Alpe d'Huez Apres Ski Report:7th January 2010
It feels like much longer than a week ago that I was debating the relative merits of various outfits for New Year's Eve. Needless to say the rave 'costume' beat the swanky dress hands-down and I looked more than a little out of place amongst the classier clientele of Lounge 21. But it was a small price to pay for blending in amongst the younger party-goers at Smithy's Tavern where I celebrated both French and British New Year with Emily, who was on Cloak Room duty.
There were more than a few bleary eyes the next morning but I was up bright and early to welcome the new year with a beautiful clear day. I much prefer to celebrate New Year's Day than the evening before so managed to drag The Boyfriend away from work for a couple of hours and a celebratory dinner at Lounge 21, complete with a mountainous ice-cream sundae for dessert.
On Saturday it was back to Smithy's for brunch and some ski basics with Steph from Snow Angel Nannies on the Rif Nel. By the time the sun went down we were freezing so headed to new café McRenard for a crepe and a hot chocolate. It's a great little place with quirky décor that makes a welcome change from the older-school French cafés. Alpe d'Huez seems to be opting for the café-culture style at the moment, with a new tea-shop just opened on the High Street (Avenue des Jeux), opposite the ice rink. I've not had a chance to try it yet but the cakes in the window look amazing! I'll try to get there this week and let you know the verdict.
Emerging into the cold dark night we realised we were at the wrong end of town but if you've got a pair of skis you can't go too far wrong and we skied down the piste by the light of the nearly full moon (helped by the street lamps). This is possibly – and maybe sadly so – the most romantic thing I've done this winter and the fact that it's not strictly allowed just added to the moment.
Sunday night was time for another first for me in Alpe d'Huez and another thing to add to my list of great experiences in resort. The town's sports complex, the Palais des Sports, is one of the best in the alps and has loads of activities for locals and tourists alike. Your weekly pass allows you access to the gym, swimming pool and classes, with small additional charges levied on some activities. My class of choice for Sunday night was Reggaeton, which was described to me as an African-inspired dance class, “super-cool”. How could I resist? Similar classes in the UK are often billed as 'street dance' and despite the language barrier you'd be hard pressed not to enjoy it. The music was fairly commercial hip-hop but turned up loud and with a simple routine it was a great way to let off some steam, especially if skiing or snowboarding isn't really your thing.
As it turned out, I was glad of an opportunity to practice my dance skills before the arrival of DJ Chef from across the valley on Tuesday night. The Deux Alpes DJ is infamous for his heavy drum 'n' bass sets, not something we get much of in Alpe d'Huez and it went down really well in Smithy's Tavern, especially with the kitchen and floor staff. We're hoping he'll be invited back soon to shake-up the music scene on this side of the valley.
On Wednesday there was a public fireworks display to celebrate Russian New Year and tonight it's DJ Mavro's turn to take to the decks. Now... where did I leave my dancing shoes?
For a full list of this week's events, check out our What's On Calendar. You can also find full Bar and Restaurant listings in the Dining and Going Out section of the site.
