Summary of article in Billed Bladet #8, 2014.
Written by our correspondent in the Alps, Marianne Singer.
On the day of the photoshoot in the town of Villars-sur-Ollon in was a snowstorm, so for practicla reasons and in order to even hear each other the family and the press moved inside at restaurant Bretaye, named of the place where J&M stayed: Col de Bretaye.
Marie picked up some coffee and cocoa while the rest of the family settled down.
With Athena, who was completely unaffacted by the weird adults, switching between mum and dad and munching on a bisquit and bette Henrik sitting on the lap of Nikolai, then he was happy, it was finally time to get some holiday news.
Our Marie said: "The weather isn't so good today. But yesterday it was really beautiful. And we all love to be here and ski. The children are very, very skilled - also Henrik, while Athena is sleighing.
It's so important to me to show my family where I lived and where my family live. It's my little world - and now it's ours. It's really nice to be here all of us and Prince Joachim and the children really like it here as well".
About her daughter Marie said: "She's a little miracle. - And fun to be with".
But she did manage to ski: "Yes, a little, when Athena is having her midday nap".
The rest of the family remained quite while Marie was talking, almost, because Felix had to advise his dad about the bisquits: "You must dip it in your cocoa, then it tastes really good".
Then Joachim took over and told more about the holiday: "They (Nikolai and Felix) are doing better and better for each year - indeed for each day. So we appreciate that a lot. And they are of course becoming so familiar with the place that they know the lanes. They ski with a skiing instructor (see further down) a couple of hours in the forenoon in order to polish their style and condition, and then we ski a little together in order to take full advantage of the nature".
Q: Have you been on a couple of guys-outings?
J: "Yes, the boys and I have been skiing alone but we also ski together all of us. Little Henrik's level means that we can't just take him along if we want to go fast, but then we ski a bit in his speed and a little in ours".
J: "The week has been fine enough. It's also cosy to be here. We haven't had the best weather as it is the second time we have had a snowstorm at the peak.
They (Nikolai and Felix) cannot be stopped. It's all about skiing".
And as for bette Henrik: "We tried to let him ski last year but he was perhaps a bit too young back then. It's going better this year. He's devolped a taste for and and a flair for it".
What are they doing when they stay inside the chalet: "Keep warm. (Laughs). No, we just enjoy being indoors and being together as a family and in that way have a cosy time".
That includes watching winter Olympics and building a snowman with bette Henrik.
And as for Athena: "She's not allowed to ski, but today she's allowed to get up (on the mountain) and feel the elements. Then there is togaccaning and we pull her a bit. She's certainly also getting her share of the fresh air and enjoys it".
How about food: "We manage it all by ourselves".
Q: Are you doing som cooking yourself?
J: "Yes, breakfast. (Laughing). We try to vary the food and also want a good and healthy food. Of course it has to be something the children likes. and which is manageble in the kitchen".
Q: Would you consider buying your own chalet?
J: "It isn't a regular house for rent - it also has to rented out in the summer. I can understand those who will. Because it's tremendous to have your own. But then you also have to time and again and if you only do that during the schools winter holiday and with a weather like this, you could spend the money on something better".
But they certainly saw a lot to Marie's family: "To us it's a big family area - we have lots of things to do. They drop by and we go visiting them".
In fact Marie's brother, Gregory Grandet, was Nikolai and Felix' skiing instructor. It was also he who found the location for the photoshoot and arranged for the family to move inside the restaurant when the weather turned out to be so unco-oporative. And it was his girlfriend, Cecile, we saw in the background in some of the pics, helping taking care of the little ones.
But the press also wanted some pics of the family out in the snow. Okay, provided Athena is not too exposed to the wind. Bette Henrik tried to catch the snowflakes with his tounge, while Athena was less enthusiastic and closed her eyes, while wearing a ski-sut from LEGO Wear.
By then it was time for her midday-nap and the family departed. Most of it, because the oldest boys went out on the slopes, Nikolai with a GoPro camera on his helmet.
Nikolai again showed himself as the sensible and responsible older brother: "It's going well on the lanes. Right now it's a bit hard to tell how fast you are running, but apart from that it's right on. The steeper the better. - But that is, without it being too steep".
Bette Henrik was practising his skiing before the photoshoot, completely oblivious to the weather.
Athena didn't want to wear her mittens (typical) despite the cold. But Marie manage to get them on eventually.
BB informs us that J&M's holiday continue into this week, (week 8) and as such Benedikte is Rigsforstander, because QMII is in Norway and Frederik is in Sochi.
This picture of our Marie with her daughter doesn't look like much initially, but when you look closer it's a very warm photo:
https://app.box.com/s/lgq39xlhtt2yi2y9h85f
(for christy)
great.
