Thursday, March 15, 2012

Fun in the Alps


As usual, we've spent our skiing holidays in the French Alps, this time in the Haute Savoie


Circled in (above) the lovely altitude café where we had most of our lunches.


The cosy atmosphere was tempting us every day to linger a little while longer,



but with the beautiful sunshine we had, we couldn't resist going right back to the slopes instead
La femme aux semelles de vent 90 Carré 


DS was certainly always ready...



but luckily also keen on breaks for hot chocolate



The weather was picture-perfect,


except on the day of DS's slalom competition. I could not see past the finishing line,


but DS did not seem to care... he came down with great speed regardless


La Danse du Cheval Marvari CSGM (Herm`es) in a cowboy knot


We had such a wonderful and fun time. Everyone's sweet good wishes, comments on the previous post and emails contributed to making this our very best skiing holiday ever. Thank you all xx

On coming back home to the South of France, we were greeted by spring. Looking forward to catching up, and wishing everyone a beautiful and happy spring ahead.

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28 comments:

  1. Welcome back home dear MT! It's good to have you back: I missed your posts.
    Glad to hear that you had a wonderful holiday in the Alps. Beautiful pictures as always, and you manage to look amazing and chic even in a ski outfit.
    Congrats to DS on his Flèche de bronze. This is a fantastic achievement.

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  2. So lovely to see you, my dear booksnchocolate! The H helped to jazz up my ski outfit, but DS definitely got the best accessory of all ;) Will pass your congratulations on to him, thanks so much! <3

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  3. Welcome back, Mai Tai, we missed your posts in the last days!

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  4. Welcome back, my dear MaiTai!!!
    You were greatly missed!
    So happy to see you had a great time in the Alps. Thanks for the beautiful photographs. Congratulations to your DS on his Flèche de Bronze.I can imagine how proud he must be (and his Mum and Dad too!). Looking so much forward to your next posts. Warm hugs, M.

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  5. What lovely pictures from your wonderful holiday - you look like you're recovered from your bug :) DS is a real daredevil isn't he!

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  6. Many thanks for the warm and lovely welcome back, dear gneman, Manuela and Ms Exeter! It is so nice to catch up again, missed you all x

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  7. Dear MaiTai,
    Thanks so much for taking us to the Alps again! Lovely photos, and so glad you all had fun. I love that you regularly wear and enjoy your most beloved scarves and shawls, even skiing. I'm sure you were the most chic on the slopes! I must admit to having a few that I love so much, I've rarely worn them. Silly, I know! I don't want them to feel so precious, but some of them were so hard to find!

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  8. For a moment, and only a brief one at that,I thought you might be in Texas! With that Longhorn gazing out at you from your favorite lunch stop,I had a brief lapse! LOL! Welcome home dear and I am so cheered to see that a good time was had by all:)I seem to remember DS winning a medal last year,also!Do you have a future Jean Claude in the making perhaps?
    Welcome home to Spring and may that holiday spirit endure! T xx

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  9. It's wonderful too see that you're back dear MaiTai!I confess that i did miss you!I'm looking forward to reading new posts with your ideas and suggestions for the spring,for Easter Day,for everyday life..Spring has arrived here-Verona- too.Finally chilly February is gone!
    Have a nice day!
    Hugs and kisses!
    Marina.

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  10. Absolutely stunning scenery, thank you so much for sharing these photos with us. DS is quite the champion.

    Wearing your made me chuckle, as the theme was a perfect match to your skiing adventure.

    Glad you and family got back safely and are enjoying spring, the crocus are finished here but a succession of daffodils are rapidly replacing them and then there are all the tulips to look forward to!

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  11. My dear NiniKnows, Trudye, marinaki and Bienchen, so great to see you again, missed you!

    Niniknows, so nice to hear you enjoyed coming along! And yes, my most beloved items are the ones that get used most, adding so much pleasure to la vie quotidienne. With H's commitment to quality, I suppose even my most worn treasures will last at least for my lifetime ;)

    LOL, my dearest Trudye! The longhorn is so beautiful, hope to see a real one, one day :) Re the medals, they are gained when another level of ski school class is achieved, ending with the etoile d’or. After that, it’s competition class, and a medal depends on the performance at a timed giant slalom. The little man has done really well, and I certainly can’t keep up with him any more.. <3

    You are so sweet, my dear marinaki! Many thanks for the lovely welcome back. Looking also forward to the newness of spring, and the inspiration the change of season brings. Have a most wonderful and happy springtime ahead x

    So true re the LFASDV, my dear Bienchen, and the CW was perfect too! No altitude cafés for Ms A David-Néel back then though, what a journey it must have been. St James’ Park is my favorite place to see Daffodils (apart from Dr Zhivago), London is such a magical place in spring time.

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  12. Dear MaiTal,
    Such good points regarding Hermes quality, and therefore longevity. You've given me the nudge to put them into regular use! :-) Silly, as I've always worn beloved non Hermes items without worry. A bit of beauty always bring so much joy to everyday life.

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  13. Welcome back! Your vacation looks simply amazing...I would LOVE to see the Alps one of these days. You look radiant on the slopes--truly. ~~Bliss

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  14. What a wonderful vacation you had; the pictures are glorious. Your son looks like a junior league Jean-Claude Killy; nothing like the exhilaration of racing, especially in such perfect weather.

    Love your ski attire; I'll be taking pointers when I go to the slopes next year. California and all of the western US have had an exceptionally warm winter and very little snow, so I haven't been on the slopes at all this year. I envy the lush snow depths in the Alps.

    Great to have you back!

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  15. Welcome back, glad you had a wonderful ski trip and thanks for sharing the lovely pics. The little cafes in the european skifields are a world away from the much less appealing offerings we have here in Australia! Yours are so quaint, no wonder you linger a little over a long lunch. X

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  16. Most wonderful to have you back, my dearest MaiTai! How so radiant, beautiful and happy you look enjoying and relaxing with your family amidst the breathtaking Alps - the fresh crisp air so delicious and invigorating - a true joie de vivre. A huge congratulations to DS on his wonderful achievement, looking absolutely fantastic - such a very proud moment. Thank you so much, dear MaiTai, for always generously sharing your trips with us <3 Wishing you a most wonderful spring weekend home, sending you all my love and biggest welcome back hugs xoxo

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  17. Dear Mai Tai,
    your annual skiing posts are one of my favourites, because I love so much the atmosfere of Alps myself.
    I also admire your ski style, so elegant and classy, yet practical and cozy.
    Thank you so much for sharing.
    Wishing you a lovely spring.

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  18. Welcome back MaiTai. Adding my voice to the others. We really miss you, but always so glad to read about your happy family holidays. Precious memories. Congratulations to DS who looks every bit the champ.

    I was also thinking how appropriate the LFASDV is; a fitting tribute to Alexandra David-Neel.

    Glad spring has sprung in the South of France. Our weather here in California continues to surprise us, and today is GM weather.

    Thank you for your lovely blog posts.
    Terese xx

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  19. Dear Mai Tai,
    Thank you for your inspiring and stylish posts. You take accessorizing to a whole new level!

    I have two unrelated questions. The first is very practical. How do you clean your very beautiful and precious Hermes scarves? I have read arguments in favor of dry cleaning and in favor of handwashing. I wonder what you have found to work best?

    Second, I was very moved by your post about how you and your mother were scarf twins in "La Presentation de Chevaux" and I wondered about the other ways in which your mother inspired your wonderful sense of style. I do not mean to pry, so please forgive the personal nature of the question.

    As always, thank you for the inspiration!

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  20. Welcome back, dearest MaiTai! And congratulations to DS in his fine achievement. What year shall we expect to see him competing in the Olympics? I saw this some teasing, and also seriousness. DS is simply amazing, coming home year after year with a medal. You and DH must be so proud of him. :-)

    On "Formal to Informal" post, I noticed "part I". (clapping) I'll be waiting with great anticipation for Part II.

    Warm hugs, dear
    CS

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  21. Hi Mai Tai

    I've been following for a little while now. Your blog is a favourite - you're so classy and chic and you have beautiful manners. I find you very inspiring. Thanks for blogging and sharing your fabulousness with us.

    Best regards, BB from Melbourne

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  22. Thanks for sharing your photographs of what looks like a wonderful time in the Alps : I adore mountains but prefer them without all the white stuff.
    Give me a pair of climbing boots and a rucksack ! I so admire those of you who enjoy skiing, and loved looking at your stylish H accessories .

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  23. I have always enjoyed your beautiful travel posts, Mai Tai.
    Welcome back and it looks like you had a great, fun family vacation! You always look so chic with your H shawls under your ski jacket. I have never seen this while skiing on this side of the pond but I think I would tumble over in surprise and delight if I did. :)

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  24. High five, my dear NiniKnows! x

    Many thanks, dear steppingmywaytobliss! Hope your dream will come true one day soon :)

    Thank you for the sweet welcome back, dear Reese. DS says thank you too <3 Hope you’ll have an abundance of snow the next year!

    My dear msT, I so enjoy hearing about the different ways of life in our different parts of the world! Here, the altitude cafés and restaurants are mostly wooden chalets, and since they are relatively small, there is one to be found on most runs. You can imagine the amount of breaks we have! ;)

    Your sweet warm words are so precious and special, my dearest Scarf Enthusiast.. you sparkle just like the snow crystals one sees from the lift on sunny days..Warmest and happiest spring hugs to you <3

    Many thanks, dear Jana, wishing you a most wonderful spring too. Here’s to the beauty of the mountains! :)

    Missed you too, my chère Terese! So wonderful to see you all again <3 With DS being a bit older and adept on the slopes, our skiing holidays have become such wonderfully carefree times. The memories are precious indeed, it is my favourite vacation of the year x

    My dear CS, you are so sweet. DS has truly made wonderful progress, now if only he could apply the same enthusiasm for his school work... ;) The previous post was special to me, so happy you look forward to part II too <3

    Welcome to our little chat corner, knittingtx! Re washing scarves, my preference is hand washing. A post is ‘to-do’ list ..
    Re your other question, I loved watching my mother putting things together when I was little. She always did it beautifully, and whether it were outfits or decoration, the end result was always so much more than the individual pieces. Over the years, I learned the importance of balance and harmony, and how much magic extra little touches bring. I will forever be grateful for all she taught me.

    Bienvenue, BB from Melbourne! So happy you enjoy my posts, many thanks for the lovely comment :)

    My dear Estrella, Sometimes when riding the ski lift, I think in admiration of those who tackle the mountains in summer, make it to the top (and down) on their own two feet. So much more of a sportive achievement!

    Many thanks, dear Maria! I too would love to see fellow skiers sporting H scarves or shawls on the slopes, it is such a nice way to bring some variation to the piste-look (some teens and tweens were wearing huge and chunky knitted scarves on top of their short jackets, a very cute look for the younger generation)

    A special thank you and bisou from DS to Reese, Scarf Enthusiast, Terese and CS <3

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  25. Dearest Tai,

    LUV the pix, esp. of DS racing down the slope w/ such ease.

    Thx for sharing.

    p.s. of course, you look perfectly sporty elegant, without even trying. luv yur style

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    Replies
    1. DS et moi are blowing grands bisous over to you, my dear s.a.m! <3

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