 Poster: A snowHead
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Been skiing every year but normally at Easter or Jan/Feb. Going this year at Christmas for the first time with two kids age 13 and 10.
With limited space in the car - would love to you know what your essentials to take for Christmas in the Alps… any good tips?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Elsie80, Ear plugs and champagne 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Assuming you are a family on a limited budget - take kids who have accepted that their "big Christmas present" this year is a ski holiday. One Christmas we had a half bottle of malt whisky which my mother in law (not the last of the Big Spenders) had bought my OH for Christmas. Car was loaded. When he opened the boot OH was distraught - he thought the smell was his whisky, smashed. Turned out it was a bottle of windscreen de-icer which had leaked. So Christmas was saved. 
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A sharp knife and some spices if going self catering. If you are planning a English style Christmas lunch theb brussel sprouts and parsnips can be smuggled. However the main point of going skiiing at Christmas is to get away from the UK over that period and actually enjoy yourself.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Elsie80, you will have to give us a clue as to where you are heading as this may have a bearing, on the basis that you should only take the stuff you can't get once you are there.
In France for example, panais and choux de Bruxelles are readily available, so you could just head to the Super U for those. I will also be spending Christmas in a ski resort and have started to list the essential items I intend to bring. A slightly eclectic mix...
Tea bags (never found any French ones that are any good)
Bisto gravy granules
Tinned poppy seed stuffing (to make poppy seed strudel)
Matjes herrings (French herring are dreadful)
Wine: Amarone; Negroamaro (coals to Newcastle - but never found Savoie wine to be anything much to write home about)
Those, along with a big shop in Bourg will allow me to cover the bases for a European-style Christmas Eve and a British-style Christmas Day.
Each to their own though, and I think it will be fun following this thread to see what others deem essential!
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| Quote: |
never found Savoie wine to be anything much to write home about
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I've spent a lot of time in supermarkets in Savoie and always found there was more than enough excellent wine to choose from!
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I presume you are talking Christmas specific items rather than in general...
We (long time Christmas skiers) take a small artificial tree and lights, a few small presents.... and that's it.
We don't have a special Christmas meal. We always try to cook nice food anyway and we will always have some "treats" for on the slopes or after dinner - whether Christmas or not.
The best thing for me is always skiing on Christmas Day rather than being at home - which I usually found quite stressful and/or boring.
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I've spent a lot of time in supermarkets in Savoie and always found there was more than enough excellent wine to choose from!
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Likewise, lots choice, apart from the really cheep stuff in 1.5L plastic bottle most of the stuff is perfectly nice. I think the cheep stuff is actually Italian but bottled in France.
There is more tea choice in French supermarkets nowadays so you don't have to take that terrible yellow label stuff, but I always take some from the UK. Never thought of taking marinated herrings with me as I love the choice of fish at French supermarkets.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Layne, I did have a small fibre optic tree in the cave which we got out. Now we don't bother. But we do have presents - often bought in France.
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@johnE, ours is kind of a family heirloom..
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Fireworks.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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apart from the really cheep stuff in 1.5L plastic bottles
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...aah, that must be where I'm going wrong  , hic.
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as I love the choice of fish at French supermarkets.
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Agree - the selection of fresh fish in Savoie supermarkets is pretty good for a land-locked Département
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Mince pies! Plus a tin of other home made tray bakes.
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You know it makes sense.
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This. Mince pies are hard currency in our village at Christmas, even the Swiss love them!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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As you're going off piste for Xmas, shovel, probe and beep
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Tea.
Buy everything else en route.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hells Bells! The Christmas Pudding!! Completely forgot... just added it to the list, thanks @Alastair Pink.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@bobski62, you called?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Wallet,. Passport
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| Wallet,. Passport |
...and a spare pair of pants
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Don't forget that you might not be able to legally take essentials with you. We will be taking frozen mean (from an early Xmas dinner), pigs in blankets, gravy and Stilton with us
Although I deny it if asked.
Again I think a small tree and decorations are nice and we take little presents for the day, so we can open something
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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A torch, it gets dark very early.
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Bring secateurs. Find a friendly fir tree and you have your Christmas tree. Bring the candles and holders with you.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Xmas items not easily found in France:
Pork pies (there's something similar, long/rectangular, but it tastes sweet and weird).
Gala pie.
Sausage rolls.
Mince pies.
Xmas cake with royal icing.
Xmas pudding.
Pork roast with crackling.
Stilton (Roquefort can substitute).
Cheese biscuits.
Brazil nuts.
Xmas crackers.
Cadbury's chocolate.
Sherry.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Crosbie, On your list are all the things i'd be avoiding if I am going to ski at Christmas (with the exception of mince pies), better to book a traditional meal and enjoy the local festive experience a day early and then ski on Christmas Day when everyone else is overloading on food and sat in front of the TV, you're on the slopes.
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Same here - none of Crosbie's items are things I would worry about.
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You know it makes sense.
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Bring secateurs. Find a friendly fir tree
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Not encouraged to be chopping down the surrounding trees...... some vandal tore branches outside one of the "landscaped" fir trees outside our apartment to form the arms of their wretched snowman. If we'd seen them they'd have been shoved head first into the nearest snow drift. 
We did some "traditional" things at Christmas when we had our own apartment. We never had holidays over Christmas before that, as peak weeks were far too expensive (we always took the kids out of school which is no doubt why they are now all illiterate). But one of the joys of Christmas on the slopes is that it is different!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Clothes and a credit card
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Poster: A snowHead
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I find it a bit odd to go abroad for xmas and then take the domestic traditions with you (appreciating the underlying snowy motivation  ).
I think we are planning on roast goose. Sprouts caramelised in honey, lime, chilli and creme fraiche (only because they are quite splendid and get prepared throughout the cooler months).
Bisto is cheating.
Etc.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I think we are planning on roast goose.
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Can you get any more traddionaly Britsh than that for Christmas? I assume this mean you will be in the UK over Christmas. I like the idea of sprouts with lime, chilli and creme fraiche (personnaly, I've always hated honey) sounds much better than my boiling them with chestnuts. I love roast chestnuts as well
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@under a new name,
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Sprouts caramelised in honey, lime, chilli and creme fraiche
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Sounds delicious. The cream at the last minute?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Hurtle, exactly. Caramelization in honey and chilli after par-boiling then lime and creme fraiche at last minute. Creme fraiche almost on the side. We had a business trip to Washington DC some years ago and every single restaurant had a variation on sprouts (and devilled eggs as aperos). Interesting!!
@johnE, does anyone in the uk ever do goose these days? We'll be in France and are going to have to remember to order it though oh oh 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@under a new name, we usually have goose if we are at home in the UK, but it was very difficult to get one last Christmas as our usual supplier had been unable to get the eggs from Europe due to avian flu outbreak. Managed to find (a very expensive one) from Farmison, but my sis paid for it, and I did the rest of the meal. Not sure I fancy cooking one in the apartment though. We'll probably have a Boeuf en Croute/Wellington.
Pork pies are our 'travel snacks' at any time of year. I've even been known to make a tray of them to take with us. Filling, don't go soggy like a sandwich, great cold and can be eaten on the move if needed. I don't feel any need to take other Christmas items with us though.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@under a new name, nice. Yes, I do goose at Christmas. I've never cooked a turkey in my life.
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| under a new name wrote: |
@johnE, does anyone in the uk ever do goose these days? We'll be in France and are going to have to remember to order it though oh oh |
I did a goose the last time we intended to host over the festering season. However, that was 2020, and (other) Dr JayRo's mother and brother had to cancel their trip to come and stay with us at almost no notice, so we ended up making a wonderfully confit of the legs (which we ate later that year with pureed split peas) and eating the rest of an entire festive meal for 4 ourselves.
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For the record, when i go skiing at xmas, my ideal xmas dinner is raclette with all the trimmings. Fondue Bourguinone is second choice. I don't think ive ever tried to bring any English aspect to it, unless you count pressies.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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We take 2 boxes of indoor fireworks. One for us and one present for the landlady - who loves them.
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I've not seen indoor fireworks for yonks. Do they still have the monkey smoking a cigarette?
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FAQ
