New Year’s Resolutions and costs of skiing…

The youngest of the siblings has left but two friends of the oldest one have replaced him. Provisions are continuing to be demolished at an alarming rate…time to bring out the low loader and forklift truck again. New Year’s Eve started with an attempt at skiing but the snow and thick cloud made it very slow progress and we refrained from any visits to the mountain hostelries as a long night lay ahead. We were sitting on a balcony over looking Morzine and Avoriaz, watching the firework displays, when 2009 arrived, well it did in France, actually it was still 11.00 pm in the real world..., haven’t they heard of Greenwich Mean Time? Our ever tolerant friends had a full chalet and the evening had whiled away with excellent wine and food. Eventually as the cold bit into us we wandered back into the warm chalet, the log burner ensuring that global warming continued…

As with every New Year we discussed our resolutions, plans, hopes and fears for 2009. (This year the fear element seemed higher than norm). The usual resolutions were evident: must lose some weight, sort out the garden, try and get fit plus my annual joke: “I’m not drinking any more…, I’m not drinking any less…, but I’m not drinking anymore.” Then the two old gits looked at each other; we are homeless, jobless and if the £ continues to drop, penniless! (I should say centless but it is too close to senseless for my liking). So we didn’t make any resolutions except we will endeavour to undertake our travels to find interesting places which are good value; come what may and blow the consequences. {If my bank manager happens to be reading this…I’m only joking}.

This brings me onto the sport of skiing. Without doubt, for an old git anyway, it is one of the finest past times that one could enjoy. Strangely enough I’m not talking about the après ski but the sport itself. If you ignore the snow boarders, (one day they will be banned…it’s only a matter of time!), the whole experience is exhilarating, especially queuing with the French for the lifts. The views are quite frankly unbelievable and the bowl of soup, (when it eventually arrives), tastes about the best thing that has ever passed your lips; mind you it should do at the price you’ve probably had to pay for it. The old gits acknowledge it is an expensive past time but it is still excellent value for the money and that is the issue. It can however be done on a reasonably tight budget. You can find yourself sliding into a hot bath with the ice clinking in your Gin & Tonic. The sound of creaking joints are interrupted by a long moan of utter satisfaction as the bubbles surround your neck and the glass rim caresses your lips as your favourite music soothes your troubled brow. Yes, you can go down to the bars and spend €5 on a small beer and be jostled for your troubles, but old gits have found a better solution. Go self catering and you can buy all your food and drink for the entire evening for the equivalent of a round of drinks in the village centre. Oh my Lord, I really have become a very, very old git…

For more facts and information visit:

www.facts-oldgitsgapyear.blogspot.com