The children had a two week break over the holidays. After celebrating the Christmas season in Aix, we loaded up the car with duffle bags full of ski clothing and headed to Switzerland.
Our first night was spent at the lovely Hotel Angleterre in Geneva, an 1872 landmark overlooking Lake Geneva and the French/Swiss Alps. The children were wowed by the luxury, decor and high style. Shane rose to the occasion and was very well-behaved. He and Mallory shared a beautiful room next door to ours. Mal enjoyed playing the princess role, including a luxurious bubble bath, white robe and slippers, turn-down service with fresh cookies on the pillow. They held hands all night and cuddled with their combined 6 stuffed animals.
We enjoyed a unique Swiss dinner of cheese and beef fondues and raclette, along with several dessert choices. It was three hours of FUN....the children were just delightful!
Now this is one happy kid!
We enjoyed a chilly stroll around the lake.
Shane was very proud of this photo he took of a swan enjoying Lake Geneva.
Our destination was the Patek Phillipe flagship store.
Mal and Shane show off our new watchbands. Indulge me in sharing a little story.... Just as we sat down to purchase new watchbands, we heard a LOUD "pop" which could have meant big trouble. Instead, it was a lightbulb which burst loudly, causing all of the lights in the store to flash. Once the security guards settled down and we picked our hearts off the floor, we decided it was Syd's parents' way of letting us know they were with us. We had just been talking about them and how much they had enjoyed their Patek Phillipe watches. It seemed more than coincidental that the light popped just at that moment. What do you think???
What a treat to enjoy Starbucks double tall skim lattes and hot cocoa, our first in six months!After our memorable morning in Geneva, we drove the remaining hour to Villars, Switzerland where we skied for a week. Villars is a quaint village and we enjoyed the Club Med package so all we had to worry about was keeping up the fast pace of sking & multiple kids activities!
This was the first ski trip for the children and the first in 17 years for Syd and Julie. I must admit the knees aren't quite what they used to be, but we really enjoyed that amazing feeling of being on top of a mountain and zooming down. Shane, especially, liked the "zoom!"
Th first day on the slopes was fabulous in the morning, remembering how to ski after so many years. The mountains around Villars are stunning and it snowed for the first hour....very magical.
By afternoon, my legs were tired and serious fog set in, so after my third fall and inability to get up without assistance, I had a good 5 minute cry in front of our instructor and group of nine french skiers (mainly men)....so embarassing! But, I made it down the mountain in one piece and Syd was very encouraging (and soothing with a foot massage at the end!)
The rest of the week was a different story! The sun was out all day - it was GLORIOUS! Each day seemed to click and my shining moment was recovering from a fall in a precarious spot on a narrow slope while littles ones and snowboarders flew past and the instructor and skiers in my group watched on. I felt like I had won an Olympic gold medal! Now in my 40s, I have come to realize that it is the little victories which one barely notices that mean the most.
Funniest part of the week; learning that "debout," when screamed three times by the pole lift worker, means "get your tush off the pole and STAND you silly American before you
fall in front of 200 anxious skiers!"
Nice form, Syd (he's the one is black in the middle)!
