Birthday powder

First time blogging from my blackberry! Its my turn for a birthday today after we celebrated the Viking's last week.

Sadly I am alone on the slopes on my birthday but made up by being able to play in 3 feet of fresh powder, a snow junkies dream.

I am snowboarding in Gstaad and finally after a terrible snow season they are getting the snow they need.

Having to be a bit careful as snowboarding alone in these conditions is a bit dangerous, stray too far off piste and you wont be found, the transiever I am wearing will only really help to find my frozen corpse....so I'll be safe!

I am now in my late 30's and feel fantastic!

A tirade on Sat Nav systems

Imagine my parents surprise when they found out after 10 years of funding private education for their 1st born son, I managed to fail spectacularly at my O'levels, I took 12 O'levels and 5 CSE's and didn't get a grade C or above in the “O's” and managed a grade 1 CSE in Geography (in old money that's equivalent to a C at O'level. You could say I have never recovered from the shock but my parents hid their disappointment well and focused on what I had learned to do at school – skin a rabbit, hit a 10p piece from ¼ mile with a 303 and I could read a map....very well.

Well you can imagine my excitement at receiving a TomTom SatNav system as my leaving present from work, digital maps I was in heaven, I am going to be driving all over Europe for 7 weeks and wouldn't have to look at a map whilst cruising on the German autobahn at 120mph.

I got to Calais, typed in Barbara's home address and it showed me a thumbnail of the route and said it would take 4.5 hours, and I just set off and drove and did what I was told by the anodyne female voice (I have heard you can download celebrity voices – think I'll find myself a sultry female Scouser for my trip back to the UK, on second thoughts she might nick my wheels!.)

Anyway the SatNav got me to Babsi's front door without a hitch, but the unnerving thing was I had no idea where I was going, rather than memorizing the route, Lille, Brugges, Eindhoven, Dortmund – I had no idea where I was heading, you just have to trust the voice, so for someone that believes they are good map reader and and have a good sense of direction – relinquishing control to the little box stuck to my windscreen doesn't fit well with me. I have now done over 1500 miles in a week and haven't taken a wrong turn. It has also saved my bacon on a few speed traps.

Did you know Meringues are Swiss?

I am stopping a few days in the Pays-d'Enhaut region of Switzerland, think Heidi, Milka chocolate and classic Swiss cowbells and this is your archetypal Swiss valley, it is stunning, pristine and immaculate.


The valley or region is famous for the super-chic ski village of Gstaad, where global billionaires come to ski, pose and hang out in their colossal chalets. There isn't a White Stuff clad chalet girl in sight.....thank goodness! Only super tanned Italian porn stars in furs and Prada! The town is being criticized at the moment for being a tax shelter for super-rich corporate titans, athletes and musicians such as Phil Collins and Tina Turner, who claim residency here in exchange for paying a fixed rate of tax.


Unfortunately it has not stopped raining since I arrived on Wednesday, normally this would be a snow junkies dream, but it is too warm here (all the Chelsea Tractors spewing their carbon emissions!) and so it only really snows at night when the temperature drops and then in the morning the rain washes the snow away. I have had only one session on a snowboard when the weather cleared yesterday, however it was fantastic - fresh powder and empty pistes - can't ask for more. Additionally any climbing I had planned has been postponed now till late March as with all the fresh snow in this region of the Alps there is a high risk of avalanche.


The strange thing about this country is the language but particularly in this valley, I realise there are several variations of the Swiss language – German (most widely spoken), French and then Italian propping up the rear with only the Ticino region and few other valleys speaking it. There is another language spoken here called Rumantsch and has its roots like Italian and French from Latin, it is spoken by just 0.5% of the total population.


In this valley between the villages of Chateau D'oex and Gstadd, there is approximately 18km between them, the first 2 villages speak French and then 7km up the road everything is German, very odd to have to move between shops and converse in another language!


In the spirit of bringing you erudite and off the wall facts about the countries I will be visiting (if you want the usual travel writing – go to http://www.lonelyplanet.com/) here are some mind numbing facts about Switzerland. Cuckoo Clocks come from Bavaria in Southern Germany not Switzerland, Meringues are from here – from the town on Meringue in fact, and they are very good here, not like those rocks from M&S that you can only buy in packs of 20. Lake Geneva is not called Lake Geneva its called Lake Leman!


Praying for a break in the weather to go and play in the snow.....Jon