Farewell to South Tyrol

I had lunch with James, Heather and Ewan yesterday at the Mont Seuc Restaurant at the top of the gondola. It was our last lunch of the holiday. I arrived early and sat with my Kindle on a wooden bench outside in the sunshine, distracted from my reading by the stunning views across the snowy pistes to the mountains. How I will miss those views!

It has been a fantastic week. Heather and Ewan chose the attractive ski resort of Ortisei with its little shops and its lovely swimming pool because they knew that I might not ski as far or for as long as them or James; none of us realised that I wouldn’t be skiing at all. And thanks to them booking our holiday in this beautiful location, I have been able to enjoy a full and fun week, with only the occasional wistful thought that I would love to have been able to ski. As well as taking the gondola up to Mont Seuc for lunch with Heather, Ewan and James a couple of times, I visited pretty Bolzano and also took a bus one day to Selva where I met the others for lunch at the top of the Ciampinoi cable car. 

Today we got up early for our 6.10 a.m. pick up by bus to start our journey home. I’m delighted to say that our journey went entirely smoothly despite the inevitable queueing at check in, and our plane was on time. By mid-afternoon we were reunited with Tom and Flora, who both kept me company when I went to bed for a wee nap. Some laundry and a relaxing evening ensued, we watched a rather disappointing film on Netflix called “You People” and had a fish supper. It’s nice to be home but I do miss the beautiful Dolomites. 

Ötzi

On Wednesday I decided to visit Ötzi in Bolzano. I had heard of Ötzi but until Ewan informed me about it this week, I had no idea of his location. My visit to Bolzano involved a pleasant 40 minute bus ride down the valley, and the bus stop was just along the road from the hotel. I arrived late morning in sunny Bolzano, where the weather was so mild that many people were sitting outside in the very attractive town square. I sat outside Walther’s café where the waiters were very attentive and swiftly provided me with brunch of spinach ravioli. Reenergised, I walked onwards through the narrow pedestrian streets to the Ötzi Museum. 

Ötzi was a man who died five thousand years ago in South Tyrol, just on the Italian side of the border between Italy and Austria. His body became mummified by a series of chances involving weather and snow conditions, later covered by a glacier, and emerged in 1991 when he was discovered by a couple of German tourists who were hiking in the area. Not only was his body preserved but so were his clothes in clouding shoes and hat, his backpack, longbow, arrows and an axe with a copper blade. All of these are on display at the museum and it’s hard to comprehend how ancient they are. It wasn’t until ten years after his discovery that x-rays showed that Ötzi was murdered; there was an arrowhead lodged under his arm which had caused him to bleed to death. And more recent DNA analysis has revealed the alpine bloodlines of his ancestors. I had no desire to peer through the viewing window to see the refrigerated figure of Ötzi; there are plenty of photos of his mummified body around the museum and I found it kind of disrespectful and unnecessary that Ötzi himself should be on display. I didn’t feel really strongly about this, I just didn’t want to see him myself. However it’s a great wee museum and it was a fascinating visit which I would highly recommend. 

Coffee with a view

I’m blogging at the restaurant at the top of the Ortisei telecabine. Despite not skiing, life feels pretty damn good. It’s warm and sunny, so warm that I’m sitting here in my t shirt, having shed my jacket and fleece. You would almost think that it is spring, not the end of January. The views of snow-capped mountains all around are stunning. I can’t even begin to describe the beauty. After the snowy day yesterday, which cut their skiing short, James, Heather and Ewan were absolutely thrilled to wake up to sunshine this morning and are making the most of this amazing weather. I have wandered through the village, and after my “coffee with a view” I will go for my swim, deliberately timing it so that I will be there when the outdoors pool opens at 2 p.m.

I must mention one of the dishes at dinner last night. The four of us congregate in the cosy bar for drinks before dinner, then wander up to the dining room for some really excellent food. It’s all great but it was my primo piatti which really stood out for me. I chose spinach dumplings in a creamy sauce. Sounds good doesn’t it? But for the second time in this post my adjectives fail me; it was just absolutely one of the best things I have ever tasted. The dumplings were cooked to perfection and it tasted so good that I savoured every mouthful. I did however assure Ewan truthfully that it did not surpass his Tuscan beef stew which is also right up there in my best ever culinary experiences (of course it’s sadly now off my personal menu due to my vege / pescetarianism!) 

Snowing in the village

Our hotel, the Luna Mondschein, is situated only a short walk from one of the two gondolas that lift you up to the pistes, and if you are wearing ski boots and carrying skis there is the option of a shuttle bus to take you along the road. This morning the other three of our party were going to the Seceda lift, so I jumped into the minibus with them and then walked down (through a handy tunnel with inclined moving walkways) into the village, pausing for a quick visit to the main Ortisei Church, which has an Italian Baroque onion dome on top and some pretty painted plaster and wooden statues within, as well as stained glass windows which portray the twelve apostles. I sauntered through the attractive pedestrianised area of the town, and couldn’t resist visiting a couple of shops. There are lots of woodwork artefacts for sale, with an emphasis on religious scenes. There are also bakeries, stationery shops, clothes shops and cafés. I made my way to the swimming pool and that’s where I am now, having swum a modest but hopefully beneficial 500 metres. It’s snowy today, and I can see the mountains and the softly falling snow from the large floor to ceiling windows. 

James’ Birthday in Ortisei

We are in Ortisei, a small town in South Tyrol in the very north of Italy. In fact as Ewan has explained to us, it has been Austrian for much more of its history than it has been Italian, which is reflected in many of its place names and its delightful cuisine. It’s a very pretty town with wood-carving shops, churches, a little town square, and of course it’s a ski resort, connecting to the many other ski resorts in the Dolomites. The town’s original Laden name is Urtijëi, which means “the place of nettles,” something to bear in mind if we ever return in the summer! I was interested to discover that well-known composer and music producer Giorgio Moroder was born here. Our hotel, the Luna Mondschein, is excellent, with amazing food and smart alpine decor. 

I am in the unique (to me) position of spending a whole week in a ski resort without skiing. This is because of the pain and numbness in my wrist. Although disappointed not to be skiing, and concerned that my wrist feels so painful a full ten weeks after its break, Ortisei has turned out to be an attractive place to spend time. There are quite a few cafés and shops, and a large and excellent swimming pool which also has an outside pool, a flume, steam room and jacuzzi. I spent a couple of very pleasant hours there this morning, and I’m hoping that swimming will be good for my healing bones! I then walked five minutes to the main gondola which lifted me up to a lovely restaurant overlooking the ski slopes. It was sunny and beautiful with spectacular mountains. Soon I was joined by birthday boy James, Heather and Ewan, and we all had a hearty lunch. The others had enjoyed a very good first day and skied down the big red to the resort after lunch; I took the gondola down and strolled back to the hotel. Après-ski drinks were followed by showers and in James’ case a birthday nap! 

On the way to Verona

Yes, today we are heading to the Dolomites for our ski holiday with Heather and Ewan. I’m on the plane at Edinburgh Airport so just a quick wee blog. The last week has sped by with various pleasant and useful activities, and we finished our packing last night in plenty of time to have a cup of tea with the cats sitting on our knees. 

The highlight of the week was my meet up with my school friends, always a pleasure, but this time Helen, Wendy, Libby and I had planned a special post wedding celebration for Maggie, who got married to John in November. When Maggie arrived we had flowers and a gift (a beautiful bird bath for her garden) waiting for her, as well as a little “bride” tiara with a veil! The rest of us wore wee tiaras! Maggie was completely taken by surprise and was delighted. Many photos were taken before we had a delicious meal with complimentary Prosecco from the restaurant, organised by our very friendly waitress. It was a great afternoon. 

The cats know very well that we are going away on holiday, and have been climbing on the cases. This morning I thought that Floof was staring at me very reproachfully and I gave her a cuddle before we left. Tom had been around earlier but was nowhere to be seen when we set off, he was probably hiding just in case we tried to load him into the car. 

We had a good run through to Edinburgh and bagged an excellent parking space very near the terminal. After checking in we went to All Bar One with Heather and Ewan where we raised our glasses to celebrate the start of our holiday. We will be setting off to Verona shortly. 

Jamie has broken his arm

Jamie was out mountain biking on his new and lovely bike today when his front wheel hit a stone awkwardly, sending him over the handlebars. He landed on his head and his arm. Kerry phoned me at lunchtime to tell me - it was 2 a.m. in New Zealand by that time so when I saw her name and number on my phone screen I knew that something must be up and answered the phone by saying, “What has happened Kerry?” Kerry was very calm and helpful (despite no doubt being very tired herself after being at the hospital with Jamie for hours.) The first thing she said was that Jamie (or James, as he is known in NZ) was all right, which allayed my fears, and then she told me what had happened. 

After the accident their friend Paul had carried the bikes down the hill and had then assisted Jamie, and drove him to hospital. Kerry met them there, and Jamie was examined. His head seems to be ok thanks to his helmet, but his radius is broken at the elbow and he may have a fracture at his wrist too. When he was having his arm x rayed he fainted due to the pain, so he was kept in overnight for observation and should be sent home this morning (NZ time.) I have spoken to him about an hour ago and he sounded groggy and subdued, not his usual cheery self at all. Oh my poor boy, I hope that he feels better soon. I feel that every time one of my boys has a mishap even though they are all men now. 

And another snowy journey

James and I debated whether we should wait another day before returning home along the snowy A835 towards Inverness. It had snowed some more during the night, maybe three or four inches, and Ullapool was a winter wonderland. With more snow forecast we decided to set off just before midday in the hope that the gritters and a bit of morning traffic would have ameliorated the situation. When we stopped to get diesel at the Lochbroom filling station, Andrew told James that the word was that the roads were currently passable to Inverness. James offered to drive the first part of the journey and I was glad because my wrist was feeling very tender. Oh dear oh dear, the road was extremely snowy between Ullapool and Contin! It was completely white with just faint wheel tracks to follow. The good news was that it was very quiet, so there was no other traffic to bother us. As we passed Corrieshalloch it started snowing again quite heavily; it was a whiteout. James did a grand job of keeping us safe while still maintaining a decent speed. As we approached Inverness the tire tracks became stronger and soon we were driving on black roads again which was a relief. We stopped for a late lunch at Aviemore and I then took my turn at driving. 

The cats were excited to see us and there was much scampering up and down the hall. I’m now in a nice warm bath with Floof watching me from the toilet (the lid is closed!) 

Snowy journey

I’m feeling very tired; the legacy of my recent Covid. Or is it? Could it be that it’s just due to the dreich weather and lack of sunlight this January? Certainly the cats are spending even more time sleeping on the bed than they usually do. I hope that I perk up soon. 

Our next door neighbour, Meg Wilson, died a few days ago. She was very old, had dementia and was bed-bound, so it was probably good for her to finally be at rest. But it still feels sad; another one gone from our parents’ generation. She was quite a character in her day, a respected Ward Sister who (we heard from one of her nursing colleagues) could be a bit nippy if she was displeased. She was widowed before Jamie was born, around the same time that my Aunt Rosemary died, so that’s a long time. She lived with her son Andrew who I think will be very lost without her, and her lovely daughter Sarah lives in the next street, so she was well looked after. 

I accidentally left my tennis bracelet at Ullapool when we returned home after New Year, so James and I decided on the spur of the moment to retrieve it today. We piled the cats’ bowls high with food and packed James’ telescope into the car (we have been meaning to take it to Ullapool) as well as some laundry of bed sheets and towels. The cats spotted us carrying this stuff out to the car and they both dashed underneath the bed to hide, realising that a car trip might be about to happen. They are so clever! And they must have been a bit puzzled when we went without them and didn’t return this evening. 

We had a good run north, listening to Bobby Gillespie’s autobiography on the way. However when we got to Aultbea it started snowing. We had checked whether the roads were clear of any traffic incidents but we hadn’t checked the weather forecast, which was very silly of us in January. The snow got heavier as we drove north-west, and we saw lots of deer near the road. When we passed the Braemore Junction at Corrieshalloch Gorge, there were two arctic lorries stuck on the hill on their way towards Inverness. One of them had slid off the road into the soft verge, and the other one had tried to pass it and was stuck beside it on the other side of the road. Luckily there was a tractor with a snow plough blade just ahead of us, which valiantly drove up and down the road to clear the way for the lorry that was still on the road. That lorry managed to move a bit so that after a short delay we (and the queue of half a dozen cars that arrived behind us) were able to make our way diagonally between the vehicles and onwards the last twenty minutes to Ullapool.

I am feeling better!

This is the first morning since the 3rd of January that I have woken up without a headache, hooray! I have tested negative for Covid since Tuesday, but the cold symptoms have continued. Today however I felt markedly better. I got on with some holiday admin and tidying, nothing major, but I felt so much brighter. I must mention my dear daughter-substitute, Flora, who has been taking care of me while I had Covid. She has cuddled up to me on the bed and sat on my lap on the couch, in what I would like to think is a caring manner. Tom has also done his share of cuddling me, and James has bought me my favourite night-time Lemsip capsules and done more than his fair share of making dinners. 

In more health news, I’m a bit annoyed about how slowly my broken wrist is improving. It’s still downright sore, especially at the lump on the side of my arm (this is called a callus and should eventually be re-absorbed into my arm.) I’m following my cousin Julie’s advice and wearing the wrist support on and off during the day as well as doing my exercises. I also wear it at night because if I don’t it feels very painful in the morning. I have a physio appointment in a couple of weeks; I applied via the council website only last week and have heard back quickly, it will be good if they can reassure me that everything is progressing normally. 

Belated Happy New Year

What an unfortunate beginning of 2023 I have had. It had started so well!  I had a fantastic birthday, when I climbed Ullapool Hill and later went to the New Year’s Eve Ceilidh in the Village Hall. I was wary of dancing with anyone except James because I didn’t want anyone grabbing my broken wrist, but we did dance a few times and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank goodness I didn’t join in the really wild dancing such as the Orcadian Strip the Willow. I was so impressed by the Ally, Cat, Davie and Chanel’s dancing, they are all excellent Ceilidh dancers. Ally and Cat knew how to spin with amazing handholds, and they all joined in, no matter how complicated the steps! It was an excellent evening with a great atmosphere. 

The next night was good too; dinner at the Ceilidh Place followed by a folk music gig with three bands. Chanel and I left a bit early, she and Davie had been fighting their colds very bravely over the festivities, but she was very tired and so was I. For me, this could have have been the beginning of what was to come, because only a couple of days later I finally tested positive with Covid. I had started developing cold symptoms when we were still in Ullapool, but over the past two years I had convinced myself that I was immune, as nearly everyone I knew came down with it around me. How disappointed I was to discover that I was not superwoman after all! This necessitated cancelling our social engagements and I have been lying low, feeling a bit flat ever since. My head aches, my throat is sore, and I’m so very tired.  Hopefully 2023 will improve.