Cortina

One day's skiing in Cortina was not enough. While our favorite ski area was the Dobbiaco side, the skiing in Cirtina was pretty special. Photographs rarely do the alps justice, but here are some amateur attempts to capture the magic of the place. 

... And there was also some sort of regional cuisine/wine teasing show being filmed for television at one of the many alpine restaurants. 

Does anyone know who these two Italian "personalities" might be?  The chaps on the left are filming the proceedings, but the two on the right could very well be the Mike Preston (in blue) of the Italian gastronomy circuit and the other one (in yellow) could well be one of the competitors in the upcoming world championship giant slalom championships about to take place here. WHO KNOWS!??

Dobbiaco/Toblach II

Well, what a place to spend some time!  Dobbiaco. YOUSE ALL HAVE TO COME!  It's a splendid part of the world. A part of Italy where you can practise your Italian. Also only a couple of km from Austria, so you can practise your German if that is your preference.  I plump for the latter. 

It's surprising what one can find for sale in and around Dobbiaco. Here are the four skiers of the youthful variety in our party (Steph, Henry, Penny and Ally) after a hard day's skiing in Cortina yesterday looking at what's available in the vending machine at the bus station. 

What IS available will rock your socks:  vibrators, pregnancy tests, prophylactics, YOU NAME IT!  All available for the price of a macchiato or two. 

Not long after, the bus came to take us home to Toblach before anyone had time to slip some spare change into the machine. The snow that fell during the trip home made for some wonderful skiing at Viersach today. 

Competition Time

OK. Word association competition time. A Mars Bar for the first neatest correct entry for the following movie name:

It's an escalator, and here's the name of the company that made it:

Australian director, movie set in Europe in 1940s. 

Dobbiaco Morning

Overnight snow dump should make for an even better day' skiing today (from apartment window)

More later ...

Off season in Dobbiaco/Toblach

Well it seems that it is low season for the two weeks we are here because school is back for this timeframe. As a result, prices are cheaper and there is not a queue on sight on the lifts. "The LIFTS??!" I hear you exclaim in rowdy unison, "Surely you, G. Charles Rose, are not DOWNHILL SKIING!???".  Well yes, as a matter of fact, I AM!  And enjoying it, so move on. 

In support of this move to "yo-yo" skiing, it must be said that conditions for x-country skiing in Dobbiaco are far less than desired. There is one 5-km track that was constructed for an event two weeks ago, but this now looks pretty tired and there are bits that have no snow on them at all. For cross country skiing it's all a bit grim. 

Last year in Dobbiaco there was no downhill skiing because there was TOO MUCH SNOW! - go figure ... . "Go with the flow", I reckon and snap on those downhill skis!

Let me tell you, it's terrifying!  Really, really scary. The downhill angles on the slopes are way too huge!  The speeds generated from the combination of gravity, body weight and ski slipperiness horrify me to the very core!  

And all the while, Dear Jude and Stephanie glide gracefully ahead, loving the whooshing poetry of the joy of alp- descending. Not a worry I'm the world. Pure bliss. "Let's do THAT again", they shout, as Old Groomby shooshes up to them waiting together at the bottom. "Couldn't we just have a little re..."  But it's too late. DJ and Steph are already heading to the base of the chair/lift/towing device all ready for the next downhill smash. Groomby trails along in their wake. 

So that's it. The end of Day One. I'm bushed (that means 'tired').  "Looking forward" to tomorrow's "adventure". Just maybe the sum of all the lessons I've paid for over the years will kick into gear and I shall become the ski champion of my dreams. STAY TUNED!

Falls by Groomby: 5

Falls by DJ: 0

Falls by Stephanie:  0

Dobbiaco/Toblach

All day yesterday was devoted to train travel; east through smoggy Italy and then up into the alps after a left-hand turn at Verona. [Looked for two gentlemen, but to no avail.]

Another train to the top of the alps, then another cute-as train east across the top to Dobbiaco. Surprisingly, quite a bit of secondary industry along this line, but soon we emerged into more classic alpine meadows and towering alps. Green meadows; white alps. 

Not much snow about, but we are assured that downhill skiing is OK. Cross country skiing is all but non-existent. It's certainly fortuitous that skiing was not our sole purpose for coming!

DJ and I took a stroll up the hill behind the town and came across a huge ski jump, grassy AS, and not a hint of snow. Here's DJ pretending to take a huge jump!

 

 The thing I'm loving about this region is the combination of German and Italian cultures. Signs are written in both languages and both can be heard spoken in and around the towns.  Many towns have a German, as well as an Italian name. Dobbiaco is also known as Toblach. I have had a few (simple) conversations in German with some of the locals and am surprised at how much is buried deep within. 

A further observation of note is the absence of people around both Dobbiaco and its twin resort Cortina - the swankier ski resort 20-odd km away higher in the alps. Perhaps this is a special holiday time. The next two weeks, for some reason are "off season" and lift tickets and ski hire are cheaper. Another possible clue is that the cemetery is lit up with candles burning in the dead of night.   WHAT is going on?

French Situation

We are all shocked by the recent events in Paris and this blog should not allow the events to pass unnoticed. Our hearts are solidly behind the French people and we share their grief and outrage. [The shocking events took place the day after we had left Paris.]

At some point, the brake needs to be applied to the "Je suis Charlie" outcry. For the French, perhaps, it is appropriate. However, I am reluctant to join this particular chorus. I never wish to give offence, at least consciously. This is in direct contrast to Charlie Hebdo, whose primary aim is to do just that. 

My religious orientation has morphed from "Informal Methodist "(as a young lad) to one of "Devout Atheism". From this position, however, I do not deride the Faithful with scorn. We are all entitled to our individual beliefs. 

The Charlie cartoonists gave offence of the highest possible order to those of the Muslim faith.  [In the same way as they gave similar offence to members of other religions.]  They did not deserve to die for what they did, however. In my heart I am walking with the people of Paris tonight.