Wow, its true what they say, time flies when you are having fun!
I can’t believe it’s February already and I have been in France for two months. I know you are all waiting for a blog update so you know what I’ve been up to, so if you are sitting comfortably I shall begin.......
The snow in England before I left caused absolute chaos, there were so many people I meant to catch up with but was not able to, my dentist appointment got cancelled, trains were stopped and it was looking dodgy for me getting to London to get the Skiworld coach, but good old National Express did themselves proud and I arrived in London 10 minutes earlier than planned!
I met with Joey, who I shared a room with in Les Arcs last year, and we went to a Christmas market in Hyde Park, ate hot pork buns and drank mulled wine, saw the most horrendous live band and generally had a laugh, it was good catching up.
On Sunday we went for lunch and caught up with Katie and Kyle who worked in Les Arcs as well, Kyle is doing another season in Meribel this year so we were heading to the bus together.
I sat next to Collette on the bus to France, she is the chef in the big 30 bed chalet in La Plagne 1800 called Gemaux. I met the people who are running my old chalet in Les Arcs, I told them to look after it and we chatted about the best way to run it.
We left London at 18.00 on Sunday and arrived in Val D’Isere at 13.00 on Monday. It’s a mammoth trek, luckily I can sleep anywhere.
Training was for 5 days in Val, Dave, the resort manager for Verbier was our trainer, there was only me and Harriet from La Plagne training together, the rest were in another group, training with Rick, our chalet manager. It was a good week, we had a couple of nights out and generally got ready for heading to resort.
On the 11th December we finally got to resort and saw what we were letting ourselves in for. The journey up the mountain was a nightmare, 27 hair pin bends on a coach, not funny- I don’t get travel sick, but it was a real test of how strong my stomach could be.
The first week in resort is meant to be spent cleaning the chalet and getting ready for the first guests arriving on the 19th, but I didn’t have access to my chalet as the owners were still using it, I helped clean everyone elses chalet. My chalet is a small, five bedroom, four bathroom, but in the first week I cleaned 19 bathrooms, made about 20 beds and hoovered 9 bedrooms, by Christmas day I had worked in every chalet on resort!
I met the owners of my chalet, George and Lila, and had a conversation with them in French! I was quite proud of myself that I could understand them and they could understand me! I didn’t get the keys to my chalet till Christmas eve afternoon, last year I got a new dishwasher for Christmas, this year I got a whole chalet, I wonder what next year will bring.......
While I was waiting for access to my chalet I helped the girls out up at Belle Plagne, they have the smallest kitchens in the world, with about half a square foot of workspace, they have to be really organised and keep on top of everything, but they are doing a grand job.
Christmas day was wierd, because I had been working in different chalets all week I didn’t really know any of the guests and Harriet and I ended up cooking dinner in a chalet together.
We skied on Christmas day, had a liquid lunch and then cooked in the evening, definitely not a traditional Christmas day.
Ooo I forgot to mention, La Plagne has to be the best resort to go drinking in as several bars serve cider, so I’m made up, what could be better than skiing and cider in the same place??
We had a staff dinner on our day of in Scotties bar, I think I enjoyed myself, its all a bit vague and hazy, in fact there is quite a lot of vague hazy moments, like I’m not sure how I broke my hip flask, but I’m guessing from the bruise on my knee and the scuff on my jeans I fell over at some point, and I’m not quite sure how we ended getting escorted home in the boot of a police car one night or how I’ve ended up being called Mrs White by everyone.
The first day we went skiing before Christmas I got a cold and spent all of January trying to recover from it, I think I spent most of January asleep. I went to the chemist and asked for some medicine, he gave me some cough syrup, vitamin pills and SEPOSITARIES!!!! I’m still not sure how shoving something up your bum is supposed to cure a sore throat, and in actual fact it didn’t work anyway. So i went to a different chemist, spent another 30 euros, spent the week in bed sleeping and finally feel better.
My chalet is really cute, it’s a proper stand alone chalet and it looks like Noahs ark. It’s upside down, the bedrooms are downstairs and the kitchen and living room upstairs, but thats so you can get the best views while eating dinner. It’s down a road full of trees and I feel like Snow White hiding in the woods, cooking and cleaning and waiting for the guests to come home.
I think I’m jinxed as well, in the first 3 weeks I had two broken guests, one broke two of his metatarsal bones while boarding and the other broke his hand while fighting in the snow at 2am and then I have had a steady stream of bruises, bumps and crashes from other guests, it’s dangerous out there!
New Years eve must be the best I have had for years. There was a big party in Belle Cote, out side on the piste. There were fireworks, a DJ, giant angels on stilts, lots of dancing and laughing and good company. At about 2am i needed the toilet, but could not find one, so in my drunken logic I decided the best plan was to get the bus home and use the toilet at the flat. I think I fully intended to return to the party, but as I sat down on the bed I fell asleep, probably for the best.
It is 2nd February today and it last snowed on 12th January, looking at the forcast for the next 10 days there is nothing but blue skies and sunshine predicted. Conditions are getting icey and lots of mud showing through, the roads are clear and it looks more like April than the beginning of season. Pray for snow in the Alps for us.
I think that pretty much brings you up to date with what’s been happening, some things are the same as last year, rumours are rife, take anything you hear with a pinch of salt until you check out the facts, cooking is falling into place and regular routines are forming, but some things are different, like me and Jen share a flat in Plagne centre and we are the only two up here, so there is not the people around like last year, but we do have the best flat and everyone has flat envy!
I have broken my camera so unfortunately I have no photos to show you yet, but I will try and get some on my mobile and post them when i get chance.
Take care everyone, and special congratulations to Louisa and Scott who had Baby Ella Kate last week!!! xxxxx
