8!! This has happened every time so far this season. There is still OK snow higher up, but the slopes are getting hard and icy.

We skied into Monchavin today to pick up the car and it was sheer ice. We need more snow soon and lots of it!! We have noticed that the web sites give the impression that things are not so bad, but that is not exactly true. I don't know if they do this on purpose, but their reporting always errs on the positive side.

We stopped for a coffee and sun bathe on the way down. Some one's got to do it!!

Tonight we are having a birthday chicken Thai curry and it smells terrific. Here we are 5 minutges ago after some bubbly and looking forward to our curry. Adam just popped in as we are trying to get him hooked up to the internet!! Nice Guy!!

Tommorrow Heather gets her stiches out and it's supposed to snow. Fingers crossed for a big dump of the white stuff!!

30th January 2008 - Boring Day In Chambery

Today we had to take the Volvo into the garage in Chambery because the passenger side doors can suddenly stop working so that you can not open them up, unlock them or open the windows. This is a known problem (wish they had told us before we left the UK!).

The job took almost five hours! So, we walked all the way into the centre of the town (over an hour and in the rain), had some lunch and them walked back. At least we found a supermakrket selling Thai food stuffs. We eventually got home for 6PM - What a bore.

We didn't like Chambery very much. The weather did not help, but the place was very dirty with tramps etc. in the main centre. Much of the area felt very run down, especially the part we had to walk through. Heather was equally unimpressed with the place. No sausages or liver anywhere. The place was not a touch on Bourg (see Bourg below).



Our pastry shop ,favoured Cafe and the main street

Tomorrow is Fifi's birthday (21 again), so we plan to ski the afternoon in La Plagne as the weather is the morning is looking foggy. A Thai curry is on the cards with some bubbly. We have also been to the local pastry shop and purchased some birthday treats.

Heavy snow if on the cards for late Friday into Saturday. Let's hope they are correct!!