Let's get CLASSICAL!!!

When it comes to not getting caught in a tree when skiing, the best thing to remember is....just get caught in the tree..it will give you a fantastic vantage point!

Let's get physical, geographical and nostalgic-cal.

On the weekend I arrived in London. It was when I was laughing loudly into my cider at my old workplace in Blackheath that I realised, man I love this place.

One of my mates, Jess, made an hilarious comment which made me laugh for far longer than anyone else at the table. We were discussing our old Scottish manager and when he once kicked a trouble maker from the pub. "You can take over me pub, but you'll never take me freeeeedom!", Is the text Jess reckons was used that day. I agreed.

Let me sum up my last few days traveling here, there and everywhere.

Day nine: We arrive to a blizzard in La Clusaz, France, after a long bus ride from Geneva. Sean builds a tiny snow man and photographs it closely and from a low angle to make it look the size of Godzilla. Cousin Caitlin gives us the choice of a taxi to their apartment, about 3km away...or walking. Having been there before and knowing the terrain....in my head I opt for a taxi. Before I can contest, we are trudging up a mountain, as if it's a pack march to the Everest summit. Kate's glasses collect a layer of snow emulating white eyebrows, making her look like she is an aged Guess Who character.

Day 10: Like a good wine, I thought leaving my snowboarding ability to the side for half a year would increase my quality. Like a bad wine, once i cracked open my snowboarding ability for the second time in a year...it was the same...if not worse. I'm encouraged to ski the next day. We make a delicious 'tartiflette' which is a glorified potato bake, however much more delicious and made from the local cheese, reblochon...I may have just drooled on my screen upon reflection.

Day 11: Kate and Sean try their luck on skis and much to my delight, my camera is filled with fantastic crash moments. Highlights include Sean disappearing into a pile of snow and Katie getting her skis caught in an orange safety net and almost tumbling down the embankment.

Day 12: I have no stacks despite a few close calls. During the night my limbs ache from the strain of muscles that have been left idle between widely dispersed ski trips.

Day 13: Reluctantly waking early, I pack and dress in the dark before getting a bus to Geneva Airport. Arriving in London i'm glad I don't have a sock on my head and a beanie on my foot from the early and light deprived start. My proper "welcome to London" is when a dirty grey pigeon flies into my head at London Victoria. At Marks & Spencer's (an upmarket grocery chain) I forget how my massive backpack greatly increases my circumference and I almost knock an elderly woman over at the checkout, ensuring me a place in hell. I enjoy delicious pizzas and plenty of pints in Blackheath with good mates, Wil and Adrian.

Day 14: Just like old times I cradle a cider while I devour a delicious roast complete with a Yorkshire pudding and veggies including celeriac which is just plain weird.

Day 15: I find more additions for my original Penguin book collection before realizing I'm one step from becoming a fruity and aging stamp collector.

Day 16:Absorbing myself in the theatre scene, I catch up with my favorite Springbok, Toni, who is destined for musical theatre stardom. She exchanged pleasantries with Hugh Jackman recently.....so...who hasn't? I watch The Mouse Trap and my favorite musical, Singin' in the Rain. It was so amazing, I will decipher it in a Let's Get Musical post.

Day 17: I check out A Chorus Line and The Body Guard before relenting to the thought that it's my final night in London. It was fantastic to finish the trip with The Body Guard...even if some punters in the box seat seemed to be having a little too much adulterous fun....disturbing the audience slightly in a crucial moment of the show.

Day 18: I enjoy my final dose of Gregg's Bakery and drop in on my old theatre school, KSA Performing Arts. My mate, Vix guides me to the Eurostar Terminal, and I board.
I am now heading for Paris before I reconnect with Katie and Sean before home time.

It's Valentine's Day. To celebrate, I will have a lovely dinner...in Paris...alone...with my luggage...I only hope I will have the view of the Eiffel Tower to amplify the lack of romantic activity.
What a way to finish a trip....

Weekly invention: A device similar to a hairspray can but for your face. You put make-up on and face spray sets your makeup meaning your face looks exactly the same all day as when you left home. Marketing-wise it could be called "Wind change", "Face value spray" or " Flammable face".
* if anything like this, or any of my other inventions already exist, please let me know....

You know what...I think I might just scrap the romantic dinner idea and get myself a chocolate crepe.
I am in Paris after all.

Actually, I'll get 10.