4th November to 11th November

Weather a bit changeable this week. Dave continues with the labouring work and then got an email from Tom who we first met in the Sno station offices and has some joinery work lined up for when the labouring finishes. My work continues to be pretty enjoyable and on Saturday managed to get another good cycle in, train to Servoz and then up towards Megeve and then over to lovely St Gervais. Another Megan ride (with another Tom) so ended up a lot longer and further than initially sold as!!!! Bit late back to then make blinis for Dawn and Ian coming round. Blinis a success however not enough to mop up the sparkling, especially after long cycle with just a tuna sandwich. Dawn and Ian heading to UK for a few days and want us to apartment/Blaze the dog sit. Happy with that and then Miles and Lisa have asked us to look after cat and beautiful chalet in Taconnez for a couple of weeks, soon. Like having little hols!!!!! Bad hangover on Sunday and then lots of techno information for guizmos in apartment, (automatic hoover!!!! and surround sound) then moved over and managed to watch Skyfall and The Great Gatsby. Blaze a little bemused but soon got used to us. Today (11th) beautiful day, fresh snow and an amazing walk down from Argentiere with Blaze and Megan. Truly stunning as the pics show.

view from office de tourisme (AKA my office:-) )

commute route

Megan and Tom in St Gervais

Blaze

Blaze and his ball

Megan and Blaze

October 28th to 3rd November

Busy week!!! Started with cycle up to the Col de Montets with Micheala. Beautiful day, Micheala had a tough bike to do the ride with, mountain bike with fat tyres that were a bit soft, and as Ian had said that it had been snowing here she had no trainers, so did it in cowboy type boots! But she managed it well and we had picnic at the top then a long coffee in Argentiere. Work Monday evening.

Tuesday cleaned other house that I am covering for. Gorgeous couple with gorgeous 12 week old baby Oliver and lovely chalet in the Moussoux area. Did an hours ironing too, managed it with no mishaps (30 years or so since I did any significant ironing) Swim afterwards with Micheala as cold, rainy day and then in the evening out with her and Ian  for a burger, pints and pool.

Wednesday, Dave off, nice sunny day just sorting admin stuff, coffee and then 3 hours at Crystal. Thursday sunny though cooler and long cycle to the Lacs near Sallanches with Megan. Must have been 70km thereabouts. Felt it. Cup of tea at hers after, nice to see what other apartments are like. Friday, shattered!!!! Worked at Lisa's in Taconnaz in am then needed a snooze. Bumped into Ian at happy hour and the Australian couple, Ryan and Anisa who live near us, resolved to catch up to talk French with them.

Saturday spent making witches hat for potential of a party. Dave a bit late from work and lost for ideas for fancy dress so nearly didn't go, but with some peer pressure from Megan and Sophie we did go, impromptu outfit by Dave, not really sure what he went as!? and had a good night, great crowd of folks, very welcoming and very impressed with 'cardboard mans' outfit ha ha . Nice for Dave to meet everyone and for us to meet Tom, Sophie's chap, here for the half term break, due to move out permanently at Christmas. Torrential rainy walk back about 2am, my witches hat covered in a plastic bag was a surprisingly excellent umbrella.

Sunday looking a bit of a washout, looks like a launderette day might be in order............ But then the sun comes out!!!! So cycle up to Argentiere instead :-) Happy hour couple of pints, game of scrabble (second win for me in a row, back on a roll!) and then Social Network DVD, excellent, can see now what the fuss was about but might come off Facebook now!

Micheala at the Col de Montets

a bit early for halloween 29th oct with Ian and Micheala

Witches hat made

Megan and Mont Blanc

One minute grey and raining next minute like this 

our life :-)

our life 2

new race skis :-/ !!!!

October 21st to 27th

Settling into routine now. Dave working 5 days a week with me doing 2-3 hour slots interspersed with nice cycles :-) It will all swap round in the season I keep stressing to him when his work will be much more sporadic. Job at Crystal started on Monday and it seems like a nice place to work. Big offices as it is the European head office but being given enough time to do it, so that's good. Cycle on Tuesday with Sophie who has new job in Geneva, teaching English, things do seem to slot into place here if you pursue things, for those out there thinking about it. Rainy day Wednesday cooked tart for dinner at Dawn's (not sure about the oven!!!!) then a lovely day Thursday so after picking up new DVD from Amazon had a cycle up towards Argentiere.

Realised needed different leads for DVD, bought something in Super U, wrong things and, won't go into full story, but won't be shopping in there again!!! After being my favourite shop all 3000km around France the Super U's in the Chamonix valley are staffed with the most abrupt, unfriendly crew going. I had given them the benefit of the doubt but not anymore.

Lovely dinner Thursday evening, beautiful flat right in the centre of Chamonix, realising we could do with slightly larger place, no way of returning compliment in ours:-/ Mixed too many drinks though, so bit rough for early start for both of us, cleaning at Lisa's, lovely chalet in Taconaz, felt slightly under pressure as she obviously has ultimate cleaner in Elena, but think I did OK. Then headed out again in the evening to meet ip with Sophie and Megan and friends for a couple of beers.

Really lovely cycle on Saturday over Col de Montets to Vallorcine, good news from Harry that his loan has come through at uni, don't know why they always mess some of the poor kids around. Then got text from Ian Dave's old student, back in Cham for a while with Micheala his partner, so out again!!!! Busier social life than in Lancaster. Recovered  Sunday with vows to have healthier week coming!!

14th October to 20th

Busy week, especially for Dave. Monday and Tuesday he did joinery work for Dawn and Ian (who I unpacked car for previously). I followed up domestic cleaning work and have lined up two for 4 weeks covering an Estonian lady. In doing so got Dave more work, labouring this time for the husband of Lisa, my Friday clean! So he ended up working Friday and Saturday too with the potential for a months work if he wants it. Crystal job also lined up for me to start next Monday.

The beginning of the week weather wise was a bit grey and rainy but as the week went on it improved and managed to get a few cycles in. Also checking out places for the Lancaster girls to come and stay in, in March. Cycled up to Argentiere and saw a place that though probably too small was owned by a lovely couple, the wife of whom is an artist too and want some info about cycling on the west coast so will meet up with them again I am sure.

Good old Chamsocial came up trumps and I have got some new skies for 100 euro, Dave will have my old ones. Dave has also uploaded some images for sale on Etsy (I think that's the websites name), though it is a long task and he has to stand outside the Office de Tourisme at times to do it!!!!

Sunday evening and we had a little walk and in doing do popped to Dawn and Ians to pick up a hammer Dave had left. Had a cup of tea and a chat and now have our 1st invite for dinner, on Thursday, Chamonix is feeling very much our home :-) Happy days......

This doesn't really show the beautiful orange glow on the peak, it was very pretty

Mont Blanc I think, from above Les Houches

Aguelle Midi from above Les Houches

If you look carefully there is a petitgris (squirrel) dans l'arbre

Slightly creepy white faced musicians leading a line of children  (bit pied piperesque)

this is how a night with Mal Downham ends up like!!!! 

Morecambe night out for octegenarian in punk pub!!!!

Dave said he wanted this one in especially :-)

3rd October to 13th October

Busy time back in the UK catching up with friends and family. Dave has sold some paintings back in the UK songs had to pop to the galleries in question to liaise and set up more paintings for them. Caught up eight the newest me member of Dave's family, Molly Beatrix, but stupidly didn't get any photos! Was lovely to catch up with the Preston gang, Heather Whelan being particularly brave to venture to the Black Bull and not just because anyone who ventures out with Mal Downham is putting their long term health at risk (only joking Maloir)!!

Caught up with Lancaster midwives who are planning a little trip out to the snow to celebrate a couple of significant birthdays, Kirkpatrick travels has that in hand and then nipped to Clitheroe to catch up with the Blackburn midwives as they celebrated a retirement.

Dave had lots of Guiness over the week, trying to put some weight on he said, and played a few games of pool, making up for lost time.

Was lovely to be back but nice to get back to our little studio. Work at crystal hopefully starting this week and due to cham social I have some extra cleaning work in a week for three weeks covering someone's hols  and Dave has some joinery work for the first couple of days of the week too. Need to get those ski passes saved up for.

When we arrived back on the 12th it had snowed!!! Reminded us of what's to come :-)

DVD brought back from UK too, with purchase of appropriate scart  lead now have something to do in the evenings after our scrabble of course (sorry H had to mention it), with our new mini scrabble dictionary should be less disagreements. So, sorted!!!!!

24th September to 2nd October

Life continuing in similar manner now so blogging will just be the pertinent bits with some pictures. I have started meeting Sophie (cyclist) and Simone, a Dutch lady from Holland to speak French and try and move things along with it. We meet in the lovely square, have a coffee or two and just chat, probably not enough in French as we should. Managed a few cycles, to Le Tour and up above Les Houches on the way back towards St Gervais. Great work out that one. Dave cycled to Sallanches yesterday in search of the elusive boards, to no avail. He was exhausted!!! Think it was about 70km and a few good hills. Couple of walks up behind us too have been nice, though the tracks get a bit thin and steep leading to about turns.

I continue to pick up bits of work off Chamsocial cleaning an apartment and such. Missed out on doing some weeding one day, which would have been good as a lovely day, but got contact for next time needed. Explained my vast knowledge with being an ex allotment owner. Then yesterday I got a job at Crystal tour operators. Megan (cyclist) put in a word for me, went and had a look and there will be 20 hours a month going for the whole time till we leave. Evening work too which is when we find ourselves at a bit of a loose end, and won't clash with the cleaning work in the winter. So hopefully will start that on return. Need to sign to the French system for it, not sure how to do that but hopefully the finance team will guide me, and not quite sure how much I am to be paid but obviously quite a bit more than 17.50 euros I quoted as my 'going rate'!!!! (I was quite sheepish when I said the figure but obviously us the lower range of going rate)

Off to UK tomorrow and a packed itinerary of catch up, visiting the houses and newborn(ish) babies, replenishing stocks and then back in 9 days time. Work to look forward to, hopefully, and French classes which are promising to become a bit more sociable with drink involved I think, nice to meet kindred spirits :-)

View from local!!!!