All downhill

We went skiing again. With the same lovely group as last year. Some cyclists from Epsom/Esher/thereabouts. We know them through a running friend who also cycles. Going out on a Sunday was a bit odd, I didn't even realise until a few weeks beforehand, when Mike said that's what we were doing. He'd read the e-mails! I'd fallen into this false sense of security induced by someone very competent organising the whole thing. It did mean that I could get the cat jabbed and off to the cattery on the Saturday. That meant I DROVE for the first time since the accident. Melanie was kind enough to come with me, brave girl. The cat stayed absolutely quiet the whole time. It was ok. I wasn't used to the width of the car, so allowed more space than necessary on the passenger side and probably drove more slowly than other road users might wish. But, I didn't wibble or wobble. My arm didn't fall off. Using the handbrake was a bit strange - I seemed to use my shoulder for the movement rather than the elbow. It was local roads, nothing fast but it was driving. One demon exorcised.

I still don't like flying so as the doctor has given me some beta blockers I thought I'd use them for the flight! That went ok although I'm not sure what drugs would have helped with the ridiculously long wait for our luggage at Turin. We went with Neilson travel who I don't think I've used before. They seem quite good although the reps are all bright, cheery, loud young people (mutter mutter old people noises). Snow wasn't the best but the resort - Sauze d'Oulx - had done a lot of work in producing snow to keep the upper slopes covered, so skiing was better than it might have been.

I've not been skiing in Italy since my first two or three years of this silly hobby at which point I probably wasn't aware of piste markings, maps and so on. The Italians, it seems, still aren't! The piste map bore no relation to the pistes, cafes and restaurants which are usually a useful landmark were missing from the paperwork, the lifts had a variety of names which may or may not be the one on the map, the runs had posts but no names that helped........ Basically, you had to get over all that, learn the lie of the land yourself and then you were fine!

The chalet was good but uphill from the town centre and a bus ride or walk away from a lift. There were 12 in our group and then another 5 (two pairs of women and a loud Oirish man). The others didn't really have much option but to mingle and it was good, they joined our various skiing groups and it was a jolly sociable week. The chalet hosts were slightly older than usual so were better at judging their clientele. That might account for them filling us with gallons of wine every evening. They probably skimp a little at half term and not give the youngsters the same quota as we enjoyed. There was free wifi so the ipads were happy and people less reluctant than usual to browse from their phones. This may have been a good thing but I think a few of us could have done without the television. It only ends up being on sky or bbc news and not much else. Oh, National Geographic channel put in an appearance one evening. The food was very good, even for the vegetarian.

Mike and I took an optional day trip to a nearby resort in France - Montgenevre. Bliss! Signs that point somewhere, carrying information at the same time. A piste map that worked. Oh joy. And we even enjoyed the skiing. Looks a possible for a trip of its own one day.

One sad bit at the beginning of the week was that Melanie returned home on the day that we flew off to Italy (different times and different airports). Fortunately, she'd learned her way around by then, so Ham to Heathrow was easy. It was great having her stay, catching up on news and getting to know her a bit more. I really really must start planning my next trip downunder.