I had a fall

I took a fall on Thursday. It was our 4th in 7 days of skiing, and we had decided to go to the end of the valley: Pre la Joux. It is a bowl of modern chairlifts, big, long reds and always plenty of people as it connects to the Portes du Soleil. We have skied there many times. It’s normally interconnected with the rest of Chatel, and you can ski across, but a couple of lifts were down. So we shuttled by ski bus down the valley, took a couple of chairlifts to the highest point on an arete overlooking Avoriaz, and Mount Blanc on the horizon. It was clear blue skies, calm and the conditions were excellent.

Me, after my fall

I started my descent – I nearly always lead, with C never far behind. She is not happy with me on her tail. It’s a reminder of when we were poor skiers and I would frighten her by getting too close. I was turning every three or four seconds, looking to cut off the red just above a lip, into a shush blue which C wanted to do. In an instant a madman cut in front of me from over my left shoulder just as I turned left myself … we missed each other by maybe half a metre. I then turned right and skied straight into his pal … who was also motoring.

I don’t remember what happened next. My skies stayed where they were. I ended up five metres away on my back. And the bloke had disappeared, planks still obviously on his feet. I have to say I screamed for about a second – I thought I had broken something. And then I shouted at the man, who was already nowhere to be seen.

we watched some of the European women’s downhill. Look at their skis!

Actually I was fine, in that I could move all my limbs, C and another man collected my skis and checked I wasn’t dead. I got up, brushed myself off and we skied on for another couple of hours. But I was and I am sore. Lower back, pelvis, buttocks. No bruises evident, apparently (my nurse told me so), but it’s not been comfortable. And I know this sounds v man-flu like, but my neck is sore from whiplash. Bastard speedsters.

Other than that! We’re fine. It is fair to say that this year is different and we can’t really put our finger on it. C had a fall off the end of a chairlift on day one of skiing and also hurt her back which knocked her confidence. We haven’t attacked the walking like we used to, although we have been out every day. The conditions have been excellent, so it’s not an overcast thing, although it does feel a little like that. Maybe it’s just where we find ourselves, which is blooming ridiculous and pretty demeaning to those who don’t have our opportunities. Although …

we’re ok

… I follow a number of full timers and similar on Instagram. And I often get posts where people who are, to all intents and purposes living the dream, have a really bad period – tears and everything. When you are living and experiencing the life you thought you wanted, and you wake up and, for some inexplicable reason, it isn’t, I think that makes the drop more difficult to reconcile. If you’re in a bad relationship, or you don’t like where you work, or any of the myriad of issues which can bring you down, at least then you can point at the problem. Other than a very sore pelvis, I have nothing to prod at. Nothing to change, I don’t think.

(I can hear tiny violins playing and I don’t blame you one jot.)

It’s not that bad, it isn’t. It’s just that everytime we come here we are all over ‘which chalet or apartment would we buy?’ This time, v clearly, a life in the Alps is not the panacea. Maybe that’s a Brexit thing. Or maybe, with every thank we can muster to Elizabeth and Andrew, our ridiculously inexpensive landlords, we have what we want and need. And we should be v happy with that. And we now have a lovely home to return to. C and I have literally just discussed that, my fingers hovering above the keyboard. That does make a difference. We miss being at home, albeit one we have only lived in for less than a month. Interesting that …

(And, maybe surprisingly, just by writing this I am feeling more grateful, more positive, so thanks for that.)

I’m sorting the patio

I continue to ghostwrite. I’m now 14k words in and should be up to 18k by the time the publisher sits mid-week. I will stop at the end of this chapter and wait to see if there is an offer and, more importantly, whether they like my style of writing (of Guy’s memoir). I described last time how tricky it is – indeed, I wrote something in Chapter 3 which Guy just didn’t want in. I was pressing the boundaries of what I might expose (of things he had told me), and went too far. It’s all about getting to know your subject, so I’m not worried.

Oh, and I’ve had a go at the patio! When we are here we do try to run some errands. The property (which is lovely) is 30 years old and, like any place, needs upkeep. My job this time around is to replace some tiles on the patio, something I am having a go at, although I do appreciate the issue of mortar and freezing temperatures. Wish me luck!

Anyhow, we’ve decided not to ski again until Monday, so I guess today we might be heading downtown for a coffee! It’s a tough life …