Its about a month since I left Whistler, and within 24 hours I'll yet again be esconced in dear old Blighty. So I think its time for a list.
Whistler vs. Here
* Queuing.
Boy, the Canadians have this down to a tee. Eagle-eyed attendants channel patient skiiers into organised lines. Any attempted jumping of queues is met with swift retribution (normally the nailing of a sensitive part of the offender's anatomy to the underside of the gondola.)
The French? A gallic shrug and a "Pffffft" from the attendants and a free-for-all at each lift. Ski poles are weapons and its the survival of the fittest.
* Pistes
Whistler is a work of art. The slopes are bombarded by snow blowers all day, and by night an army of eager workers smooth the day's abuses into flat loveliness.
Here? Lets just say that the lassez-faire attitude of the piste-bashers lead to the slopes being somewhat characterful. And hysterically fun; I giggle like a lunatic as I blast through randomly placed piles of powder and slip over concealed ice. The French have a sense of humour; who'd have thought?
* Food
Easy. The food on the slopes at Whistler is just terrible. In France its great. Really great. I'd hoped to lose some weight on this holiday. Failed.
* The Slam Dunk
I can pick a mountain. Down one side I can ski into France. Down the other side I can ski into Switzerland. How cool is that?
Yes, I'll be back in March...
