It was naughty because the cost of ski passes, 2 nights in a self-catering apartment and assorted mountain-top meals all added up to a bit too much. But what were we to do? Nearly a metre of snow in the northern French alps over the last fortnight left all that lovely white stuff just calling out, and when la bienheureuse suggested the idea, I was hard-pressed to prevent myself biting her hand off.

There was one point late on Saturday afternoon when a perfect day was almost spoilt, but even football matches occasionally have a happy ending. Having scouted the bars on Friday evening and identified one with a screen showing sport, it was with some disgust that we discovered a football match of the egg-chasing variety. However, all was not lost. The bar across the street had a TV, blank when we went in, but a polite query of the proprietor produced a result. Not that my good mood lasted for long when the match finally came on screen, 1-0 and a man down in the pissing rain, soon to become 2-0 not long afterwards. An hour later though and all was right with the world once again. At least until the other results from the weekend came in, but I didn't learn those until last night...