Snow Trippin: Zero visability

Friday, 16 December 2011

Zero visability

The storm was still raging, lifts still closed and avalanche cannons going off left, right and centre but shopping day was upon us again. The weeks seem to shoot by. The days of the week are now known to us by which type of meal we are cooking! No more Mondays, its Cod day!!

After the breakfast shift we headed for the van and made our way out of the village. We had only got to the end of the road when the pompiers pulled us in to say no driving or walking through or around the village was permitted for the next few hours due to the high risk of avalanche. It had reached 5 out of 5 on the avalanche risk factor. So with some light banter we turned on our heels and headed back home. Following a few hours waiting on updates from the local mayor and his team we eventually edged our way out of a very snowy village. Just as well as there were 4 chefs wanting produce for 4 fully booked chalets!

We knew the journey down to Borg St Maurice wasn't going to be pretty and it wasn't. Zero visibility, rutted ice tracks and lots of overhanging snow. I wont mention the hair pin bends with sheer drops. I was designated driver and again the usual 40 min drive took 1 1/2 hours. Add on a 2 hour supermarket sweep with a quiche thrown in and we were then ready for another 1 1/2 hour drive back. There were plenty of stops, one for our snow chain application and then multiple others for our fellow road users to fit theirs. The team were one warren of tired bunnies and once home felt like we had diced with death!

We made it back for 6pm and supper was at 7pm. Luckily Andrew, a fellow chef, had stayed behind and offered to step in with our prep due to our late return to the chalet. As it happened the rigger lads had braved it into town for a pint or two so we had a small breathing space before supper to unpack the shopping and make a start. In hindsight a full days shopping follow by returning home to prep and serve a dinner party for 7 is a no no. NB on shopping days we must produce a dish that can prepared way in advance.

All of us are hoping that the stormy weather improves as our guests are getting twitchy not being able to do what they really came for. No not drink themselves stupid, ski of course.

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Tales from a dining table.....

The thing is, Muslims, well, they all love a bacon sandwich really.... A 'red run' well, I thought it was more like a blue. ya'de, ya'de, ya'de... You two are great, fantastic, but this lot, well, we will be writing to ATOL without a doubt.... If you two ever open a restaurant, B&B or hotel, please, let us know as we will definitely come to dine / stay ....... Here's ya, our card, do stay in touch..... Right, Ja'smine, our daughter. Do not on any count buy her any cigarettes if she asks as she is only 13 but she smokes like a train when given the chance.... Do you think my fake English ID will work in town if I try and buy some cigarettes.... Please let me make this clear. This isn't directed at you two. But you will be hearing from my lawyers.... I only told you to come back if you could sort all I asked of you.... Do you have any coke or sprite as the kids do not drink water...... It's upstairs, somewhere. Try looking in the Louis vuitton, Cartier or Gucci wash bags.... Oh no I can't eat soft cheese as I'm pregnant. Oh Dave or Fe is there any more beers as while these lot polish off the cheese I'll pop up out for smoke and a cheeky beer prior to coffee...... In the future we are just going to self design and build as even when we spent 8 million we were still having to put up with other peoples ghastly interior tastes..... Back in our day, well, things were all very different.... You know you mentioned the 'blue bus service'' is the one to use to come up the hill if not skiing back to the chalet. Well, we sat at the stop for a good 40 mins and the only buses that went past were white ones so in the end we just walked.... So, do you get to do much skiing then or have you just purely come out to cook and clean up for 6 months solid .... Oh, oven roasted cod on a bed of 'lemons', parsley butter drizzled with white wine. Can I have some sliced lemon with that.....