Cent Vingt: Day 2 for Norm

Our Divonne abode, pretty sweet eh? Thanks Alayne and Tim!

I tried to get up early to sneak out and ski. This was another picture of mine, getting some great training in without anyone in my large family noticing! It wasn't to be as I set my alarm wrong, but enjoyed an extra hour of good sleep, which I really needed.

perfect

But then I drove up to La Vattay where I was recognized in the rental shop, as being from the "Evans" account (a great honour to be associated with my XC ski junkie brother in law Tim, with whom I've skied, or chased after, many times). I bought a season's pass, the first time I've ever done such a thing!

And then I looked around. The snow is at least 1.5 - 2 metres deep, covering everything. It was light and fluffy, and I skied on some trail that had not yet been groomed. It was amazing, maybe the most snow I've seen up there.

Hard, hard hill

The skiing was, well, harder than anything I've tried recently. I weak as a kitten thanks to it being my 2nd ski of the season, running into 1400m altitude for the first time, and that sedentary lifestyle I was enjoying as I wrote grants in Halifax! I kind of like that pain though, I know I'll be able to see and feel the improvements quickly! I hope. I stopped a record number of times on the first 2k climb, fighting back the nausea....But I dragged 14.5kms out of myself, and know I'll be back for more ASAP!

Annecy canal

Immediately upon returning we headed to Annecy, a beautiful old town south of us about 60kms. We got separated from the Hainsworth/Bennetts (The H/B's we'll call them), but still managed to run into them in the old part of town. Annecy is typical in that it's a chateau on a hill surrounded by a town filled with many restaurants and shops. It must be jammed in summer, on this Saturday, it was pretty full.

Annecy rooftops from the chateau

This was our first real look and wander trip, so it was nice to see the boys fall into my favourite groove of amazement and wonder, rounding each corner. It's my favourite thing!