Saturday 29th December 2018…

We got the first bus to Croix Fry the next day and that was our ‘base of operations.’ We set off with Team Extreme then they went off to find the blue and red runs, whilst half of Team Green stayed closer on the green and the occasional blue. Nathan was having a dreadful time on his board so we tried to change it at the rental place but the board they gave him was just as bad. That resulted in fists being hit on the ground as the board kept digging in as he turned causing him to fall. I chuckled to myself, supportively of course. Ollie and Alex joined us after getting the second bus and we played on the green runs. Ollie and Nathan went off on the other runs around Croix Fry, ending up who knows where whilst I went up and down the green until I was happy I could actually remember how to ski. Then I thought I’d try the blue run. Icy conditions resulted in me shit whipping down the last part of the run to the lift, spinning around on my back, going head first down the hill, eventually stopping when it flattened out. No injuries thankfully so I popped off the skis, put them back on when on a flat part and met Ollie at the lift who was totally oblivious to what I had just done! This chair lift went up and over the road so it was even more terrifying than the one yesterday and it got even worse when it stopped and we were left dangling over the road! 😩Eventually we got going again and it dropped us off at the top of a red run that skied back down into the town. It was a beautiful day and really not cold either! I managed to get down the red run, albeit slowly then we popped off our skis and board, crossed the road and regrouped with Alex and Nathan. Team Green found a table at Le Rossiers overlooking the slopes and chilled with a drink waiting for the others. I don’t think any of us have ever been so excited about chicken nuggets and chips, but that was the choice on the menu and a bloody good choice at that! They were delicious. Beer and wine circulated and happy our stomachs were full, I ventured off with Tom, Danie and Nathan down the blue run that had just taken me out. Following Tom’s lines, I was much better and this time the mountain didn’t take me. Result!!I do love being in the mountains. I wish I had been able to ski from a young age so I was more fearless getting down the slopes, but I try. I fall, I get back up and carry on. And I love every minute of it. We got the bus back at 15:50 again as it had started to get foggy. Whilst waiting for the bus, and well into the evening, we had found ourselves playing the ‘MEME game,’ but using real life photos of ourselves instead whenever people weren’t looking…I can’t tell you how funny it was…Here are just a few of the photos we captioned, I would put the captions in but they’d be completely irrelevant to all of you, but we found it completely and utterly hilarious. You can caption them yourselves 🤣…Simple things and all that…the fog was a thick blanket and looked magical as we peered out the windows of the bus.Sadly, the truck didn’t start again that evening, not even using WD40, so what else was there to do except wander down into the “town.” It wasn’t an easy walk, I mean it was all down hill and the roads were rife with tight bends so what better way to get down than to climb down the banks and run across the cow-pat infested fields as a shortcut. What a brilliant idea Tom had!! For them anyway, not me. I’m crap at walking downhill the best of times as apparently I’m ‘too rigid,’ and this was no exception. I didn’t want to hold the other up plus I was hot and sweaty and my boots were rubbing my ankle. Ruby was napping, Ollie and Alex were chilling in the chalet so I turned round after the first field and let the others carry on. My god it was a hard trek back. Round and round the bends, all totally uphill. Calves and thighs burning. Layers being stripped off whilst trying to avoid being hit by oncoming cars as the fog was getting thicker. Eventually I made it back. I’m sure I left a sweat trail for the others to follow back!!The views into town were pretty though. You can see some of the bends in the photos, as well as the fields ran through to reach the town. The main purpose was to find a snowboard shop for Nathan to change his board. Failed. They did however bring back delicious bread and butter from the bakery so it wasn’t a wasted journey. I would say the evening consisted of scintillating conversation but phones were life…🤣…Nathan and I made fajitas for the gang that evening and it was movie night in the chalet courtesy of Equalizer 2. I had been trying my best to communicate in French whilst over here, when ordering food and drink mainly, or asking for the bill, but I did need google translate tonight. There was a knock on the ‘lounge’ door and two women stood there with clipboards saying they were there to look at the property. Totally perplexed I informed them that we were renting it for a week and were there until Friday. Thinking it was very strange, Wong emailed our host who informed us that nobody had been planned to look at the property. This was the to be the start of strange, unexplainable happenings….

Until next time…