Setting off to ski

Saturday 5th January

As I am not so fond of flying, I had persuaded Paul we should use the Eurostar to go skiing. This was a little complicated, as La Plagne mostly seems to expect the clients to come on a package tour, or else to fly or drive. So it was difficult to find a bus which we could take up to the resort from the nearest station. About a week before we left, the bus company seemed to have had a change of heart and said there would be a bus which would leave the station at 18.55 and would be suitable for our train which arrived at 6.30; we just hoped there would be no delays!

We arose in the dark and rushed around madly until our taxi arrived somewhat before 7am. It was fortunate we were early at the station as our train was cancelled but fortunately we were just in time to catch the one before it. About half way to London, Paul realised he had left his folder behind containing, along with our schedule, the bus tickets without which we would not be allowed on the bus! There was nothing we could do at that point, so we just had to make the best of it.

We arrived at St Pancras 45 minutes before our check-in time, so we went to a café which had free Wi-Fi and managed to download the bus ticket. Then I read the paragraph which said the ticket had to be printed on A4 paper, and would not be accepted on-screen! We consulted the very sympathetic waiter in the café (nice place, dreadful coffee) who recommended the Information Desk, and they very kindly printed the ticket for Paul. So we had overcome that particular problem, and were able to check in.

The train set off and made good speed until we got to the Channel Tunnel. Then we sat outside the Tunnel for some time, and were eventually told we could not proceed because there was 'a metal object' on the line inside the tunnel. A shuttle was sent out to retrieve this - I imagine it was probably something which fell off a train; then we were on our way again, but 45 minutes late.

For the rest of the journey we speculated on what we would do if the bus had left before the train reached the station. The Train Manager announced that buses from Moutiers and Bourg St Maurice would wait for the train, but he didn't mention Aime, where we were going. As we were still in the train at 6.55 when the bus was due to leave, we were not hopeful. My sister wondered if we'd have to walk up to the resort (18 km., dragging baggage and a huge ski box).

The bus company, bless them, had sent a taxi for a number of who had missed the bus. One of them had flown from Manchester, and his story made me very glad that our son and his wife had, after initially thinking that they would like to come with us, had decided that our grandson was too small and it would be better to wait until he was older. Our fellow taxi passenger had flown from Manchester at 7am and only arrived at 7pm! Imagine what that journey would have been like with a very active 20 month old!

There was fog at the airport at Chambery so the plane from Manchester, after circling for a while, was diverted to Lyons. They waited at Lyons for some hours for transport to Chambery or the resorts, then eventually the fog cleared so they were allowed to fly to Chambery. However, it was then found that there was no transport from there to the resorts, since it was by then afternoon and the plane had been expected at 10am. So the man we spoke to ended up going on a coach to Aime and ended up on the same taxi to La Plagne as us, at just after 7pm! That was the time it took us, coming by train.

It's a long and winding road up to the resort, so it was nearly 8pm when we arrived and the Reception in the building where we had taken an apartment was just closing. In her hurry, the woman at Reception forgot to tell us where the master switch for the electricity was - and we didn't know we needed to know it! She also said it was too late to give us towels and sheets and we would have to go to a different Reception for that.

We found the apartment on the 6th floor and went in. But everything was in darkness and there was no light so we were reduced to using my phone as a torch (Paul's phone battery had run out...) We searched and searched but still couldn't find the master switch and, when Paul went down again, Reception was closed. We were wandering the corridors seeking enlightenment (pun!) when we saw a man coming along the corridor the other way. He showed us the master switch in his apartment (over the front door, at ceiling level) and fortunately it was the same in our apartment. It was too high for me to reach, but Paul managed it. So at least we had light.

We left our suitcases and went out seeking our sheets and towels. Everywhere was closed and quiet, and we could not find it anywhere. After much solitary wandering and directions given by two different people we eventually found the other Reception, and got our sheets and towels. But we could see, as we walked back, that the supermarket was closed. So we dumped our sheets and towels and went seeking food, there being nothing in the apartment - not even a grain of salt, must remember to buy that...

We found a bar which was open and had a bar meal which was quite acceptable. Then we went home to make our beds and sleep for hours.

The apartment is quite nice, with a wonderful view up the slopes, but would have been an awful squeeze for us if my son and family had arrived. There is a bedroom with two narrow beds and a living room with three couches, which are the other beds. I tried to post a photo of it, but the connection is too poor even to deal with one photo.

There is one bathroom with a separate loo. The towels supplied (supplement €9) are thin and small. There are 2 flat sheets and two blankets for each bed. We were not cold, but I have completely forgotten how to make beds when you don't have a duvet! However, we were both exhausted and fell into bed as soon as we had beds to fall into!