This year it was just us on our own again... we had booked an apartment in Morillion - a concrete complex above Samoens. This purpose built collective is effectively the mid station for access to the Flaine grand area from the Samoens side.
We got up early on Boxing day morning to catch a train - we chose Eurostar as it would save us an hour on the crossing ... How wrong could we be ... we arrived in plenty of time at Folkstone, and joined the queue when called ... as a "high" vehicle we went to the longer, and slower queue as they checked everyone individually for height and the tickets and the number in the vehicle. Eventually we got through and called to the train .. then to stop on the down ramp ... after half an hour we drove down one side and back up the other ... apparently the sides of the "entrance" car had frozen solid, and we would not be able to join that train.
The train left and we got directed around the yards and strangely back to the queue for "high" vehicles to check in again ... so eventually 2 hours late we got on another train. All the float now used up.
Luckily the rest of the journey was just busy, with heavy traffic,and up to the turn off at Bourg-en-Bresse we were fine. then we joined the queue for the tunnel to the viaducts .. and lost another hour crawling up the side of the mountain. From the other side of the tunnel, as usual, it got easier through to Geneva, and so on to the turn off from the autoroute blanche that heads to Samoens, (and the Portes du Soleil and Morzine).
Upto now we were happy we could make the key pick up on time at the building in the main village.. then we joined another slow moving queue up and over the mountain to the Samoens turn off ... then in the dark we pressed into Samoens in the dark.
Time was passing as we did a quick tour trying to find the right road, before frustratingly parking up, leaving the girls in the van and Sue and I running to find the road and the shop front. Eventually with 3 mins to spare (actually there was someone being looked after as we had an extra 5 mins ) we found it down a back alley. With great relief we picked up the key and paid the deposit.
Up the road to the Morillion village, was interesting as we met snow 200m below the resort. Not knowing where to go we pulled into the car park, which was very full, and found a slot furthest away from where we wanted to be.
The apartment was on the far side of the complex looking out onto the runs (if it was clear we could see up the mountain), but would be adequate .. slightly smaller than last year, and the girls were not happy with the bunks in the corridor.
We then humped all the gear (that we needed for breakfast and the night) from the car to the apartment in a long relay .. before collapsing in a local bar for a drink and a pizza.
Not a relaxing drive.... but we were looking forward
to a calmer week.
We got up early on Boxing day morning to catch a train - we chose Eurostar as it would save us an hour on the crossing ... How wrong could we be ... we arrived in plenty of time at Folkstone, and joined the queue when called ... as a "high" vehicle we went to the longer, and slower queue as they checked everyone individually for height and the tickets and the number in the vehicle. Eventually we got through and called to the train .. then to stop on the down ramp ... after half an hour we drove down one side and back up the other ... apparently the sides of the "entrance" car had frozen solid, and we would not be able to join that train.
The train left and we got directed around the yards and strangely back to the queue for "high" vehicles to check in again ... so eventually 2 hours late we got on another train. All the float now used up.
Luckily the rest of the journey was just busy, with heavy traffic,and up to the turn off at Bourg-en-Bresse we were fine. then we joined the queue for the tunnel to the viaducts .. and lost another hour crawling up the side of the mountain. From the other side of the tunnel, as usual, it got easier through to Geneva, and so on to the turn off from the autoroute blanche that heads to Samoens, (and the Portes du Soleil and Morzine).
Upto now we were happy we could make the key pick up on time at the building in the main village.. then we joined another slow moving queue up and over the mountain to the Samoens turn off ... then in the dark we pressed into Samoens in the dark.
Time was passing as we did a quick tour trying to find the right road, before frustratingly parking up, leaving the girls in the van and Sue and I running to find the road and the shop front. Eventually with 3 mins to spare (actually there was someone being looked after as we had an extra 5 mins ) we found it down a back alley. With great relief we picked up the key and paid the deposit.
Up the road to the Morillion village, was interesting as we met snow 200m below the resort. Not knowing where to go we pulled into the car park, which was very full, and found a slot furthest away from where we wanted to be.
The apartment was on the far side of the complex looking out onto the runs (if it was clear we could see up the mountain), but would be adequate .. slightly smaller than last year, and the girls were not happy with the bunks in the corridor.
We then humped all the gear (that we needed for breakfast and the night) from the car to the apartment in a long relay .. before collapsing in a local bar for a drink and a pizza.Not a relaxing drive.... but we were looking forward
to a calmer week.
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| | | Arrive Morrillion | |
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