2024 Weeknote 7

To France this week, for the now-annual ski holiday to Les Carroz. Rachael and I found ourselves back in the large apartment we stayed in during our first visit, in 2019, which was a treat as there were only three of us this time, so we had a room each. It snowed the day before we arrived so I was treated to snowy trees, which is one of my favourite ski views - normally all the snow has melted off them by the time I get to a resort.

Generally, there was glumness about the lack of snow from the locals but we found enough to ski on; it was a bit hairy towards the bottom of the slopes where they'd been making the fake snow, but on day 3 we got all the way over to Flaine for a view of Mont Blanc and the snow was really good. The skiers less so...I swear a lot of those blues are not really blue, but there were still dozens of people attempting to get down them when they didn't have enough skill to be able to both navigate the increasingly mogully terrain at the same time as showing some awareness of anyone else on the slope. It was a bit scary at times. 

I decided, once, to cut across some very tame-looking off-piste and join a quieter slope, and then fell over just as I was about to join it. I felt what I assume was a hamstring twang right across the back of my leg, as naturally my ski stayed put and my body had to accommodate the fall. I skied on for the rest of the day but by the evening, my leg was sore and giving way periodically, so I took Thursday off skiing and got a pastry in town instead, followed by a long visit to the spa. It was adults-only night which, as it turns out, means 'definitely bring your 16-year-old children' and 'publicly shag in the little pods in the spa pool', neither of which we expected. But it was better than Tuesday, which is apparently the perfect day to bring your children into the fairly small spa pool so they can practice swimming between your legs and/or endlessly splash everyone.

In all, it was a bit childrenny for me all week, but I suppose they have to go on holiday too. 

I enjoyed the new ski trousers. It was nice skiing in white as this seemed a bit cooler, although they were not particularly wicking. Hella comfy, though. Very high-waisted and I loved the braces as it meant there was no tugging up or being pinched by a belt. 

This is astonishingly good matching of the bottom of my jacket to the edge of the cliff behind me, considering I took it by propping my phone up on a ski holder. Also - new helmet. 

Whilst away, Zoe and I booked our summer holiday to Italy: a couple of days in Rome, followed by 10 days in Sorrento and Amalfi. I secretly booked a seaview room with a balcony jacuzzi for Amalfi as I know this will go down well. I fear it might be too hot for a hot tub, but the thought is there. I can't wait to return to my spiritual home and eat all the pasta. 

I continued with my hexagon efforts all week long and I'm now slightly ahead of myself, having completed 22 so far this month, even though it's only the 18th. Go me! Eight more and the whole project will be knitted. Just 200-odd ends to sew in and then I have to somehow join it together. 

I've continued reading The Vanishing Witch - 100 pages to go so I might finish it this week - and watching Better Call Saul, as well as Game of Thrones. I'm into series 3 of GoT already. There's that eagerness when you've seen it before, isn't there? I couldn't wait for Daenerys to get to the Unsullied; now that's past, I can't wait for the Red Wedding. Since the leg is still quite stiff, it's the perfect excuse to prop it up and watch another one.