Delectations

Gstaad, Switzerland—The Eagle Club on the top of the Wassengrat is a fashion show with the most expensive models in the world: American, British, French, Italian, Latin American, Scandinavian, Spanish, all long-limbed, long-haired and tanned, wearing skintight splashy red, orange and yellow stretch skipants by Dior and Givenchy. They down a cocktail, lunch off non-fattening hors d’oeuvres and then on with the serious business of the day, which is getting to the bottom of the mountain without breaking a leg. Every year the sport takes its toll of beautiful legs. Along with the hearty at the Eagle Club are the lame, hobbling around with cane and crutch, even an occasional arm in a sling.

Alistair Horne (The Price of Glory, Paris in the Siege)—he’s not one of the beautiful people, he just associates with them—has a dislocated shoulder, Having an arm in a sling is the most awkward thing to have happened to Alistair Horne since, at a royal garden party, silk topper on head, teacup in one hand, mushy eclair in another, he noted in consternation that a royal Duke was bearing down on him. Etiquette required that Alistair remove his hat, bow, and shake hands. What to do! What did he do? With the aplomb for which he is internationally known, he handed the Duke the cup of tea, removed his hat, placed the eclair in it, bowed, shook hands, and then relieved His Royal Highness of the tea. Who says Britain’s day of glory is past?

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Priscilla L. Buckley

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Gstaad, Switzerland—The Eagle Club on the top of the Wassengrat is a fashion show with the most expensive models in the world: American, British, French, Italian, Latin American, Scandinavian, Spanish, all long-limbed, long-haired and tanned, wearing skintight splashy red, orange and yellow stretch skipants by Dior and Givenchy. They down a cocktail, lunch off non-fattening hors d’oeuvres and then on with the serious business of the day, which is getting to the bottom of the mountain without breaking a leg. Every year the sport takes its toll of beautiful legs. Along with the hearty at the Eagle Club are the lame, hobbling around with cane and crutch, even an occasional arm in a sling.

Alistair Horne (The Price of Glory, Paris in the Siege)—he’s not one of the beautiful people, he just associates with them—has a dislocated shoulder, Having an arm in a sling is the most awkward thing to have happened to Alistair Horne since, at a royal garden party, silk topper on head, teacup in one hand, mushy eclair in another, he noted in consternation that a royal Duke was bearing down on him. Etiquette required that Alistair remove his hat, bow, and shake hands. What to do! What did he do? With the aplomb for which he is internationally known, he handed the Duke the cup of tea, removed his hat, placed the eclair in it, bowed, shook hands, and then relieved His Royal Highness of the tea. Who says Britain’s day of glory is past?