Bonjour!
When you are tired of life, escape to the mountains. There are very few situations which can’t be improved with a week of fresh air, exercise, nourishing food, and spectacular landscapes. In the depths of winter, the prospect of time away on the slopes is the light I need to keep going. In fact, a vacation in January or February is always a highlight of my year.
Arriving in the French Alpine ski resort of Les Gets this week, it has been unexpectedly warm. As we drove an hour up into the mountains from Geneva Airport, the sky was blue, the sun was shining, and I wondered if I had packed too many layers. Still, thanks to the Les Gets’ altitude and the snow cannons, there is plenty of snow on the piste, and the resort is the gateway to more than 600 km of runs criss-crossing the French-Swiss border. You can therefore ski in two countries in a single day without even having to flash your passport!
One of the things I love about Les Gets is that it feels like a real community; it is not a seasonal resort that closes as soon as the winter ends. The main street is bustling with shops, restaurants, and bars. There is a museum dedicated to mechanical music, and a carousel with galloping horses on the square. You see grandparents wandering with little kids, stopping to play in the snow. Lovers are chatting over coffee and pastries. People actually live, work, and go to school here, though of course the population is boosted by day trippers and tourists like me.
I am staying this week at Chalet Marjorie, a pretty alpine chalet about five minutes walk away from Les Gets’ main gondola station. The chalet’s design and wooden building materials are very traditional and in keeping with the village’s dominant architectural style, but the combination of exceptionally good insulation plus energy efficient technologies means that it is much more environmentally friendly than neighboring buildings. The pine interiors still have a faint smell of resin, so if you close your eyes it is almost like being in the forest.
Staff at the chalet live in, and start every day cooking a hearty breakfast for anywhere up to 38 guests. Chalet Marjorie is catered, which is a blessing as the food is fantastic, and when you have spent a full day skiing or snowboarding, you don’t necessarily want to go out again to hunt for a restaurant. Every Saturday, it is Savoyard night, named after the Savoy region of France where Les Gets is located. This rich cuisine makes the most of local ingredients, in particular cheeses and cured meats, all from animals raised on the lush alpine meadows. Pastry chef Millie also has a fine line in homemade cakes, all beautifully decorated, which she bakes every day and serves with afternoon tea, welcoming skiers home to the chalet.
Tempting as it is to lounge around at the chalet all day, reading books by the fire or soaking in the hot tub on the terrace, this isn’t what I am here for. I want to be outside, feeling the mountain air on my face as I speed along the runs. I’m never going to be a particularly fast or elegant skier, but that is not what is important: I just can’t get enough of the great outdoors.
Yesterday morning, I saw Mont Blanc, its snowy peak soaring above the valleys and lesser mountains of the Alps. I know it is the tallest summit in Europe, but somehow had never previously appreciated how much bigger it is than those around it. At the top of the Ranfoilly chair lift there is a viewing platform and one of the most impressive panoramas I’ve ever seen. I stood there ages, captivated by the view and feeling very small and insignificant in the world. It was a feeling of wonder, rather than melancholy, however, and to cement my good mood I then skied off to treat myself to a indulgently cream topped hot chocolate. I may have had a shot of Cointreau in it too, further warming my heart.
It is time for me to say au revoir, at least for now.
