Paul's Bucket List: Alps
Last year, a lot of our travel ended up being about things on my bucket list. Jordan, Cambodia, Thailand's Lantern Festival were all some of the experiences I had been dreaming of. Perhaps it makes sense as I like to do the travel planning, but not exactly fair to my husband who willingly joins along on my long-awaited exploits.
This year though, it's been about Paul's wish list. The first and biggest thing he's wanted to - ski the French Alps.
So, we found some friends to join (easy), found a chalet (not quite as easy) and headed to Chamonix.
I had dreams of skiing the beautiful slopes, indulging in all the apres ski I could and unwinding at the end of the evening in the hot tub with a glass of wine.
Little did I imagine when we planned the trip, that I would find myself about 3 months pregnant. Pregnancy and morning sickness do not mix well with a ski trip. I tried a half day of skiing, but gave up as it was uncomfortable and I decided I'd be much happier in my bed with a book.
So while I didn't enjoy skiing, cocktails, or hot tubs, I did still get to enjoy stunning views of the mountains, which you can see from just about anywhere in Chamonix, relaxed (if somewhat cold) walks around the town, somewhat pathetic attempts at speaking French and time to catch up on sleep, reading and chatting with friends.
Paul did get the chance to enjoy some of the more "traditional" offerings of Chamonix. While the skiing wasn't great due to the warmer than usual weather in February and the poor snowfall in the winter, he still spent the long weekend on the slopes.
He was especially excited to have skiied Valle Blanche, the glacier found at the top of the Aiguille du Midi. A guide is required on this off-piste slopes, although not as much necessary because of the mountains less than snowy conditions.
Then, before we knew it, the weekend was over, reminding us why most people choose to spend a whole week skiing (versus our 3 days). While we weren't as impressed by the skiing, Chamonix had a lot to offer and we've been told that this wasn't a great year, so perhaps we'll have to give it a second chance (and hope they have some really good kiddie slopes!)
This year though, it's been about Paul's wish list. The first and biggest thing he's wanted to - ski the French Alps.
So, we found some friends to join (easy), found a chalet (not quite as easy) and headed to Chamonix.
I had dreams of skiing the beautiful slopes, indulging in all the apres ski I could and unwinding at the end of the evening in the hot tub with a glass of wine.
Little did I imagine when we planned the trip, that I would find myself about 3 months pregnant. Pregnancy and morning sickness do not mix well with a ski trip. I tried a half day of skiing, but gave up as it was uncomfortable and I decided I'd be much happier in my bed with a book.
So while I didn't enjoy skiing, cocktails, or hot tubs, I did still get to enjoy stunning views of the mountains, which you can see from just about anywhere in Chamonix, relaxed (if somewhat cold) walks around the town, somewhat pathetic attempts at speaking French and time to catch up on sleep, reading and chatting with friends.
Paul did get the chance to enjoy some of the more "traditional" offerings of Chamonix. While the skiing wasn't great due to the warmer than usual weather in February and the poor snowfall in the winter, he still spent the long weekend on the slopes.
He was especially excited to have skiied Valle Blanche, the glacier found at the top of the Aiguille du Midi. A guide is required on this off-piste slopes, although not as much necessary because of the mountains less than snowy conditions.
Then, before we knew it, the weekend was over, reminding us why most people choose to spend a whole week skiing (versus our 3 days). While we weren't as impressed by the skiing, Chamonix had a lot to offer and we've been told that this wasn't a great year, so perhaps we'll have to give it a second chance (and hope they have some really good kiddie slopes!)
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