Hotel la Savoyarde Val d'Isère

hello everyone!

so we got to London at 5PM on Saturday, jumped on a coach and went to France. We got there around 11.30AM on Sunday and just chilled out for the rest of the day, were a bit dead from the coach journey. there wasn't any snow when we got there.... got a bit drunk in the chalet in the evening but couldn't go out as nowhere was open!

Monday we got up and it had snowed overnight and it hasn't stopped since! started training, got uniform etc ...

... out from lack of oxygen I was able to gather myself and enjoy some really amazing views along with a packed lunch. After the mountain trek we went into the small ski town and enjoyed some of our "favorite brewage and enjoyed the surroundings" (per request of prof. Delmar).

Heading to Rome and Barcelona next week, another post should follow shortly after.

We're approaching the final week of this "bi-mester." The work load is getting steadily heavier and I combat it by ...

... into MacD's and decided a big mac meal for 6 euros would hit
the spot. This was a very unique McDonalds, done up in
mountaineering theme and was located out of the way, as for 2 ½
visits to Chamonix, I did not know it was there. After lunch I
wandered around town for a bit as it started to brighten. Back to
the room to read and ready for dinner, although I was not hungry
after the meal at the arches. I headed out for dinner, still not
hungry and after seeing a ...

... hotel and pick up the car for my first excursion
into the countryside. I decided to head over the mountains and back
into Switzerland near Martigny, a place I have been a couple of times
as that is where I have caught the cog train to come into Chamonix
the two other times I have visited. There was a cursory border check
and then I turned around and headed back into France and to Chamonix.
The roads were somewhat scary in spots, with many switchbacks and
Chamonix, Rhône-Alpes, France nedk

... is already dropping here.
We finally arrive just after 7pm..a long day driving and I wish I felt comfortable enough to drive, if it was an automatic I wouldn't have a a problem. Too many variable with the manual and the wrong side of the road! The L'Oustelet is a cute hotel with only 15 rooms, and the lovely manageress looks at us blankly when we ask her about our reservations, no matter..she has room. Strange we had booked it on booking.com. Anyways, we go to our top ...

... for Jon... he said he was so nervous he forgot how to speak French. Anyway, the next day we wanted to go mountain biking but by the time we checked out, all the shops were closed from 12-3 and we couldn’t rent anything anywhere. I think everyone closes up shop and goes out to play... sweet jobs.

http://picasaweb.google.co m/Jonny.D.Lawrence/7AroundTheWorldChamo nix?authkey=Gv1sRgCPGlpbm6oq3dywE&f eat=directlink

... So I was keeping an eye open for a policeman, and spotted a whole police station( or should I say Carabinieri)!! There must be one in there, we thought. And it's definitely worth stopping. We got a place to park (probably not very legal, but we were following the Italian rules of the road by now), grabbed our Landy Rally T shirts, and went on the hunt for points. It lookead bit locked up, but as we poked around the gate, a couple of people came ...

As we were next to the Alps, we decided to go trekking around Chamonix for a couple of days, and get some fresh mountain air. Nats felt at home as the place we stayed in Chamonix was the exact same as where she stayed 4 years ago when she came skiing here!!

We were very lucky wih the weather on the first day, and the views over the mountain range was magnificent. We walked from Vallorcine up to the lac ...

... in the corner but.... The resort was good quality, the food wasn't bad (for a buffet), but then there was the entertainment. Each night around 6.30 after everyone had come off the slopes and into the bar, staff members would be singing on stage. The first night I thought it was karaoke given the standard. However, this was mainly the result of French speakers singing in English. And then it got funnier. With some good accents and mispronunciation, we were set ...

The reason I went to France was to go skiing at chamonix/Mont Blanc, which i did and it was fantastic and i will be doing again very soon before i get tied up.. while i was there i did the world famous ski run Valley de blanche you ski over a glacier. which is amazing, the veiws you get on theis run are spectacular. definately take a camera.
to start this run however you take a gondola up to the summit of Aguille de medie (i'm unsure of the correct ...