My Life in the P-O – Twenty Years On: Episode 6

Episode 1 :Twenty Years On
Episode 2 :Twenty Years On
Episode 3 :Twenty Years On4
Episode 4 :Twenty Years On
Episode 5 :Twenty Years On

When we lived in Leeds, we used to go skiing several times a year, usually to the Alpes, sometimes to Canada, both ‘en  famille’ and as a teacher on organised school trips. Since we moved to the foot of the Pyrenees, we rarely get up to the ski resorts in winter.

Less than two hours, a pretty drive up the mountain,  stunning scenery, a stop off at the beautiful medieval walled towns of Villefranche de Conflent and Mont Louis, maybe a stop at the hot baths of Saint Thomas…but we always seem to have something else to do! It was kind of easier from the Uk when you had to book in advance, start laying everything out on the bed two weeks before, arrive at the airport and start off with a beer at 4 30am to get that holiday feeling….but here, we just look at each other after seeing a snowy weather forecast and say “Shall we  go skiing tomorrow? Yeah, why not. We’ll bung a few bits and bats into the boot, leave the dog with the mother-in-law, and be back in time for tea.”

Next morning arrives. “Just need to pop into Céret and check the pool I’m working on” says Olivier. ‘Just need to pop into the office and put the newsletter on line” says Kate. And suddenly it’s midday. “Is it worth it?” we both ask. “No, we’ll hardly have any time skiing.  Maybe tomorrow. Put the kettle on.”!!

So last week we actually went skiing – the first time in several years! Global warming, freak winter, I  don’t know…but what I can say is if you have any doubts about the snow in the Pyrenees, compared to other, more trendy ski areas, forget them. The snow was amazing – but the Kateskiing was catastrophic! Have you seen Bambi on Ici? Well, imagine Bambi on skis – that was me. I do have photos but I’m too ashamed to post them, both because of my incredibly inelegant skiing and also because I wore my old, multicoloured  ski jacket, very fashionable 20 years ago and  you know how  they say that everything comes back into fashion?  Well, not this one! I know Font Romeu is hardly Saint Moritz or Zermatt, but I still stood out as Mrs Old & Dowdy – which of course affected my skiing!

So what can I say about Font Romeu? I know they’re working very hard to make it into a 4 seasons resort and it has some fun new  extras like zipwire, luge and enough snow cannons to make sure that they never run out of snow in winter. The town itself is okay. Nothing special, not quaint but it has everything you need, several decent hotels and a couple of really excellent restaurants like La Belle Epoque and La Table des Sauveurs.

And did you know that à burger with a fried egg on is called à steak à cheval? Nothing to do with horse meat fortunatel.

Moving on, what do we think about shaking hands and kissing in winter? I’ve lived in France for many years. I worked for Brittany Ferries in Roscoff, I went to university in Strasbourg, I taught in Surgères near Là Rochelle and later Paris where I met my husband,   I have a large and lovely French family… I still try to avoid la bise in winter…. and any other time that I can get away with it. It just doesn’t come naturally to me.

Most French are shocked and some frankly insulted and I get that. This is what they have been doing from the cradle and it is as natural as breathing. But for many of us stiff upper lipped Britz,  (and many other nationalities I suspect) it is still less awkward.

We’ve given you a vague set of ‘kissing rules’ in the past but here they are again

♡ Women kiss women (only ones they already have a friendly relationship with of course. Don’t go kissing the lady on reception at the opticians)

♡ Men kiss women but shake hands with men (unless they are family or very close friends in which case men kiss men)

♡ Children kiss everybody, including complete strangers.

♡ The number of kisses varies from region to region, town to town, and even person to person, so don’t worry, take your lead from the ‘kissee’.

♡ Most people kiss from right to left (ie your right cheek to their right cheek) Some people just touch cheek to cheek and ‘air kiss’, others will kiss properly on the cheek.

♡ If the ‘kissee’ is rather cute, make up your own rules!

Of course, unless you’re looking for a few days off school or work and want to catch something infectious, there are also quite a few reasons NOT to kiss hello or goodbye

♡ Somebody is looking  a little  sweaty
♡ One of you isn’t smelling too good today
♡ One of you has dog/onion or garlic breath
♡ They are covered in cream or something unidentifiable or put-offish
♡ They look like they might have something infectious
♡ They are snuffly or snotty
♡ You hardly know them
♡ The room is quite full and if you kiss one, you will probably have to kiss them all.
♡ You don’t actually like them

D