A White Christmas Day

Hi everyone - hope you all had a great Christmas day - ours is just coming to an end!

What a day - it was just what you would dream of in the iconic white Christmas sense.

From Phil's perspective, this post is coming courtesy of an individual you was born and raised in Queensland with all those white Christmas images invading me for close to 50yrs while enduring sweltering hot Christmas days - but never to experience it and always wondering if it could ever live up to the hype.

Well I feel as though I can now comment from today's experience of a truly white Christmas.

The verdict - do it!

We woke this morning to look out from our hotel window to see the most wonderful scenery of magestic swiss mountains covered in snow with the most beautifull village of Sass-Fee snugly cradled within the valley of mountains - we were truly content on Christmas morning in such a setting - although in just a little way without saying a word we were just a little disappointed about one thing that was missing from this almost perfect setting.

Well - just about five minutes after we woke Louise cried out loudly with great anticipation - "I think it is snowing!!" Within another five minutes heavy snow was falling before our eyes completing a perfect Chistmas morning scene - we were indeed starting a most perfect white Chistmas day.

It is commonly stated that a picture is worth a thousand words - so perhaps the following pictures can best describe our day - we will of course provide some commentary to complete the picture (Well I will because Louise is now sleeping after a very big day!!).

Christmas morning our very own Christmas tree outside our window


Look ever so carefully - it's snowing!


Off we go for the day - lots of snow for this early in the season - even for the alps! But first we had to go shopping for some new snow boots for Louise to stop her slipping down the icy paths


Very old wooden animal shelters in the middle of the village - still in use as evidenced by the aroma


Our Christmas village


Lower end of the village


Decided to go up in a gondola to one of the lower altitude restaurants for lunch


Up and up to 2500 metres


We met some very nice people at lunch - Kate, Jamie, Mandy and Shaun (L to R)


All of us - love the one piece, Jamie

Thanks to the encouragement of our new friends we were off to the other side of the village for another gondola ride to experience something new - we are going tobogganing - apparently!!!

Before Louise knew it - we were on our way!


The mandatory group photo before setting down the mountain on those little wooden sleds- getting more nervous now!!


Not really - we can do it!!!


This about sums it up!!

This completes the picture - such great fun - we absolutley had a ball thanks to the encouragement of our new friends


So we had to have a hot wine to celebrate at an outdoor rest stop almost at the bottom of the slopes - thanks so much guys - would not have done it without your encouragement, support, lessons on the way down - the great thing about travel is meeting great new people from all over the world


I did it!! Sunset at the bottom of the toboggan run - before we went to enjoy a 5 course Christmas dinner thanks to Mum Judy who gave us some travel money as our Christmas present to make sure we had a great Christmas meal - we sure did to complete a fantastic day.


Louise emailing her mum tonight before she fell asleep after a very very big day - wearing her new snow hat - noice!!

Thinking of you all at the end of our Christmas day.

We have another full day in Saas-Fee tomorrow (26th) before we head to France and back to Germany (Frankfurt) to catch a flight to Edinburgh for New Years Eve (Hogmanay festival).

PS - because the teacher fell asleep I take all responsibility for the content of this posting - red pen is still in her pocket. I feel like a naughty boy sneaking into the kitchen to steal a biscuit!!

Regards and keep safe.