It was as I sat in a dark, dimly-lit hospital in Bosnia, and a doctor walked past me inside the corridor puffing on a cigarette, that I asked myself whether I was still in Europe. I mean, of course I am still in Europe, but it has a very different feel to that which I […]
learning
My first week snowboarding.
The past week in Tignes started strangely, like no other of this season; on my face, on the nursery slope. From the vantage point of my skis, the nursery slope is a ‘flat’, gentle stress-free slope, but clip into a snowboard and it suddenly shifts into an intimidating and challenging, steep-pitched testing ground, striking fear […]
Hanging up my ski boots (for the season)
Since my first run of the season, excitedly letting off a whole year’s pent up ‘ski-frustration’ down a gentle, undulating piste on an unseasonably warm December day, I’ve donned my ski boots and headed up the mountain every day. Well, every day except Christmas Day, where working a 9 course meal for guests brought my […]
Eek! 3 months in – An update from Tignes
It’s been quite a while since I wrote about what I’d actually been up to out here in Tignes. I’ll fill you in on a few things!
A day in the life of a ski seasonairre: Nightwatch
The other day I wrote about a day in the life of a Kitchen Porter on a ski season which was quite popular. Since then, I’ve switched to Kitchen Porter/Nightwatch which means you do one for a week, taking each in turn. I think this is a great job! If you’re thinking of doing it […]
First true powder day
When I went to work my nightshift yesterday, it was snowing… heavily. As sleepy Tignes slowly awoke this morning, snow was still falling and the morning view was a layer of soft, fluffy, pure snow carpeting the village. Where there had been a car, a mound of snow now lay. Where there had been a […]
A day in the life of a ski seasonairre: Kitchen Porter
When I applied for a job as a ‘Kitchen Porter’ for a ski season, I didn’t have much idea what it actually involved. When actually I got hired as a Kitchen Porter… I still didn’t have much clue what it entailed, or importantly, how much time I’d be on the slopes! Well, I’ve been out […]
Painful Lessons: First time snowboarding
Always keen to try out a new experience and particularly snowboarding which I’ve wanted to give a shot for a while, when the opportunity to sneak out for a few runs before dinner with some friends arose, I nearly bit their hand off. Like virtually everything, snowboarding is one of those things which, when done […]
What is a ski season Christmas like?
I love Christmas, but as a seasonairre it is an entirely different experience! If you’re contemplating going on a winter season, you’re probably asking yourself ‘what a ski season Christmas is like?’ – this post will hopefully leave you with no misconceptions!I realised that things would be slightly different this year quite early on, as I […]
Tignes Transformation Tuesday!
I know there’s a few people heading to Tignes in the next few weeks who read this blog and have seen me criticising the snow (or rather its absence). Well, this one’s for you. I’d finished another shift, my 8th day in a row, beginning to feel like I was never actually going to ski. […]