ALPE CERMIS: DIAMOND OF THE DOLOMITES

ALPE CERMIS

Winter or Summer holiday, which do you prefer?  Our family has mixed views when it comes to the type of holiday we take.  For Daddy, a fair skinned ginger, sun worshiping isn’t really my thing, but Mummy, being whiter than talc, loves nothing more than lazing in the hot summer sun, and both girls love all that both types of holiday have to offer.  Easily pleased thankfully.  Rather than squabble over where and when to go, we try to take a Summer holiday and a Winter holiday…best of both worlds so to speak.  2018 is no exception with a first time ski holiday at Alpe Cermis, Cavalese; a place of astonishing natural beauty where the locals are as beautiful as the mountains themselves.

WHY ALPE CERMIS, CAVALESE

Back in the day Mummy and I took to the slopes of the Canadian Rockies on snowboards, that’s what cool cats do!  Skis and the thought of having two broken legs didn’t appeal to us in the ‘noughties’.  As we get older (and hopefully wiser) we have decided to leave the ‘dangerous’ sports to our fearless children.  Who would have known that a quick half hour lesson on a rolling ski slope at We Are Vertigo, Belfast, in 2015; would have planted a seed within Lily-Belle.  Now the girls are a tad older, aged 3 and 9, plus having a lower sense of gravity than us oldies; we thought now would be the perfect time to book a ski holiday.

Alpe Cermis isn’t your typical ski destination for British or Irish travellers, in fact it’s quite the opposite.  We were pleasantly surprised to find out from locals that we were the only British-Irish family they had come across the whole season (we were there in March 2018, right at the end of the season).  Seems Alpe Cermis isn’t yet on the radar of the British-Irish as they continue to visit popular ski destinations like the French Alps, Switzerland and Austria to name but a few.  We’re not ‘normal‘ and we often opt for ‘different‘ which is why we chose Alpe Cermis, Cavalese.  As well as the fact that we find it very difficult to drag ourselves away from Italy, we love the country so much.

DON’T MAKE PROMISES YOU CAN’T KEEP

If you have read any of our other posts, you will see that quite often we take our own car when holidaying in Europe, a bit mad, probably, but for me (Daddy) it just makes sense.  Having to drag children and suitcases through airports isn’t my thing, I like to be in charge of my own trip, from loading the car right through to reaching the final destination.  I want to be in charge (with Mummy’s beady eyes always watching…always…watching).

For our trip to Alpe Cermis, Cavalese, Mummy persuaded me to fly-hire with the promise of ‘Don’t worry, we only need one carry-on bag each’.  Aye right!  It soon became obvious and clear that there was no way on this Earth we could do our trip to Alpe Cermis without the addition of hold luggage.  So, trundling through Belfast International Airport with two children, four hand luggage and two hold luggage, oh yes, plus a child car seat; really didn’t start this holiday too well for me.  Thankfully, after a relatively straight forward and stress free flight with Ryanair, the plane touches down smoothly at Bergamo Airport, Milan.  Once we collect our luggage, we trundle off to Firefly Car Rental.

LUNCH AT LAKE GARDA

Firefly rental car collected and if I am being completely honest, if I had a euro for every dent it had, I’d be a millionaire.  When Mummy is in charge of getting ‘bargain’ car hire, dents and dings are always expected, in fact, if it has all four wheels I consider it a huge bonus.  One thing we always do is take a 360° video and photos of any damage, that way we have proof should the rental company ever open a dispute upon returning the car.  Bags loaded and we begin our journey to the spectacular and dramatic landscape of the Italian Dolomites via Italy’s largest lake that is Lake Garda.  Our stop is brief so we can grab lunch, take a few photos and for the girls to skim stones across the calm clear water of Lake Garda.  Breathtaking views and so very peaceful.

WHERE’S THE SNOW?

Our journey from a peaceful Lake Garda, to the snow-covered Italian Dolomites, takes us along hairpin bends, scarily narrow roads and of course, beautiful scenery.  We feel truly blessed every time we visit Italy.  Lily-Belle’s main concern for the nigh on 2h 30 min journey was that there was a severe lack of snow.  In all honesty I was also a tad concerned but chose not to be as vocal as little Miss Callaghan.  We needn’t have worried though.  As we drove through the town of Cavalese we could see the snow covered mountains of Alpe Cermis in the distance.  Excited!

APARTHOTEL DES ALPES

It’s mid afternoon when The Callaghan Posse arrive at Aparthotel des Alpes, just one of the five self-catering apartment buildings owned by Trentino Residences.  The apartment building itself has traditional Tyrolean styling and an amazing backdrop of the snow-capped mountains of Alpe Cermis, Cavalese.

At the Aparthotel des Alpes reception we were warmly greeted by Cinzia.  Over the next few days we would get to know this lovely young lady quite well.  Mummy had excelled in booking the accommodation on this occasion, the apartment was spacious, modern and extremely homely.  The girls immediately began arguing over who was getting the top bunk.  To make the absolute most of our time, bags were left and we hopped back in the car and drove the short distance to Alpe Cermis Ski Resort to have a recce and book ski lessons for the girls with Scuola Italiana Sci Alpe Cermis.

READ OUR REVIEW OF APARTHOTEL DES ALPES IN CAVALESE

Back at Aparthotel Des Alpes we chatted with Cinzia about the local area; where the supermarket was, best restaurants and places to get a quick bite, but most important of all…where to get the best ice-cream, an absolute must for our girls in Italy.  The time is a little after 7pm and we are shocked to learn that the local supermarkets are already closed!  Looks like provisions will have to wait until tomorrow, but for now, we need fed.  Thankfully Pizzeria Des Alpes, the restaurant situated right next door; is still open.  Lily-Belle and Matilda ordered a pizza and were thrilled when it arrived at the table in the shape of a bunny.

ON THE SLOPES (DAY 1)

Before leaving home, Mummy and I made a conscious decision to leave the skiing to the girls, we have been snowboarding a few times, but that was many (many) years ago.  As a family we are not early risers, and as the girls were taking to the slopes for the very first time, we decided freshly groomed slopes had no appeal.  After breakfast, we got dressed into our cold weather clobber, gathered our ski essentials and made our way to Alpe Cermis.

Private ski lessons had been booked the evening before for 11am, and by leaving the apartment at 10.30, we thought we’d left ourselves plenty of time…how wrong could we have been.  Unbeknownst to us, the journey, from the bottom of Alpe Cermis to the ski rental shop and nursery slopes at level 2; takes around 5-10 minutes, and we still had to purchase our lift passes from the main reception and get kitted out.  Late again!

GETTING KITTED OUT

A short (to us it seemed to take forever as we were running late) ride on the cable car left us in awe.  The views far surpassed our expectations.  Snow-capped mountains, pine forests and clear blue skies, there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky.  Arriving at level 2, we alighted from the cable car and hurried ourselves along to the Sport Cermis rental shop.

The shop is extremely well equipped, not just with rental items but also with ski/snowboard products for purchasing.  As you enter the shop your eyes are immediately drawn to a huge window that overlooks the Dolomites…picture perfect and spectacular!   We made ourselves known to a member of staff, Claudio, and he came to our assistance with getting the girls fitted with boots, skis and helmets.  The rest of the gear we took with us (goggles, clothing etc).

Although our trip was short, we got to know Claudio quite well over the time.  A lovely and lively character…jolly, charismatic, witty and an infectious smile.  Claudio really knew his stuff when it came to kitting out the girls.

Note to self #1: don’t wait until the girls are fully clothed before asking do they need the toilet….disaster!
Note to self #2: remind Mummy not to put Matilda (age 3) on the loo then keep moving in front of the automatic flush sensor.  Poor Matilda could be heard screaming from outside, her little butt was soaked and she was not a happy little bummy…sorry, I mean bunny!

GOOD TO GO…FINALLY

Finally…snow!  Far from being cold, it was actually really hot with beautiful clear blue skies.  With no cloud cover the sun was extremely hot.  It didn’t take long to realise we were all a little overdressed and so we began to peel away the layers.  The girls were introduced to Alessandro, who was their instructor for the lesson.  Alessandro put the girls at ease instantly, and since we were late, put the girls to work right away after a quick lesson on how to put on their skis.  A short push-pull session (about 2 minutes) and Alessandro took the girls to the top of the nursery slope via the rolling carpet.

The slope itself is about 150-200 metres in length, not too steep but steep enough to gather speed if you don’t control your descent.  From the slopes we could hear cries of ‘pizza, pizza, pizza’….was someone serving food?  No food, it turns out that ‘pizza, pizza, pizza’ is pretty much a slope code word for ‘slow down’.  Basically, with knees bent slightly, you turn the tips of your skis inwards towards each other (almost touching) and push the back of the skis outwards, thus forming a shape like a slice of pizza…genius!

LESSON OVER BUT WE’RE GOING NOWHERE

We honestly didn’t know if the girls would like the skiing therefore we only booked a one hour lesson, and as we were late, it was over in a flash.  Alessandro had such a good rapport with the girls so we arranged for him to instruct the girls the following day.

The girls took to the skiing with no hassle at all, and it wasn’t long before they were going up and down the slope on their own.  Matilda did need a little help (according to her she didn’t) getting on and off the rolling carpet, a job that Mummy undertook for the afternoon.  As for Daddy, I just sat watching the girls ski, admired the view and took photographs, lot and lots of photographs, the scenery was breathtaking.

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

It was around 3pm when we managed to pull the girls off the slopes and make our way to the top of Alpe Cermis for a late lunch.  The ride to the top uses two modes of transport; a cable car followed by a chair-lift.  We soar between a clearing of pine trees before they open up to reveal panoramic views of the surrounding Dolomites, truly spectacular.  Definitely a lot colder at the top of Alpe Cermis than on the lower slopes, time to put the layers back on.

The restaurant at the top is called Paion Del Cermis, a beautiful wooden building with a fantastic terrace offering unspoilt views.  The food is typical buffet style, plenty of healthy salad and ‘green stuff’, with the option of pizzas and burgers etc from the menu.  Unfortunately for us the restaurant was about to close.  Matilda went into a meltdown and the staff kindly allowed us to dine, but not wanting to create work for the chef, we opted to eat whatever was left in the buffet trays.

GET A WRIGGLE ON OR GET WALKING

Back outside we stood and admired the magical mountain, the views were astonishing for as far as the eyes could see.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a man stood by the chair-lift frantically waving his arms.  As we approached he told us we had 2 minutes to be on the descending chair-lift or we’d have to walk down….always rushing, always the last, will we ever learn….probably not!  In all honesty, we thought the slopes stayed open until dark, you know, Après-ski and all that, but no, 5pm and a complete shutdown!  A lost photo opportunity on a day when the sky was completely blue and barely a cloud to be seen!

SHOPPING AL SUPERMARCATO

Back on terra firma, and before we returned to Aparthotel Des Alpes, we took the opportunity to visit a local supermercato (supermarket) for essentials, the girls particularly enjoyed the child sized shopping trolleys…and filling them!  We return to Aparthotel des Alpes with a few Italian treats; cheeses, meats, olives (a particular favourite of Daddy’s) and of course, locally produced vino.

Each evening upon our return, we were warmly greeted by Cinzia whom the girls were happy to take short Italian lessons from.  It’s late, and once the girls are asleep, Mummy and Daddy crack open the vino and begin sorting and uploading the many photos taken that day.  Sleep!

ON THE SLOPES (DAY 2)

Breakfast in the self-catering apartment.  Back to the slopes to meet Alessandro for lesson number due (two).  Yaaaaay, we arrive on time…just!  Once again the sun is shining but this time there are a few clouds in the sky…hopefully it’ll snow!  We feel proud as we tell Alessandro how well the girls progressed on their own the day before.  No time wasted, Alessandro takes the girls to the children’s snow-park for them to attempt moguls and slalom through obstacles.  Amazingly, after only one 60 minute lesson with an instructor and a few hours on their own, the girls took to skiing like ducks to water.  No bother at all navigating the course.

Lesson due over.  Alessandro informed us he wasn’t going to be able to take the girls for any more ski lessons as he was heading away to take part in a big competition.  The girls were a bit sad!  Mummy and Daddy knew they were both confident enough to handle the nursery slopes on their own…but were they competent?  We needn’t have worried as they spent the next couple of hours competently going up and down the nursery slope on their own.

Before we left our apartment at Aparthotel des Alpes, we made up sandwiches and packed a few drinks/snacks for the girls to eat al fresco at the slopes of Alpe Cermis.  Once gain, we head up to the top of the mountain to finish off our afternoon.

AS NAKED AS A BABY

Back at Aparthotel des Alpes, a quick change into our swimming gear and it’s off to the swimming pool.  Much to the delight of the girls, there’s a huge jacuzzi and unlike in the UK; children are allowed.  Most European swimming pools demand that you wear a swim hat and Aparthotel des Alpes is no exception.  Thankfully, Daddy has a head like a billiard ball and managed to negotiate not having to wear one!

Beside the ample pool and huge jacuzzi is the Wellness Centre.  Loving a bit of luxury Daddy decides this is the place for him.  Came as a bit of a surprise to Daddy as most of, if not all of, the occupants were buck naked, ah well….when in Rome, or Cavalese as the case may be….more than happy to join in.   I was just a tad worried in case I spilled my tea!  Quite funny.  I was sat having a cup of complimentary peppermint tea and a stout fella drops his towel and plonks his bare bum in a sink filled with ice…..not two minutes later a different fella dips his face in the same ice sink….I couldn’t help but cringe and chortle to myself at the same time.

P-P-P-PICK UP A PIZZA

It had been a long day and our energy levels were low.  Dine in or dine out was put to the vote…and dine in was unanimous, probably another first for us!  Having a pizzeria next door was really handy so we ordered take-away food from Pizzeria des Alpes.  The girls were asleep in no time at all, and once again, as the videos and pictures were uploading to the cloud, Mummy and Daddy cracked open the vino and ate some of the lovely meats and cheeses purchased the day before.  Sleep!

DAY TRIP TO SKI CENTER LATEMAR (DAY 3)

Saturday morning we decided to give skiing a miss in favour of a visit to Ski Center Latemar, a ski resort that is a short 20 minute drive from Aparthotel des Alpes.  Ski Center Latemar is the western most mountain of the Dolomites and can be accessed from any one of the three local villages, Obereggen, Pampeago and Predazzo.  The latter is where we’d be beginning our journey for the day.

READ ALL ABOUT OUR TRIP TO SKI CENTER LATEMAR IN THE DOLOMITES

Our visit to Ski Center Latemar was primarily to ride the thrilling Alpine Coaster Gardonè, and also to have lunch at Rifugio Passo Feudo which is the restaurant right at the very top of Latemar mountain.  At the top of the mountain the (almost) 360° views were breathtaking.  The Alpine Coaster Gardonè is a little over halfway up the Latemar mountainside and what an exciting ride.  Home time, the girls are getting hungry.

TANTALISING TITO SPECK

Wanting to dine where the locals go, we took a recommendation from Cinzia to book a table at Tito il Maso dello Speck.  Tito’s is less than 2 miles from Cavalese and boasts fantastic views of the countryside with the majestic Black Horn Mountain to the rear.  The building itself is just what we expected…very traditional, lots of wood and the surrounding landscape is very picturesque.  Our table was pre-booked so we are shown to our seats, menus are provided and our drink order taken.

The decor is very Tyrolean with lots of wood, colourful cowbells and an array of musical instruments on the walls.  In the corner there’s an open fire and the smell of fragrant (charred) wood fills the air.  Before we left Aparthotel des Alpes, Cinzia recommenced a dish for the girls, something that all Italian children love…späetzle.

Our food arrives and it soon becomes obvious that our girls don’t like the späetzle.  Isn’t it a good job Mummy and Daddy had ordered one of our favourite meals…steak on a sizzling stone.  The food is of exceptional quality, (including the späetzle which Daddy demolished), and it’s easy to see why this is the place that the locals themselves frequent.

MUCH MORE THAN JUST MEAT

Right beside Tito’s Restaurant there is a shop selling a whole arrangement of meats, cheese, preserves and wines to accompany each.  A wonderful shop and the smell is pungent, but in a good way.  It’s a little after 20:30 and the shop is busy…really busy!  This is obviously where the locals go for their own supplies.  Back to Aparthotel des Alpes for an early night ready for more skiing tomorrow.

Speck is a boned pork leg which is cured in salt, and spices, primarily laurel and juniper; then over a period of months is slow-smoked using pine or juniper wood.
Späetzle is a soft egg noodle often cut into tiny little dumplings before cooking in boiling water.  There are many variations of shape, texture and flavour.

ON THE SLOPES (DAY 4)

It’s Sunday and for once, we arrive at Alpe Cermis early and without feeling hurried…this has to be a first for us!  At the reception, as we were collecting our lift passes for the day, we got chatting to Federica, the Resort Manager at Alpe Cermis.  Chat flows freely and Federica informs us that Alpe Cermis rarely sees visitors from the UK, or indeed Ireland.  Hopefully, once people read our blog and see what this amazing place has to offer skiers and snowboarders; that will change.

READ OUR TOP 18 – BUDGET TRAVEL TIPS

Clouds are beginning to form, could this be a snow day?  The nursery slopes are empty and our girls were content going up and down on their own.  Their confidence had grown and neither wanted any assistance with the rolling carpet or the skiing.  With Alessandro away, we booked a lesson solely for Lily-Belle to try a green run.  Massimo, her new instructor, had other ideas.  As they both disappeared into the distance Matilda decided she didn’t want to ski today and so the three of us took the opportunity to relax, grab a drink and take in the views at level 2.

After an hour of skiing Lily-Belle and Massimo returned.  Green run, nope.  Blue run, yes.  Massimo tricked Lily-Belle into thinking she was going down a green run but instead had her doing a controlled weaving descent down a trickier blue run.  Little Miss Callaghan loved it, and never once did she feel scared or fall (that’s what she told us anyway).  We were so thankful to both Alessandro and Massimo for their excellent ski tutoring, especially as both of our girls were first time skiers.  It also really helped that both instructors spoke excellent English.  Ski lesson over.

SLIPPY SLEDDING FUN

Beside the nursery slope is a great run for sleds.  After the first bend the run splits into two, one run for younger children, and one for older children.  With Matilda sat on Mummy’s knee, they braved the run for the older children!  The sled came down really, really slow…Mummy was too scared and had the brake on the whole way down.  Let the Master of Speed (Daddy) have a go.  Let’s just say I didn’t hold back and poor Matilda screamed the whole way down.  Exhilarating and loads of fun.  We have definitely worked up an appetite!

It’s such a beautiful day so outdoor dining seems to be on the cards.  Music fills the air and high in the sky a couple of paraglider’s soar effortlessly, following the ski trails as they descend down the mountain.  The food choice is excellent, pasta for the girls and a huge pork joint for Daddy.  No snow today!

SO THIS IS APRÉS SKI

At the top of Alpe Cermis the music is playing and there’s a real party atmosphere.  Skiers are dancing to The Ketchup Song (otherwise known as Aserejé) and there’s plenty of beer and wine being consumed.  A fire pit burns and it’s a chance to warm our hands.

The girls spot swings and make their way over to them.  The snow is much deeper at the top of Alpe Cermis and Matilda is swallowed whole.  Mummy and Daddy order a drink and relax on the sunloungers as the girls play.  Aside from the music and revellers dancing, it’s such a peaceful spot to take in the panoramic views of the Dolomite mountain range.  For a change, we opt to leave the slopes a little earlier than usual in order to explore the town of Cavalese.

IT’S NEVER TOO COLD TO EAT ICE CREAM

During the summer months in Italy, The Callaghan Posse consume lots of ice cream, so why should winter be any different?  A few days earlier Cinzia had mentioned Gelateria Tre Valli just on the outskirts of town, so this was our first port of call.  This establishment is owned and ran by Franco Simonazzi, and what a fantastic character he is.  The decor may be a tad old fashioned but Franco and his staff are extremely welcoming.  Easter Eggs are displayed in full colourful glory.  Once seated we are approached by Lara, our waitress for the day.  Lara’s English is excellent but she explains to us that Franco, the owner and her Uncle, doesn’t speak any English at all.  This doesn’t prevent Franco from attempting to communicate with us with lots of hand and face gestures.  Thankfully Google Translate comes in handy once again.

From a glance around the room it would appear that the Chocolate Gourmet Fondente is popular and this chocolate feast has Mummy and Daddy’s full attention.  After a short while Lara returns with our order.  A platter of chocolate fondants await; pistachio, amaretto, hazelnut and nougat plus a selection of delightful pastries to dip into the gooey chocolate delights.  It isn’t long before we all began to feel sick.  Our eyes are bigger than our bellies!

FLAMING HECK…WHAT IN THE BLAZES?

All of a sudden the lights go out and Franco appears with a pan of fire!  The flames shoot upwards as he proceeds to fill small cups with this flaming drink.  As Franco didn’t speak English, and we didn’t speak Italian, we had to rely on Lara to explain what was going on.  The drink is called Parampampoli.  It’s a blend of coffee, grappa, wine and caramelized sugar and is really tasty.  Served hot and flambé, Parampampoli instantly warms the soul.

Lara informs us this drink is always best served with friends, and we think Franco has just become our new best friend, what a joyous and lovely man.  It takes us over an hour to leave Franco’s as he insists on taking photos with us and pouring us lots of different drinks, all completely gratis, he refused point blank to accept our money (we did pay for all of the food, just not the extra ‘addio’ drinks).  Franco even gives our girls little Easter Eggs to take away with them.  Before leaving there were lots of hugs and we also connected with Franco and Lara on Facebook.  We’ve only just left and yet we can’t wait to return.

The evening is drawing in so a quick stroll through the town to take a few snaps.  Most of the shops are closed but  we stumble across a gift shop and our girls are eager to spend their holiday money.  A few souvenirs purchased, and gifts for Nana and Granda, and then it’s back to Aparthotel des Alpes for our evening meal.  As if we could eat anymore after all that chocolate at Franco’s!

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DAY TRIP TO OBEREGGEN (DAY 5)

Obereggen has been on our radar for some time, it almost pipped Alpe Cermis as our destination when we came to booking this ski trip.  It came as a real shock to us to be in Italy and hear everyone speaking German!  Obereggen belongs to the municipality of Deutschnofen.

READ OUR REVIEW OF OBEREGGEN IN THE VAL D’EGA

At the very top of Obereggen is Oberholz Restaurant and Bar, the very reason for our visit today.  For unobstructed views of the UNESCO World Nature Heritage Site of the Dolomites, Oberholz is the perfect place to be.  Three over-sized viewing windows allow you to take in the natural scenery as you dine.

Oberholz was a culinary delight but the girls had other things on their minds…tobogganing (that’s sledding to you and I).  Tobogganing was so much fun and one go just wasn’t enough.  Although it was quite late in the day, we still managed to squeeze in three fast runs.  It’s an absolute blast and definitely one of our holiday highlights.

ON THE SLOPES (DAY 6)

Knowing the girls felt comfortable skiing on their own, we decided against a ski instructor for our final day at Alpe Cermis.  Lily-Belle and Matilda happily rode the rolling carpet to the top of the nursery slope then effortlessly skied down.  Sat at the bottom of the slope, Mummy and Daddy were happy watching, photographing and, every now and then, shouting Pizza, Pizza, Pizza in an attempt to slow our over enthusiastic 3 year old…she was completely fearless.  Nutter!  Before the girls finished skiing for the day we took one last video of them maneuvering through the obstacles.  We felt so proud, from non-skiers to skiers after just two short lessons, and all thanks to the excellent tuition available from Scuola Italiana Sci at Alpe Cermis.

AS SARAH BRIGHTMAN ONCE SANG…TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

Our time at Alpe Cermis had come to an end and it was time to say goodbye.  The week had flown by and the last day came around far too soon for our liking, 6 days just wasn’t long enough.  Goodbye, Addio, Auf wiedersehen…until the next time.

WOULD WE GO BACK

This is by far the easiest yes we have ever said.  As a family we absolutely amore Italy and from the moment we arrived in Cavalese, we knew it was a special place.  Beautiful town, magnificent mountains, perfect skiing at Alpe Cermis and the loveliest locals you could ever meet.  Our visit was in the Winter but we have absolutely no doubt that this region would be just as spectacular in Spring, Summer and Autumn.  As a family we are really looking forward to returning to Alpe Cermis in the future.  Hopefully the next time we’ll feel cotton soft snowflakes kissing our rosy cheeks.

With a very special thank you to:

• Federica Bailoni – for your very warm welcome at Alpe Cermis and for your excellent hosting
• Alessandro Manfrin and Massimo Zeni- for putting our girls at ease and for your excellent ski tuition
• Clød ‘Claudio’ Møschen – for making us smile, for kitting out girls each day and for your friendship
• Cinzia Pistoia – for your warmth, friendliness, local recommendations and hospitality

• Franco and Lara Simonazzi – for newly formed friendships, ice cream and for introducing us to Parampampoli

A heartfelt thank you for making our visit both special and memorable!  We look forward to seeing you all again in the not so distant future.

LILY-BELLE (age 9) SAYS 
I really enjoyed Alpe Cermis and skiing.  I think the instructors are brilliant, and they spoke very good English. This was my first time on real snow and I was a bit scared of the bumps (moguls) at first.  I loved the sledding at Obereggen, but I thought I was going to fall off a cliff and die!  The alpine coaster was really cool.
Daddy:  Die? Slight exaggeration as there wasn’t even a mountain side anywhere near us, just a beautiful fast twisty run all the way down to the bottom.

MATILDA (age 3) SAYS
I really loved skiing so fast and doing it all by myself and I liked going up the carpet to the top of the hill.  I didn’t like Mummy wetting my bum in the toilets, she’s so mean!  Mummy, why did you even do that? (shouting at Mummy).  Can we go back and get another ice cream at the Fanjo’s shop?  Yuuuuuuuummy!
Daddy:  For those of you who are in doubt, Fanjo’s is in fact Franco’s Gelateria.

Travel Itinerary and Costs

Travel Dates:  21st – 27th March 2018
Flights (2 A + 2 C):  Ryanair – Belfast to Milan Bergamo – £152.00 (plus £30.00 for 1 x 20kg checked bag)
Car Hire:  Firefly – €59.22 for 7 days (plus €350.00 refundable security deposit)
Accommodation:  Aparthotel des Alpes – €668.29 (plus €150.00 refundable security deposit)
Scuola Italiana Sci:  Private lessons €40.00 (1st child) + €15.00 (2nd child) – lesson duration 1 hour
Pedestrian Lift Pass (Alpe Cermis summit):  €16.00 (adults) and €10.50 (children)
Rolling Carpet Ski Pass (Lily-Belle and Matilda):  €5.00 each

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