Alpe d'Huez Apres Ski Report: 23rd April 2009
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, family and friends, seasonnaires and guests… the time has come.. and yes, this is my final après ski report of the 2008/09 winter season in Alpe d'Huez.
Where on earth has all the time gone? Each year we say it again and again, but seriously, this winter has FLOWN by! The last guests left our beautiful resort last Saturday the 18th and since then various hotels, chalets and bars have been closing, with their staff leaving to go back home, fresh with numerous memories and stories (some best not shared with the parents!)
So before we get too down and gloomy, let's remember the final week of drinking and partying that we witnessed in Alpe d'Huez this season!
It was the last Still Nameless gig in Smithy's on Sunday evening, which was ram jammed packed full of excited fans saying their farewells to their resort's favourite band! (It wasn't quite like a U2 concert, but it's good to dramatise these things for effect!). Drinks deals and promos were on offer all night and these were duly taken advantage of by the alcohol hungry punters…
With the snow slowly melting and the mountain becoming more and more green, many people decided upon having a ‘quiet' few days on the mountain and a ‘big' few days in the bars!
The Underground bar had Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley drinking in and among their own on Tuesday evening and she even became evening DJ for an hour or two, much to the delight of the crowd! She chose of course, the best resort in the Alps for her ski holiday! That's now two celebrities (along with me!) in Alpe d'Huez!
Wednesday evening saw a brand new event come to Smithy's and it went down a storm! They held a comedy night, hosted by Bob Slayer, with comedians Imran Yusef and the man who once played Tinky-Winky in the Teletubbies Dave Thomson! It was five euros to get in and was a huge success. It was great to have something alternative in the après scene and everybody left with huge grins on their faces!
Thursday was an alpedhueznet.com day out over here… Helen came over and treated myself and snow reporters Hands and Vicky to a lovely lunch at le Genepi - by the end of it we were all fondued out! Following that, it was time to digest the food with 2 for 1 cocktails at O'Bar and if you fancied some live music Hands was swiftly back in the Underground with a guitar in his ‘hands' (see what I did there?!) doing his amazing rendition of Elvis! Quality!
Friday was the final public party time in Alpe d'Huez for the winter… and it was the Etalon's closing party! Rum, rum and more rum….BIG amounts of rum and a big night!
Alternatively nightclub L'Igloo had half priced beers and selected spirits if you fancied a late night tipple, as did Les Caves.
For those of you who regularly read my reports, you will have noticed a few times I have mentioned the Huez League Final… Us English against the French at football. We were defending champions and we beat them again 4-3 to retain the championship last Saturday! All of which sparked off huge celebrations in Smithy's!
I return to the UK tomorrow…and I would like to thank you all for coming on my après ski journey this season. It's been an absolute blast and I hope you've enjoyed reading them as much as I've enjoyed writing them…and who knows, maybe I'll see you next winter!
Have an amazing summer and come back next season for some more carnage!
For the last time…
Love, peace & hair grease
DR10 xxx
