Want to Ski the Alps? Here's Help in English.

 

If you’re planning to ski the French Alps this winter, a good time to start planning is now. So I thought I’d let you know about Megeve Mike, who’s something of a legend among Anglos who ski in France. ‘’It’s just ten weeks to Christmas,’’ Mike emailed me recently, ‘’and nine weeks ‘til we ski in beautiful Megeve. And for those who want an ‘Early Bird’ trip to Cervinia or Zermatt, that’s just a few weeks away.’’

Born in Maine, ‘’Megeve Mike’’ Beaudet attended the University of Denver and opened Ski Pros Megeve 20 years ago, to bring an alternative type of ski instruction in both French and English to clients from all over the world. I’ll let him explain: ‘’Ski Pros Megeve is not an 'Ecole de ski' in the traditional sense,’’ he says. ''We're  service-oriented American, French and British fully certified independent ski instructors. Each instructor is bilingual and works hard to make your Megeve ski holiday your best ever.’’

Mike offers a wide range of services in the French, Swiss and Italian Alps. While the bulk of his business has been built on private and small-group ski lessons for all levels and ages (including kids), he’s also called upon for guided daylong ski tours, heli-skiing adventures, full weekend programs, season passes, equipment rental, lodging and restaurant recommendations. ‘’We’re happy to do whatever you need for a great ski day or holiday,’’ he says.

The company is based in Megeve in the French Alps at the foot of Mt. Blanc: a one-hour drive from Geneva International Airport, a one-hour flight from London or Paris. The village lies in the Haute-Savoie region of Southeastern France and was developed as a ski resort in the 1920s by the Baroness Noémie de Rothschild. Megeve offers Michelin-starred restaurants, stylish shopping and a casino—while retaining its inviting old world charm. ‘’Megeve is a truly civilized ski area with a history that goes back more than 1000 years,’’  Mike says.  ‘’Horse drawn sleighs carry tourists all over during the peak periods and the village still has more than 40 working farms, where milk is produced to make local cheeses known all over the world.’’

Meanwhile, Mike tells me the Espace Mont Blanc ski domain covers a whopping 445 kilometers, has more than 100 lifts, is one of top six ‘’longest skiable areas’’ in France—and offers some of the very best views around. He offers ski services in Megeve, Saint Gervais, Chamonix, Les Contamines and Combloux, while day trips are available to Courmayeur and Cervinia.  More info on Megeve is here. Info on airports, airlines, ferries and car rentals appears on Mike’s site here.  

Once again this year, Ski Pros Megeve will be offering its Cervinia-Zermatt "Early Bird" ski trips, between November 1^st and December 15^th.  These are two- to five-day ‘’tune up’’ trips for all levels, on excellent snow, in the Italian and Swiss Alps, at 3,380 meters (11,089 feet). Trips are scheduled around your availability and pick up at Geneva International Airport (GVA) is included. 

Ski Pros Megeve
SkiProsMegeve.com

Tel +33 (0)6 81 61 06 15

mikeskifrance@yahoo.com

mike@skiprosmegeve.com

Skype: mikemegeve
Twitter: @skiprosmegeve

Photos: The Alps surrounding Megeve, photographed by Roger Moss of MountainPassions.com. Megeve from above, courtesy of Internaut.com. Mike Beaudet in his element. Megeve dressed up for the holidays, courtesy of Skiinof.fr. Regional map courtesy of Ski Pros Megeve. Piste map courtesy of Snotels.com.

Snow in Les Baux!

In Provence, early March usually heralds the beginning of the outdoor cafe season. Instead, we got snow. A Marseille-based photographer who goes by MarcoVdz took this great shot in Les Baux, using a Nikon D5000 and Photoshop 7. You can see more of Marco's dramatic Provence photography, with and without snow, on his Flickr page and on his website. [Disclaimer: Marco took this photo in January...but so what.]

The Cocktail Drinkers' Guide to Gardening: January

Born in Hampshire, England, James Clay is an artist and sculptor who settled down (somewhat) in St. Remy close to 20 years ago. Over time, he lovingly created a gorgeous one-hectare garden filled with fruit, palm, pine and olive trees (he has 60 olive trees, all of them transplanted), plus many varieities of bamboo, flowering plants and shrubs. There are few things James loves as much as gardening...and drinking is one of them. So it only made sense to combine both of his passions in this monthly column. This is month #4; to read previous months, click on James' name in the labels at the very bottom of this post. Enjoy!

Happy New Year from sunny Provence!

Yesterday we were having one of those 300 days of sunshine we get here every year which in January makes me feel very happy indeed. I am happy also that I have decided not to 'give up' anything again this year; I have always considered that a silly custom. Who on earth would want to stop drinking cocktails in January? There are summer cocktails, of course, but equally there are 'winter warmer' cocktails which are just as delicious--heartier and more robust.

I had lunch outside on the terrace; the temperature in the shade was very low but in full sunlight, lunch was a pleasant experience indeed. I then decided to do some digging. I have some small ponds which need clearing out and this is the time of year to do it. So, spade in hand, I attacked the job, watched by a robin who decided to keep me company. I'd forgotten how tame they appear to be; this one came so close I thought he was going to help in some way. There is something unusual about robins--they appear so watchful and benign and seem to delight in human company--that I found myself fancying that they incarnate the spirits of loved ones dead and gone. And so, in some way, he did help.

As the sun was beginning to set (and my back too), I packed in the digging and thought to stop by the pool house where I 'winter' my pots of citrus fruits: lemons, limes, grapefruits and oranges. During the greater part of the year they're outdoors on the terraces but are put away from early December to late March to protect them against frost. The lemons can be harvested even by mid- January and are already starting to fall from the branches. Time, I think, for a Whiskey Sour. These are just the ticket for this time of year, very healthy and full of vitamin C. I put the spade away and picked up a basket to collect some lemons. As I walked to the pool house, it started to snow. Now generally we get very little snow, if any, so it came as a huge surprise that so much should be falling. Needless to say the lemons were calling and, if not them, a whisky sour even louder. A little later I was to be found in the kitchen squeezing lemons for juice.

To make a delicious Whiskey Sour you will need:

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

2 measures Whiskey

Soda water to top up

Shake the ingredients in cocktail mixer with ice and strain into a small tumbler.

Add a good dash of soda water.

Decorate with a slice of orange and a cocktail (maraschino) cherry.

It was time now to light the fire and get back to my book. The snow was falling thick and fast. As I was just finishing my drink, the electricity went off...nothing rare in Provence, winter or summer. (For some reason only known to themselves, the E.D.F never thought of burying their cables so, as a result, any heavy weather results in blackouts). At least I had a good fire and the Whiskey Sour was keeping me pretty warm as well. But, three hours later, there we were, still with no power, no water (as even that is pumped by electricity) and it was off to bed by candlelight and to sleep. I cheered myself up thinking that it all felt quite cosy and Dickensian!

This morning, I woke to a Provence I could scarcely recognize, snowbound! It appeared 20 to 25 cms of snow had fallen overnight. I saw straight away that the olive trees had suffered badly--one or two have large branches broken off from the weight of the snow. I wonder what it must have been like in 1956, the morning after the big frost and mistral that killed so many olive trees in Provence. (If you've followed my columns, you may remember I wrote in November about why so many olive trees in Provence grow in a circular fashion around a dead inner trunk.) There was still no power and the house was beginning to feel distinctly chilly.

What to do next...? I remember when I used to dislike mobile phones while everyone else was delighting in them. I felt like someone from the last century (in fact I am someone from the last century). A quick call to my friend and fellow gardener, Didier, and he came to rescue us. Let other pens dwell on the difficulty of the rescue...

Gathering up some lemons, the Whiskey and my partner, we set off back to Didi's house.The whole countryside had simply disappeared under a blanket, no, not a blanket but a duvet of snow. Happy to be warm again, we are now planning a fireside get together this evening for all those who still remain without electricity (which appears to be quite a few). I am happy I remembered the lemons, that I had resolved never to give up anything for New Year and that I have some really good friends. You never know when any or all of them will come in handy!

Stay warm.

Photo taken in Marseille by James Wilf, via Flickr.com. To see more of James' work, go here.