A breath taking scenery from Chantemerle gondola station
The next morning, after we collected, wore the ski boots and walked towards the children ski school " Piou Piou", Syuan failed down on the slippy ice on the road. She refused to go to the ski lesson, but Ray enjoyed it very much. The female teacher tried to comfort her, but she continued to cried loudly. The class has a maximum of 10 students with 2 teachers for 2.5hrs.
Piou Piou -- Children ski school in Chatemerle
Syuan is practicing ski walking skills
Syuan and Ray in Piou Piou
YL and I moved to the "Intersport" shop to borrow our ski boots and helmets. It's my first time to wear the ski clothes and use the ski boots. The ski boots needed to be wore very tightly before clipped on the ski, you need to put your legs and feet at nearly 180 degree into a narrow space of the boots, adjusted the two locks on the feet and the other two on the legs then wear them comfortably. You cannot stand straight, because the boots will keep your legs stand at angle less than 90 degree. Everywhere, you can see people walking in a very strange way with the ski boots on and holding the ski and sticks on their hands or shoulder.
The Intersport near the Chantemerle StationWe bought a beginner pass and took a gondola to the middle of the mountain where we could find a coach to teach us skiing near the beginner path. You will pass the electronic entrance without your hand showing the cards to the machine but just put inside your pockets near the hand-off machine. The whole gondola was crowded with ski people, we could see Syuan and Ray followed the instruction of the teachers and walked slowly on the snow with their ski boots and ski. They seems enjoyed it.
The moving gondola 
On the gondola station
The gondola moved slowly up to the hill. People skiing swiftly on the ski paths or roads under the gondola. When we arrived at the station, it was cooler and fully covered with snow. The panorama view of the mountains hold our breath.
There are some restaurants and rest points on the middle of this mountains.
The problem appeared when we need to move from the higher point outside the gondola to the lower skiing areas with our ski boots only. Slowly, we moved down to the slope difficultly and at last found our coach with the helped of a woman.
The French coach taught us in English regarding the basic knowledge of how to wear the ski with the ski boots on your legs, the ways to move from side to side, and the most important thing was how to stop after moving from the slope. Most of the time, the coach stayed with me because YL had a basic course in the Montana Ski Center in Eindhoven few weeks ago, so he could ski himself steadily.
YL, ski coach and J
There was an electric "magic carpet" in the beginner path that brought us from the lower ski area to the higher point, it was protected by the red nests. We could ski down from the hill which was very smooth compare to the other steep paths that were over 40, 55 degree or higher.
As this was my first experience, I could not control myself well, I might fall down on the floor or trap in the nests around the facilities like magic carpet or ski lift.
After 1.5hr course, we left the beginner path and took the gondola returned to the ground to pick up the kids, they were moved to the children office at ticketing desk, while Ray was tired and slept, Syuan was drawing. They were very excited, because the teachers said that they were " Very Good !" though they could not listen to English. Ha ha.....
We cooked ourselves delicious beef steaks, roasted lambs and served with red wines.
Delicious steak, toasted lamb and red wine
2005 MEDOC red wine from Bordeaux
