Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Alice in Wonderland

The French Alps

 

If you lived two hours away from the French Alps, had a guest staying with you from Australia who had never seen snow in the mountains before, a son home from college who loves to ski, and a Belle Mere who had a ninth floor apartment on the slopes what would you do?

 

 

French Alps Going Up

 

 

Yann drove.

Sacha non stop talked.

Alice listened, and

I did not fall asleep.

 

 

Driving to the French Alps

 

 

We drove up yesterday (on my birthday). 

Stopped at a grocery store for supplies for dinner.

One year I received a coffee machine for my birthday, I don't drink coffee.

This year Yann bought a pear tart for my birthday cake… pear tart is faraway from my favorite. Thankfully the gifts he gives by being himself: Loving, generous in spirit, kind hearted, family oriented…etc. are what I love most, otherwise I might be grumpy. 

I don't ski.

I was a bit grumpy. Especially when he made pasta with butter for dinner.

 

 

Countryside French Alps

 

 

The drive was a gift. I took photos with my cell phone while Yann drove.

 

 

Cabin in French Alps

 

 

A smallish chateau in the middle on a mountain.

 

 

Push car in the Alps

 

This is our nineteen year old blue car, we consider it family. We do not have the heart to get rid of it. It is a trooper for going skiing, driving in rough terrain, carrying canoes and other sporting gear, plus it is a truck when we need to haul debris and best of all it is spacious and doesn't mind getting dirty when we go to the brocante.

We were fifty yards from our final destination when the road became impossible to continue without chains. We have chains, but Yann and Sacha couldn't be bothered to put them on for the last mere fifty yards.

Sacha jumped out of the car to push it, and Alice (stylish as ever in her red skirt) joined him.

I watched, taking opportunities to be spoiled, since I was the birthday girl.

 

Red Skirt in the Snow

 

 

Alice in Wonderland.

 

 

Snow on tree

 

 

Tomorrow they will teach Alice to ski. Sacha said, "First we will teach you to do a 360, then you will learn to do a back flip, and after that we will teach you to ski backwards…" 

Alice chimmed in, "Ski backwards? I think I will master that without trying."

What I hope to be true that they will:

Avoid avalanches. Drink hot chocolate, and make memories.

 

In the warm place

 

Until then…

Do you remember the first time you ever saw a snowflake?

Have you ever made a snowman?

Do you ski?

 

 

 

 

Comments

40 responses to “Alice in Wonderland”

  1. Claudia

    You are showing Alice the best! time and having fun yourselves. What troopers you all are!

    Reply
  2. Nance

    Corey, ALL of Alice’s friends are going to want to come with her next time. What a fabulous view of France and family you are giving her!
    On learning to ski…When I was 30 and recently divorced, I decided to do all sorts of new things. I had never even stepped on skis.. so talked a guy friend(a skier) into a day trip to a small ski resort.
    He went to the tough runs…I to a lesson on the beginner slope. After my lesson without poles..I wanted to show off my new skill. He came to watch. As I skied in my 1 hour lesson style, I could not stear too well and after too much speed CRASHED into a man that was standing right in my path. He may never do that again. We were both ok…my ego crushed and unfortunately one of his poles now in 2 pieces. I appologized and explained I had just finished my first lesson…giving him the only money in my pocket, $20 for him to buy a new pole. He smiled, gave me back my $20 and suggested I use it to take another lesson.
    He put a smile back on my red face!

    Reply
  3. penny

    Cory, Here in Chicago we’ve had over 50 inches of snowflakes this winter. I skied when I was young, made many a snowman and still love the snow. Have a wonderful trip…find a cozy spot near a fire…enjoy!

    Reply
  4. Rhonda

    I agree with everyone, I wish I were Alice right now! A trip to remember for sure!
    HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY Corey! Yann owes you a trip to the brocante, right?
    Oh, I’ve tried to ski with my sister and all of our friends who were excellent on the slopes. After a few spills, wish I had pictures of, my sweet sister and I ended up at the resort with hot chocolate, in front of the fireplace. End of ski story. No broken legs. Okay with it all.
    Grew up in Chicago and have had enough of snow. Why I live in the desert now. Oh, snow, it’s pretty but I hate driving in it and constantly shoveling, scraping.

    Reply
  5. Franca Bollo

    Alice is a wit. I am jelly. She’s having a trip of a lifetime. How much longer will she be staying with you before she returns to summer down under?

    Reply
  6. Franca Bollo

    And, oui to all three.

    Reply
  7. Kit

    My kids would love that as a birthday treat – they are poor deprived South African children who’ve never seen snow! I grew up in the south of England where snow wasn’t guaranteed every year and where we made the most of it when it did come, snowmen and snowballs and snow angels and sliding down hills on plastic sacks.

    Reply
  8. Jeanne

    Beautiful adventures for you all……….How wonderful yes I have made a snowman remember snowflakes and never have tried to ski. Love all you share.
    Blessings’
    Love Jeanne

    Reply
  9. Marilyn

    Love that Alice is getting such flavors of France. Oh and I love seeing the stylish Alice too, she is a cutie. The first Christmas after my husband and I married we spent in Colorado. I can still remember my excitement at seeing snow fall for the very first time. What beauty snow creates, but brrrrr!

    Reply
  10. Teresa Young

    You are so blessed to be in such a beautiful place on your birthday. Enjoy every moment my friend.
    Teresa

    Reply
  11. Sharon Penney-Morrison

    We have snow here…everything is covered and so pretty, however…no mountains or skiing.
    Well, you have lived with Yann long enough to know how he works! LOL
    If you are like me, I buy what I want for my birthday and thank my partner for it!! hahahah
    hugs..

    Reply
  12. Momof5

    I skied but always cautious, never well or without fear. My kids moved on to black diamonds and snow boards. I’m happy to sit by the fire in the lodge and drink hot chocolate and read. I do like to tube though. As for the pear tart I can relate. My husband bought me gladiolus for my birthday last year. It is the only flower I dislike. I was grumpy and asked if he had ever seen a gladiola in our house or garden? I needed to practice grace…

    Reply
  13. Dawn Fleming

    Love your blog and posts! I live in the Chicago area so I’ve seen snow & snowflakes my entire life. I always loved making snowmen up until being a teenager. Maybe I should try that again to celebrate being 51 since we have had so much snow this year. In fact it is snowing again today — already at 6 inches as of 1 p.m. I don’t ski – I rather sit in a ski lodge, read by the fire, and have a hot chocolate or something stronger:)

    Reply
  14. Janet with Eiffel

    I grew up with snow in British Columbia.
    I recall I didn’t like it much even as a child.
    Too cold. I still don’t like to be cold.
    Also, don’t like wet clothing, and……don’t like pain.
    No skiing for me thanks.
    Love to look at pretty (pictures) of snow.
    Love hot chocolate.
    Love cozy rooms with fire places.

    Reply
  15. Suzanne

    Happy Belated Birthday Corey! What a beautiful spot to celebrate…indoors, I would say.
    Having grown up in the midwest U.S. close to the Canadian border, snow was prevalent almost 1/2 of the year. When I was in high school, one Christmas my brother and I received a toboggan for a gift. We took it out to the local golf course, which had a giant hill with one tree on the slope going down. Of course, it was fate….a friend was riding along, going down that hill and the 3 of us,
    hit the tree and we all went flying! We were not worried about being hurt…oh no, we were worried about the toboggan, which, luckily only had a very small dent in the front of it. We had sprains and bruises, but never told our parents the story! After that, we learned how to steer clear of the lonely tree! And what fun we had! Now, I spend the winters in the sunny and warm south and don’t miss that bitter cold, only the fun we all had growing up with the snow.
    Enjoy the time with your family and stay warm!

    Reply
  16. Jeannie

    What a beautiful spot to celebrate your birthday! Presents are forgotten, but the gift of self is remembered for a lifetime. (Or, so I tell myself when I get a wheelbarrow or shovel for a present.) Growing up near the Cascades, I learned to ski. Hated being cold all the time, and wet! Then I went skiing on powder snow and was in love with it. That was 40+ years ago and with bones that could handle a tumble. I make snow people/animals every year and will until I am Annie’s age. 🙂 Remember, you get to celebrate your birthday for as many days you are in years. My 81 year old Aunt told me this rule when she was 65 and she celebrates like crazy.

    Reply
  17. Becky F

    Happy belated birthday Corey!
    What a wonderful time everyone is having. Alice is such a cutie!
    The first time I skied my friends and I were out on the slopes for 12+ hours. I was 21 at the time and could barely move the next day. I have never mastered turning both skis to the side to stop, I “snow-plow”. Needless to say I don’t ski very often any more.

    Reply
  18. Cheryl

    38 degrees here in Adelaide and 40 degrees on Saturday…..not a snow flake in sight. Indeed Alice is in wonderland. What a wonderful journey you take us all on.Enjoy the cold, dodge the avalanche, drink lots of hot chocolate and keep those stories coming!
    xxxxx

    Reply
  19. dede thompson

    Happy Birthday, Corey.
    xox,
    dede

    Reply
  20. head in the sun

    The first shot is beautiful.

    Reply
  21. Bev S.

    My first memory is of sitting in a frisbee going down a little snowy hill. (I didn’t like it.) I used to ski but with the price of lift tickets and equipment, I have retired from that sport. I do love to tubing though.

    Reply
  22. christine

    A most happy birthday to you Corey…..may they all be filled with love and family!

    Reply
  23. carol

    Sadly, I do not remember seeing my first snowflake. I should because snow is not something we have every winter! I have never skied, BUT I have made snowmen and snowwomen!
    My favorite was Minnie Mouse, complete with a snow purse and jewelry made from camelias!
    Your adventures look like so much fun. Thank you for sharing them.

    Reply
  24. Sue

    I have been to the slopes with my family, but have never skied. I’d have arthritis since I was 12, and that doesn’t go well with falling down a mountain! I do love snow, though, having never had to live with it all winter or shovel it ever! We pray for at least one good snow day a year around here. Beautiful pictures, as always!

    Reply
  25. Iowa Julie

    Happy Birthday, Corey! Sounds like it is VERY happy!

    Reply
  26. Joan

    Happy belated birthday, Corey1 You deserve a year of wonderfulness ahead!

    Reply
  27. nancy w

    Happy Birthday & many happy returns of the day.

    Reply
  28. Barbara

    Yes to sking! The freedom of flying…the quiet…nothing compares…sadly no snow in calif this winter…perhaps I need a trip to the alps, yes?
    BV

    Reply
  29. Karen Carson

    Since I do not have an urge to die prematurely, nor do I like to be cold, I do “ski lodge” very well! You are showing Alice the most wonderful experiences! Happy Birthday!

    Reply
  30. Brother Mathew

    nope. yep. used to.

    Reply
  31. Brother Mathew

    Another birthday. Yikes. Means mine is right around the corner. Happy late Birthday wish. Oldster.

    Reply
  32. Irina

    Corey, you’re having a fabulous time! It so beautiful in the mountains!
    As most part of my life was spent in Ukraine, we had snow in winter. Not too much as I’m from the south and the weather is similar to yours in the south of France. Many snowmen were made. Now in Hong Kong I miss winter and snow every year 🙁
    I love skiing and wish I can ski more often. You should try. It is a lot of fun. I might love it!

    Reply
  33. Bonnie Oliver

    Happy Birthday! Best wishes for a wonderful adventure without avalanches, as much hot chocolate as you like, and precious memories.

    Reply
  34. Kathie B

    1. a) Actually SAW snow for the first time at age 10 on a warm mid-summer day in Lassen National Park — huge snow banks along a road. Inasmuch as our ice chest was nearly out of ice, I brightly suggested to my dad that we pull over so he could scoop snow into the chest to replenish the supply, so our perishable food wouldn’t spoil!
    1. b) Never saw a snowflake fall till I was 21 and meeting Farmboy Husband’s family in the Midwest over winter vacation. I was so excited I dashed outdoors, and to my horror discovered that the flakes were like thin shards of glass on my face. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! I beat a hasty retreat indoors, and have never been enamored of it since.
    2. Never made a snowperson, probably due to not having owned a house where it snows till I was in my late 20s, by which time snow was just another damn chore to have to deal with (shoveling).
    3. We took up cross-country skiing, which we adored, and pursued for several years, when we still had both time and energy. You can finish that story for yourself…

    Reply
  35. debbie

    Happy Birthday Corey – hope you have a magical day!! I remember the first time I looked at a snowflake. I could not believe how absolutely exquisitely beautiful it was!!! They certainly are one of nature’s treasures!

    Reply
  36. Jamie

    Happy belated birthday, Corey! Maybe we can celebrate my birthday August in Willows. Enjoy being warm and cozy during your birthday visit to
    the Alps!
    Many birthday hugs, Jamie

    Reply
  37. Jude

    I live in Mobile, AL and before that on the Gulf Coast in Florida. I haven’t seen much snow. Last week we had an ice storm! Believe it or not. My yard was covered with thick ice. Everything was closed for two days. I am a tropical type girl and love heat. Your pictures are beautiful, and I can live vacariously through you Corey. Thank you for sharing your life.

    Reply
  38. 24/7 in France

    Grew up in a wintery state of the US, so prefer a Mediterranean climate – snow covered mountains and skiing is only 1 1/2 hrs. from Nice so it’s the best of both worlds!

    Reply
  39. Peggy Braswell

    Yes remember the first snowflake I saw in N Jersey when we were living there + made lots of snowmen + yes I loved to ski(now live in S CA) + Happy Birthday to you! xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

    Reply
  40. Leslie in Portland, Oregon

    How lucky you are to have a Belle Mere with a place on the slopes! Does it have a fireplace? Snuggling in front of a fireplace while looking at the snow outside can be wonderful!
    I grew up in a place where it didn’t snow very often or very much, so I yearned for snow. I don’t remember the first time I saw a snowflake, but they always fascinate me. I love the quiet loveliness of snow falling (not in a blizzard) and newly-fallen snow. I do everything in and on the snow that I can: catch falling flakes in my mouth, make snowpeople and snow angels, sled and toboggan, downhill and cross-country ski. and play with my two snow-loving dogs (a Golden Retriever and long-haired Dachshund). Haven’t tried snowshoeing or skijoring (skiing while being pulled by a dog), but I will when I’m next around enough snow! Since once again I live in a place where it doesn’t snow often or much, I haven’t experienced much of the downside of snow for adults, and I still get excited whenever there is the possibility of snow. In fact, we are right now getting our first snowfall of the last two winters (4″ so far), and I can’t wait to get out in it at first light! Thanks for the great pictures, and I hope you have more fun than you think you will!! Happy Birthday!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions