Val Gardena/Florence 2006
Trip Recap
On a bright but blustery Friday afternoon, the Harford Ski Club's Val Gardena group set off for Italy. With 39 participants, we represented the largest contingent among the seven Mid-Atlantic ski clubs participating in this year's Blue Ridge Ski Council Eurofest. Unfortunately the weather across the Atlantic wasn't quite so favorable, as we discovered when our bus arrived at Philadelphia Airport and we learned that our Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt had been canceled due to a large snowstorm in Germany. Fortunately we had held the bus, so after a bit of deliberation with the airline reps we reloaded all the luggage on the bus and headed off to Newark, NJ where we had been rebooked on another flight to Frankfurt departing later that evening. Our driver Steve aka “Cool Cat” made good time and we arrived with time to spare and indulge in a final feast of American burgers, fries and onion rings before setting off for Europe. The snow had just subsided when we arrived into Frankfurt, but the airport was a chaotic scene with displaced passengers and luggage from over 500 canceled flights. We did make it onto an afternoon flight to Milan, our intended final destination, but unfortunately not all of our luggage did and 7 members of the group were left baggage-less for much of the week in Val Gardena. Despite being greatly inconvenienced by this, Bob and Candy Bossoli and Bill and Wendy Harrison were at least sporting stylish new Italian wardrobes on the trip. We all finally rolled into the village of Selva Gardena around 8pm on Saturday night and settled in at our hotel, the Residence Antares. The hotel, offering apartment-style accommodations, was centrally located in town and was shared by the Columbia Ski Club group which made us “Party Central” for all the BRSC gatherings during the week! The food there was top-notch so nobody needed to use the included in-room kitchenettes for much other than chilling beverages.
The following morning (Sunday) everyone awoke rested for their first ski day and headed out into a steadily-falling snow. Although the village was quite bucolic in the snow, visibility up on the mountains was extremely limited. Fearless Assistant Leader Eric Fiore led a hardy group up the Ciampinoi Peak above town and then down the “Saslong” World-Cup Downhill Run and past the stylish old Gardena Fischburg Castle. Around midday, the snow suddenly stopped falling following 8-10 inches of fresh powder and the skies cleared to reveal a wondrous panorama across the ruddy spires of the jagged Dolomiti Peaks. Excellent skiing conditions were to be enjoyed throughout the remainder of the week, with plenty of snow beneath deep blue Alpine skies and a warm Italian sun. That evening the BRSC held a group Happy Hour at our hotel, and we got to mingle with the other 200 or so fellow BRSC skiers in town for Eurofest. Following dinner, dancing-machine Jim Haney led a large group over to the adjacent Sissy's Bar where Robert Martello took over DJ duties, the “Haniac” was danced to the traditional favorites “Monie Monie” and Barry White, Billy Naunton took on some Italians, and Lois West was the life of the party.
On Monday, another great ski day beckoned and it was back on the slopes again for most. One group, dubbed the “Magnificent Seven” which included Gary and Karen Doggett and Sandy Luckert, took on the famed 16-mile loop around the Sella massif known as the “Sella Ronda” and completed it in record time. Others skied other areas of the valley while Donna Nemec and Cindy Fusco hit the stores in the bigger, nearby village of Ortisei. That evening Ron Cote hosted a large group happy hour in his quad room at the hotel. A large spread of tasty local appetizers including mortadella, olives, crackers, breads and local cheeses was washed down with cheap and plentiful local wine by the assembled crowd, which included most of the HSC and some invited members of the Columbia Ski Club. That Tuesday was the first of the BRSC side trips, and Michelle Horton and Diane Pazourek (who celebrated a birthday on the trip) were among those who enjoyed a bus trip to the nearby mountain towns of Bressanone and Bolzano, where they got to meet the famous, 5000 year-old “Otzi the Ice Man” at the Alpini Museum there. Others including Jim Agosti and Dana Cavallaro skied the wide, sweeping Alpe di Siusi valley above Ortisei. Many of the group met that evening for happy hour at the esteemed Yetti's Umbrella Bar at the Hotel Wolkenstein in St. Christina. Although the actual, outdoor “Umbrella Bar” was too crowded and smoky for most, we took over the indoor bar and discussed the day's activities over pints of cheer around the fireplace. Also about this time in the week, Tracey Palese, Lisa Logsdon and others discovered the “Fire Pit Bar” off a ski trail in Selva, which became a regular (if not daily) après-ski venue for many.
On Wednesday, 11 of our group including Sharon Harris and Deb Rice joined the BRSC bus trip to Venice along with appx. 40 other BRSC members. The long day there included a guided tour about the historic city, private water taxis up and down the Grand Canal, and a bit of free time to shop the Rialto Bridge, find a cozy lunch trattoria, or count the pigeons in Piazza San Marco. Also that day about 10 different people took a “Mambo” minibus to visit Robert Martello's Italian relatives a couple of hours away in Madonna diCampiglio. Rumor has it that the food and drink flowed liberally throughout the day, as the group was feted with the best of Italian hospitality. Back in Val Gardena, Steve Andrews and Rick Horne set off on a daylong ski adventure following the “First World War Ski Tour”, a circuit of ski lifts, ski runs and buses which encompassed over 50 miles and included the famed Hidden Valley/Grand Canyon ski run near Cortina. That evening was rather quiet as most everybody had had a long day wherever they spent it. On Thursday there were no side trips scheduled, so most everyone spent the day on the slopes or shopping the streets of Val Gardena. This was the warmest day of the trip; an excellent sunny day for al fresco dining at one of the myriad slopeside rifugio huts scattered across the mountains. That night was the BRSC Dance Party, held in the basement function room of the Hotel Antares. The well-attended event featured a 2-piece band playing American and local favorites along with plenty of drinking and dancing. Afterwards Jim Haney led the assembled multi-ski club crowd along with some new Icelandic friends back over to Sissy's for one final blowout night, where Charlie Robinson sported his new Val Gardena hat.
On Friday the long-forecast snow finally returned, and it snowed on and off throughout the day in Val Gardena. The die-hards went out and hit the slopes again one final day. Unfortunately, Sandy Luckert and Gary Doggett were sporting matching arm slings by days-end due to on-slope mishaps. We wish them a speedy and successful recovery! However it was sunny and warmer in Verona, where 22 HSCers journeyed on the third and final BRSC sidetrip. Following a guided tour of the beautiful Renaissance city's highlights upon arrival, there was plenty of free time for long Veronese lunches (Ron Cote was the only one sampling the local horsemeat tartar specialty), wandering along the Adige River, clambering across the ancient Castelvecchio Bridge or taking in the view from atop the huge Roman Amphitheater (still in use for plays & concerts). That night following dinner a large group including Billy and Stephanie Naunton and Bill Shewchuk headed next door to the Goalie's Pub to reminisce about the week in Val Gardena and get psyched up for the upcoming three days in Florence.
And so on Saturday it was off to Florence; an early wake-up call and a short bus ride brought us to Bolzano were where we caught a Eurostar Train and rode in style down through the scenic Adige Valley and Tuscan countryside and on into Florence 4 hours later. We had to get creative in packing the 2 first-class cars with our mass of luggage, but thanks to everyone's efforts it was (somewhat) safely stowed away. Billy and Stephanie Naunton broke out the wine and champagne along with an Italian spread for the ride. Michelle Horton, Deb Rice, Tracey Palese and Bart Pierce were among those camped out in the café car for much of the ride. Once in Florence we were met by our long-lost comrade Dan Snoha who missed much of the trip due to illness and the death of his mother but ended up traveling solo to Florence to join us. We all checked into the decent 3-star Hotel Golf near the train station and then fanned out to explore the renowned Renaissance city on the River Arno for the remainder of the afternoon. Some, including Diane Pazourek and Sharon Harris, immediately headed toward the museums to view a sampling of the treasure trove of Renaissance artwork contained within including the most famous piece, Michelangelo's “David” at the Galleria Accademia. Another popular museum stop was the Galleria Uffizi, home of the world's greatest collection of Renaissance paintings, where Mike Zullo, Sharon Roche, and Dana Cavallaro could often be spotted at the front of the line. Wherever she went, Terry Caswell could easily be spotted in her bright lime-green ski jacket. Speaking of jackets, we duly saluted an elderly Italian gentleman stylishly bedecked in an ORIOLES jacket outside the train station one day! And leather jackets were a popular shopping prize as well, with Bill Martin stocking up on several and Donna Kronner sporting a particularly snazzy one following forays to the outdoor market shops surrounding the Central Market.
Our three days in Florence were spent at a slightly more relaxed pace than we had experienced in Val Gardena, but everyone found lots to do there. John and Catherine Kane met up with some Italian friends for the stay in Florence and were constantly running about the city while revisiting some of their old Florentine haunts. Bart Pierce made it a personal quest to hit each and every Irish Pub in town. Pete Miceli, Eric Fiore, Lisa Logsdon and Richard Harrison took a train over to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower and reported that it is indeed still there and still leaning. Another group headed south to the ancient, hilltop walled city of Siena. There they enjoyed a hearty Tuscan lunch at a trattoria recommended by one of Bart Pierce's friends that even Mike Zullo would have approved of. Speaking of fine dining, Robert Martello organized a dinner for a large group on Sunday night at another recommended venue. Rumor has it that the wine and limoncello were flowing freely, and that afterwards everyone hit a late-night club where Rick Horne tried eating spaghetti with his hands and Jim Haney was recruited by the band to play tambourine on stage. Other highlights of the stay besides the museums, the shopping and the restaurants included touring the cathedrals, wandering along the Arno River, visiting the extensive Boboli Gardens, and admiring the postcard view of Florence from atop the Piazzale Michelangelo.
On Tuesday, March 14th it was at last time to head back home to the States. An early bus pickup from our hotel was followed by a short ride to Pisa Airport, where our return flight departed from. There we were delayed an hour while the airplane crew forcibly removed a very suspicious woman (aka the “Unabomber”) from our plane just prior to takeoff. Fortunately they held our connecting flight in Frankfurt for us and we all arrived back in the USA later that afternoon, a bit tired but flush with all the enjoyment and excitement of the previous ten days. Thanks to all for helping make this a great trip!!!
Respectfully submitted,
Steve Andrews/Trip Leader
