A Week in the life of Homer

 

Homer in Flaine

As you know the main focus of our adventure has been skiing but there’s also many other things we’ve done each week. Of course every week has been different right from the start but there has been a kind of routine to our living rhythm here in the Alps.

What’s our daily routine been like?

Wake at 7:30, rush out of bed to turn the heating up and put the kettle on.Look at phone messages in case something important has happened in the night.😉

Check the weather forecast- this has been a very important daily activity as you can imagine living in the mountains in winter. The temperature is the main interest as this determine the number of layers needed in the mountain- 2 or 3 layers? Thick fluffy hoodie or normal fleece? Are hand warmers and over-gloves needed? Do we need a flask for hot soup at lunch? Or if late, Is it bloody raining?

Next - up, get dressed, teeth etc… then make packed lunch, put bed away, get skis out of the under-locker and empty the grey-water bucket (washing- water etc.) Get ski wear on, pack bags and put on ski boots. Ready! We either catch the ski bus or drive to the gondola 🚠 station. Breakfast. If anyone knows me they know I don’t eat breakfast,, as I’m an intermittent faster. However, I soon realised in the first few weeks I needed food to prevent poor energy levels from falling in days of extreme cold, so we usually stuffed a banana, yogurt and occasionally overnight oats in before we left for the ski bus. It seemed to work a treat.

We usually spend a few hours skiing then go for a restorative coffee, then ski over lunch time to miss the school trip crowd and have lunch about 1:45. We’ve always had a packed lunch, usually of bread, cheese, rillettes or salad followed by fruit and lots of carb snacks (and occasional chocolate) for energy. A hot flask for cuppa soup was always a must on very cold days too. In cold and snowy weather this would be in the Salle Picnic, a warm, dry space for people too tight to buy lunch in the mountain restaurants. Or in warmer weather there’s no better place than on the mountain, on a rock or at a picnic bench. Then we ski for another hour or so depending on if I have to teach in the evening or how tired we are.

When we come down from the mountain we quickly change out of our ski wear, to stay warm, have a cuppa and do our ‘social media-ring’ , answering and posting to keep up to date with everyone back home.  Originally, while in the campsite we used the on site facilities to shower but since then we've actually found that we prefer to use the shower in Homer (although we do need to be quick to preserve water).  As you can imagine it’s not all that pleasant to travel between van and shower block with limited clothes and footwear on in sub zero temperatures!!!

After this we start to make tea. We take it in turns cooking and try to limit our meals to one or two pans to save on gas. We’ve got pretty good at varying our menu of quick one-pot meals and have discovered some pretty decent tinned meals in French supermarkets. We use these when we know we’ll be pushed for time or know we’ll be tired. Nights when I am teaching online or there’s an event we might go to in town.

When we’re on electric hook-up, we try not to use the gas for cooking saving it for heating and avoiding more trips down the mountain to fill up. We have an electric heater, kettle and an Instapot/ air fryer- we’ve become really inventive with meals we can make in it and doubling up the use of it so as not to use the gas cooker! In fact we’ve never used our gas oven on this trip and only used the grill once or twice.

If I’m not teaching in the evening we occasionally go into town to the free tourist events of cheese tasting and local music, or even a cheeky beer. But more often than not it’s Banagrams, cards or TV. Or maybe even write a blog. Chris often practises his ukulele in the evenings and has perfected quite a few numbers whilst we’ve been here. He’s even given his first few ‘concerts’ to family and friends and had a jamming’ session with our new friend Timmy! 

As mentioned, whilst I’ve been here I’ve been teaching online. I teach English as a foreign language to adults on a language learning platform called Preply. I have five regular students who have weekly or twice weekly lessons in the day or evening. I’ve also enrolled new students since I’ve been here and that’s always nice to meet new people. This has meant some days I’ve stayed back at the van whilst Chris has skied but I use the time in between lessons to plan for the next, have catch up phone calls with friends or clean the van. My students have enjoyed following our travels and often comment on the view outside the window. Having something regular and responsible to do each week has given my life a certain rhythm and meaning. I think that has been an important element for me on this trip as I’ve often felt guilty thinking about family and friends working at home. What’s more, I really enjoy teaching and look forward to seeing my students each week.

On a weekly to ten days basis we go down the mountain to fill up on LPG gas for the heater and cooker, one time no garage for 30km had any and that got us in a panic, especially as we were off- grid camping that week(meaning no electric)! Homer has always been lovely and warm and I wouldn’t fancy trying to live up at 1600m with no heating. We also do a weekly shop down in the main city where prices are cheaper at the Lidl, of course. That’s not to say we don’t support the local shops for bread, cheese and emergencies. 

Another weekly chore is laundry. We’ve found the laundromats in supermarket car parks very convenient, load in your washing, off to shop, hey presto all done when you come out. We dry cottons in the dryer but Lycra and delicates have to be hung in the van, sometimes it’s been like a laundry for a day or two in here!  And Chris'pyjamas have started to smell like cheese. 😂😂😂😂

Although we stayed in a campsite for the first three weeks of our adventure we have moved around the ski area regularly to stay in different places, both for variety and to save on placement fees. This involves packing loose items away, securing all cupboards, doors, the fridge, turning the gas off and taking Homer of his ‘chocks’. These are the levelling wedges used under the wheels. Also, in colder times, we would need to take/ put back on the silver screen, an insulated windscreen cover that keeps warmth in the van. So, moving around is not a quick job and the reason we’ve used the free ski buses whenever possible. Off- grid camping not only has benefits in saving fees but also gives you freedom to camp in lovely places, mostly for free. French authorities seem to be mostly ok with this as long as you are respectful and don’t dump waste or rubbish inappropriately. 

Of course we've needed to fill up with clean water and empty the dirty too (including toilet) but the campsite have been agreeable to allow us to do that for a small €6 fee.  There are usually service stations for motorhomes to use on the go in French towns but I guess they don'y work so well in sub zero temps so Samoens is out of action most of the winter.

As you can see there is quite a bit to think about to keep ourselves and Homer 'shipshape' but you soon get into the rhythm of it all and the other thing in France is that they are much more strict around recycling.  There are no house to house bin collections and everyone takes their recycling and rubbish to one of lots of stations that are dotted around.  We haven't experienced any fly tipping in the mountains at least and it's another thing just to get used to.

The ‘daily’ chores have made this an adventure and not a holiday, just as they are at home. Chores seem a bit more difficult here, more of an effort, especially in the colder weather. But saying this, living in a motorhome is a simpler life somehow AND a lot cheaper to keep warm than a 4-bed semi!

#chorenotchore… the daily bakery trip 😋

This blog is by Melle 😛