Nov. 26, 2025

Ep 82 Olympic Flame starts it's Journey.

Ep 82 Olympic Flame starts it's Journey.
The player is loading ...
Ep 82 Olympic Flame starts it's Journey.

1. Weather 26th November 2025.
2. Lighting the Olympic Flame
3. Germany's Olympic Champion suspended.
4. French National Service.
5. Crisis in the French Wine Industry.
6. Gremlin in the website show notes.
7. Katie Hensien hopes to be back this season.
8. Slovenian Neja Dvornik's season is finished.
9. Slovakia sponsors Snowsport England.
10. Tartiflette World Record.
11. Vie Val d’Is.
12. UK Fuel Poverty Awareness.

Calendar

Special Offers I have Spied....

Beautiful snow in Val, but thick clouds predicted for Olympia.... 
will they be able to light the flame, or will they need Monday's Backup ? 

The Pisteurs are running an avalanche prevention plan this morning, 
so expect bombs and don't even think of walking up until they are finished. 

Reigning Olympic Cross Country champion Victoria Carl, had a cough, 
was given a syrup by a military doctor, 
drank it, 
failed a drugs test 
and is now suspended for the whole season 
so won't be able to defend her title in February. 

Emmanuel Macron was the first President not to have done National service
but now wants to reintroduce it 
as he feels the threat from Russia is very significant, 
and France could do with more people with military skills.

Louis Sarkozy would go further .... 
make it compulsory for criminals, immigrants
and 10% of recently arrived foreigners. 

There is a crisis among our wine makers..... 
including global warming, tariffs and ..... people drink less wine...

Apologies if you had problems reading the show notes...
no idea why it suddenly changed the format. 
They are now all easily readable.

US Katie Hensien broke her tibia in training 
but hopes to be back  racing later this season. 

Slovenian Neja Dvornik's season is finished after breaking 
both tibia and fibula during a pre race warm up. 

Slovakia is sponsoring Snowsport England and Snowsport Scotland, 
i
n the hope that it will encourage UK skiers to visit Slovakia's ski resorts. 

People in Albertville made a nice big tartiflette....
.2.02 tons of tartiflette ! This was a World Record.

If you work in Val, why not join The Vie Val d’Is .. 
or at least check if you are eligible. 
Lots of advantages including reduced price lift pass.

if you can volunteer to  help at any time, 
particularly the Welcome Party on the 10th December, 
please email them.  accueil@vievaldis.com 

00:11 - Weather 26th November 2025.

00:39 - Lighting the Olympic Flame

01:17 - Germany's Olympic Champion suspended.

01:56 - French National Service

02:39 - Crisis in the French Wine Industry.

02:54 - Gremlin in the website show notes.

03:06 - Katie Hensien hopes to be back this season.

03:25 - Slovenian Neja Dvornik's season is finished.

03:40 - Slovakia sponsors Snowsport England.

04:09 - Tartiflette World Record.

04:24 - Vie Val d’Is

05:04 - UK Fuel Poverty Day

Good morning Val d’Isère

More snow

Minus eleven

And a gentle breeze….

Meteo blue is offering

A little bit of sun

Before 9 am

And after 3 pm.

 

The avalanche risk is very high

And the pisteurs

Are blasting and

Doing their other special

Tricks this morning

Protecting the village

And us

From avalanche

Prone slopes

 

DO NOT be tempted

To walk up

Until they have finished.

 

The Olympic flame

Is due to start it’s journey

Today

But

It looks as though it is going to be

Cloudy in Olympia…

 

I didn’t see why

Clouds would stop you lighting a flame…..

 

 The two thousand

Eight hundred year

Tradition….

 

No artificial aids…

You are not allowed to use

Matches, lighter or similar….

 

It has to be lit

Using direct sunlight

Focused by a mirror

 

They have a backup….

The flame lit during the

Rehearsal on Monday…

 

At the beginning of the month

I mentioned Germany’s

Skier of the year

30-year-old Victoria Carl.

 

Their Olympic

Cross country Champion

Will not be competing this season….

 

A cough mixture she had been

Given by a military doctor

Contained a banned substance…

 

Despite her not

Meaning to cheat

And the doctor admitting responsibility

Victoria is suspended for this season.

 

No World Cup Races…

No Olympics……….

 

Emmanuel Macron

is the first President

young enough not to have done
compulsory national service,
which France only stopped in 1997.

 

He is taking the threat

Of Russia seriously

 

proposing

Voluntary 10-month National Service.

Though insists he is not planning on

Sending our children to Ukraine….

 

The idea is to have more people

With military skills

Who could be used in an emergency.

 

2- 3 thousand recruits

Men and women

in first year

 

up to 50 thousand by 20 35

 

 

Louis Sarkozy…. Son of the former president

Goes further

 

Calling for compulsory military service for

Criminals

immigrants………..

And 10% of recently arrived foreigners.

 

 

There is a crisis in the French wine industry….

 

Global warming

Foreign competition

Tariffs

Over production

And

People are drinking less wine….

 

Apologies if you had

Problems reading

The show notes……

Some gremlin had been busy….

I have FOUGHT BACK…

So you can read

All the wonderful words….

 

25 year old U.S. slalom specialist Katie Hensien

Fractured her tibia

In training in Levi

Although she doesn’t need surgery

She won’t be fit in time for

Her home race in Copper

But she is optimistic

That her season is far from over…

 

Slovenian Neja Dvornik

Broke both her tibia and fibula

In the pre race warm up in Gurgl.

She needs surgery

And HER season is finished….

 

Snowsport England

And Snowsport Scotland

Are sponsored by

2 SLOVAKIAN tourist associations.

Paid for by THEIR government…

 

Why ?

What is in it for Slovakia …

British skiers

Use their resorts

So hopefully

British ski tourists

Will be inspired

And head to Slovakian pistes.

 

As World Records go

It is pretty crazy..

A tartiflette

Weighing more than 2 tons….

 

Yep they really made this

In Albertville recently.

 

The Vie Val d’Is is the

Club for people who live and work in

Val.

If you haven’t joined

Look to see if you are eligible…….

Then look at the advantages….

Including a reduced price lift pass…..

I have put the link.

It relies heavily on volunteers

And they are looking for people

To give them a hand

At the Welcome party

In the Doudoune Club

On the 10th December.

Why not offer ?

Meet new people…

Keep the club going…

 

Email accueil@vievaldis.com if you can volunteer.

 

UK Fuel poverty awareness day

Being cold is not nice

 

Cold at home is

Miserable…..

I know because

We have had

MAJOR Heating

Issues

 

At least it is not

Because we can’t afford to heat our home

 

I don’t have to choose

Buying Food

Paying rent

Or hot water…

 

To add to the injustice

Many who can’t afford the heating

Live in poorly insulated buildings.

 

Chronic cold

Leads to both physical and

mental health problems

 

Children fail to thrive

And fall behind at school.

 

If you can donate anything

To National Energy Action

I have put the link in the

Episode description.

 

I better go and warm up the car

Am on a round trip to Geneva….

With a break

For lunch

In Annecy

On the way home.

 

Be back tomorrow.