Heaven is Ski Week 2009

We just returned from our annual ski week in Les Gets, France with the Mighty Family (names changed to protect their privacy). This trip was tinged bittersweet with the knowledge that our friends are soon moving to the USA. Perhaps because of this, the weather gods were on our side this year, delivering utterly spectacular weather and piles upon piles of snow, and perhaps equally important, delivering me from my previous week's winter doldrums. The sun never stopped shining and the temperature hovered between -5 and -1c making for perfect snow conditions.

Ecole du Ski Français, Mighty Mouse in pale blue, J in green


This was also the first year that J was capable of consistently skiing the steeper red runs between our chalet and ski school. So around 9:00 every morning, the 7 of us walked out our back door, put on our skiis and glided down to the lift for the 30 minute ski to the other side of the mountain to ski school. We adults then had the rest of the morning to explore the broad terrain of Les Gets and Morzine, heaven!



As always, the apres-ski was grand, wonderful meals including our annual visit to our favorite fondue restaurant in the village, much champagne and fine wine, tired kids, happy dogs, and lots of laughs.

Six half-days is a long time in ski school for the kids but their level of skiing improved immensely. Emma the Brave was skiing black runs with ease while Mouse and J skiied all reds aggressively and more importantly with fun, hooting and hollering the whole way down. By the final day of testing, Emma earned her 3ème Etoile while the two little ones proudly earned their 1ère Etoile.


It will be hard to imagine our annual ski week without the Mighty family, it would indeed be strange renting our perfect side-by-side chalets without them on one side. Perhaps we will have to start new traditions. Their leaving is one of the down sides of the expatriate experience, having to say good-bye to good friends. However, C2 and I wouldn't have traded the last 3 years of friendship with them for the world. I think it's safe to say J wouldn't have either.

Related Posts: Life was Pretty Good at 1172 Meters Too and Heaven is at 2002 Meters