Skiing

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Photos

Deep Snow

Ski Kart

David Singing

YMCA

Go go go

Black run

Dancing Queen

Raining men

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New year new start to holidays.

Started off by going skiing, promised Becki to take her skiing this year, so here we are travelling to Italy with easyJet, hour and half flight, all packed up new ski kit, sold my ski boots on eBay, they were just too tight. Had a practice session in Xscape, Milton Keynes for an hour just to get our skiing legs back.

Okay in Gatwick, on way to plane, 10 minutes to go Becki and I walking to gate 22, and we look up at the flight departures. Gate 22 closing, oh buggers, we started running, no I could feel the burger we had just eaten 5 minutes before starting to come back up, we passed gate 11, 13, 15, we can't miss our flight. This is the first time I’m taking Becki on holiday by myself and been really looking forward to it too.

We arrived at gate 22, puffing and panting, tickets and passports out for inspection, the gate keeper did not blink an eye at us out of breath, he must see it all the time.

Just got on the plane with 5 minutes to spare, it was a packed flight as its half term.

We made it, on the plane and we took off on time. Flight was okay, but for some reason we kept going left the right up and down. Is the pilot lost or just a lot if air traffic lights on red? Who knows, We're just looking forward to tomorrow and the start of our skiing.

I thought I'd try writing my diary on my iPhone as forgot notebook, which mean I don't have to retype my travels and place it on my travel blog.

We're both booked in to ski school for 6 days, I hope this will give us time with others otherwise we'll end up in each other’s pockets all week which would not be good.

Book to read on this trip is "No Limits" Michael Phelps, his story of 8 gold medals in the 2008 Olympics. Just read the Prologue and brought back watching him on the TV from South of France and the emotions of him winning, brought a tear of joy to my eyes. Each chapter is about each gold medal, so I'm looking forward to getting some time to read the book between the slopes and waiting for Becki! Well she does take a long time to get ready; she is a teenager so it's acceptable.

We've both got our music on iPhone and iPod so we won't be short for music.

This year we're going to try out walkie talkies and see how we get on with them. If they work it should be a lot cheaper than texting or calling each other from our mobiles, but we still them as backup should we need them.

Arrived at the airport safe and sound a little bumpy perhaps.

Met the rep and taken to our bus, a medium size bus looked quite nice, oh how wrong one can be. All started okay until we went over the first bump. Bang I thing the suspension has just gone. Next bump was worse. Oh no five hours of this. Forget having a nap. We were all settled watching meeting the parents on DVD and then, what can be only called flying out of your seat almost hitting the roof and landing back on your bum in one complete movement. Oh the fun of travelling.

There are a lot of tunnels on route to the resort. We stopped on route for a bite to eat. Now only an hour to go, lots of snow outside, should be at the hotel at about 11pm.

First Day Skiing

Early start 7 am wakeup call as we need to have breakfast and catch a taxi at 8am to go and collect our boots and join ski school.

One thing I do like is to have a good shower and I must say the Hotel Villaggio San Carlo Livigno has a lively shower, very powerful and soft water.

The hotel is very nice; layout takes some getting used to. The reception greets you a curved desk with a number if happy staff. You purchase a card, to use in the hotel as cash, you put as much or as little as you like and get your money back at the end of the week if you have any left on it.

Room is okay, twin beds cupboard, toilet, only just enough room; anything smaller would have been too small.

Becki ended up having to wear my T shirt as to replace her nightie that was left at home.

Arrived at the slopes, just before 9am so Becki and I went up the nursery slopes for some practice. To snow was perfect, soft and fluffy. Ski school was about to start so a number a warm-up trips up and down the nursery slopes. There must have been about 150 people wanting to go to ski school.

Then it was time the sorting hat, which school would you end up in?

One at a time went down the slope and you were sorted in to groups if about 10 people. Becki was in the young girls group about three from the experts group. Yep you guessed it I was in the experts group. But then I learnt that by the end of the week the instructor will have you jumping and going faster. Oh buggers why have U let myself in for?

School lasted two hours, go over the basics and correct positioning. Worth doing as I'm sure I go all over the place when the going gets tough.

School over, on the walkie talkie to find Becki, I called her and she answered. Wow they work. :-)

We decided to take it easy today and head for the blue runs and to the top of the mountain.

The day was perfect, bright blue skies and powder snow.

We ventured up the chair lifts and went down a blue run, quite a long blue run, twice. Great fun, it was in the second ski down that our legs started to scream with pain. Oh the memories start coming back. And we were only on a blue run.

Next we went over to the red runs, started quite easy and then we turned down hill, oh buggers, big hill. But it was very wide, if that is any consolation? Okay my legs are burning hot now and Becki is at the bottom already. On coming down towards to village re a small number of red quite narrow runs, which I hate. But I must say all powder snow.

Another big red run, Becki at the bottom again, this time I could not slow down so headed for off piste, it's about a meter if powder snow. Must be soft in there, well it was I hit the bump and landed head first and I'm sure at one point my skis were above my head. I chickened out and bottled going in to the powder snow.

So it was now 1:1 as Becki fell over at the bottom if the runs.

Break for lunch at the bottom of the slopes, big toast for me and hot dog for Becki

My Camelbak which holds 3 litres of water and as it was -15c in the morning warming up to -8c by lunch time was just frozen. The sun made the temperature increased to a lovely, what could only be said as beach weather. :-)

I might try some antifreeze in my Camelbak tomorrow, some alcohol mixed with juice. May be some Grappa?

Switched to the other side if the resort. Stopped to play in the snow and made snow angels. Only spent a few hours skiing on the other side as we were getting tired. Thought about walking back to hotel and so glad the bus stopped to pick us up as it's quite a walk to the hotel from ski school.

Quick swim in the pool, have to wear a hat and then off to sample the food in the hotel, and try out the card at the bar.

Day three - lessons go in to the woods

It was now day two of skiing lessons, up the button lift, thinking we'd go to the next button lift. We all followed the instructor, right over all the mounds, oh, almost fell over, but the instructor did point out that I need to always face down the valley, hence why I almost fell over.

He took us straight up to the top of the blue slope, were we then set off about 2 miles of flat out whoosh, it was great. Then we turned left down the red run, okay getting steep now, legs started to burn. Then the instructor went off piste so all four of the men followed, me being one of them, David fell over I managed to get passed him and made the turning point and started to head back to the piste got faster and faster so tried to slow down. Only to find skis had stopped and my body was still going forwards, head first in to the powder snow. It took the next ten minutes to get out. Putting the poles in to the snow just disappeared, don't ask me how I got out but I was knackered.

Day three - night club

We met up with Peter, Cliona, David and Aisling in Gallis for something to eat then at what must have been about 11pm we all headed to the night club. Becki got in without any questions. Got our free shots and then David wanted to sing Karaoke. It was so funny, as he could not see the words let alone sing.

A little while after David’s attempt at singing a group of girls got up and David decided to join in with them. Only to fall backwards down the stairs and landed on his feet in a starred studded performance.

It was time to start dancing, Anthony danced with Katie and then I took over, she wanted to lead I would not let her.

We then moved on to the dance floor and all started to dance, however Aisling did not like to dance, I took her by her hands and started to help her move her body. I enjoyed dancing with Aisling, she then wanted to sit down with Becki. I then began to dance with Katie but this time really dancing my way, must have been for about 20 minutes I was sweating bucket at the end. I looked over the Becki and she was, well I'm not sure, shocked at how her dad was dancing or perhaps embarrassed?

We headed back to our hotel about 2am. We both had a really good night.

Day four - It's snowing

Running late this morning. So had to run in my boots to the gondola. The school had already started at the top at the mountain.

It was snowing today so the visibility was poor. When I got to the top I could not find my group. So I head down a red slope, it was so hard, as I could not see where I was, even the snow was hard to see as it all looked White without any definition meant you were skiing blind most if the time, just had to relax in to the bumps and turns.

Fabio was on the chair lift and he saw me skiing down the slope. He called out to me, buggers I thought I was hoping not to find them as the conditions were so bad.

I met up with the group at the top of the chair lift. Everyone was saying how hard it was to ski. Fabio took us to the half pipe, okay I'm nervous now, not only could I not see the bumps we're heading in to a snow park full of bumps. Okay fell over at the first turn, there was so much snow that it was like falling in to a soft bed of foam. The half pipe was not easy, but it was a lot of fun.

We skied down to the chair lift and then on to the twisted track, and with the visibility so low this was not fun, as soon as you had lost the person in front of you, you had to stop. I fell over big style losing both my skis. Fabio cut the run short and got us all back on to the main run once again.

After school had finished I went over the other side if the valley to see Becki. I took her through the woods, great fun this time as the bumps were much easier due to the new snow fall.

That night we met up with the Irish Motley group in Gallis. They were all of beer and drinking soft drinks. It was really nice chatting to them. We headed back to the hotel for a quick shower and change before out night on the Mountain Feast

Day four - Mountain Feast

We'd booked ourselves on to the Mountain Feast, which involved a skidoo ride up the mountain, food, drink, dancing on the tables and then a walk down the mountain.

Skidoo ride was fun, if not scary, as the restaurant was halfway up a black run. It was a small log cabin but packed with about 60 if not more people. Long benches and tables, small cocktail to start. Pasta dishes to begin, followed by a hot plate to cook your own food. Then the music got louder and everyone got and stood up on their seat.

Becki did not stop dancing all night. Watch the videos for her great moves.

It all finished very quickly, well about 11:45 and then we started to walk down the slope, it was -25c and the kids started a snowball fight. Hoods we up as it was so cold.

Got down in about 15 minutes. In to Gallis for a quick drink, then back to hotel. What must have been 2am, good night out was had by all

Day 5 - best day yet

We woke to find the sun shining. We caught the early bus, not going to be late this morning.

Arrived for ski school, we took the same route as yesterday, but today was bright blue sunshine and powder snow everywhere. What with my confidence growing the red slope was easy, speeding down to the chair lift. Then we went to the half pipe again, this time so much easier and no falling over. Later in the lesson we went down a speed test, down a slope where it measured your speed. I reached 78kph.

When I met up with Becki I took her down the half pipe and zigzags, great fun was had by us both. Then a gentle ski down the blue run from the top to the bottom.

Becki had invited me out to a meal in Oblos, I accepted. :-)

Our ski school was also going to Oblos too, so we all met in Gallis bar for a few drinks first and left Becki to get ready.

I meet the motley Irish crew in the bar, and started to drink beer, things got a little silly, I took off Aisling’s boots as her kicking was a little hard when she was kicking my shins. She was wondering why Steve the rep was not talking to her? She only kissed him on the pub crawl. I remember telling her the night before that holiday reps were out of bounds, not knowing she has already made a pass at one. But then again Steve was now not talking to her. ;-)

Cliona and Aisling started winding me up saying did I know where Becki was, and they had seen her with an Italian boy. I knew Becki and knew she would be down by 7pm. So it was now 7:15 and no Becki, the two girls looked at me. I was checking the door every 2 minutes or every time someone went by. Then she arrived, few, she had walked along the Piste as she had got off the wrong bus stop.

We then headed for Oblos, at the bar Cliona bought a round of cocktails, Becki drunk a Mojito, then we had a very nice meal. Upon sitting down I knew that Aisling liked the Italian ski instructor so I made sure he was lead to sit next to her. You should have seen Aisling’s face, was it embarrassing it shock, any how she did threaten me and said she would get me later. Both Cliona and Aisling started to chat in Irish and then looking at me, I said it was not fair and they should speak in English.

We left Oblos and headed back to the bar, where the raffle was to take place. First prize a week’s free holiday accommodation at Gallis. The motley Irish crew got out their tickets or should I say a wade of tickets, did each ticket mean a drink bought at the bar, if it did then I would be getting worried about the state if my kidneys. Anyway for each prize they would call out a numbered ticket and you had 30 seconds to claim your prize, if no one had a ticket then the prize would be included in the next ticket draw. No one had any tickets, and the final prize draw a week’s holiday, plus all the other prizes, go-karts, skidoos, food, drink all to be claimed for. 471, we checked Aisling did not have it; Peter or Cliona did not either. However David has 465, 480, time was ticking we were sure he had the ticket, then finally the ticket was found, he jumped up shouting I have it, Steve the rep wanted to see it. It was true he won all the prizes.

That is when Becki walked in to see all the excitement, David decided he had too many prizes, so decided to make paper aeroplanes out of the food and beer prizes and throw them around the bar for others to enjoy.

Day 5 - night club

After the excitement in Gallis and winning all the prizes we then headed for the night club, both Cliona and Aisling said that Becki should come along, I knew they had male strippers tonight and it would be busy. Anyway got the taxi to the club and Becki agreed to go back to the hotel.

When we got in to the club it has packed, got our free drinks and found somewhere to sit down, chatted to Peter and Cliona for a while even tried dancing but too many men were watching the stripper on the bar. So went back to chat with Aisling, I think we were all very drunk and before we knew it, it was 4:30. David, Aisling and I headed back to the hotel.

Final day skiing

Our last day skiing, and it was race day, only having, what must have been 4 hours sleep, I was still drunk from the night before when I arrived at the ski slopes, Now we had to have a race, first time down, what am I doing on the slopes in this state. Second try went a little better. Then it was time to race. Becki went first, go, she was off and down the bottom of the slope in about 27 seconds. I was one of the last in my class to go, I set myself up, GO, and put my all in to it, around the first pole, the second, I was storming, the third and then came the forth. My skis decided they would go where they wanted too, and I ended up on my back, skis detached and sliding down the hill on my back. Whoops, I was the only one not to get to the bottom. Second run went smoother and I finished in about 23 seconds.

For the last 30 minutes Fabio took us up the long button lift and then off piste, but this time it was deep and down hill. I'm sure he just wanted a laugh, as he watched us all try and get down the slope. All the girls got down without any problems, and us four men, just kept falling over. But the best must have been David, diving directly in to the snow as if he was diving in to a swimming pool. So funny!

After school was finished , Becki, Aisling and I decide to try out some blue runs ,and it was lovely, nice and slow and very easy. we were all very quite, as we were all very tired. We went through the trees and off piste, great fun. Then finally we took the chair lift to the top of the blue runs, and oh how windy was it? When we started to ski we lost sight of each other it was blowing a blizzard so much. It was so nice to get half way down the mountain, and everything went back to normal and it was so nice.

We finally took off our boots for the final time an headed for the bar for a quick drink. After a quick visit to the hotel we went shopping, and all meet up at Gallis for the 7pm presentation, it was so noise. Finally we got our presentation and then all headed out for something to eat.

We ended up in a very nice hotel restaurant, both the service and the food was very good. Finally got back to the hotel by 8:30pm, both Becki and I said our good byes to Peter, Cliona, David and Aisling. It was really sad to have to say good bye, as we'd had such a good time with them all.

It was about 2:30 in the morning and I heard them all leaving, I wanted to get up and say just one more good-bye.

Time to go home

It always comes, but you never want it to, the day you have to go home, good time was had. The snow was out of this world, the skiing was great, but most of all the company and night life was brilliant, both Becki and I could not have had a better holiday together without the company of Peter, Cliona, David and Aisling, they were all such fun.

The resort is a good resort, nice easy wide runs, even on the black runs they were very wide. Only gripe I would have is to get from one side of the valley to the other you have to take a bus, which does mean a fair bit of walking. Our hotel was okay, but a bit far from the slopes, it turned out just for somewhere to sleep and rest.

I hope that we can keep in touch with Peter, Cliona, David and Aisling, as we got on so well.

For more photos and videos check out

Photos and Vidoes

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