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Weekends : Morzine MTB'ing

On Friday 18 June 2004 we returned to the farmhouse www.thefarmhouse.co.uk for the Summer! As usual Dorrien was his true hospitable self and had kept the bar open as well as organising sandwiches for us when we arrived later that evening from Geneva airport.

The next day after a hearty breakfast it was decided that mountain biking was the activity of the day for all, apart from Carine who was pregnant and Cands who said she was going to keep her company. So the daredevil adventure cyclists among us (Matt, Tony, Andrew, Eric and Jen) headed off for the professional down runs while the laid-back adventure cyclists (Carls, Ailse, Anks, Mel, Mish, Mick and of course me) headed off for the more scenic amateur route instead. Carine and Cands strolled to the Morzine swimming pool to catch a few rays of sunshine and swim a few lengths. The ski lift to take us half way up the mountain was not working so Dorrien's friend drove us with our bikes in the trailor to the start of our cycle route.

From here it was a long uphill ride through forests and fields (winter ski slopes) which we thought would never end but fantastic views were enjoyed along the way when we stopped for water breaks and to catch our breathes. It was a nice surprise half way up the mountain to see a paraglider in action which might be on the agenda for the next summer in Morzine. Finally, we were at the top of the mountain and sat down at a picnic table with benches to admire the view. From there it was downhill all the way - some of it on the road and some of it on pathways that followed the natural flow of mountain streams.

Just after (find out name) village which means goat village (and yes goats very much inhabited this village) we came to a dead end as the cycle track had been closed off so had to endure a hectic down run - a red ski slope in the winter mind you! Bit steep for my liking so opted to walk down the slope with my bike but very courageous of Ailse and Carls to attempt some of it on their bike.
Unfortunately we had a casualty as Ailse skidded over some rocks and went straight over the handle bars - bumps, bruises and grazes as a result but otherwise okay and managed to get right back onto her saddle - that's the spirit!

Before long we came across this beautiful lake that was the most brilliant bluish green colour. Pity the weather had now turned and was raining as the water looked so inviting. We decided to stop at the restaurant there and enjoy some lunch. After a satisfying meal of omelette, chips and salad we were soon on our way again with renewed energy. It was not long before we arrived back in Morzine having cycled through a few more picturesque villages. Matt and the rest of the daredevils had just finished their lunch in Morzine so after dropping off my hired bike at the cycle shop I met up with him and we swapped our cycling stories while we explored the quaint shops in the village. They had also had 2 casualties on their ride - Eric and Andrew (Eric proving to be the braver one). We then headed back to the farmhouse for delicious tea and cake before enjoying a lovely late afternoon nap.

Dinner was served at 8:00 pm and Dorrien sure lived up to his outstanding culinary skills. The starter consisted of a tasty walnut, stilton and pear salad, followed by a mouth-watering main course of Thai pork with jasmine rice and vegetables, accompanied by the house wine complete with The Farmhouse label. Dessert consisted of a delicious berry tart and birthday cake. It was Anke's birthday on the Tuesday so Carls had decorated the lounge and bar area with balloons and a happy birthday banner. Later we went through to the bar for more drinks, chitter chatter, coffee and chocolates.

Sunday was a miserable and wet day so not much enthusiasm for outdoor activity. Although some (Tony, Mel, Eric and Jen) opted to go horse riding in the morning while the rest of us enjoyed sleeping in and reading books and magazines. Matt and I were hoping to go horse riding in the afternoon but later found out that the horses were far too frisky and one had even bucked poor Jen off - straight into a muddy puddle nogal. So bit of a bummer that the afternoon's session had to be cancelled. By this time we were all starving so decided to have some lunch in the village at a quaint crepery which was selling crepes, baguettes and pizzas. A group of mountain bikers with full body armour also made a pit stop at the crepery - felt sorry for whoever was going to be washing their bikes and clothes as they were absolutely caked in mud.

It was soon time to say farewell to the farmhouse and take the scenic back route to Carla's house in Geneva. Enjoyed chocolate chip biscuits and tea while we watched the video footage of the down hill action and a slide show of the photographs that we took on our cylce. Eric had a webcam fitted to his helmut so was rather interesting to see them flying down the pathways and through the trees. The trees on the corners were even covered in padding. No wonder some of the mountain bikers wore body armour - talk about dangerous! There was some hilarious video footage of Andrew holding up his injured arm and checking himself out to see if he could find any more minute specks of blood. Although there was no sound we all knew that he was revelling in the attention - what an attention seeker!. Matt and I then took a stroll down to Geneva Lake and threw a few bits of wood for a playful dog that we met there. It was soon time for champagne and cheese and biscuits before going out to an Italian restuarant in Geneva. Portugal had just won one of their matches in the Euro 2004 so there were honking horns and a festive atmosphere due to the large community of Portuguese people living in Geneva.

With fresh mountain air in our lungs and good food in our stomachs we soon drifted off to sleep, albeit only for a few hours as we had to wake up for an early morning flight back to City Airport.