Sipping Champagne in...

Champagne! Lachie, Dan, Carly and myself got up at 4am on Friday morning and zoomed down the freeway to Folkstone where we put our van on a 30min train ride under the sea to France for weekend of champagne sampling and...more champagne sampling! Jolly good fun! I wouldn't recommend going to see vineyards in the middle of winter as there isn't much to see, but we were drunk most the time so it didn't really matter. We spent Friday and Saturday in the champagne region and Sunday night and Monday in Paris. I've been wanting to go back to Paris since we were last there in September 2006! Nothing monumental happened over the long weekend, but we had soo many laughs, good champagne and yummy toasted sandwiches in the van. The van passed it's test run with flying colours, everything is in working order, except the side mirror on the drivers side which was broken off by someone in Epernay, obviously they hadn't been drinking enough happy champagne. It was a sleeting/freezing cold sort of weekend but the company we were in made it not matter one bit. All the really good photos were taken on Dan's camera. Thanks Dan.

For 7am with an icy wind we look pretty happy! On the train Epernay where we stayed for the first two nights. Apparently there are 27 kilometres of champagne vaults under this city!

Making lunch in the van

The boys washing up

Epernay at dusk

A full moon. always a full moon over Easter...

Sampling some yummy golden sparkling champagne

Viva la France!

This was a badger on the side of the road. I'd never seen one before and didn't really think they existed outside of 'Wind in the Willows' so I was pretty excited to see one! Dead or alive.

Carly going in for the winning shot

A view over the vineyards
A statue of a pope...and a great view looking over the valley and the river Marne
Dan feeling mellow with a Chateau in the background
Feeling pretty hot


After a long day of champagne tasting

Lachie in the champagne vaults at Moet & Chandon

The view of Paris from our hotel room

YUM! eating at our favorite salad restaurant in Paris.

Trying to be as cool as the locals in Paris
Le Eiffel tower

A happy seat in the Paris underground

Dan the french boobie man

The happy gang. a few minutes before it started snowing...
This spider was only a few months ago out the front of the Tate Modern in London

We drove around the arc de triumph twice. 'monumental' was the word used by the driver, Mr.Love
Goodbye Paris! we'll hopefully be back again one day soon

Our mascot, Mr. Owl. Hand made by my Mum

Powder Hounds

I’m already having withdrawals- 24 days of actual skiing this year still doesn’t quite seem enough!! The good ol’ US of A. Things are cheap, milk comes in gallon bottles, a cappuccino is a cup of froth and Aunt Jemima will soon become my new Aunt. It’s always such fun to go to America and sometimes you just have to laugh...
I met up with my family (minus Sal) at the Embassy Suites, Denver Airport and woke in the morning to fresh snow everywhere. We made the 2 hour drive up to Vail safely in our truck and began to settle into our fab Condo at Antlers in Lions Head Village. We had such an awesome 2 weeks. The weather was quite a mixed bag. A day of high winds, about 5 powder days, some great sunny days and a few half half’s.
A friend of the family Ian Dobbs also stayed a few days, making his way up from Copper Mountain which was lots of fun.
We were all skiing like pro’s including mum and carving up the mountains in style!
Now comparing Austria/Europe back to back with the States, with out a doubt the States have the snow, the facilities and the tree runs but they don’t manage to have the steeps like Europe or the real ski town vibe. Still it has to be North America for the best place to ski at the moment, and then Europe when they sort the lack of snow situation out. Although, Vail and Lions Head village do have a European feel to it.
Mum and I also shared our birthday together on the 12th and enjoyed a fabulous dinner at the chop house courtesy of Ed and Cam, thanks!!
After Vail, Cam and Ed made their way to LA and Mum and I had a few days to spare together so we headed up to Apsen for 3 days to stay with our friends the Hutchies. More powder! More fun! On Friday it dumped 25 inchs. I had fresh tracks all day :)
I was so good to hang out with the family minus James who has just started at UTS. Good times as always!! Until next time! Hopefully Steamboat!

Heading through the pass and the Eisenhower tunnel

The lovely view from the front out our Condo at Antlers - Lions Head Vail - Such a great spot

A little extreme..but nothings to hard

Cam, Lac and Mum getting ready to hit the slopes

Cam resting her legs from all that powder skiing

An awesome powder face shot in the back bowls of Vail..that's me

Ed and Dobbsy carving it up

Cams fav spot after a few runs in the morning

Taking in the views at Beaver Creek

On the way back to Vail, great Apres there in Beaver!!

I'm not sure what it is but its the Vail mascot saying hello

Looking out over to the back bowls, what a day!

Up the gondola looking back at Lions Head

A few laughs at Mezzalunas, loved those Coronas!

Ed outside our fav lunch spot, the Wildwood Smoke House 'Smokin 2 miles high'

LOTS of snow in Aspen

-Until the snow calls again-