An escapade in the French Alps had not been on our list of "must do." What happened was that our friend Marie's brother-in-law has a timeshare that he wasn't going to use and he made us an offer that was irresitable.
When we went to buy our tickets at the train station several days before our departure, the very kind clerk in the photo convinced us to get economical senior passes.
Sunday, January 11, we're off on the TGV (high speed train) from Paris Gare de Lyon to Moutier, the jumping off place for a host of French ski areas. The area we are headed for is Meribel, "the heart of the 3 Valleys." The 3 Valleys each consist of dozens of hamlets, several large ski resort villages, and 600 km of interconnected ski runs and slopes making it the largest ski area in the world. We had never heard of it.
After a pleasant 4 hr train ride, we arrive in Moutier, and by following people carrying snowboards and ski gear, we quickly find the ticket window for the bus to Meribel.
Tickets in hand, we are in the bus and on our way about 20 minutes later.
We had no idea what to expect, and are so pleased that the Residence Maeva Les Bleuets has a great location right in the main part of the Meribel-Mottaret ski complex, with easy access to the free shuttle buses, shops, the tourism office, movie theater, and restaurants. We also learn that it is part of a large French timeshare group, and many of the locations are affiliated with RCI.
Our studio apartment is modern and comfortable, and could easly sleep 4, with a couch that slides out into a queen size bed, and bunk beds on the other side of a partition wall. Irons, hair dryers, and electric fondue pots can be provided upon request. We pay an extra 15 euros to have the TV activated. We're thrilled to get CNN.
The view from our window, looking north.
Going out the back door of our building puts us in a honeycomb of ski shops, restaurants, a grocery store, and other hotels, then, plop, we're on the slopes.
It is easy to rent cross country skis and by carefully threading our way though the downhill people swooping in from all directions, we can hit the well groomed trails around frozen Lake Tuerda.
This area was developed largely by and for the British after WWII, and we are told that most of the pubs and restaurants are Brit-owned.
The day after our cross-country workout, we signed up for a group snowshoe outing.
Our guide, Nicolas, gave us a good overview of the geology, prehistory, history, economy, botany, sociology, and politics of the region, as we sipped hot tea that he thoughtfully passed around.
We even had a quiz: what animal leaves little marble-sized pellets in the snow? Answer: a snow hare.
The cute little gondolas that pass in front of our condo window turn out to be free transportation to another hotel and chalet complex further up the mountain.
We go for a ride.
It feels a little funny to stroll along the same runs that the skiiers use, but that doesn't seem to be a problem here.
Thanks fo a comprehensive network of free shuttle buses that serve the dozens of villages and resorts, here and handy maps of walking trails provided by the local tourist office, we can ride up and down the mountain to any number of trailheads for some easy walks.
Did I mention the views?
Farewell, Meribel and the Three Valleys.
