Morph’s Girlfriend

You know how we all slip into a routine in life, setting the alarm at the same time each morning then heading out to do the commute, at near as damn it the same time. Maybe the weekly shop is a routine as well, possibly the same running route for fitness, or even planning your week around your childs regular after school activities. So when a routine is broken, life seems a very different place doesn’t it?

My routine was completely changed this week, plus a change of culture was thrown into the mix. Half way down through France I stopped overnight in the wine country of Burgundy, this time Nuits St Georges. When I woke up and went for a walk around town, my senses were immediately sent into overdrive. There was an occasional strong whiff of baking pains au chocolat, the odd whiff of fresh bread as people walked past me with baguettes under their arms, and of course the odd whiff of a camel cigarette as beret wearing men wafted past.

The change of routine was like a breath of fresh air, even the local supermarket roadside advert painted on the side of a house made me smile. How very French.

But what really made me chuckle though was seeing this tiny statue holding an umbrella in the middle of the cobbled street. I’m going to call her Morphette, surely she is Morph’s girlfriend, a Tony Hart creation. In the UK I doubt very much that Morphette would be allowed to display herself ‘dressed’ like this. But here in France I’m sure there was a big fanfare during Morphette’s unveiling with giggling kids, proud looking Mums and happy looking chaps in attendance!

Tomorrow I’m catching up with my mate Slippers Jackson for our first ski of the winter season. We will be leaving Méribel first thing in the morning and driving across to Tignes to get our first few wobbles of the season out of the way. However, I hope we can sneak in a quick pain au chocolat before our first lift. Looks like a new routine is about to take hold again.

Martin

P.S. So how is Méribel at the moment? Stunning as ever, granted there’s very little natural snow cover right now. However, I went for a run this afternoon up and around the Altiport area and was very surprised by seeing pretty big mounds of man made snow. lined up down the piste.