Skiing in Meribel

From Meribel

We are now two days into our ski holiday here in Meribel. Not very adventurous, having been here or in the next valley many times now, but it still has a lot going for it. Not least is the reliably good snow conditions in the Three Valleys. Although it has not snowed here for over two weeks, the condition of the pistes is still excellent thanks to a lot of snow at the beginning of the year, a substantial investment in snow making systems, cold air, and a very efficient pisting crew. The result of all this has been that we have enjoyed some excellent skiing on perfect pistes.
I have also had the pleasure of introducing my travel companions to the delights of Meribel après ski, including the institution of drinking toffee vodkas at the Rond Point. As usual, our fellow chalet guests are a very sociable bunch and the evenings seem to pass very quickly. no time so far for Scrabble or Pass the Pigs!

Qatar

From Qatar

It's difficult to know quite what to make of Doha. Pretty much everything seems to have been build in the past few years, and although it is clearly in an Arab country, it comes across as a very international city in terms of the architecture in its business district, and the people on the streets.

Even the souq I walked around this evening looks as if it has been built for a film set, with a crowd of extras sitting smoking their hubbly bubblies.

Not too sure whether I would want to live here for any length of time, but the climate certainly beats London at this time of year.

Sightseeing in Paris

From Paris

It was great to have the chance to revisit Paris after a break of more than 15 years. I used to stay there for a few days every month over the 5 year period that I was working with France Telecom, and I was interested to see what had changed in the intervening years. Not much as it turns out.

We decided to limit ourselves to 2 hours of museum/gallery viewing per day as anything more gets rather tiring. We started just down the road at Le Louvre, which had been undergoing extensive renovation last time I was there. Now that the works are completed, it is more impressive than ever, with several airy indoor/outdoor galleries. Of course, in 2 hours one can only scratch the surface of what is on offer here.

After a series of leisurely strolls interspersed with coffee breaks we eventually got to the Eiffel Tower at dusk. The plan had been to go up to the skating rink on the second level, but we had not reckoned with the lengthy lift queues on a Saturday evening. In the end we decided to forgo the ride up the tower and instead amused ourselves taking silly photos.

From Paris

Birthday surprise in Paris

From Paris

The mystery is now revealed. My birthday surprise from Alison is a weekend in Paris!

This was my first visit to Paris since the opening of the new Eurostar terminal at St Pancras - an impressive start to the trip. Our hotel in Paris was perfect in very way; a great location near to the Seine, the Louvre, and the Pompidou Centre, cozy decor, and friendly staff. To cap it all, Alison had told them that it was my birthday, so we got a welcome bottle of Champagne.

The highlight of our first day was an excellent meal at the renowned La Coupole restaurant, complete with entertaining waiters and some interesting people watching. Afterwards, I needed the long walk back to the hotel to work off some of the calories consumed at the meal. The effect on Alison's feet was somewhat less beneficial.