If you let the rush-hour pass then you have a lovely long 4km blue run to take you back into the centre of town. In fact last season myself and two friends hiked up the Pleney Mountain one bright moonlit night with our skis strapped on our backs. After soaking up the view and having a quick coffee, we skied down through the peaceful forest with headtorches on. It was heavenly!

I have spent the last five winters in the French Alps since I, along with my colleagues Alan and David, left my permanent and pensionable job and started Highlife Ski & Snowboard. I suppose at this stage you could consider the Alps to be my second home. You have that convivial village life that you just don't get living in Dublin. In that great French way there is still a shop for bread, for newspapers, for meat, for fruit etc, so you get to know all the shopkeepers, and there is always a big welcome. The town has some great restaurants as well.

Having tried them all, I have to say that my favourite dish (magret du canard . . . a gorgeous duck breast dish) is best prepared by our Loui, Highlife's head chef in Morzine.

Simon Egan is managing director of Highlife Ski & Snowboard, Ireland's leading ski chalet specialist with a range of holidays to the French resorts of Morzine and Meribel; www. highlife. ie