The game is on...

Nobody talking about Ski Touring and Snowshoeing anymore. Andrew and Lindsey were friendly enough last night, on Place du 8 Mai, they said "Good luck for tomorrow". And they were not talking about Jacques ski comp in Barèges!

The big group of English visitors have gone home to see the game. In a few hours, the French should get crushed, if we believe the anglo rumor mill! THE game of thsi year's 6 Nations tournement will be on, in the Salon of Hotel Les Templiers.. at 6 PM tonight!

Billy Jean, she says I am the one.

So take my strong advice, remember to always think twice....

Remember also the Pyrénées, this morning, it was snowing in the valley and the local radio was playing Chris Cornell version of Billy Jean! Just got back to the hotel and I've found the little piece on you tube..

Enjoy.. so different so... good! She said her name was Billy Jean!

Rémi Gaillard 2010

Check it out. The vidéo lasts about 16 minutes and it is "something else!" I couldn't put it on my French Political blog, so I am sharing it here. For those who donet know Rémi Gaillard, he is the world famous internet football star, mainly aiming at the Police in his early videos. Four years of madness in the streets of Montpellier! The video is here.

Derby 3000 in Gavarnie!

On saturday the 22nd and sunday the 23rd, 120 international champions will climb 1600M on cross country skis, around mighty Gavarnie. This is the second of five events making the 2011 Ski-Mounteneering World Cup. The Derby 3000, is now 20 years old. This is happening around the Unesco World Heritage listed Cirque de Gavarnie.

Be aware that the first few "spectators" making it to the top of the Col des Gardes, will receive a present from the organizing commitee. (Not an easy task!). A couple of the competitors are staying in Luz, but there is still some space at our place.

End of the Monomaniak 2011.. long live the Monomaniak 2012

You thought the monoski died in the eighties didn't you? Well think again! The Monoski was alive and well at the Luz Ardiden Monomaniak 2011 event this Week End! For this third edition of the event, some mono-crazy gang invaded the town and the pistes. Plenty of sun and plenty of snowboarders to chase :). You can imagine a few "older" monoskiers surrounding a couple of young snowborders on the pistes. Our Welsh and English guests decided to come to the Pyrenees with their 80s fluo ski suits. You can imagine.

New Blog

I have been writing on my frenc blog for the past four years, and I wanted to share some of the best posts with my Aussie friends.  There should be many updates on French, national and local politics. I hope to also share some great pictures of the Pyrenees. Anyway, we will see how it goes.

Welcome to Life's Good in France.

Walk to the corner of my street and find love

 Once upon a time.....

..... I was told I could walk to the corner of my street and fall in love.

This idea was a bit weird to me, how can a corner and a feeling have anything to do with eachother? What's a corner with no love, what's love with no corner? That’s how, on a sunny morning, discretely, I tried to look for it, and see. My mind was full of questions, I've seen so many corners in my little life, never met one escorted by any kind of love.

 Me, my soul and my heart, met at the corner of my street. We looked at it in every way, we only saw walls. I  asked the wall:

“Hello, Wall, you who has lived here for ages and ages, can you help me? I've been told I could find love around here, have you seen it?

- Hello, says the imperturbable wall, since I have been here, I've seen many loves indeed! Love stories that last, that doesn't, crazy ones or tempered ones, plenty. But none for a while. You should ask the wind, he moves around and I don't, he might know better than me.

 I thanked the wall and we continued our research. Me, my soul and my heart, met at the corner of the street below. We looked at it in every way, we only saw walls and wind. I asked the wind:

“Hello, Wind, you who can go to every places, can you help me? I've been told I could find love around here, have you seen it?

- Hello, says the swirling wind, love here? It comes and goes, often faster than I do, and I have difficulties to follow it. Love can't stay in one place, love is movement. If you don't move, then you won't find it. You should ask the sun, up there, he sees everything and might know better than me.

 I thanked the wind and we continued our research. Me, my soul and my heart, met at the corner of the next street. We looked at it in every way, we only saw walls, wind, and sun.

I asked the sun:

“Hello, Sun, you who live up in the sky, can you help me? I've been told I could find love around here, have you seen it?

- Hello, said the glittering sun, you're looking for love? Since when?

- Well, I walked around the village, I asked the wall, the wind, and...

- They didn't explain to you?? The wall is too lazy, and the wind too joker!! You cannot count on anyone, those days!

 Angry, he started melting the snow. The snow was crying and bewailing, dying a bit more everyday. The people in the village had no jobs anymore, they were roaming, loosing hope and yearning. Naturally I felt guilty. All that happen because of my egocentric request of just a feeling.. I stopped my research, tried to go back to a normal life, forgetting about my questions about love and corners.

 The snow came back,. The sun, helped by the wind and the wall, calmed down.

And a morning, an usual morning, going out of my flat, friendly fondled by the wind, the brightening sweet snow appeared to me, with the sun sharing its fullness, here in this corner of my street, in this little village of mine. I noticed that they never expected anything from me. Each one of them, generous, understanding, unconditionally there for me, as much as they could. Then, I understood what the sun meant. I understood the lazy stillness of the wall and the foolish eagerness of the wind.  Now I know about love and corners..

 Sarah Chatellier