Va Bene! It's ok Touring Torino

Okay in about a day and a half of traveling in Torino here I have found:

1) a lack of chairs in the inner city under cover. It was raining all day. And well I didn't get to find a chair to take a rest whilst making use of my "48 hour Torino Card" over just 24hrs.

2) You can learn a lot more of the local attractions if you learn Italian.



3) I remember hardly a word of the 8 week Italian course I took in preparation. That's a good couple hundred I threw away I guess.

4) You can bluff your way through a guided tour in Italian when you don't understand a word. Heck I was lucky if I picked up 1 word in 50.

5) Italians don't have a good understanding of just what a hostel should be in Torino. The "Hostel Torino" I'm in was supposed to be the best rated. I'd call it a "shiny turd". It's clean, but horrible. (Only one more night)

6) If you're a hostel operator it may help to stock maps for your guests. For a start. Along with ensuring the transport directions to the hostel are correct and precise.

6) The Italians make good pizza.



7) The Italians make good gelato. (this makes up for bad hostel operators)

8) Torino has the best Caffé Mocha. The one from this morning was made with pure melted chocolate. Yes, there were tears of joy when I saw it start to be made in that fashion.
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The Offender

Now over recent trips overseas I've been remiss in not getting a photo of the offender in the assults perpetrated. Yesterday though I was able to make amends.

However the victim wasn't me.

Here is the Offender:


It may seem like a nonchalant lump of snow. But that snow is a ice cold attacker of snow boarders. It has been guilty of going out to trip boarders without provocation. Calls have been made to "toast" it to the ground.

The victim was my cousin Mick. The damage was one broken collar bone.

There's snow news today.

Yesterday's snow fall amounted to about 10 cms.

Oh, and 1 serious knee injury, and 8 broken ribs. But they weren't mine, or my cousin's. Just some of the other travellers.

One guy did his knee on one of the slopes which had been turned to a sheet of ice after being warm the day of the BBQ, and then having the snow windblown away.

The other guy broke 8 ribs I've heard from sledding into a cabin. I haven't the full report but it sounds painful.

Today's snowfall about 10 cms. But again no injuries to me.

Went up to a different part of the resort today. Took some good shots while skiing.

Unexpected things you do in France no 1

Now there were things I did expect to do here in France. Going up a ski lift and having a BBQ half way up the slopes was not one of them.

But that's what we did yesterday.

A few of the staff from around the resorts who my cousin Mick can count as his friends decided that would be a good idea. Heck it was an awesome idea in the end.

You just set up your BBQ, take a few beers up, and then while waiting for food to cook you go for a ski or ride. Works well.

By the end of it a BBQ for 7 ended up being for about 30 passers through.

Clair

I had a short term relationship with a Clair yesterday.

In the end Clair ran out on me.

Last time I try to have a Chocolate Eclair on this trip. I'm sticking to the Crossaints instead.

Nice time for a brisk walk

Last night I was introduced into Mick's (my cousin) world of French friends. Out for a night at the local establishment after dinner in the hotel. Only the 'local establishment of choice' is about a 2km hike down to the next town. Hence instead of walking we were lucky enough to get a ride with an Aussie neighbour.

The night was ok but for the fact I still am not fully converted in time zones, and I'm no longer a spring chicken. So about 12 midnight I was flagging. The opportunity to get a lift back presented itself at 1am which I took. Mick having the next day off decides to stay. Nothing wrong with that.
But here's where the adventure begins. After dropping off some random french people we had collected on leaving I was dropped off outside the hotel. I was so looking forward to bed.

I get to the front door. It's locked.

I go to the side door entrance to the bar. It's locked.

Ahh! Memory is now flooding back to an introductory meeting of the guests in which we were advised the doors are locked after 12:30am, and keys were to be left at reception. Not expecting to return to the hotel by myself after midnight that night I had not gotten the code on the front door.

Ahh! problem. I review the situation:
It's 1am,
1 degrees,
I'm in a french small village which doesn't speak any english,
The whole village is asleep but for 1 bar I know will be open until 2am.
The bar Mick was at is open until 2am.
The bar Mick is at is 2kms away.
I've seen 2 vehicles pass in 10 minutes of considering my situation.

I check the bar. There are 3 people in there still. None of them seem to speak English neverlone look it, and therefore are not the other guests of the hotel I'm in.

This leave the options:
Go to Mick's place and wait for him to arrive.
Go to Mick's place and knock waking up the other staff of the hotel, or his Australian neighbour who was already tired and cranky feeling like people only wanted lifts off him.
Or,
Go for a walk to Lanselvilliard 2kms down the road at 1:30am hoping to come across a Mick walking the other way.

Knowing there was always the chance Mick wasn't coming home that night I took the last option. Heck it was only a 2km walk, and I was rugged up in a bright white ski jacket, and my beanie.

So I set out. Best case scenario was I would be spotted by mick coming the other way having gotten a lift, or finding Mick at the other end still in the bar.

Finally I get to the other end at 1:50am. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!! It's shut, and there's no Mick.
AHHH. Fish sticks.
In fact a few obsenities were muttered if not expressed with feeling.

I review the situation:

It's now 2am.
I'm 2kms away from the hotel.
I don't have a number to the hotel neverlone expect someone to answer the phone.
There is nothing open now.

I walk back. Or well somewhat take a jog to the hotel.

I bang on the front door. No answer.

I review the situation:

I could try calling the reception and hope someone is on call. But I don't have the number. This would require the emergency brother phone call to Australia, internet lookup, and much more issues. I dismiss the option.

I could try sleeping at micks place. Hopefully his foyer is warm. (altohugh it does small of diesel which is used as a heating fuel)

But wait... there was one more option I had not considered. The back door at the basement.
I walk around, it opens.

WHEW.

Now I can safely say the password is: ********

Adding "rie" to any word makes it good

I've come to the conclusion the french have found the key to making life easier. Add "rie" to the end of a word and you will find the good stuff.

For example a cafe serving Crepes is Creperie. I'm a big fan of these. Bread is from the Boulongerie. Again I'm a big fan. More so if they call themselves a Pattisserie.

And cheese is from the Fromagerie.

So with that in mind I must of been at the Skierie.

Above is a photo of the frozen lake at the top of the mountain. Apparently the mountains to the other side are Italy.

I managed a bit of skiing. Before I think the 4am Brisbane body clock set in. Or well That's what I think it is. I'm really shattered by about 3pm in the afternoon. Nap time for me. Which is doable when you're on holidays.

Luckily the walk from the hotel to the ski lift is only 200 metres.

The Never Ending Breakfast

A new trip bring new experiences. This time the trip involved the never ending breakfast. With flying out of Brisbane to Singapore, then Singapore to Dubai, Dubai to Milan I was following time around the world. Starting at 2:45am flight meant waking up to be fed more egg based dishes every 4 hours it felt like. Or well at least until Dubai.

It was the first time through Dubai in my travels. It looked hot outside. The airport is absolutely massive, full of shops and things to buy. I stayed strong, or well looking like crap with the eyes hanging out, and didn't buy in Dubai. Maybe on the way back.

Emirates was a good airline. I do have to say although the flight did take a little longer it did make it easier with 8hrs, 7hrs, 7hrs to Milan. Each break was a chance to stretch the legs.

Arrival in Milan was uneventful. It was a bit disorientating to find my place with little more than an internet extract of instructions to get to the hostel. But reality was I didn't care much. The visit was fleeting. Arrived Hostel at 10pm, left hostel 6am. Was on the train to Modane, France by 8am.

The train was very good. And Modane was a quaint little town set up for the ski transit crowd. A french version of Jindabine.... Or well a much nicer looking version of it with historic buildings and character.

Now, Well I am at what is technically day 3. OR day 1 of Skiing. WOOOOOO HOOOOOO!

Found the cousin here in Lanselbourg, Val Cenis. So family. yes he's alive, well, and enjoying every minute of it here. Personally I can't blame him. It's a picture perfect scene with snow, french bakeries, and fromageries....

Thinking about it. Have I just found eden... It could be dangerous for me here.

Risk of overendulgence is "extreme". Ski conditions are good, but softening in the afternoon.

Sorry no photos yet. I'll get to that this afternoon.

Trip Espresso counter: 2