Winter in the Alps

Another beautiful sunny day here in the Alps - and no snow! Snow was forecast for Christmas Day but now I see that is not looking likely, the forecast has changed again. The problem is it is just so dry with no moisture in the air - I know as when I woke up this morning I felt as if my face was cracking! Gavin and I went for a long walk over the golf course and through the village before breakfast - which is when I took this photo. As you can see the bunker on the golf course is filled with snow, it would be difficult to find your golf ball if it lands in that!

We had a quiet day at the apartment attending to the kinds of things that accumulate when one has not been here for a long time. We popped in to the supermarket to get a few things we had forgotten yesterday. This year I have noticed some turkeys in the chiller, probably ordered in for the English tourists. They did not look very appetising and were quite expensive. But what took our breath away yesterday was a goose, I think it was frozen, that cost SFr158 (about £125) Today when we were there I went to show it to Luke (as he had been shocked by the price of chicken, so I said, just wait until you see this...) and it had been sold! Mad prices! This is why I bring our Christmas meats with us, pre-ordered from Waitrose.

Luke is feeling slightly better but not great. We have decided to go skiing tomorrow but he won't, he needs another day of just resting. We have been told by two locals that the snow on the top of the mountain is excellent, better than last year. Apparently the mountain staff anticipated the lack of snow this year and so have prepared the pistes is such a way that they are very good. We will find out tomorrow.