I have spent more money on skiing than probably any other leisure activity in my life. I first got into it when we lived in The USA. We ‘shared’ a ski Condo with two American families and we would trek up to Okimo Vermont most weekends during the season. The Condo was lovely and I remember well loads of kids sitting round in their jams while that legend in his own life time, Len Epand, serenaded us all. Strange to think that his two young sons then would be come rock stars in their own right. Google Len, Danny and Ben Epand if you want to know more.
When we arrived back from The US we had many wonderful trips with families Hine, Faure and I was to meet one of my very best life long friend Jim Devlin on a wild trip to our favourite place Obergurgl. I could write chapters on these trips but suffice it to say we ate and drank a lot. One year I had the misfortune to fall and break my arm. I went to the doctors office who announced a small break and he asked me did I want to carry on skiing. Yes of course I said. I also asked him to shape the cast he attached to my arm so it would accommodate a beer glass. The cast was applied as I held a glass snuggly in my grip. At the end of the week I got special dispensation to take part in the ski race. I asked the judges if my eight year old son could push me from the gate as I was unable, because of my injury, to push myself. They agreed, Tom did a great job and despite crashing at the finishing line, due to having held my breath all the way down for some reason I won the silver medal.
My son broke his leg when 3 years of age in the US. He broke it again in Switzerland on the Lauberhorn. A moment i remember well as neither Liz nor I could keep up with the first aid sled that took him off the mountain. That broken leg led to an amazing romance I will describe else where for Jim Devlin that few would believe.
many ski trips to Europe but on one of these with my good friend David Lis and his step son Ben we ended up in Chamonix. we had planned a day out in Italy but took the wrong turning and ended up in St Gervais Les Bains. David looked round and made a simple statement. You should buy a place here mate it is lovely. It was and I did.
I was changing jobs and literally had a one day window to buy na flat. Liz and I git the early flight form Luton and we arrived in StGervais with a load of appointments to view. It did not go well and by lunch time we had all but given up. As we sat eating baguette or something liz spotted an Estate Agent’sshop that was not on our list. We went in and were greeted by a sight we were not ready for. The owner had clearly had a bad accident and his face was severely disfigured and the wig he wore was skew on his head. He told us in excellent English that ‘despite what has happened’ he was still the valleys top agent. he added that he was also now blind! Any way he addressed Liz and asked her for her perfect apartment. High ceilings, big opening windows, lovely views and of course some balconies. he looked studied the announced. ” I know the one but first I will show you two others you will like a lot so much so that when you see the third one it will be clear” An extraordinary statement. his very pretty wife appeared and we joined her in her car. The first apartment she showed us was lovely and way better than the ones we had sen in the morning with other agents. The second even better and we became enthused. la Residence was a former grand hotel that attracted the rich of Paris to the Alps. The mountain railway but a few hundred meters away had served as the mode of transpose both from the main railway station and also to the ski slopes up aloft. (the orginal plan had been to build a railway to the sunlit of Mont Blanc no less.
A rickets lift then she opened the door. the windows were open and the views we were to get were breathtaking. net curtains blew in the breeze and the classic room one after another wowed with their out looks. we looked at each other and knew we just had to buy it.
Back at the office we asked a triumphant Pasqual how much?. He said the seller wanted 75,000 francs but he as agent would handle the pricing as that was his job. We said we wanted to buy the place and we filled out a 16 page document which seems to contain everything but the price. ‘You leave it to me’ he said, ‘ I will touch the seller and I will establish the price and get back to you leave it to me.””i will call you on Tuesday at 7 pm your time”.
Bang on time he called and announced as follows. ” I have touched the seller”. ‘it is no use you offering less because the price is fair and I have established it”!! Happy to pay the 75,000 i asked pasqual for the final figure. ‘You will pay 63,000 francs that is it’!!
Two weeks later we were in the notaries office formally signing documents and the fat wa sours what a buy and what a sort book of adventure and delight it has given us.
Tales of a Life Well Lived 