Postcard from Sauze d'Oulx
Hi Poppy hope you are being spoiled at Aunty Jully’s. We got to Italy on Friday night and just stayed at an Airport hotel. Next day we drove to the outlets so Mum could go shopping. She bought a lot. For once I got some things. After we headed for the hills picking up supplies at Susa before going up the big hill to our apartment. The view from the apartment was fantastic. We even had entertainment courtesy of the red squirrels.
Next day we got up not so bright and early to hit the slopes. Mum got a chance to wear her new bright orange ski pants. Almost the same colour as your raincoat.
The skiing was good and the views fantastic.
We decided to go to play about the top for bit and just take it all in.
That’s when fate had a hand in our day. “Let’s go to Sansicario” Sounded like a good idea. What’s not to like, good snow, trees and nice views.
Well just when we were checking our maps disaster. The Carabinieri. One of them came up to us and didn’t look happy. He asked us our names, where we were staying, he took pictures of our ski passes and then told us to get off the mountain. Why? I asked. He said “You gotto wear crash helmets….Its the law.” Since when? This year. Thankfully he told us to ski back to Sauze, it would have been a long walk. So we bopped our way back to Sauze, probably for the best because when we were on the home straight the snow was rubbish.
We walked to ristorante Etoile Des Neiges for dinner. It was miles away but the little village it was in was magical. Food was ok too. Walk back up the hill was a killer.
Next day, with helmets, we set off for a place called Sestriere. Sun was up and the slopes were quieter being a Monday.
Could we find a way to ski there, every run that took you there was closed.
Eventually at the place we were nicked yesterday a ski lift person told us we had to take the gondola. Fair enough gondola it is then. The gondola dropped us off at the first lift of many in Sestriere. Up we went and made our way to the far end of the resort.
For lunch we stopped at Rigugio Alpette for some food and a wee spritz.
It was a really nice spot and an easy ski back to the bubble only one more chair to get us there.
That night it was all go again. Mum had booked us in at Ciao Pais. We had to walk up hill for half an hour to catch a ski doo that would take us up the hill to the restaurant. Guess what, crash helmets manditory. Food was really nice and I suppose it was worth the walk.
Last day and the weather turned. Zero visibility. We decided to go sightseeing. First up was the village of Oulx. It was a nice enough wee village, full of black people, and I mean full. Mum picked up some xmas deccys.
We climbed the hill to investigate the tower and church at the top. Very sleepy in the old part of town.
Next up we decided to drive to Sestriere in case the weather was better there. When we got there it looked ok so we changed into our ski gear. No sooner than the last clip of the ski boots were fastened the weather changed.
Oh well plod about the village then. Not much to write home about apart from a wee place called Pizzaria MOMO, cheap and delicious. Typical on my last slice of pizza a bit of greasy cheese fell off right onto my brand-new ski pants. Bellies full we headed back to base. Before we got there we stopped off at part of town where we ate on the second night.
It was nice spending a bit more time here. You would like it too as there were woodland walks for you to be had. Every corner gave more surprises, next time I think it would be good to stay here. There is even a chair lift close by.
Any hoo, eating local tonight, purple gnocci, yum. Early rise tomorrow got to drive through Turin and over to Milan, bizarrely we have to drop the car off right next door to the hotel we stayed at on the first night. Will see you soon tink.