A White Christmas!

It had to happen. We have had a full week since Monday of crystal clear blue skies but apparently Santa likes a good ski, as we awoke to cloudy skies with bright white snow falling softly to the ground. The weather gods even then went as far as getting rid of the clouds around lunchtime to allow all those lazy so-and-so tourists to go up the mountain after their lie-ins!

Christmas festivities meant that only three of my six children turned up for their lesson at 9am. All the better I say! However one of those had only had about three hours sleep... and it showed fairly early on when she started nodding off on my shoulder in the gondola on the way up at about 9.15am! And the tears started in earnest just after we had set off on the last run down the mountain... Luckily I was able to abort to a shorter run and take the three of them down in the gondolas. A bit of a cop out, but definitely the best solution for all concerned! I have had a good week so far with the little tykes and some of their comments have had me in stitches. These have included:
"Oh look - pants!" (it was actually a device on the cable car to tension cables - but I prefer her answer!)
"SALUT LES VACHES!" (shouted at the top of her lungs at a group of skiers from a chairlift. There were no cows around anywhere...)
"Guess how old I am" (five seconds after telling me she was five...)
"I need to go the loo.... NOW!" (my first experience of taking a small girl to the loo. Fun. I don't remember signing up for that)
"I want a Coke to drink and a pack of Cola bottles to eat" (I'm not their parent. Of course they can have sweets and fizzy drinks on my watch. It means they like me!)
And my personal favourite so far - "One of my friends said his brother went with a girl and she licked his peepee!" (I suggested we didn't tell that one to his parents....)

Vicki cooked fantastic smoked salmon scrambled eggs this morning, in true Christmas traidition. Apparently. I obviously didn't get to taste any (and neither did she incidentally!) but her family of 5 apparently loved it. She was given a present by her guests though, which was very sweet. Tonight has seen her prepare the full blown turkey dinner with all the trimmings before dishing it up, clearing up and then coming home to my humble efforts in the kitchen. Not quite up to her standard I will admit, but what can you expect on two hobs!!! She also gets to build up Father Christmas turning up, as one the Ski Verbier drivers dons the full red and white garb to deliver presents to each and every chalet this evening. Poor guy, that's what I say!

We did manage to spend a little time together today though, as Vicki finished nice and early around 12.00, which is when I drop off the little cherubs back to their parents at the bottom of the lifts. So Vicki laid on a full Christmas brunch, with leftover smoked salmon, leftover fruit platter, leftover bread and leftover croissants and pains au chocolat. A feast fit for kings - which does quite nicely for us paupers thank you very much.

Apart from the few presents which the Swiss postal system dained to let us have (thanks to all by the way for presents both virtual and handlable!), it has felt very little like Christmas Day. The pubs are all open, I still taught skiing to a group of vaguely enthusiastic children and I still didn't get to spend much time with Vicki. So a normal day in the life of a saisonnaire really. Although I have noticed Vicki and I seem to get less hangovers than a lot of our (possibly younger) colleagues. I think this may possibly be due to the fact that we have been there, done that and pretty much got the vomit down the t-shirt over the years. And it is amazing how few saisonnaires are married, regardless of age. Although being 30 is quite a novelty in itself - and it seems we look much younger than we actually are. Which at our age is quite refreshing!!

We also managed to get half a day's skiing together on Tuesday as it was Vicki's day off and I am only teaching in the mornings. The weather was glorious, and the beer in the cafe half way down tasted all the better for being sat there in ski gear and warmed by the sunshine. Vicki then sampled the full apres-ski experience in Farinet (look it up if you haven't heard of it, it is world renowned) but I unfortunately had to see my boss at 5, so abstained from the festivities. I can safely say though that Vicki sampled it well enough it for both of us... Anyone coming to visit will have to try it at least once during their visit! A 5 pint pitcher for 14CHF (approx £9ish depending on the depth of the global economic gloom) is good value in anyone's books!

Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas, and you never know Vicki may actually get some time in 2008 to post an entry on this blog!! Best wishes to all.