Skiing and sickness in Morzine

So after we arrive in Morzine, one of the guests leaving, we sat at a long 9ft dinner table with a plat and a table full of baguettes and fine french cheeses. I remember a story about a ripe cheese and lysteria infections, I tried it, but hedged my bets, much like eating shellfish, you never know when that last bite gets you sick. We settled down that evening for champaign and frois grois, then dinner,pork sausages and fried potato balls, oh and some lovely red wine. I slept like a baby waiting for fresh snow in the morning.

In the night I awoke to the most aweful sound any skier can hear, other than a breaking bone... RAIN. It must have rained for at least three hours. I was sooooo bummed out. I had already rented my gear the evening before and the thought of skiing in the rain reminded me of the good old days of Big Bear. I hadnt travelled to the famed French Alps to compare the snow to Los Angeles... but it seems I did. Then the next sound you never want to hear... "I dont feel good," followed shortly by heaving and splashing in a plastic trash can. I listened until she was over the hump and took the can, flushed the contents, rinsed, then back to bed to sleep while Jen wondered which cheese or which child got her sick.

The morning was dry but the clouds sat heavy in the sky, just like Jen's stomach in her gut. Jen was going to have to tolerate another day of kids with Florence and Elise and Vincent even being as sick as she was. Fortunately Vincent was a doctor and prescribed some antiemtics and pain/cramping meds and I ran down to the pharmacy with my favorite phrase in mind "Je no pal pas francais." 8€ for her meds and back I went praying for no rain and a dramatic drop in temperature. It was about 40F as Niko and I got our gear together and bolted for the hills.

I think we got up two lifts before the rain started. We decided early it was going to be a short day, and it was. By the time we left the mountain the snow level had dropped a bit, it was snowing at the top of the first lift, about an inch an hour and at the top of the mountain it was dumping. When we got down to the bottom, after skiing past some horses at the first plateau, I had to ring out my gloves three times and all of our clothes were hung to dry next to the furnace.

From Morzine, France

Jen was locked in her room with her head spinning circles. Fortunately the medicine was working.

I sat down after skiing for some bread and cheese.

Appetizer was more frois grois. Dinner was pasta and Niko was in trouble for saying that you never mix gnocchi with farfalle. Oh, and some lovely red wine. Jen was bolted in her room, couldnt move and ready, with any movement, to barf again.

The next morning, after another restless sleep, I got up to rally Vincent and Elise for a day at Avoriaz. We walked to the Gondola and up we went for the time of my life. They started slow and we took the initiative to get across the alps into switzerland, take the long road round the back, below Dents Blanches and then ski hard back into Avoriaz, then the bus home. The clouds socked us in good. Then suddenly, they parted... horizontally. As I pulled out the camera, the run went from misty with a sliver of blue across the horizon, to clear with clouds above and below. Vincent and Elise went down for the last run. I was pooped, I fell on ice ran over dirt and pulled my boots off the second we were down.

From Morzine, France

Appetizers were bread and cheese, frois grois and champaign, then into Raclette for dinner with a grille on the table and Jen on the couch watching the fun. At least she was down stairs now.

From Morzine, France

The kids were having a great time as we were wrapping up our day and telling our stories of the low-ceiling swiss chalet and great snow at the top. We woke in the am to pack and get ready to leave, the sky was dramatic and the air crisp.

To Dole we went.