Most Expensive Beer

I thought I had to give a mention to the Tremplan restaurant in Alp D'Huez for charging the most I have ever paid for a pint of beer in a ski resort, or anywhere else for that matter. 7.40 Euros for a half litre of Kronenbourg with my lunch - I'm glad I didn't go for a decent beer. I am aware that in some parts of the world, and even in this part of the world in certain clubs, beer can cost significantly more again, but for someone used to 3 Euros in Andorra and maybe 6 Euros in the French Alps, over 7 Euros seems pretty excessive for a pretty normal restaurant in the village.

Please feel free to comment on relative price of beer at your local ski areas around the world. It would be great to find out the cheapest and most expensive resorts worldwide.

End of the Season

Well, the ski season is drawing to a close here in Andorra, with some resorts closing tomorrow and others a week later. As always there is plenty of snow, particularly on the higher slopes. Unusually though, the resorts have remained busy right up until the end of the season. Most years April is quiet in Arinsal and the rest of Andorra, and we get to have a few weeks enjoying snow and the sun before closing day. This year though I have been teaching classes until today, and have worked far more hours than ever before in April. The rest of the season was a little quieter than previous year, which was not unexpected due to the economic situation. It seems a lot of people who had held off booking a ski holiday decided at the last minute to go anyway.

We also had a lot of visitors recently who were on their second trip of the season to Arinsal. Some people actually commented that two weeks here cost the same as one in the Alps, It seems that in some ways the recession has helped us to extend our working season as people look for a cheaper end of season option.

Just to sign off, here is a photo of the view from our balcony - sunshine and snowy mountains...