Domestic Duties & the H&M "Porsche Cayenne"

It snowed again overnight but only a dusting after the dump yesterday. Today we walked to the local Boulangerie to buy our bread. Our bakery makes, not only delicious bread, but incredible pastries and cakes. Our willpower is going to be sorely tested. We have decided to make croissants a Sunday morning treat and stick to the traditional bagette for the rest of the week.

After breakfast, I baked my first cake, made a casserole (or ragout in French) in our extremely complex combined oven and microwave. Thank goodness the instructions are in English, I am sure that assembling a satellite navigation system would be easier!! We met up with Hubert and Marie to buy our local ski passes for Grand Massif. The roads have not been cleared and the driving conditions are extremely hazardous. Apparantly later in the season they are cleared up to three times a day! But H& M have a trusty Fiat Panda fitted with narrow winter tyres. It is jokingly referred to as the Family Porsche Cayenne!! This car has some serious rust problems and has seen better days but it is absolutely sure footed on the icy roads. They have said to us to take the car any time the conditions get really icy. However we have decided to "bite the bullet" and buy some snow tyres for our rental car. We will go with Richard and Liz this week when they get winter tyres for their car. Hopefully we might be able to resell them at the end of the season and recoup some of the cost.

Despite Les Carroz not being open there were a few keen skiers who donned their skins and walked up the piste to have some first runs for the season. While there is no base the snow was about 50 cm deep and incredibly light and fluffy. Graeme was positively frothing at the mouth by this stage!! To appease him we donned the boots and gaters and headed up on the piste by foot later in the afternoon. The ski purchase cannot come soon enough.

H&M and family have returned to Lyon this afternoon and will return in about 2 weeks. We have really enjoyed their company and look forward to their return.