The Russians have landed.

Once again I am sitting at the table looking out at the mountains. I am still unable to go out and ski as I am not fully recovered from being poorly, only tomorrow left on the anti-biotics so Thursday I should be able to get out on the slopes, hopefully I can remember how to ski after 8 days off!!!!!

Today there is meant to be snow, there looks like there might be some at the top of the mountains but down here in the village there are a pathetic couple of snow flakes drifting about in the air. We haven’t had a decent amount of snow since Christmas day and it has also been far too warm, the coldest it’s been for the last 2 weeks is about -8, which is not cold enough really, well not for maintaining all this snow anyway. Cold enough for me!!!! The resort is full of slush which melts all day then turns to ice at night when all the melted stuff freezes over making the village a complete death trap by morning. They don’t salt any roads or paths here due to environmental reason’s, the salt apparently pollutes the river Isere that runs through the village. They seemed to have forgotten the same river runs all the way down the valley where they salt all the roads, lazy buggers, they just can’t be bothered, they would much rather us all break our bones and skid about the roads and paths. As if the skiing was’nt dangerous enough!!!!!

So what do you do in a ski resort when you can’t ski???  Not a lot really, luckily Val d’isere has lots of shops for a ski resort and quite a few little café’s but when one is on a budget shopping is out of the question, plus the fact there is only so much ski clothing you can look at and need, and it is not nearly as fun or interesting as proper shopping. The café’s here are lovely but again there is only so much coffee/tea/hot choc you can consume, and at 3-4 euro a pop there’s only so much you can afford to drink. Obviously the other thing is to have a few proper drinks, but no good when you are on anti-biotics plus most bars don’t open until 3 or 4 pm, which really is probably rather sensible or everyone would be plastered 24 hrs a day (as apposed to 16-20 hrs!!!!). There are many places to eat, there are many places doing great lunchtime deals but if I do not stop eating I will end up the size of a house, I am on the obligatory January detox, so rules that one out too. There is a cinema but it’s only open in the evenings, and up till now has only shown “The Tourist” in English so we haven’t been. (I know it may be considered sad but Mr & I have been desperate to watch the latest Harry Potter instalment but alas it is not to be!!!) It is snowing much heavier now, must’ve been offended by my calling it pathetic!!!! Oh and I have been (surprise, surprise) watching my Sex and The City collection, desperate for SATC 2!!!!!!!!

On the subject of money, (not just our lack of it) there is an obscene amount of it being spent here. Val d’isere has always been known as a high end resort but Christ some of the things we have been hearing are just crazy (I am sooo jealous!!!).  Mr has, as per usual, fallen onto his cat like feet once again. Whilst I have had my hands down loo’s and been up to my eyes in filth (and get splattered by slush as a coach went past me on the way to one of my apartments!!), he has managed to get himself a rather cushy little number working for one of the ski schools here, (no not instructing, he is good but not that good!!!!! although I think he thinks he is now practically an instructor by association!!!!) but doing private ski and boot hire fittings at all the luxury multi million euro chalets, these poor rich people could’nt possibly be expected to go out into the cold and stand in line at the hire shop like everyone else eh??? They have the highest quality equipment money can buy, they have it fitted, then dropped off to them at their amazing abodes!!! Lucky bloody bastards!!! These chalets are normally able to sleep around 12 people very comfortably but the most people to be living in them so far has been 2 adults and 4 children!! They are mostly American, British, Australians and the Russians. They have bought their own chefs, nannies and general lackies. It is another world. They also name their children, Dash (yes out of the incredibles!), Italy, Tilly, Ned…….

Last week some Russians hired out one of the most exclusive residences, The Eagles Nest, sleeps 12, just 3 of them were staying there!!! The prices start at £30,000 a week in low season for this place!!!!!! One Russian a couple of weeks ago had a helicopter on constant standby just in case he needed anything, it was 40 euro a minute!!!!!!! Then he flew his wife to Paris for her birthday to go shopping, they were closing the shops for her!!!!!  Then last week a Swedish guy had an 18,000 euro bill for a helicopter dinner trip to Lyon for him and his wife.  It is just unbelievable. Ahhh one day…………..

Yeah right!!!!!

This week staring tomorrow there is a polo (on the snow) championship, there will be all sorts going on, starting with a parade and equestrian show tonight and the games start tomorrow evening for 3 nights so that should create a good atmosphere and there are normally a few freebies being given out at these things!!!

Right, now snowing so much I can only see the next building!! Great, just what we need, I will continue to call it pathetic!!!