Val Thorens – Le Sherpa

Skiing was postponed until Easter this year. A busy work schedule and a funeral for T's mother meant that March culminated in one of the busiest days ever. After returning from Paris, working hard to make the deadline T continued on to the cemetery and from there on to a 75 year birthday before starting the car and heading down south.
We realize that driving all the way to the Alps from Copenhagen is not everyone's cup of tea, but we feel it is an integral part of the vacation. One of the reasons is that we have purchased and downloaded audio books that we listen to while driving. One summer we even considered driving a few rounds around Siena to be able to listen to the end of the book we were listening to at the time.
This year we are going to Val Thorens in France. The destination is chosen as it is 2300 m above sea level.  This late in the season we need to have some altitude to be assured of snow. And we are not disappointed, even if the heat will turn the Plein Sud into slush ice during the afternoon. Sitting in the sun feels well above 20 degrees centigrade.

We have booked a stay at the Hotel Le Sherpa. K has stayed here before and recommended it warmly and T quickly agrees in her assessment. The hotel is very cozy and kept in raw wooden materials. Access to the skiing area is just outside the door. We walk out in the morning and put on skis and continue down to the Ski Square from where we can run down to a number of lifts. Similarly, by the end of the day we just stop outside the hotel and take off our skis and find a place on the patio and order a cup of Vin Chaud (which is too sour, however it is served with sugar on the side to adjust the sweetness).
The stay is booked as half board, which is a bit of a test for us because we don’t have opportunity to try something else (unless we want to pay for it of course). As it turns out there is no need to worry. The food is excellent. Most nights we get soup, starter, main course, cheese and in the end there is an abundant table of cakes and desserts.

Not all nights follows this pattern as we have to taste the famous Savoir dishes: Raclette, Tartiflette and fondue. All seem appropriate for people who have returned from a hard day’s (work) in the snow, but for us they increase the need to go on a diet when returning home. For now, there is no way we are going to avoid it.
The wine list is full of very nice French wine. It is not a big wine list, but it is fully satisfactory and we get around Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Chateauneuf and Hermitage, but also some of the wines of Savoir. All were good, some were excellent.
We are certain to return one day. 8/10