Wish you were here...?

Set off on Saturday morning for a long journey to Albiez Montrond in the alps at 5AM. Not ideal.

Long train to Lyon via Vierzon, getting us there at about 12 O Clock. 9 of us in total, Jon, Adam, Alex, Ansleigh, Lizandro, Anaïs, Christina and Lacey rented 2 cars (with some difficulty) and drove 2 hours to Albiez Montrond, about an hour from Grenoble, in the Alps.

The journey was not too bad, I was supposedly navigating for Alex, but that fell apart when we got off the beaten track, and were taking directions in French over the phone. Mixing up the word "tunnel" for "chunnel" was a noted example. No use asking for an address as that didn't exist - the chalêt was just perched at the bottom of a mountain.

So, after the owner came down the hill to get us we climbed the winding roads - getting progressively higher and more snowy - and more picturesque. Absolutely breathtaking.



Then we arrived at the little chalêt - like something out of the sound of music it was exactly what we had all wanted. Beautifully furnished, and absolutley spotless - great kitchen, all open plan, "bébé foot" table and all the mod cons - great. Settled down for some dinner and a night "off piste".

Leisurely breakfast the next morning, and we took to the slopes (on sleds, of course). SO MUCH FUN! Real snow, all the neighbours dogs playing with us and surrounded by such beautiful landscape. It was also amazing that we were the only ones there, the place was deserted - the cable cars were off and no one else was "out to play". We eventually tired ourselves out and retired for lazy food and drink all night, safe in the knowledge of an early rise for the long trip back the next day.

Well, we all made it - just - and got back to Limoges last night. Today, 8AM class and have now just finished one with my nice Collège group at Renoir. They are the ones I shouted at last week. The teacher found out and obviously backed me up, wanting me to be harder on them. I think it must have done the trick. This week I was greeted with smiling faces and a present from one of the students, some French Christmas sweets called "Pâtes de Fruits" - they're basically big fruit pastilles but made with real fruit and much much nicer. They did keep chatting, but only because we were having so much fun doing a Christmas themed quiz, complete with sweets as prizes. All in all, one of the best lessons yet I think...

Thanks to Lacey Walker for the above photos by the way. Check out her blog if you fancy at http://hibouladybaby.blogspot.com/