24 - 30 December 2007

There she is! 27th torch from the back. Justine was very relieved to learn that this was all that was required of her in the weekly Maria Alm ski show. Now that Simon is recovered and back on skis, next week you can spot them both in a very similar photograph.

17 - 23 December 2007

The holiday is over, all 5 months of it. Both Justine and Simon started work this week. The shock was too much for Simon and after 6 days of work is now signed off with an injured back.

10 - 16 December 2007

This week Maria Alm, international centre of sporting excellence, hosted the Skibob World Cup. Skibob is skiing sitting down, (maybe you could balance your drink on the handlebars). Among the six nations competing, Britain was represented with high quality but low quantity (British team pictured here with us). We reckon that if you fancy representing your country at international level, with a top 30 world ranking, then this sport offers a real possibility. Simon and Justine plan to put in a bit of practice over the coming year and see if they can realise this ambition!

3 - 9 December 2007

St Nicholas does his Austrian rounds on Nikolaustag (6 December). He is jolly, kind, gentle and bearded but always accompanied by a very intimidating mob of hideous Krampus. They are huge, hairy, smelly and horned. They will beat, on request, wayward children with horsehair whips, put them in a big basket and take them away. Our children have been sufficiently terrified into pliable submission and we expect no trouble from them herewith.

26 November - 2 December 2007

This week Caspar turned 7. He also turned into a toothless ski maniac. (There he is, half way down the slope, terrible conditions, too impatient to wait for us.) Justine is reminded of skiing 'holidays' with her Dad; turned out of bed before the sun has risen to be first on the lifts, ski all day with a bread roll on the chair lift for lunch and take the last lift to the top at the end of the day. They would have made great skiing partners and we could have warmed our toes and watched from the window!