J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by AllyG

I can never understand why people would want to go to a ski resort to drink excessively. I mean, one can get drunk at home. Why waste valuable ski-ing time because you're too hungover to get up in the morning? Plus, of course, I'm sure drunk skiers on the slopes are just as much of a hazard to themselves and everyone else as drunk drivers.

Ally

Bandit,
I've just read your account of Val Thorens. It does indeed sound as though you had an awful time. It seems as though VT has a partying/drinking reputation and some people go there to join in with these activities. The first time we went there we also heard drunks wandering about and singing/shouting in the middle of the night, but the second time we went there I picked a quieter apartment block.

I had read similar stories to yours about the insurance problem, and in fact although I had UK Post Office ski insurance I paid the few pounds extra for the Carre Neige insurance sold with the lift pass. I have a very vivid imagination and I could visualize myself or my daughter lying injured on a slope somewhere and the stretcher/helicopter refusing to take us without masses of cash or the Carre Neige insurance.

It's amazing that you never got an apology from the VT tourist board, or the ski lift operators. I spent quite some time, after I got back, filling in their on-line customer satisfaction survey, so it does seem as though they do care, but they still have problems within the resort.

Did you ever get the name of the person who collided with you? Or did they get away scot-free?

I hope you fully recovered,

Ally

With what?

Tony,
Actually it was very generous of them, because all the apartments we've been in have big notices telling you not to keep your skis and boots in your room, and threatening dire punishments if you do.
And, in fact, that particular apartment was meant for 6 people, and there were only 2 of us, so we had a whole spare bedroom to use as the ski and boot room.

Ally

I've stayed in 4 apartment residences in France - two in Val Thorens,one in La Rosiere, and one (the P&V one) in Bandol on the south coast. And all the staff at all of them have been very pleasant to me. They have been very patient with my stumbling French, and they've sorted out any little problems I had with the apartment - like in the last one we stayed at in VT the ski lockers were all smashed up and in a terrible state and the estate agency staff said we could keep our skis and boots in our room.

But I must agree with you that VT is a pretty pushy sort of place - although I found it was all the nationalities that tended to be a bit like that. Whereas Bandol was full of extremely well behaved French families enjoying their summer holidays.

Ally

I have finally got around to checking the facts on taxpayers money and the Royal Family.
Apparently I wasn't far off with my estimate of a piece of cake and a cup of tea. According to the Telegraph (29th June 2009) they cost us £41.5 million last year, which is 69 pence per person in the U.K. So, since my husband and I both pay tax and we have 2 children who don't yet pay tax, that's £1-38 from each of us, assuming we are average taxpayers. This would just about buy the Royal Family a cup of tea and a piece of cake at a charity event. And I think this makes them very good value.

The only thing I know about the Duke of Edinburgh is that he is the Patron of the Duke of Edinburgh Award, which my younger daughter is doing, and it seems to be an excellent thing. The children have to do voluntary work, learn a new skill, take part in sports, and go camping in the wilds without (much) adult assistance.

Ally

I'm afraid I'm tea total, and I don't like coffee either. So I suppose it's no good me going to Finland or Lapland.

Ally

I was sorry to hear about your job Tony, I hope the new one is better than the old one.

In a sense, we lost our jobs as well, when we had to give up dairying 8 years ago, because of the smash in the wholesale milk price. It's very hard, because you lose a sense of your own identity, as well as the financial loss. Instead of spending my days washing cows udders and shovelling cow muck, I now mow grass, make beds and clean toilets. But I do miss the cows.

I hope the ski employees find new jobs as well.

Ally