Hurray! It is snowing. It has been snowing the whole day!! Large snowflakes, small snowflakes, and large ones again. Within a single hour the whole world turned white, within two hours you can only see the ‘pillows’ in the garden, where the shrubs used to stand. It is cosy in the big salon, the bonfire is lit, apéro is on the table, and delicious smells rise from the kitchen…
A novice innkeeper in the Alps might think: fine, that’s allright, just let it snow. But the next morning the amount of snow if so high, that shovelling snow is going to be a difficult job. You get up early and see that there is a meter of snow, grab the shovel and get to work. Oops! After half an hour, it seems that your snow management did not work out. You shovelled the snow to a spot that needs to be cleared later. Pfff. And after another 30 minutes you start to feel your shoulder. The left one. And the right one. And your elbows, both. And your back… and the day hasn’t even started yet! A week later it appears you have a tennis elbow, and a dislocated shoulder. The snow that wasn’t cleared in time became thick and dense. A big layer of snow became ice. Grrrr. And the winter season is only halfway.
No, how about the experienced innkeeper. The first thing they do is listening. Ah… there is the snowplowing machine. Let’s have a chat with the guys. If they could clear the parking for us. Yes, the private parking. Yes, and how about a cup of coffee or something stronger later? Fine, merci! And should it snow for another hour, leaving another 30 cm of snow, you ask your guests: “Guys, take a look! What a beautiful amount of snow! Who likes to help me with some snow shovelling? I have got four shovels here…”