Topsy Turvey

Everything is a bit on its head here.

Every morning I have to scrape the ice off of the windows on the car. Now, I live in the valley some 600 metres below the level of the resort. The temperature has been -8 at its lowest outside my flat.

When I go up to the mountain which is at 1600 metres the temperature has been 0 or even plus degrees. This has meant that there has been fog or low cloud in the valley. Also the lower runs have been very, very icy, which is not good for the perfect skiing technique let alone the technique I have.

So yesterday was my day off so I went out with one of the guys from the hire shop and a receptionist from one of the hotels in the resort. We all had pretty much of a disaster. And we all found something other than ourselves to blame. Cristoph said he had Giant Slalom skis and was trying to do too short a turn, Anna was stationary on an icy slope when she just slid away and with me a boarder (snow type, not the public school type) came off the edge of the snow right in front of me, I swerved to avoid him ski went away I went up in the air and really crashed down. This broke my helmet not major but the inside harness bit. And today I have a bit of whiplash.

Everywhere was pretty crowded as all the countries surrounding Austria appears to be on holiday. This was not good.

Anna had not got to bed until 4.00 am so she was dozing everytime we stopped and when we were on the lifts. In the end we stopped for a drink then called it a day at about 2.30. Mind you we had done the 6km run four times and a load of other runs as well. We had a great lunch of Kassespatzerknudel suppe, which is a soup with a big cheese dumpling thing in it. Gorgeous, to borrow an expression.

With the helmet now busted I had to get a new one, so I poodled off down to Spittal which is about 30 minutes south of the resort on the motorway. Started great then the snow got heavier. I bought a new helmet, €129 thank you. When I came back to the car there was quite a bit of snow on it. So I headed back quick before I needed to put chains on.

Back in my neck of the woods not a flake of snow, and we need it pretty badly. Still my landlord says it will come in this evening and tomorrow.


The locals say that we need an Italian depression, I wouldn't have thought that would be hard to find!

First Guests and Christmas

Yesterday saw the first guests arrive and was of course Christmas Eve.

The previous day I spent most of the afternoon correcting the translations of the hotel menu, schedule of events and poem for the Christkind (their version of Santa).

Saturday was an early start, at the hotel for 07.00 to go up to Salzburg airport. But it went quite smoothly even though it was busy. The flights arrived on time and we got down to the resort swiftly. Same coach driver as last year, so yet again like meeting old friends.

Helped out with the ski fit, skis and boots, which with some first-timers was a bit chaotic, this made me late to go and get the ski passes. When I got to their nice comfortable office having battled through a biting cold wind and snow the office man was out at one of the Pass Cash Desks so they asked me to go there. I headed down there and found that the reason he was there was because the computer system was buggered. I stood around outside for about 30 minutes while they got it going again and issued my passes. Don't forget that it was still freezing cold, blowing a hooligan and snowing.

I was late back to the hotel to hand out the passes, and the schedule was tight as the festivities were due to start.

Anyway Heidi the manager asked me to welcome all the guests in English and then sing English carols along with her. I told her I was not singing! I ended up singing, very badly.

However the Deputy Manager is from South Tirol which is in Italy, but they hate being called Italian and German is their native language, but they speak Italian. So when it came to the Welcomes in the hotel I suggested to Heidi that Christoph, the 'Italian' should do the welcome in Italian. This was a pay back as he is always taking the P out of the English.

I had a quick drink with the hire shop guys and was then going to head back down the mountain to my little flat and do my books.

But Heidi collared me and invited me to have dinner with her and a few of her managers in a small room off the main restaurant. It was fantastic, the best wine and the food was superb. I can't begin to describe the dessert, It looked a picture and tasted wonderful.

After that I headed off home down the mountain that was a bit slippery. When I got to the flat the family invited me in for a drink so I couldn't refuse.

All in all a very long day!

But Christmas Day was cold and white, I went skiing, and there is no better way to spend Christmas morning. The afternoon I spent getting the books straight so that is all finished one day ahead of schedule! So now I can relax tomorrow and go skiing, although my manager is threatening to come down, we'll see...

Happy Christmas everyone!!!

Katschberg and Other Things

Well I am now back in Katschberg. It is quite a long story so I won't bother you here but I was in the resort for few days sorting things out then had to go back to the UK for 3 days. Ask Shelley if you want to know why. Just before I left Austria I managed to get a little ski in as the snow has not been that great. But it has snowed just before I left and while I was away.

When I got back to Zell am See on the train from Munich, 4 hours!! I had to pick up my car which I left at our office. They said 'You might have to dig it out', they weren't kidding. It had about 2 feet of snow on it. See below. Quite a pain.

When I got down my side of the country there had not been that much snow, there had been some, but not that much.

Going up the mountain tomorrow to finalise things before the first guests arrive on Christmas Eve and hopefully get a little ski in again, that is after all the main reason for being here.


Nothing has changed much in the 8 months I had been away, except of course the snow had gone and come back again. Almost everyone is the same, so it is very comfortable.

Back to the Snow

So here we are again back in the land of the mountains.

We arrived here on the 6th December and later that day it kindly snowed which has made everything look a lot nicer.

We are currently in Kaprun which is to the southwest of Salzburg and is good for skiing because of the glacier at 3,000 metres. But snow is forecast for the rest of the country over the next few days so it's looking good.

As part oft he training we went to Salzburg airport and then into the city itself because it had a Christmas market. Everyone was in uniform so we had a few group photos taken.

On Saturday we went up to the aforementioned glacier and did some skiing. Not the best conditions but worthwhile to help get the ski legs back. Then that evening we were taken on one of the infamous bar crawls. I restrained myself unlike many others. There was much frivolity and incredibly sore heads the next day. I was not one of those!

I now have a very sore throat due mainly to standing around in very smoky bars. A feel that may be a Health and Safety issue. Fortunately not one that would concern me as I do not run bar crawls!

Anyway head off back to Katschberg tomorrow, Monday, which will be good. I'm looking forward to it.

Segwaaaaaaaayy!!!!!!!!!!!!

This may be the last post before I head back to the UK.

Today was good, I was asked if I wanted to have a go on one of the hotel Segways, a guest had booked one and they have 4 in total. So I got an hour or so on one.

They are fantastic, really spooky at first as you feel you are not balanced, but once you get used to them they are great. They go over all terrain, through heavy ground, but they do not go over big rocks on only one wheel. I managed to turn mine over, or tip it up which sounds better.

But then I was OK because you feel where it all is. Great machines but I don't have €7000.

Weather was great today as well, 20 degrees and very sunny. Managed to sit out and soak up some rays.

Just packing to do now and then drive up to the airport on Saturday. They have had to send me the Motorway Vignette, to show you have paid the fee. They did suggest driving up without it, all they said was it could be awkward without it. Yes, €300 on the spot awkward. Luckily I have it now so no problems.

AS an ending I thought I would show you the view from my window now, no snow not even on the highest of the mountains. Well there is a bit but not much. And I will show again a similar picture taken when it was snowy.


See you back in the UK!

Countdown

Well the time is nearly here to leave Austria to its own devices.

On Saturday I fly out, if all goes to plan.

The weather here now is very warm, the other day it was 20 degrees in the valley, the snow on the mountain is disappearing fast which was a disappointment to the people arriving last Saturday.

The snow has been so bad that I have given up skiing for the season, this is the conditions you can injure yourself, and Sod's Law states that it will happen at the end of the season having survived so far. So rather than risk it I have hung up my boots, and skis, and poles. It's a shame as it would have been nice to ski right to the end.

So this week is a bit of hanging around and cleaning up, the flat and the car.

There has been the odd chance to top up the tan, but you have to be very careful up here as you can burn very quickly.

I'll need to get the odd gift before I leave but most of it will be crates of beer.

But back home on Saturday, then need to find some work! (That pays money)

Salzburg, the Home of the Sound of Music (and Mozart)

OK, it was a week ago so I have taken a bit of time to catch up but here goes...

I didn't think I could visit Austria and not go to Salzburg so last Wednesday I drove up there and had a little look round. It is a beautiful city. The old winding streets that are now jammed with tourists and designer shops such as Louis Vuitton and the like. Oh and a McDonalds, of course.

But they have made them all tow the line and the shop signs are much more tasteful that most other places. See these signs for McD's and Zara.










Salzburg is most famous as the birthplace of Mozart and you can visit the house where he was born, the house where he lived, the house where his wife lived with his children, you get the picture. But having said all that most of it is not as tacky as you might imagine.

They have a statue of him in one of the little squares but as befits our modern society they were in the process of erecting some modern sculpture right next to it so that it intrudes into any photos you are trying to take. Except mine.

The city is overlooked by the castle, an imposing building, which is I suppose the purpose of castles.

But all in all Salzburg gets the thumbs up. Especially as no one here has heard of the Sound of Music. You would expect gift shops everywhere trying to sell you clothes made out of old curtains, but no, although you can do a guided tour of the sights from the film. That is all well and good but when they expect you to walk to Switzerland it is all a bit much. (On a historical note the family actually got on a train to Italy to escape the Nazis, but that probably wouldn't have made such a good ending. Julie Andrews wandering through a train singing 'The Pullman's Alive with the Sound of Music'.)

Now only just over two weeks to go until I get back to the UK, which will be really nice, although the weather here is gorgeous. Bright sunshine and warm, but that is not so good for skiing. The resort is starting to wind down from this weekend, the ski school goes down to just five instructors and one of the Apres bars is closing.

Roll on the 9th. Of April not Beethoven's, but that would be Roll Over... seeing as we started on a musical theme we can surely end on one.

No Norway Now

The Norway thing is all off.

Apparently they have found someone who is already in Norway to cover the spot. This is alright with me as it means I will get back a little earlier than I thought I would, but it does mean that I won't get to ski Norway.

It has snowed here, but only on top of heavy warm snow which means that it will not last, unless the temperature drops and we get more snow.

Next posting will show some shots of Salzburg where I went the other day. How lucky are you?

Goodbye Austria

Well,  it appears that they need my skills elsewhere.

They have not told me exactly when but I am off to Norway! I think it will be in a couple of weeks but they need a competent skier to go to Norway and finish the season there. So I have been chosen.

It means I will miss the last 2 weeks of the season here but gain 2 weeks of the season, or at least avoid being shunted round Austria.

There is snow in Norway and it is still cold, so bang goes the spring tan and as the snow is rapidly thawing here it may not be a bad move. Although as a preference I would have liked to come back to the UK and tried to get some teaching in over the Easter period.

I just hope I will be back in time for the wedding!

Will and Kate's, of course.

Fasching

Well it's Mardis Gra here in Austria or Fasching as they call it here.

This is the time everyone goes bonkers before the period of abstinence called Lent. All around the place people are in fancy dress. The hotel is no exception.

The reception staff are fairies, the bar staff are wizards, the girls in the spa are witches and so it goes on.

One of the staff has to dress up as Falky the hotel mascot, a falcon. This was easier said than done as he needed his tail feathers sown back on and adjustments to his head and the costume needed a lot of work too.

Very low numbers this week and next so a chance to relax and enjoy the skiing. Although we have not had any snow and it is getting warmer.

Apparently I was told yesterday that they needed to send someone to Norway for the last 4 weeks of the season and they asked if I wanted to go. I said yes, so we'll wait and see.

Never been there before so it will be something new if I do go.

Shelley's Visit

Shelley visited the hotel last week with her niece. It was good to have them here and I got permission to stay at the hotel and eat with them.

Shelley's niece Louise was very keen to get ski lessons and found one or two instructors to give her private tuition.

We also had a bit of snow which made things a bit better. And we sampled some of the bars becoming very well known in Schlossel.

Shelley managed to get a bad stomach which grounded her for a couple of days.

But I was grateful for the company for the week.

Half Term

No post for a little while and this is mainly due to the man-made disaster that is half term week. Just under 120 people descended on the resort for this phenomenon. And during this week people switch almost everything off, reason, calmness, tolerance to name just three.

They then refuse to occupy certain rooms because last time they were here they thought they were haunted. The room not the person... at least I think. One complained that the room was too small, although it is the size he booked, unless of course he had to fit the ghost in.

This week I have had ruptured ligaments, a trip to the hospital with a stiff neck and to the medical centre with a cut to the head. And before you even think to start worrying this is not me but the occupants of the hotel.

From the airport was a nightmare with people complaining they weren't on the same bus as their family, there were 18 of them, not sat together on the plane and not sat together at dinner, although this complaint was before they had even gone in for dinner so unless they were clairvoyants I think it might have been a guess. Also a complaint that they had put the non-skiers at the back of the hotel so they couldn't look out of the window at the skiers. Unfortunately the hotel staff are NOT clairvoyant so were not able to tell the skiers from the non-skiers just by the booking reference. Please relax you are on holiday, smile, not everything goes completely right but none of it is fatal.

One of the ski instructors said that people go on holiday determined not to enjoy it.

It has turned very cold here, with wind chill of -20 at times and very windy, hence the wind chill I suppose, although I am no meteorologist. But skiing is still good.

Shelley comes out here this week with her niece and I have told the hotel staff that we will go out drinking on one night. Should be fun.

The Assistant Manager had an unusual request though, the mother of one of the staff had brought some Salt and Vinegar crisps from New Zealand and now he is hooked, so he asked if I could get some brought over. Apparently he has tried to obtain this delicacy in Austria, Italy and Germany. So Shelley may tip the scales to overweight with Salt and Vinegar crisps.

Strange but true, which brings us back to the haunted room...

Busy, Busy, Busy

Well it has suddenly got busy, 73 guests turned up on Saturday, that sounds like it was a surprise. It wasn't that was the number I was expecting, the most I have had this season.

I was told I would get someone to help me but that never happened. Another Rep in Zell am Zee had an accident and damaged cruciate ligaments so had to be shipped back to the UK. So my promised helper ended up going there for the week.

It has been warm as well, 12 degrees when I was driving home on Friday afternoon. Then at Salzburg airport it poured with rain. This is obviously not good for skiing.

Then on Sunday, today it started snowing. A welcome relief.

I have a VIP in this week, a big boss. He is being treated well a very nice room, a maisonette. Then he asks for a plug adapter as they have forgotten theirs. I have one, a double one, but I need this to chrage my phone and more importantly my iPod, so he couldn't borrow mine.

He phoned the Austrian boss who scurries round and says we they will send him a couple. Not so clever as that would take until Tuesday at the earliest. So the next suggestion s that I drive halfway and meet my supervisor who will bring a couple with her. Fine except it is now snowing and I have to go over a high pass to get to the halfway point, that is if I want to avoid motor way tolls as this trip will blow my car allowance for the week.

I have a new car by the way, a Skoda Fabia. All Skoda related jokes can be emailed to me at the usual address.

So I meet with her and collect the adapters then drive back, by now it is 6 o'clock getting dark and snowing. I set off up the mountain and the chain warning sign are not flashing. About 2/3 of the way up the car's tyres are slipping about. So I drop to first gear and press on. All is not well, I could have crawled on my belly faster than I was driving, still I couldn't face stopping and putting on the new chains that I have never fitted before in the dark by the side of a mountain road, no lay-by in sight.

Ahead I can see the glow of the lights in the resort but still a bit of a climb to go. Maybe 200 meters. Helpfully the sliding car light on the dash lights up. I scream at it that I know, as the car is often a little sideways on. Then just as it is about to come to a complete stop I hit the wet bit of road under the bridge and get a bit of forward momentum going, and that is enough to get me into the resort.

Anyway I deliver the package say hello where I need to then get in to head back.

I won't bore you with this story but it was just as hairy heading back down the mountain. Getting barely above 5 KPH and having to follow German drivers who were going much slower. Obviously I slowed down! Then they pull over to let me lead, bastards, they just want me to make the tracks for them to follow.

Anyway got down without putting the chains on, now dreading the morning but at least it will be light.

Having said that putting the chains on is not so bad, taking them off is terrible, because the linking bit is no longer nicely at the top, so you have to feel around to find it. You end up filthy, the chains snag on some sticky out bit behind the wheel, you are cold and now filthy. And I have discovered that kicking no part of the car helps in removing the chains. A top tip for you!

Anyway, every cloud has a silver lining. Snow is an essential for skiing!

A solution for winter driving, cover over the roads...sorted!

Update

Been a bit quiet here, hence no post for a bit.

The weather now is quite warm for this time of year. 11 degrees the other day driving home. Great danger of the snow disappearing certainly at the lower levels. Not good as we are going into the busy time of year. This Saturday I have 73 people arriving and the following week 119! They say they will try and get someone over to help out, we'll see what happens there.

Things not so bad apart from the snow front. The last week I had someone say how could the company sell a holiday in the British mags and brochures to somewhere they don't speak English. At first I was not sure what to say, then suggested that there was always USA and Canada to avoid the language difficulties.

I went on to say that most of the European ski destinations do not speak English!

She said that the sleigh driver spoke to the German speaking guests but not to them.

When I told the girls in reception this they laughed, they said the sleigh drivers are not very interesting and only speak Horse anyway, which is a mixture of clicking noises and 'Get on' (in German of course).

This week is Viennese week in the hotel, and apparently the locals hate them. They say they treat the staff like yokels. In the hire shop he said if they had these guests every week he wouldn't do the season.

Oh well, back to working on the tan. If we get no snow in the next week it won't be a very happy half term holiday for some.

No Change

Well, there hasn't been much happening here in Austria.

The weather has been quite cold but no snow since last week. Just have to scrape the car off every morning. I think -17 was the lowest one morning when I drove to the resort.

The skiing has continued to be good, and my cold has just continued.

Apart from that not much to report. The sun has been shining so working on the face tan, not wearing goggles so I don't end up with panda eyes.

Guest-wise it's very quiet, only 14 in the hotel this week, although the hotel itself was 100% full this weekend. Not a room to spare.

I am expecting it to pick up in a couple of weeks time when the schools go on half-term. But until then just enjoying the quiet and ski-time.

Skiing At Last

The snow last week and then it snowed yesterday has meant that it is now almost perfect for skiing.

The guests I have this week all want to ski and a lot want to come out with me so I can show them the slopes. With the good weather this means that I have been out everyday the last 3 days and yesterday was all day.

There is still some ice around to make it interesting.

The hire shop want me to get guests to upgrade their rental skis so have lent me a pair of professional skis to try. They are great, so I can recommend them to guests.

All in all it is pretty good. Just what I wanted, skiing every day and fortunately very little hassle.

But putting on chains is a messy business, taking them off is far messier!

Snow...At Last!!!

At last it's snowing here. Hoo-bloody-rah!!

The green meadows outside my window have now gone back to white, for the moment.

So today, my day off, I decide to go for a drive round to explore. Not the wisest of moves, I headed up hill. and see lorries stranded with police direct cars round them. My second encounter with the local police in so many days, but more of that in a bit. Anyway I get to a town and then decode to head back as it was not easing any, and the locals still drive like nutters.

I don't want to have to put chains on so eventually head home. Then spend a quiet day resting.

But last night I did the quiz at the hotel and left for home about 9.40. I get to the main mountain road and there are police everywhere, stopping everything. Now I have to be honest I did have a couple of small beers while waiting to start the quiz about 3 hours earlier and the limit in Austria is lower than the UK. So bollocks did cross my mind. I had a cop who spoke English and I managed to tell him I had been working and I also managed to get in that I had been in the police in the UK. But he still breathed me. I told him I had had a small beer, just the one mind, thinking something was bound to register. But it was zero, not a jot. So I bade him good night and carefully drove off down the mountain, on the road of course.

A bit of a scare, but they say they are bastards here no leeway at all, especially with speeding. So I will be extra careful in future.

Anyway with all the snow around you have to be careful because it's slippery stuff. It would have the UK on it's knees but all it does here is make the locals go about 10 kph slower!!

Who cares IT'S SNOWING!!!!!

Austrian Spring

Well the weather here is decidedly spring-like. The nights are cool, around zero and the days are warm 4 or 5 degrees. As we speak the snow is disappearing. The warmer weather means we get some great mist patches around the place and so here are yet more views from my window in the morning.

I have been skiing but it is hard work.

So I have been exploring, on Mondays I have to go and do the banking and post which is in a nearby town. This means that I drive a different route back to the resort.

On the way there are some great sights such as this castle, the Schloss Moosham. It was closed when I visited but I will return. With the mist blowing around it looked really good.

The castle I spoke of in an earlier post, at Mauterndorf, I have since found out was owned by Hermann Goering and it was where he was arrested after the war.

Also on the castle front every Saturday I have to go from the resort to Salzberg Airport on the Autobahn. On the way I pass another castle. This one is called Schloss Werfen, but you may know it better as Schloss Adler or maybe even better known as the castle from Where Eagles Dare.


It looks spectacular perched on a rock overlooking the valley, but alas no cable car. They went somewhere else for that. See here for more info:
http://www.cinema-astoria.com/cinematography/filminglocation/locations/whereeaglesdare/index.htm

Well enough of castles and the lack of snow. Forecast says we will have snow on Wednesday, my day off, and Thursday and then maybe some days after that. It better do or we might end up mountain biking here.

Just Like England Now!

Well, we have now gone from one of the best days skiing to damp old English weather.

Yesterday was great skiing, it should have been my day off but the Health and Safety people descended from Thomas Cook UK.

They wanted to check out the hotel, which passed of course. Then they wanted to check out the toboggan run. This of course meant doing it.

So I said despite it being my day off I would show them, but it did mean a 45 minute walk up the mountain to get to the start. One guy was no problem, but the woman who apparently was the boss to put it mildly was not in the best physical shape. Certainly to climb every mountain. She was no Maria Von Trapp, although she might have had all the children under her jacket though! You get the picture.

So I went on ahead and at the mountain restaurant where you hire the toboggans I waited 10 minutes for her to catch up. After a hot chocolate that they paid for we decided to do the descent.

She said she was a bit scared of going down the run. Kids go down it for goodness sake!!!

Anyway when we all got down she said she loved it.

To cut a long story short they wouldn't allow me to sell the toboggan part of the activity which included a snow shoe hike up the hill, because we couldn't find out who had the insurance for the run.

I had some guests doing it that night that they allowed and the guests thought it was great fun and loved every minute of it!

But at least I got thanked for coming in on my day off. A bit of a con as I spent most of the day skiing waiting for them. The skiing was fantastic.

Today though what a change. Rain! Just like Old Blighty. So didn't bother skiing today too slushy and heavy. Hope for better things tomorrow as I have 14 guests coming in on Saturday. I hope I can cope.

Snow!

At long last we have snow.

The morning was fairly sunny when I went to the bank and post office, but when I went up the mountain it was cloudier then over lunch it started snowing. So much so that the chains warning light was lit on the road up to the mountain.

I tried skiing but you couldn't see anything so it wasn't worth the hassle. But it is good for the guests and in the long run good for me as the runs will get better.

I think it is meant to ease off tomorrow but snow more on Wednesday and the rest of the week.

Also cleaned the car today surprising how much better it looks now.

Here are is a pic I took on New Years Day but the sculpture is still there now, mainly because it hasn't got that warm here.

The other one was taken at the nearest big town Tamsweg and is of the Ratthaus, which is not as you might think the Police Station but the Town Hall. Included for no other reason than it is a pretty building and the mild humour about the police.

Been a while

It appears to have been a while since my last post. The reason is that I was sent to Kitzbuhel as the reps there were dropping like flies. First one taken to hospital with a blood infection then the other loses her voice.

Anyway 4 days there. What a change. A very busy place with the town full of Russians all wearing very expensive fur coats and big flash cars all over the place.

As a ski town it is quite strange. You have to walk to the lifts carrying your skis and wearing boots. Not like my resort where you just step out of the back door.

A pity I didn't have time to take pictures. What with bar crawls (disgusting) and doing a quiz, god what a change of clientele, some of these were very thick and in some cases rude. That's what you get for doing Kitz on the cheap.

The bar crawl they call Kitz by Night, if they had done better bars they could have called it Glitz by Night or the seedier bars Titz by Night. The incumbent reps did not warm to any of these suggestions!

The hotel that the firm runs is where we stayed for our training and has definitely seen better days, probably several hundred of them.

It is such a relief to get away from there and back to my little 4 star. Although the skiing in Kitz was quite good if a tad crowded and the 3S gondola across the valley was special there was little else to redeem it.

Back at Katschberg it was really nice to step out of the hotel and be on the slopes. Although the weather has got a bit warmer it has softened the ice and the skiing today was very good. As it was change over day it was not too crowded. The locals all say it will be snowing in the next couple of days, and I think we need it before it all  melts.

The books seem to balance as well, so a lay in tomorrow then off to the bank and the post office, which is always an adventure as they seem to adjust the charges according to the state of the moon. I have never been charged the same twice when paying in. Perhaps they have some sort of random figure generator.

Best skiing ever

Sunday was great.

I went skiing with a couple of the instructors and one of the girls who works in the Kid's Club at the hotel, she is from New Zealand and touring Europe before she goes to university.

The skiing was fantastic, having your own instructor is the best way to do it. Michael is Romanian and some say a bit crazy bit he is a nice guy and a great teacher. He had me going down some steep slopes at speed and when there was ice. And looking good doing it as well. We only had a couple of hours before he had lessons but it was the best skiing so far.

Meant to have done a quiz in the evening but only one family showed up so I got an early night.

Today they have decided to send me to Kitzbuhel until Saturday as I only have 2 guests here and one of the reps there is in hospital having tests for some illness. So tomorrow I have to pack stuff up and head off there on the coach from the airport. Shame as we have snow forecast from Thursday for 4 or 5 days. But it will make a nice change of scenery and sounds like they only really need me for 2 days so should get some skiing in.

New Year in Austria. 1/1/11

Happy New Year everyone!

New Years Eve at the hotel was a success according to the guests. The ice carvers made an Ice Bar and a few other sculptures. There were fireworks everywhere.

Back at the farm I was invited for dinner with the landlord and his family plus the other guests staying in the B&B part. They were very nice one of whom spoke good English and was kind enough to translate a lot of what was going on. I was also treated to the landlord playing his accordion, which wasn't quite as bad as it sounds.

At midnight the TV played the Blue Danube and a few of the assembled party danced to it. Then everyone hands out little lucky charms. These consisted mainly of pigs. Such as gingerbread pigs and little toy pigs.

Then all outside for fireworks. One of the daughters works for a company that amongst other things sells fireworks, so these were huge and noisy. Everyone else around seemed to be doing the same. But it was a very cold night and a bit of a fog rolling in.

New Years Day was back to work, well for the morning and up to the hotel. They had pretty much cleared most of it up. But it was very quiet up there, not many people about. Which was good.

So a bit of greeting my guests then out on the slopes. The weather was superb, bright sunshine, clear blue skies and very crisp and cold. The really good part was that there was hardly anyone out on the slopes. Obviously sleeping off hangovers. So the skiing was good. Not so much ice apparent although caught a tip and went over gracefully on the same hip I fell on the other day. Ouch!!!

But it was good.

 Then an early end to the working day. Back to the flat and lunch. Watched the end of the New Years Strauss concert, while preparing questions for tomorrow's quiz which I don't think anyone will be attending. This lot don't seem as friendly as last week's. Oh well could be an early night.