Monday 12^th March 2018

Thanks to the wonders of budget airlines, coastal airports and Alpy Bus Rose and Martin and Colin and Fiona sont arriveé â Chalet Frollie.

Within minutes the joint is rocking, the wine and beer is flowing, people are jostling at the food preparation counters (well the women mainly but Martin tried his best!)

However the day started much more slowly.

We awoke to the sound of steady rain, so steady in fact that even the dogs ‘played possum’ as we got up. Much to everyone’s surprise Lesley decreed a ‘duvet day’ but even so your humble writer was sent out into the rain with the dogs to get the bread. The morning was spent reading, catching up on emails and Andy continued his marvellous work creating a new website for the sailing club. While I did a little bit of light carpentry, mending the sauna and looking at the wardrobe door.

By the time we had finished a late lunch the rain had finally stopped so it was a mad dash to grab the outdoor gear and the snowshoes and off to the ski lift. Par for the course for a Lesley Foskett Duvet Day!

It will clear up soon

By the time we got to the top there was a hint of rain in the air and we began snowshoeing in two inches of fresh snow. Five minutes in to our cross-country route the rain was turning to sleet, five minutes more and the snow was coming down thick and fast. Wendy suddenly realised that she hadn’t put her over trousers on – schoolgirl mistake, but one she won’t make again.

You will be pleased to know that your favourite four pushed on regardless, through the woods, ducking under branches bent low with snow, climbing over trees that had been snapped by the sheer weight of the frozen precipitation and trying to avoid the worst of the drifts. The two dogs were a little bemused and jockeying for position behind us rather than have to wade belly-deep through the snow.

I wish I had worn my over trousers!

Our descent was punctuated by the beeps and pings of our phones telling us of the progress of our chums who were flying in today. Would we get down before the first couple arrived? Is that jeopardy or what?

Ahh!

Rather than keep you in suspense, I will come clean and tell you that Rose and Martin arrived five minutes before we got back to the bottom of the hill so we shook off the snowshoes and dashed back to the chalet to welcome them. We hadn’t finished our first beer before there was a shout up the stairs and Fiona and Colin appeared.

They only went out to get some bread!

And, dear reader, this is where we leave you. You can imagine the scene, the tartiflette is in the oven, the G&Ts are disappearing and the broccoli dips are still waiting to be eaten.

We will pick this up again tomorrow.