What a lovely week we've had in Italy. After a bit of a shaky start for Abi, we all settled into the rhythm of our first family ski holiday and I have to say that we all loved it. By the afternoon of day 2 Abi was definitely in need of a break. The mental and physical challenge of learning a new skill got to her and she didn't find it easy to start with. Izzy meanwhile took to her ski lessons and the snow like a pro and immediately loved it. She declared herself a natural and off she went! Interestingly it was Izzy who then hit a wall on the last day and didn't make the final races which was a shame, but not surprising after 24 hours of lessons in 6 days.
I started well (really well even if I say so myself) and quickly progressed on day one from the nursery slopes up to the main piste. I finished my lesson, we had lunch and Glenn decided that he would continue my tuition by taking me down a steep red run, accompanied by much swearing by me and promises that I would never ski again with him! He couldn't seem to understand why I was convinced that I was going to fall off the slope and just shouted at me to relax and turn...turn... TURN!!!
On day 2 and 3 I learned about number of the things he had been shouting at me to do - so it wasn't that he was wrong it's just I hadn't got a clue what he was asking me to do at that point! Regardless of the disconnect between my knowledge / skill and his expectations, on day 4 I had a free day and we went to the top of the mountain by gondola and skied back down together which was lovely - not least as by this time I had learnt both control and an ability to turn when I hit the side of the piste - quite a contrast and a definite reduction in swearing!
Alongside the skiing the kids loved having loads of other people with us. Of course there were some who were truly irritating, but then there is every chance they thought that about us as well. By the middle of the week though we had tolerated all the beige food we could stomach and started a splinter group with another one of the Dad's and his son, Tom, who is in Abi's year. We snuck off and found a restaurant that was prepared to serve us, no mean feat as the spirit of hospitality in Italian restaurants seems to be patchy at best. We managed to find somewhere that served great pizza and great strudel and so we made the most of it - oh the luxury of being given a menu to choose from, even it was 100% flour based options still. I don't think I have ever eaten as much flour as I have in the last week - I have a carb tummy which will no doubt be impossible to get rid of...
Once we'd made the break it was easier to then do our own thing so the 6 of us did just that and had a ball. Even my fears that Glenn would hate it came to nothing - we all made the most of the company when we wanted to, and ignored it when we didn't. It worked out perfectly.
After a long (but not taxing) journey home we insisted on picking up the dogs - much excitement all round - and finally walked through the door at 10pm last night. We gave Adam (the Headmaster) a lift home as well which was "awkward" according to Izzy - nothing like falling asleep in the van in front of a teacher!
Today has been settling back in and doing the mammoth amount of washing we brought back. I'm sure no-one wore more than 2 sets of clothes when we there but still it seemed to all be dirty when we got back. Abi and I went riding as well which finished her off completely - the girls have pretty much spent the day either on their beds or on the sofa - basically relishing unlimited wifi which has been in very short supply over the last week - home comforts come in many forms.
Tomorrow is forecast to be a wet bank holiday (wall to wall rain after all that lovely snow) and then back to work. I'm hoping it will be a quiet week before the madness starts again. Mind you, summer term will be upon us in no-time and then another school year will be over - eek! The girls got their effort grades while we were away and they are both working really hard and doing very well - both got great reports - a perfect end to the week.
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