Our dreams, their inspiration. Val Thorens, France

I couldn't find a more suitable title for this post as this one. And I really felt it that way. The French did it again! We dreamed and they created a place exactly like in our sweetest winter dreams. I was not an avid ski person until I put my feet on this winter land which seemed out of a ski film scene. Les 3 Vallées is the world's largest ski area, it has 600 km of pistes accessible for ski, 372 downhill ski pistes, 167 ski lifts and 1,512 hectares of maintained pistes...oh là là. Voilà.

I have to be honest with you: I was a little bit afraid of this sport that I've tried before and I actually never took it seriously, maybe because I was too lazy to wake up at 7 am during vacation, it was too cold or too expensive, I was frightened of all the falling, of all the "what if" I am not good enough of it or...worse, I didn't have the right pair of pants. Girls, do you remember these questions: where are my ski pants, did I lend them to you? :)))

But this year I wanted to be different, I wanted to learn how to ski and that was enough. So I took 6 days of ski lessons (3 group lessons and 3 private lessons) in Val Thorens and I am the queen of the green pistes and the joker of the blue ones, eh, not all of them but the difficult blue ones. Next year I am sure that I'll be even better. Step by step.

                                                                       On greens

                                                                     & on blues :)))

What makes Val Thorens really special is that it's not only the highest resort in Europe with stunning views of the beautiful mountains and wide, long slopes but it also exceeds in other areas such as great food, live music on the pistes and countless possibilities to enjoy your time after skiing: cool après-ski (try La Folie Douce), husky dog sledging, fun slope, snowmobiling, nice bars, cosy restaurants, para gliding, spa, the highest zip line in the world (accessible to skiers only) etc.

Les 3 Vallées is shinning again and this time in your plate. It is the mountain area with the most Michelin starred restaurants recorded ever. No, I didn't try any of them, actually I never tried a Michelin starred restaurant (yet, I have this on my list!), but I can recommend you two very good restaurants from the bottom of my heart.

The first one - Les Chalets du Thorens - is right on one of the pistes. I was completely surprised to see that they even have a sushi bar in the restaurant. Who ever ate sushi on the slopes? I surely did. They served a variety of traditional Savoyard specialities, seafood, Italians pastas and delicious French sweets. Eating their exquisite food I was thinking that I ended up somehow in the Ratatouille movie. I'll let you have a look at my photos, but please don't drool over the computer :)

What do you think?

And the second recommendation is in the resort this time: Face West Cafe. Try here the dessert, Tarte Tatin chaude, hmmm, I totally forgot to photograph it, I was to busy to indulge in the sweetest and finest tastes.

Editor's choice: stuffed pumpkin with tomme de Savoie, oyster mushroom and parsley  

And since we are in France, all the talking is about or around food. Trust me, I lived there over too years and there were very few times when I could get out of the house just for a drink, without having dinner or at least some amuse-bouche near by... So, another place to buy food for home or to have it with you in the room is this one, La Ferme de Thorens.  

I do not eat meat, but I saw in their shop all kind of sausages with nuts, herbs, cheese and so on.

                                                             
                                                       My favorite cheese: tomme de Savoie

And now let me introduce you to the Vitruvian...pig :) 

Tips:

- if you don't live in France and you don't have internet access on your cell and you can not stay too much without internet, when you book a room in Val Thorens, ask about wifi. They usually do not provide wifi in the rooms and they don't have internet access in every building. You can buy a pass available in Val Thorens for a whole week, but it's not worth it since it's too expensive: 25 euros. 

- 6 days of ski with group lessons at SkiCool : 171 euros

- ski pass for 6 days: 218 euros

For any other details, feel free to drop me a line.

À la prochaine!

  

  

What I wanted for my birthday.

I know that what I wanted for my birthday this year won't come true. And I didn't wish for expensive shoes or fancy trips, but for the health of my friend.

I have to learn at only 37 what to do with so much pain inside. I have to learn to transform it in something else as a larvae to a butterfly. I don't know how to do it...yet. 

In the last years I've read so many books that tell you how to accept anything that happens to you, how to embrace change as the most natural thing in the world... in front of this huge pain, I only realize I didn't actually learn anything. I thought I did. Maybe it's time to read them again.

Instead, I've learned how to pray, in my thoughts and out loud, day or night, lying down, walking or on my knees and I don't even know if my prayers were heard. I don't think so. But I am still praying. Sometimes that calms me down, but sometimes it makes me even angrier, powerless, wondering if I did everything I could for her. 

Maybe I could have been a better friend, maybe I could have disappointed her less during our friendship (we all did that sometimes, right?), maybe I could have listened to her more. Maybe. A thousands maybe, except one. I couldn't have loved her more and she couldn't have loved me more. And this is the only thing that make sense for me these days... and probably forever: love. The last voice message that I have on my cell from her is "Te iubeeeeeesc!" 

I love you too, Ailin. To the moon and back and forever, my dear friend.

So I have another wish for my birthday, hoping to come true: be happy and tell today anyone you love "Te iubesc". The last lesson learned from my friend is to cherish every single day and make the most of it.    

Spotted in Val Thorens

     In the south of France, in Veryere-du-Lac, two magic hands give life to beautiful, genuine, unique creations inspired by nature. 

     In her workshop, Adjie works with birch, spruce or other local wood and recycled wool. You can see the results above. She creates in a funny manner sheep, rabbits, donkeys, deers and other dear pets ready to come with you in your home.

     Take a look at her facebook page HERE, and watch a short movie in French about her creations HERE.

Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen

Royal crowns, thrones guarded by three life size silver lions, a treasury with the royal jewelry, twelve huge tapestries, clocks, elegant pieces of carved furniture, paintings etc. all gathered in a kind of small pleasure summer castle by Christian IV, King of Denmark and Norway from 1588. Rosenborg was built between 1606 and 1634 and the king designed himself a big part of this Renaissance castle.

What make Rosenborg special is its long museum tradition and its unique style of presenting the royal collections gathered over time in the castle. In fact, it is the first museum of contemporary culture in Europe. Rosenberg was opened to the public in 1838. At that time, most of the museums were arranged thematically by furniture, portraits etc., but Rosenborg's collections were arranged chronologically so the visitors can have an overview of the history.   

Japanese lacquered cabinet was used by queen Charlotte Amalie to keep inside her collection of seashells.

The Great Hall or the Knights' Hall was used originally as a ballroom, then its destination changed for banquets. Christian V added 12 tapestries made in Copenhagen and representing scenes from the Scanian war (1675-1679).

In the picture below you can see the coronation chairs, one for the Danish kings (as you look at the picture on the left side) and the other one for the Danish queens (on the right side). The first one is made of narwhale-tusk and the second one is made of silver.

   In this very well maintained tapestry you can see Christian V on the right side. 

The underground Treasury

    Cristian's IV crown

Emeralds and brilliants set. The emeralds seemed to be a present from Christian VI to Queen Sophie Magdalene.

                                          Hair ornament

Interesting fact: the crown jewels may be used now by the queen, but they are owned by the state. The queen is not allowed to wear them outside Denmark and she generally uses them at New Year's banquet or during other events at the Royal House. It is a big privilege for us all to be able to see in a castle the crown jewels that are still worn by the queen. 

Vise de copila

     Era pe tarm. Nu-i distrageau atentia nici muzica valurilor care se intreceau ca intr-o suita de Bach sa-i atinga degetele de la picioare, lungi si subtiri precum niste clape de fildes, nici croncanitul pescarusilor care zburau in cerc, aparent fara nicio ocupatie, dar numai ei stiind cum socotesc fiecare ceas pana la cel in care se infrupta la apus.

     Soarele bland abia daca ii mangaia umerii goi si albi ca spuma marii. I-ar fi sarutat tot trupul daca ar mai fi avut putere sa arda si ar fi strans-o in brate pana pielea ei fina ar fi devenit aspra si ciocolatie. Poate la imbratisarile lui s-ar fi oprit din construit castele, ar fi lasat toate visele la o parte si ar fi dansat cu el acolo, in vazul pescarusilor.

     Dar nu, copila construia castel dupa castel si-n fiecare inchidea in turn cate un vis. Avea atat de multe ca ar fi umplut cu ele plaje intregi. Nu erau doar ale ei, ci erau stranse in cei saisprezece ani de la fiecare om pe care il intalnise. Spera ca atunci cand vor fi eliberate, rand pe rand, visele vor deveni realitate. Realitatea ei si a lor.

     Multe dintre ele se suprapuneau, se confundau. Pe ele le inchidea in acelasi castel la care presara in varf doua turnuri. Altele se intalneau undeva pentru o clipa si apoi o luau pe traseul a doua linii paralele doar pentru a se privi apoi lung o eternitate. Pe unul dintre ele il inchidea aici si apoi facea un pas spre mare si alerga aproape tot tarmul cu celalalt bine strans in pumn sa nu-l piarda si la capatul plajei il plasa in varf, in alt castel. Il vedeai cum facea ochii mari cat doua planete si fara sa tina cont de nisipul batut in ochi se holba dupa visul lui, catre celalalt capat de plaja. Ruga vantul din priviri de un albastru celest sa-l plimbe dincolo, macar cu gandul... zadarnic! Vantul si marea, soarele si gandul erau acolo doar pentru fecioara blonda creatoare de vise.

    Nu obosea, construia castel dupa castel, sute de vise povestite, auzite sau imaginate in doar saisprezece ani. 

     Spre apus, cand marea a devenit lina si s-a intins la visare, cand pescarusii s-au insiruit in zbor spre port sa intampine pescarii, copila s-a intins pe nisipul umed, intre doua castele: visele ei cele mai sfinte. Nu le recunostea mereu caci uneori se preschimbau, se transformau, cresteau odata cu ea. In interiorul ei plapand ele capatau putere, in talpile ei fine prindeau radacini si se inaltau. Nu le intelegea mereu si o rascoleau, insa stia ca sunt ale ei pentru totdeauna. Captive in trupul ei, in mintea si in inima ei. Inmugurite, inverzite, inflorite sau uscate ca apoi sa inverzeasca iar... 

     Cand venea vremea infloririi, copila exploda in zambete si rasete, ii citeai fericirea in ochi si pe buze, radia si dansa cu soarele, exact asa cum ar fi vrut el sa o ia la dans pe plaja, in vazul pescarusilor...

     Ultima data cand am vazut-o era pe plaja de la Vadu. Construia castele de nisip. Avea saisprezece ani si tone de vise. Din departare, alerga spre ea un pusti cu parul carliontat si ochii verzi, calcand peste castele, eliberand zeci de vise... un vazduh plin de vise si ei doi. S-a oprit langa ea si timid a intrebat-o: cum te cheama? 

     Copila a deschis pumnii plini de nisip si pentru prima oara in viata ei a uitat de castele...