RETURNING FRIENDS

Last week three of my intermediate group said that they would be returning to ARINSAL next year. They all thought that this resort was far friendlier than the ones that they had previously visited. This week 8th to15th March) we had several old friends in the resort; Steve, Colin and Janet, Jake and Krystyna. They all have been here several times before. When I mentioned this to other instructors, all the English instructors with an intermediate group, said that they had someone in their group who had visited Arinsal before, this endorses the fact that Arinsal is a friendly resort, where people wish to return to.

What makes it such a friendly place? I suspect that it is the size of the resort and the compactness of the village. Arinsal is a smallish resort with more than enough runs and lifts for the majority of clients. Usually you meet someone in the bars or restaurants that you met on the mountain. Most of the bars are within 5 minutes walk of the main lift in the village centre. So if you do not know anyone in the first bar, is very easy to walk to the next one. You sometimes meet some of the bar staff on the mountain or on one of the lifts. Most of the bars show videos of that day’s lessons. This is a great way to see yourself ski or even have a laugh at your friends’ misfortune.

.For the better skiers there is a short cable car trip to the lower but picturesque resort of PAL. This resort has several challenging runs and a long easy green and is mostly below the tree line, making it very scenic. There is a free bus to the remote and rugged resort of Arcalis, which is very popular with the locals and does not get many tourist s as it is some distance from the nearest hotel.

The weather this week started sunny and warm, ideal holiday weather. The pistes are uncrowded due to us having very few visitors. However the bars are still busy, I lost two of my beginners on Tuesday morning, due to the Monday night pub crawl.

Last night was St. Patrick’s day and the HOTEL PALARINE prepared a great Irish dinner, followed with music by the BORDERLNE BOILERs and a little dancing .The evening finished just before 3 am.. I have mentioned how quiet the resort is, to endorse this, I would like to point out that I am the only guest in the Palarine. In spite of this, STUART ( The Iceman) had prepared a full English breakfast for me on the Wednesday morning. The band did not make it home and so stayed the night. I was joined at breakfast by the glamorous two thirds of the group. (TREVOR, guitar and vocals) was not quite up to solids at that time of the morning. A great time was had by all.