Aix-les-Bains

I made it to the mountains!  My roommate Johan invited me to his house in Aix-les-Bains, a small city in south-eastern France on a lake surrounded by mountains.  It was really beautiful and great to see a new area of France!

We drove to Chamonix one day to go to the top of the mountain and see Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in Europe.  Unfortunately, we got there and the person selling the tickets said the view was not very good that day.  We had even checked the weather before leaving!  Also, the ticket cost 50 euro to go to the top.  So we ended up going halfway up (for 15 euro) and had a nice view of lots of mountains and the village of Chamonix.  It was also freezing cold, so we didn’t last that long.  We were the only people hanging out at this stop (besides some skiers who left pretty quickly). 

The next day we went to his brother’s house for his niece’s 4^th birthday.  It was a lot of fun to be surrounded by kids, and his family was so welcoming.  I felt a little awkward meeting the kids because I wasn’t sure whether I should faire la bise or not…and so I did with some of them, but they were only expecting a cheek kiss, not two…it all worked out in the end – I think I won them over with my pillow fighting skills.

We also went skiing!  I really wanted to go this winter, so it was great to be just a short drive away from the mountains.  It was sunny and decently warm the day that we went, and the views were amazing.  I made it down the mountain without falling…but going up was a different story.  They had the t-bars where you sort of rest your legs while standing on your skis and then you’re pulled up the mountain.  But there are little bumps and other people’s tracks…anyway, I lost my balance and went on a snow bank, and despite my valiant efforts at recovering and getting back on track, I fell.  I proceeded to block the path before I could scramble to the side and grab my ski.  And then several kids sailed by and said “Are you okay?” and “Did you fall?”  What does it look like??  Luckily, Johan heard my yelp and got off the tire-fesses, and we skied down half the mountain.

I also went to a raclette party, and the food was delicious!  Potatoes and cheese…who doesn’t like that combination??

Here’s the link for pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26879303@N03/