We were here!!
|
Craig Writes;
1st January 2014
It's 6.30am and Nora, Anastas
and Ana are back from their holiday in Dubai. They have great tales to tell of
a city of towering architectural wonders, lavishly chromed Italian sports cars
and of Anastas being held captive for five hours by customs officials .They
thought him a potential spy for trying to bring his camera mounted Gyrocopter
into the country. Not as bad as it sounds but it makes a nice little story.
Over zealous customs officials
aside, Dubai sounds a very interesting place and another to add to our list.
They're naturally a bit tired
having flown through the night but they stay up to enjoy a delicious Christina
breakfast of baked eggs with smoked salmon, sour cream and chopped chives. This was followed by my favourite cake of all
time, a chocolate, cherry and walnut masterpiece. After breakfast Anastas decides
to take the offending Gyrocopter for a spin and show us what all the fuss was
about.
It looks very 'James Bond' |
It is a very impressive little
toy with the potential to take some amazing footage. I guess I can see why in
such a paranoid world some authorities may question a 'toy' with the capacity
to fly to 2000 metres, be GPS guided and have the ability to have all sorts of
little 'goodies' attached to it.
2nd January 2014
Today we headed off to Bad
Kleinkircheim in the southern Carinthia region of Austria. Our destination was The Kirchheimerhof Hotel,
or for the mono lingual among us, The Harmony. It was a very pleasant four hour
drive through the long tunnels and snowy valleys of the Alpine Alps.
It wasn't that Bad |
A stunning drive of sepia tones |
One view from our balcony |
The other view |
It has over 2000 sq metres of pools, steam rooms,
saunas and relaxation rooms to cater for the guests. Ideal for those arriving
back chilled to the bone from their hours hitting the icy slopes.
When your not busting your
groove on the mountain you can be sweating your arse off in the Turkish Harman
or rubbing an exotic salt scrub into your body in the steam sauna. Perhaps you
make like to bake yourself like a potato in the dry sauna then go run around in
the snow.
There is a whole section that is strictly
adults only. Children and clothing are
banned. The adults only relaxation area upstairs is
the official quiet zone, R and R only. No one talks. It is lie down, take in
the amazing view, read or nap.
We met Noras mum, Marieta and
her husband Oggi today. Apparently Oggi worked
for Marieta as her bodyguard. She was being stalked by a psychotic fan while on
a world wide singing tour and it was his job to protect her. He saved her from
mortal danger during a dress rehearsal in Vegas, she was grateful, they got
close and.....Hang on, I might be getting that bit mixed up. But he actually
was her bodyguard.
3rd January 2014
The others have arrived from
Vienna. The ski equipment is hired, the lessons are booked and off we go. At
first it was going to be the boys in one class and us in another but as good
fortune would have it, our ski instructor, Margoose, bundled us together with a
young Brazilian girl. It was as good as a private lesson but at half the price.
There was plenty of falling
over, plenty of laughs and, surprisingly, plenty of progress.
We spent the first lesson
learning the most important part of skiing, how to stop. By the end of the two
and a half hour lesson we could snow plough with the best of them and make slow
gradual turns to the left and the right.
Margoose was very proud.
4th January 2014
We decided on a second ski
lesson, which in retrospect was a good idea. It would seem that stopping and
turning are just the start of things and the moment you get a bit of speed up
things can change dramatically. Margoose was the perfect teacher. A hard task
master who made you work for your praise.
To complete the experience, finally, we got snowed on. Not tens of centimetres but enough for a
light dusting of fluffy white powder.
We worked hard for our lesson
and by the end we had all mastered the slopes of Kiddieland. We could take the
gradual decline at reasonable speed and although not as technically proficient
as Margoose would like, we could all turn and stop.
Thats Margoose in the green pants |
We felt we were ready to move
onto bigger and faster things. We said goodbye to Margoose and told him we
would be fine from here. He didn't seem convinced but wished us good luck
anyway. By the end of the lesson the snow had given way to a constant slow
drizzle and people were slowing starting to drift off the mountain. But not us.
Not yet.
At least not until we had
given our new found confidence a bit of a thrashing on the adjacent Red slope.
Unfortunately they don't have
the more gentle Green runs here, but hey, you have to work with what you've
got. Besides it didn't look that bad
from down the bottom.
After a break for hot
chocolates and hot dogs we grabbed our skis and headed for the lifts. The ride up
was fun but the view was a lot different from the top. We stood there for several minutes watching
the dads with their four year old kids dismount from the lift and in one fluid
motion glide to the top of the slope, deposit ski poles neatly under their arms
and head off like mini ninjas down the mountain.
With gritted teeth and white
knuckled grips Callum, Christina and I edged forward, peered down the slope to
the tiny people at the bottom and adopt the full maximum snow plough position.
Inch by inch we started to slip across the face of the mountain and all was
well, until we had to turn. The speed you pick up in just that one little
motion is instantaneous and utterly surprising. By the time your back in your
full plough position your at the other side and having to turn again. Your now
going much faster. Your hard won technique has vanished and your confidence is
suddenly falling quicker than the drizzly rain around you.
By the next turn your
basically out of control and looking for somewhere to crash where you cant be
used as a ski jump by the guy behind you.
The next turn is more an
upright fall. It is your last, you know
it and the guy who just flew past you shaking his head knows it. As Margoose would say, it is now time to
"make small' and take the fall. Which basically means crouch low and throw
yourself into a face plant. Not elegant
but the best way of minimizing any breakages.
Callum and I did eventually
manage to make it down to the bottom and
defying all reason decided to go back and have a second go. Then a third and a fourth and a fifth. Actually managing to stay upright for the
entire journey on a couple of occasions. Callum more so than me.
Christina made a valiant
effort but fell at the 20 metre mark where she made a judgment call to walk the
little way back to the top and call it quits. Charlie, the star on the smaller
slopes, was weary and would save his energy for another day.
Unfortunately the rain would
continue and most of the snow we had was washed away. There is a forecast for
30cm of snow tomorrow. Lets see.
5th January 2014
The day was a complete wash
out, literally. The rain had washed most
of the snow away and today was a drizzly affair which was best dealt with by
retreating to the spa area. The kids hit the swimming pool. Miraculously the
snow began to fall while we were in the spa. Iv'e heard about those hardy Europeans
who bake themselves in a sauna then go throw themselves in the snow. It sounded
like a great idea and what a delicious experience it was.
It was now 4pm and the day had
all but ebbed away. We all looked
skyward for the first sign of Gods dandruff and just like that, down it came.
Big fat white flakes showered down, thick and fast, exactly what was required
for a perfect days skiing. We just
needed about ten hours of it. Unfortunately, just as we sat enjoying the last
of our delicious dinner discussing what a magnificent fall it was and what a
tremendous days skiing we would all have tomorrow, it stopped. And it didn't come back.
Try as we did we just couldn't convince that snow to keep falling |
The good news was there was
plenty of fresh powder for our planned after dinner snowball fight. Although
hopelessly outnumbered it would be fair to say that Bulgaria was just outgunned
by a determined and decidedly sneaker Aussie contingent.
Charlie about to cop a sneaky one from Callum |
Pummelled, pounded and frozen. Great fun. |
To finish the night, and to
our absolute delight, Anastas, a proud Bulgarian man who has embraced the
traditional Bulgarian art of playing the Gaida,treated Callum and I to a late
night rendition of some traditional Bulgarian music. It was a real treat. The Gaida is an ancient Balkan bagpipe made
from either sheep or goat skin and takes considerable skill to master.
6th January 2014
This morning we looked out our
window hoping to see a fresh blanket of white powder but instead saw only the
trampled remains of our battle from the night before.
Yes, we did that |
We had plans to stay an extra
night if the snow had arrived but sadly, it had not. We had a chat over breakfast with Nora and
Anastas and a peek at the snow cams further up on the mountain. It didn't look great but it looked better
than in the valley where we were. The
decision was made. We would go up the
mountain for one last attempt to put our ski lessons to their test.
YIPPEE!!!
The sun was shining, there was
snow on the ground, not a lot but enough, and the slope was beginner friendly.
Our dear friends, who could have single skied it backwards, declined to go to
the more challenging slope next door and stayed to baby us. It made it so much
more enjoyable having them there.
Happy Campers |
While not masters of the
slopes - more like indentured slaves- The CVW'S would have loved to have spent
longer perfecting those whipping turns and aerial moves but alas our time here
was drawing to a close. But, to paraphrase that other famous Austrian,
'we'll be back'.
We had a short time to bask in
the afterglow of our skiing triumph and chose to sit in some canvas loungers
watching the throng of pre schoolers attack the slopes while we sipped hot
Ameratto topped with whipped cream and dusted with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Austrian tradition demanded that we follow this up with a large hot chocolate
liberally laced with dark rum, and more whipped cream.
Anastas,'I'll have two more: Christina, 'I love em, get me three' |
With our cheeks reddened by
the sun and the warm rum rushing through our veins, we reluctantly packed our
gear and headed back to The Harmony Lodge for a quick lunch before the four
hour white knuckle night drive back to Vienna.
Lunch at the Inn |
Finally back home in Vienna we
settled in for a simple dinner of red wine, cheese and fresh bread to dip into
a delicious garlic chilli balsamic dip created by Anastas. Then it was a couple
of puffs on Nora's Shisha. What's a Shisha you ask. It's a traditional Bulgarian smoking pipe that looks like it belongs on the set of
1001 Arabian Nights or a Cheech and Chong movie. It starts with a mixture of a
tobacco and fruit jelly that sits over a small bed of hot charcoal in a small
alfoil wrapped bowl.
The smoke is drawn
in through a long hose over a small amount of water that bubbles like a bong
when you do it right. Unlike a bong, you don't inhale. You hold the fruity
smoke in your mouth for a moment then blow it out. It's not an unpleasant taste
but I managed to drawback on two of my three attempts and that is not pleasant.
Can't say it swayed me but Nora
and Anastas love it. Thankfully the smoke is not pungent or offensive and
seemed to dissipate into the air easily without the need for an open window.
Just another of those unexpected experiences that travel can throw at you.
7th January 2014
Our last day in Vienna and
besides a trip out to our favourite kebab kiosk for lunch it was a catch up day
around the house.
We packed, journalled and generally chilled out. Christina and Nora went out for a last ditch go at the New Year Sales later in the afternoon and then the whole lot of us took off to Prater to a favoured Mexican restaurant renown for it's ribs. Huge serves - always a good start- with a tasty garlic marinade. A tad overcooked but delicious.
Five times. Says it all. |
We packed, journalled and generally chilled out. Christina and Nora went out for a last ditch go at the New Year Sales later in the afternoon and then the whole lot of us took off to Prater to a favoured Mexican restaurant renown for it's ribs. Huge serves - always a good start- with a tasty garlic marinade. A tad overcooked but delicious.
After dinner the girls took
the kids of into Vienna for icecream while Anastas took me to the Admiral
Casino where some of his work as a 3D artist for the gaming machines was on
display. He produces those small screen eye catching videos that lure you in to
sit in front of the slot machines and empty your wallet. And judging by the number of people doing
exactly that on a late chilly Tuesday night, he's very good at what he does.
Well, just like that our time
in this most beautiful city has come to an end. Tomorrow morning we are on a
10am flight to Oslo and on our way to see one of the worlds great natural
wonders, The Aurora Borealis. Nora,
Anastas and Ana will be following us in a days time.