24 - 30 January 2011

Simon has been given a pair of hundred year old wooden skis, a big stick and Lederhosen, and the role of the nostalgia skier in the Maria Alm ski show extravaganza. All of us have plenty more to do in the new look ski show, which appears to us ski instructors to be purely designed to keep us away from the unlimited free beer and Glühwein that we used to enjoy every Tuesday night in return for one torch-lit descent.

17 - 23 January 2011

Mary celebrated her 8th birthday this week. She managed to find time to celebrate with friends despite her busy training schedule as a new recruit to the Maria Alm ski team. With race training 2 or 3 times a week, and almost every day in the holidays, it is taken seriously even at such a tender age. In her first race she came 8th overall and was the fastest in her year group out of the Maria Alm team.

10 - 16 January 2011

In three and a half ski seasons Justine has never had a working day with no children to teach, until now. In persistent heavy rain, everyone stayed away from the pistes. It rained and rained until the snow washed away and grassy patches appeared all over the mountain. It's a disaster!

3 - 9 January 2010

We had always thought that this; 20 - CMB - 11, chalked above the doors at Epiphany by the three kings, stood for the year and the initials of Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. It actually represents the Latin words Christus Mansionem Benedicat, and is a blessing upon the house. Caspar did the rounds with two other kings and a star, singing a blessing song and chalking this sign above the door of each house. They raised money for charity and came back with a huge bag of treats. For authenticity Balthasar was blacked up for the part. Caspar played Caspar which caused no end of confusion when the house owners wanted to know the names of the children who had sung so sweetly.

27 December - 2 January 2011

The firework code was well respected at New Year. The firework code being 'if you want to throw a whole box of fireworks in the little bonfire around which people are warming themselves, in -15c temperatures, then be sure to warn them first.'