Here is a map of the village where we were in the Pyrenées. We were very close to the border of Spain. We were fairly high up but certainly not on top. The Chalet where we stayed was called Chalet L’Izard. With snow everywhere on some days it was apparent that it was not the Chalet of the lizards. Jean-Jacques, however, didn’t know what an izard was. My students told me that it is a mountain goat. In the Alps they call them Chamois and in the Pyrenées they call them Izards. I guess that is where the chamois shirts from the 70’s come from. I told the students how we used to pronounce chamois, they got a laugh out of that.
View Larger Map
Popularity: 5% [?]
I don’t remember the chamois shirts, but then, the seventies were kind of a blur since I was usually outside the mainstream.
Maybe the chalet belonged to a certain cross-dressing British comedian…
We prnounced them Shammy shirts, if you grew up in upstate NY you needed a shammy shirt.
No, the chalet belonged to Phiippe, who as far as I could tell, was not a cross dresser, but he was very funny.