Finally the family got around to some real holidays. It’s been about six months since we last took some time off to reflect on the half-year passed (correction : just to relax, switch off the brain and enjoy each other’s company).
We took to the mighty alps, Savoie - France to be more precise, some 900Km south-east of Brussels, our usual dwelling. A short trip by American standards, but yours-truly not being American it was considered a whole expedition for these young parents. The trip besides being a holiday also provided a good “road worthiness” test case for two things: the new car and the latest addition to our family, namely Clara.
Driving 900Km with a baby strapped in like a fighter jet pilot not being the thing to do and all we took our time getting there of course. That being said, Clara was a good sport. She happily toyed with the stethoscope and other assorted items we had been mindful to provide her with for their entertainment value. Occasionally she would call to our attention when toys got tangled, the pacifier had been flung somewhere unreachable or the driver needed enhance the velocity of travel.
after an uneventful overnight stay in Nancy (I don’t recommend it for its entertainment value) we arrived in “Les Menuires” around midday on Saturday. The drive up the mountain provided us with some stunning panoramas going from the green valleys to the snow-covered mountaintops. I’ll spare you the details of checking in, unloading the ridiculous amount of kit we packed and getting set up comfortably in our room. Let me only say that the hotel, “l’Ours Blanc” was a delight, perfectly suited for a family vacation.
Our home for the next week was thus the ski domain of “Les 3 Vallees“. We made arrangements for a morning day care so Maya and I could do “our own thing” in the morning and play with Clara in the afternoons. This turned out to be a perfect arrangement for us all.
The late season skiing turned out to be a perfect choice. The snow was about 2m at the top and about half a meter at the bottom of the slopes. The weather was not too cool under the clouds and when the sun came out is was just delightful. Maya and I both took some classes to get the rust out of our technique which turned out to be a very good thing. I learned some new tricks on the board e.g. “doing flats” and working on my so-far unsuccessful 360. Maya re-built some of her confidence but was quickly on to other things - the pool.
The afternoons being laid away for the little one we took her out for sled-rides. After what must have been the initial shock of seeing all the ground covered in some white fluff she took to it quite rapidly. I suspect most of her enjoyment came not from the ride itself as much as seeing her parents trying to keep a sprint up in full winter gear down the mountain as we pulled the sled behind us.
Being young parents also has some considerable effects on the “apres-ski” entertainment. This is where the hotel absolutely shone. Their lounge and open fireplace turned out to be the perfect place for Clara to socialize with just about anyone who would look at her. Being a very energetic kid she scooted around the place till she dropped of fatigue. With a number of other young kids around this gave us plenty of opportunity to socialize.
After a week of fun it was about time for us to turn homeward, back north, to the by then dreary prospect of Belgian weather and the mountain of work awaiting us at our jobs. The last bright spot of this trip was to be the overnight stay in “Nuits St. Georges” a small town in Bourgogne amidst the vineyards. This was no innocent choice to be sure, the wine cellar of yours truly was running a little low so this provided an opportunity to stock up on some of the best wine France has to offer. The overnight stay was great. By some stroke of luck (a power-outage in the whole wing dedicated to the cheap rooms actually) we ended up with a very nice hotel room.
Now the trip’s over, we are left with what will surely be fond memories (captured in a few shapshots here) and a nice tan. I can’t wait till the next holiday! Thank god that’s only 8 weeks away!