Hard graft

It appears that this is not a holiday. A few things have pointed me towards that conclusion:

1. I have been skiing for over four weeks solid with only two days off (one because the mountain was shut due to 115km/hour winds, and the other to travel between Zermatt and Verbier)

2. Although Vicki has been in Switzerland for a week now, we have managed only a total of one meal and two beers together

3. I have been handing out leaflets to local businesses to advertise the ski school - something I have not done since I was a kid!

4. The snow is too good (well I never said they were all bad!)

5. I am conscious of how much things cost when I go shopping, to the bar or eat on the mountain

6. Well that's about it really, but it is still a strange feeling not to have to go back to the UK at the end of every week, to start real life again and get on with the daily grind of tube, work, tube, eat, sleep...

My side of things are going well and we have an alternative day tomorrow, where we can either try out telemark skiing or take our snowboards out (I am opting for the latter) before taking care of the same bunch of kids as last week on Thursday and Friday. Yes they do actually trust us to do it twice in two weeks! Our last two days of training on Saturday and Sunday then conclude the whole shabang and the real work starts from Monday onwards. Although I may have landed a plum deal, but I will pass on details of this once it is all confirmed... Watch this space.

Vicki is still training hard. Tonight was the first phase of her cook-off, where hopefully everything went according to plan. Things didn't get off to the best start, as the online ordering has gone up the spout already, so a trip round the Coop this afternoon meant having to make quite major adjustments to the menu on the fly! But I think things were well in hand regardless of that slight hiccup. Tomorrow morning she has to complete the exercise by providing breakfast to the same crowd as tonight. This can involve anything people desire from eggs anywhichway to porridge to kippers or even kedgeree! Freshly squeezed orange juice is a must of course, as is the rest of the kit and kaboodle which accompanies any high class breakfast. Once this is over there isn't much chance to relax as it is likely her first guests will be arriving on Saturday to be pampered and catered for in the manner to which they are (no doubt) accustomed. So the hard work starts here.

So life has begun in earnest here in Verbier with plenty of beer and fun and games to be had when we eventually get some time to enjoy any of it together!