Two hour flight

One of the benefits to living in England, is the continent is a short plane ride or drive away. Just a two hour flight and hour and half bus ride took us to Italy to have a go at skiing for a week. We've skiied in the States on the east coast but nothing like this. Wow - the mountains were amazingly majestic, snowed covered and stunning! The weather was clear skies and sunny just below freezin and sunny enough to give Nathan and Julieanne sun poisoning and the rest of us a little tan on our faces.

Even though we were in Italy (20 minute walk from France) the hotel we were in was run by British and full of British on holiday. We even had British breakfast, fish and chips one night and the infamous Sunday carvery . It was little too 'packaged' for Dennis' adventourous/independence but he was able to apply that to his skiing and mountain exploration. We were in a very small Alpine village called Claviere surrounded by ski areas that were 'purpose built' for the Torino 2006 Olympics with huge hotels and amenities. We saw the Olympic bobsled run and the alpine skiing runs. All of these ski areas are connected by chair lifts so you could navigate your way across what is known as the Milky Way which is exactly what we did for the first 4 days. We were challenged but able to enjoy the slopes offered. I am the most cautious of all of us so I was usually bringing up the rear.

After four days of exploring the Alps, we traded in our skies for snowboards. Two years ago we had a snowboard lesson in Tennessee and aday to try it out. This time, everyone caught on quite well, particularly the kids. After a few body altering wipe outs the first day, I became too conservative to be any good. Seeing the occupied snowmobile stretcher going past didn't help. Dennis consoled me with, "Hon, you just don't have the snowboarder personality." I think it was an explanantion to why I wasn't getting it or was it an insult? Hmm - that's me laid flat, resting safely on the ground. Really, I laughed a lot and as I looked around, I realized I was living proof why there aren't too many 44 year old women snowboarding, in fact I saw none. I really did want to learn and be able to enjoy that new skill with the kids. Oh well.

At the end of the day, while we collapsed on the bed for some reading, a nap and a shower, Nathan immediately changed into snow boots and headed outside with his 'bum board' to sled and have snow ball fights with other kids. He never seemed tired or sore!! I guess that's a tell tale difference

between 10 years old and 44 years old.

It was a real treat of a week. We thoroughly enjoyed the winter wonderland, the time to exercise, read, talk, eat and rest just the five of us.