The build up to this February half term escape was immense. Long days spent slogging away in classrooms in near freezing temperatures this was truly the ‘Big London Freeze of 2010/2011.’ Well that is what the Poms were touting it as. In reality it was seven weeks of mild London weather with all eyes on the prize – a 20 hour bus trip to Winter heaven. The forecasters were against us. In the seven weeks before our arrival snowfall was as rare as goal from the Gold Coast. Added to this was the British staffroom speak of a seven week term (Oh no seven weeks how will we survive?!”).
Against the odds, we made it!
Bee had originally shunned the idea of another holiday spent in the freezing cold, however an escape to warmer Egypt was, for obvious reasons, postponed (something about sharks?). Hence, the late booking and therefore making the travel clan reach six – Jamie, Sam, Rob, Ally, Brick and Bee. Yippee!
The 20 hour coach journey started on Friday evening from London, arriving in beautiful Val D’Isere the following day 3.00pm. This wasn’t without a reminder of the pompous land we had just left when a lovely lady who was drinking tea and eating biscuits complained on the bus that the movie Little Fockers was Vulgar – ahhh thankyou motherland! As check in wasn’t for several more hours, where do the Aussies find themselves? Moris Pub – where else? Only problem was – pub opened at 4.oopm, it was 3.30pm. Picture this, six Aussies waiting outside a pub in awe after a 20 hour bus trip. When the doors opened it was like Aussie Baywatch – minus the blonde hair and a few added layers. Nice way to stretch the legs and relax after such a long journey!
Donning the beanie, thermals and goggles and snow gear, snowboards under arm we set off on our first morning on the slopes. Powder is all that can be said. The seven week drought of snow was officially over on day one – and there was more to come! The endless mountain ranges with peaks stretching higher than the first and ever so steep runs were enough to make us gape – nothing like we have ever seen before. A little rusty on the boards to begin with, we slowly found our ‘slides’ and were ready for the week! Lessons, who needs lessons? Well granted we could both snowboard in Austria but no one every said were had the correct technique! There was an immense improvement over the course of the week, even carving up the red runs and of course the ‘off piste’. You aren’t cool unless you go ‘off piste’! (Or at least talk about it).
Special thanks to Alex from UCPA for his patience, jokes and valuable tips likely to turn us all in to X-treme boarding champions (well, Gerard and Jamie maybe!).
Now, Val D’Isere has a reputation for having one of the best Apres Ski scenes going around. Although a crazy Israeli described it as ‘sucking’ no complaints from the Aussies. After a few half term escapes that involved only teachers and GAP students it was refreshing for people to ask us if we were Swedish. That’s right, Swedish. Val is a Swedish haunt with few Belgians thrown in and of course some French. It was refreshing not to have any other teachers and even Aussies there as we met many great international folk. This and the fact that six Aussies was just the right amount of ‘loudness’, ‘craziness’ on the social scene - call it what you like.
In a quick snapshot, the trivia / challenge nights were the most enjoyable – arm wrestling, chair stomping, sexy dancing competitions, chair stacking, skolling (Rob), karaoke, toilet paper mummies and of course the worm (Sam) - the list goes on.
It is fair to say that Val proved to be one of the best things we have done since we arrived on the European front (except of course the glitzy sapphire diamond ring)!
