J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Ian Wickham

tino_11 wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:Thanks for all your advice Tino 8)

Inspired by your query Mr. W. I spent the day in BB yesterday, starting with a 3 hour swim and sunbathe at the spa, followed by lying in the park listening to the orchestra (free) and then topping off with a nice dinner in the sun at a wee Italian restaurant. Was fantastic way to spend the last day of my hols, no booze and I read an entire book - Dominic Faulkner's The Longest Climb, clycling from the Dead Sea and then climbing Everest :shock:

freezywater wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:

freezywater wrote:whilst i agree Ian, unfortunately they do a rather good job. for example i've priced up holidays to Austria on a diy basis and TO and can't see enough of a difference to make it worthwhile. maybe it's me and i'm not looking in the right place but i'd prefer to pay that little bit more in return for not having the stress of having to book all the individual parts

It really depends what you want, I like to select the people I go on holiday with, with the TO's unfortunately you can't do that, also in hotels they screw the hotels to a low per person price and what suffers is food quality, I have stayed in a couple of chalets in the summer and hated it I do have a very low fresh hold for dealing with pompous fools and I have met a few on these chalet stop overs.

I only speak for myself and my family if I stay in a hotel I expect a certain standard of food which I have always found on a direct book hotel, and this has not always been the case on a TO book hotel, I will not settle for an averagely prepared meal, I have never stated anywhere on my postings that it is cheaper to DIY your holiday because it isn't. I do it because I prefer to.. 8)

My apologies, I misunderstood your point. We always try to book 4 or 5 star, tends to weed out the type of person I think you're referring to, also it does tend to ensure the standard of food is good. I wouldn't choose a chalet for that very reason.

bandit wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:,like anything else in life the key word is moderation 8)

Snow is forecast, some of it heavy, should I worry about my consumption levels 8) :D

JennyR wrote:

snowb4ndit wrote:

JennyR wrote:So glad you enjoyed Val Cenis. I fell in love with it the week before, when the pistes were very quiet - great for us first timers.

We felt we should try all of l'escargot, so got on the chairlift in the drizzle - it didn't occur to us naive beginners that it would be snowing further up! It was a total whiteout at the top, couldn't even find the piste through a foot of fresh snow, so we went to see the huskies, had a snowball fight, then got the lift back down. We then got another lift to halfway up l'escargot, but the kids declared it to be too boring!

Les Balcons Village was great accomodation, had its own supermarket (cheaper for some things than Spar), ski shop and bar (you could virtually ski straight in through the door) and was very close to the gondola, so very convenient. L'etoile de neige in the village was a good restaurant for proper french food.

A small quiet place suited us as a family really well, but we wouldn't want to go to Val Cenis again (well, I wouldn't, but my nine year old is nagging 'when can we go back mummy?') as we have now done most of the greens - has anyone got any good ideas where we should go next?

We went to Soldeu (Andorra) for the New Year and had a fab time. It was good value for money like VC and there are plenty of green and gentle blue slopes. I'm not sure how snowsure it is at that time of year but snow was plentyful while we were there. They have many snow cannons. If the snow is good I would recommend there for your next trip.

Thanks for that suggestion, Snowb4ndit. Soldeu was somewhere we considered for this time. Our eldest will be at senior school next year so we won't feel able to take him out of school like we did this time, so 'good value' will be necessary if we have to go in school hols! The ski bug has bitten for all of us - is there a cure?

mfc wrote:

Ian Wickham wrote:

mfc wrote:I did understand, it was a joke. Im 39 yrs and I like to think thats not old.

Listen my friend you are aging fast we all are, My job involves an awful lot of PR and customer service, so I see the good and a very lot of the bad in people, so when I go on holiday I really do not want mix with the great British public, it is just how I deal withy getting away from it all......I started driving to the slopes due to drunks on a plane and blokes being sick on a transfer bus all due to excess alcohol... my choice is that I do not want to experience that on my hard earned holidays my wife is also in customer service and she feels the same, so it works out ok.. :D

Thats what I thought you were saying, If you didn't understand what I said I will repeat it, I was joking )

Snow Time wrote:

Tony_H wrote:But I would not plan to spend a weeks holiday skiing in Scotland, or consider buying a holiday property close to the slopes there.

As Pablo has already said, you are right that the snow cannot be guaranteed. However, it is more likely that the wind, rather than lack of snow, would ruin your week.

Just remember, a long weekend skiing in the Cairngorms in March will be much nicer that mowing the lawn in middle England. )

5teveo wrote:Hi All,

I am head to france on the 30th of april and wanted to know will it still be possible to get a day or 2 at font romeu. can someone tell me when the season / resort closes for business.

Thanks
Steve.