 Poster: A snowHead
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What experience do any Snowheads have of skiing over Christmas? I'm thinking hotels, France/Switzerland. Are hotels full of false jollity (don't want chalet as there would only be 2 of us and risk who you have to share with) and can you ski on Christmas day?
Have vision of nice scenic hotel, log fires and swishing down the slopes!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yes yes yes! I go to Austria every Christmas and wouldn't miss it for the world. In Austria they have the "jollity" stuff on Christmas eve and get out and ski on the day itself. No TV! No relatives! What more could you want?
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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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Exactly what I am thinking of. Never been to Austria though. Where to go?
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Skiing at Christmas is wonderful. The places we've stayed in have observed the usual festivities (decorations, gala dinner, etc) but not over the top faux-jollity. Skiing on Christmas day is the same as any other day (although even the normally surly French lifties do manage a cheery 'bon noel') and there's a great atmosphere around the resort.
We've always chosen high-altitude resorts and have never suffered from poor snow that early in the season.
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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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In our hotel in Kühtai on Christmas Eve, we all sang carols. I found it rather touching. Afterwards, like many others, I went to midnight Mass.
Kühtai is a high resort, and at Christmas 2002 there was adequate snow when much of Austria was green. Perhaps partly for that reason, it was crowded.
I wouldn't particularly recommend Kühtai otherwise. It is not extensive or very attractive. Obergurgl is better in most ways.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
Afterwards, like many others, I went to midnight Mass.
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One year I went to midnight mass in Zillertal (a few miles down the valley from Mayrhofen in Austria), to the church where the carol 'Silent night' was originally written. It was one of life's most memorable events: hundreds of people streaming silently through the picturesque narrow streets; a spotlit brass band playing from a chalet balcony across the square; the village youth choir singing 'Stille nacht'; and a simple, elegant and moving service.
I recommend it to anyone. It's better than any amount of rowdy aprés ski.
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Even more memorable is Easter in Greece.
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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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I'm with you Chris Bish, Xmas in a ski resort is fantastic. Beverley, I've never not been able to ski on Xmas day and thats in Italy, Austria and Canada. Its a wonderful day to ski particularly in the morning.
The other obvious bonus of Xmas and New Year skiing is that you can generally have a two week break without using up much annual leave, and not a relative in sight.
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Christmas in Austrian Villages is just incredible, when we lived in Germany we used to go to a 4 or 5 star Austrian hotel for Christmas each year in Lech or Stuben. The Christmas dinner would be just sensational (served on Christmas Eve).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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As a child I once travelled out to ski in a French Wagon-lit on new years eve.
We (well, perhaps not me at that age) had a brandy with the sleeping-car attendant and he then wished us a good night as he left. We asked "What about Les Formalites" (should be an acute accent on that e, don't know how to get it on iMac)-There were normally passport checks at the border in the middle of the night.
Echoing Louis XIV he said "Les Formalites, c'est Moi!"
I agree about Christmas.
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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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snowball, this is off-topic, but if you want an easy way on the Mac to insert any number of typographical or international characters search for a little utility called PopChar (or PopChar X if you are using current OS). I find it invaluable as I can never remember the key combinations for any character which doesn't have its own key on my keyboard.
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| rob@rar.org.uk wrote: |
| snowball, this is off-topic, but if you want an easy way on the Mac to insert any number of typographical or international characters search for a little utility called PopChar (or PopChar X if you are using current OS). I find it invaluable as I can never remember the key combinations for any character which doesn't have its own key on my keyboard. |
Hm. I looked under Applications and clicked Utilities. Am I looking in the wrong place? (I'm OSX. 10.2.
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You know it makes sense.
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Sorry to hijack your post but i'm trying to get away for xmas too and need help deciding where to go, please see my post in the resorts forum. http://snowheads.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3177 i'd like to try and book something today if possible.
Cheers peeps
AL
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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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Surely there must be something simply accessible on the computer. Writing French names etc is a very everyday requirement!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
| should be an acute accent on that e, don't know how to get it on iMac |
Alt-e followed by e
(grave is Alt-`, followed by letter; circumflex is Alt-i, followed by letter; Alt-c gives ç directly.)
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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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Great, at last, thanks !!!!!
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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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| snowball wrote: |
| Surely there must be something simply accessible on the computer. Writing French names etc is a very everyday requirement! |
snowball, Go to System Preferences under the Apple Menu. Select 'International' under 'Personal'. Select 'Input Menu'. Put a tick in the box next to 'Keyboard Viewer'. Now, you will see an item called 'Show keyboard viewer' under the flag symbol on the menu bar. If you select that, you will get a nice picture of the keyboard. Holding down a modifier key (shift/alt/cmd/ctrl) will show you the changes. Holding down the Alt key will also highlight the keys that modify letters with accents etc. You can click on the keyboard to insert the characters into whatever you're typing.
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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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I make it a priority to go skiing at Christmas every year now. Always ski on Christmas day (it is usually fairly quiet for first lifts) but, depending where you are, it can get very busy over the whole period. This year's dates threw a swerveball so decided to fly out on Boxing Day and be in the mountains for New Year. If I had the choice though, I would be out for the whole period (or season for that matter!). Enjoy!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Now lets just calm down a bit here or they will all want to be there!
If there is anybody who doesn't know this by now I love Kitzbuhel for Christmas. We stay in the very ordinary and not particularly expensive Neilsen's run Tyrol with its friendly managed Reinhard and its world class (Ok maybe a bit of an exaggeration) chef Ian. The bus hits Kitz at about 12.00 and we are up the mountain by 1 so we get 7 days out of our package.
Christmas eve is just magical. Kitz has two adjacent cathedrals and they begin a sort of battle of the bells at around 7 o'clock. Magnificent. The whole town turns out to go and visit their family graves and the graveyards are lit up by candles and decorated with Xmas trees. Walking about in the icy air is delicious and there are plenty of welcoming hostelries.
We do the local thing and do our little presents to each other on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day itself is get up and ski. The black down Steinbergkogel is a pretty good Christmas highlight as at our levell it is terrifying. Survivor euphoria leads to a pretty jolly lunch stop. We then do calls to friends and relatives on the mobile at a very reasonable £1 a minute (how do they get away with it?) and share our fun with people stuck with turkey and Morcabme and Wise. Horse drawn sleigh rides round the town.....
No it's awful. Don't do it!
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Beverley, (oddly my wife's name too) I think a massive sulk is called for. I have never ever known a woman not to get her way in the end.
See you on the Hahnenkamm!???
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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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Beverley, tell him that's OK and that you quite understand. Then tell him that you promise to phone every day while you're away...
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Beverley, tell him to baste his own turkey 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Beverley, Divorce is the only answer !
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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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Ski I can't divorce him yet. I am only going to marry him in March in Zermatt (after a 17 year courtship I add)!!
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You know it makes sense.
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Since I took up skiing 6 years ago I had never spent a Christmas at home.
Oppdah in 1999, Are in 2000, Geilo in 2001, Whistler in 2002 and Zellam See in 2003. My 2004 will be in Boug St Maurice. 2005 has already been booked to go back to Whistler.
Guess I am lucky that the wife and I can enjoy a sport together.
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FAQ
My loved one has declared he adores Christmas at home and couldn't possibly entertain the idea of someone else cooking his turkey, decorating the tree and generally doing everything else that I spend my time running around organising. I meanwhile would be quite happy to have someone else cook my turkey. Any offers?!
