A bit of bad news

So, last day on the slopes. The keenies has arranged to breakfast at 7.30 in order to get the mythical first lift up. As Ian’s alarm went off he picked up his phone to find another text from TUI

How gutting. Now we had no skiing for the last day. Kathy did some research and found a bit more bad news 

So, no skiing and a fourteen day self isolation when we get back. Suffice to say Ian was NOT happy. He ranted and raved a lot, but there was nothing to be done but plan for a fortnight at home with all my lovely family. 😀😀😀

Plus, after much discussion with his flat mate who works for the NHS, Alex is to come up to Rotherham too. Ian rearranged all his meetings and gave Keith the bad news. Kathy informed HR at her firm, who just said they would rearrange her first aid training for when she got back. Vicky dare not contact her firm for fear of ‘the worriers” who are up for crucifying anyone who has returned from abroad recently. Chris turned to his dad and said he would have to self isolate. I e-mailed Rowlands, the chain I should be working for, but have heard nothing. 

Logistics may be a problem, but we have decided to fetch the Corsa from Devizes and split into two parties for the trek up North. Vicky has the key so does not need to infect Adam or the Antique shop people. We feel stopping at a drive through is permissible, as long as we wear gloves. I have ordered a Tesco delivery, informing them I am in self isolation and could they leave it in the courtyard. Presumably they will be wearing full hazmat outfits. Kathy is to use the computer in the Music room, so will have her own office. The other five are on the dining room table. Apparently Alex only needs to twitch his mouse now and again. I will be making tea, in between pressure Washing the yard and watching sky box sets. 

So we breakfasted. Then rested. Then had a walk around the town. Then rested. 

Say “lockdown”

Then lunched at a lovely pizzeria, where, in keeping with governments orders, we were seated one metre apart, much to Ian’s disgust. 

Where’s Alex?

Where’s Alex you are probably asking. Well, he decided he couldn’t waste the mountains, so after purchasing some shiny new orange running shoes, he proceeded to run up one. 

After this we had all (except Chris who had no trunks) decided on a swim in the hotel pool. On a ski trip the hotel pool is usually a dank dark little thing in the bowels of the earth. The hotel Alpen Vidi has no ordinary pool! It has an amazing, brand new, free to hotel guests, super spa. The tiny pool has a resistance jet thingy so you can swim without moving, and a wall of bubbly jets. Then there is a Turkish bath, a sauna, and one of those showers that sprays aromatherapy smells. You can hydrate with water or apple tea afterwards, while relaxing in the swinging chairs. Wow!! 

So it was that mellow and relaxed (except Chris) we, and the other Crystal guests met Jess in the bar. It was all arranged she told us. TUI were sending out three aircraft to rescue us. Two Dreamliners and a smaller one. Everyone would be flown to Gatwick, Manchester, or Newcastle, and thence on to the airport of departure. We were going home! We were to look out for a text telling us our time of departure. She then scooped up all our lift passes to arrange the refund. We were also to be refunded four days of our holiday, plus any ski hire. Chris set about ordering some new skis. 

After our final dinner we reconvened in the bar for the evening Yahtzee. Maurissimo even named a cocktail after Alex

Alex drinking an Alex 

Just after we started everyone’s phone started buzzing. 

It was really happening! It would probably take us till midnight but some time on weds we would be ‘safe’ in Rotherham. 

A downhill slide

Monday morning was a bit duller than Sunday. Snow was forecast and the tops of the mountains were shrouded in cloud. Never mind. The rest of the week was forecast to be bright and sunny. The keen skiers were up at 8am again, Vicky and I lazed till 9 then mozied on down for breakfast. The keenies has gone off to try a new lift with the idea that Vicky could join them if it was OK. It obviously wasn’t as the text came through to meet at the bottom of Pradalago the same as yesterday. So we went. And waited. And waited. After half an hour in the Alpine cold the bright orange sheen of Alex’s new ski jacket appeared round the bend. Apparently they had got very lost. I waved them off and set off on a walk to the end of the town, again. It was the same as yesterday. I decided against lunch and returned to my room where a text from Ian came through. 

Oh no! The skiers, to a man, were horrified. They all said out has been the best skiing ever. With slops so quiet by hat even Kathy was happy. They had a great day though, and there was still tomorrow. 

Some cloudy ski photos 

A little concerned, we all waited for Jess, the poor old rep, in the bar. It was a consolation to me that there were about a dozen other people from our hotel waiting. All in it together. We all pounced on Jess as she arrived. She promised they were working as hard as possible to get us home weds. She said she had just moved 400 people from pasa Tonale, in Lombardy, to Madonna so they could finish their holiday, and now they had to go home anyway. She told us to go out and enjoy the skiing tomorrow, try not to worry. She also has to go home, and has lost her job, plus she says she usually does the summer season. The resort usually continues with skiing for another month, and the hotel now has to close tomorrow. People are a lot worse off than we are. 

We ate dinner, it was quite jovial in the dining room, then did another round of Yahtzee. Just as we were heading off to bed several phones buzzed at once. BBC news. The whole of Italy had been placed in lockdown. Including us. 

Lockdown

As I awoke on Sunday morning the first thing I saw was the BBC News app exclaiming that the whole of northern Italy would be going into lockdown. Cue mass panic. On looking more closely it appeared that our region was one of the few in northern Italy that would miss out, but I was still quite worried. We had agreed that Vicky and I would have a late breakfast around 9 am while the rest will be breakfasting at eight in order to catch the first lift up the mountain. I quickly contacted Vicky and we arranged to eat at 8:30 so that we could meet Jess, the rep and find out what the hell was going on. 

Breakfast over, we headed down to the lounge where we found another British family who has also travelled with Crystal and also wanted to see Jess. Unfortunately at the allotted 9 am Jess have not arrived. We waited and waited some more and eventually around 9.20 Jess came running in. “Don’t worry” was her command. “Everything will be okay. This region is not in lockdown carry on withYour holiday.” 

The others, not being in the slightest worried, had indeed caught the first lift up the mountain. They contacted us around 10.30 to say they would meet Vicky at the bottom of the lift where I deposited her. I then set off for a walk around the village.

The skiers depart

The skiers reported that to prevent the spread of coronavirus they were not allowed to sit next to each other on the chairlift. This meant that the chairlift Queue did not move as quickly as usual, which meant there was a huge Melee at the bottom of the skilifts because people didnt get on as fast. This did appear to defeat the purpose.

Madonna di Campiglio 

A spot of lunch 

Meanwhile somewhere up a mountain in Italy

The skiers were having fun times due to the fact that the slopes were really quiet.  I wonder why that was. An early faller was Alex who forgot how to turn about 20 m off the first ski lift. An almost faller was Chris Who went shoulder to Knee with a small Italian child, and although he thought about tossing the child off the slope, found himself being run off it. They stopped for a nice lunch where Alex had a mozzarella ball as big as his head. They then skied some more, everyone of them enjoying it. Vicky even stayed out quite late, not making it back to the hotel till around 4 pm. After a couple of drinks in the bar we all showered and rested before meeting up for dinner in the restaurant. After dinner we played the first round of Yahtzee which Ian won. We are not alone this evening as the other British crystal family and a couple were also enjoying Maurissimos cocktails. I wonder what tomorrow will bring. 

Lockdown

As I awoke on Sunday morning the first thing I saw was the BBC News app exclaiming that the whole of northern Italy would be going into lockdown. Cue mass panic. On looking more closely it appeared that our region was one of the few in northern Italy that would miss out, but I was still quite worried. We had agreed that Vicky and I would have a late breakfast around 9 am while the rest will be breakfasting at eight in order to catch the first lift up the mountain. I quickly contacted Vicky and we arranged to eat at 8:30 so that we could meet Jess, the rep and find out what the hell was going on. 

Breakfast over, we headed down to the lounge where we found another British family who has also travelled with Crystal and also wanted to see Jess. Unfortunately at the allotted 9 am Jess have not arrived. We waited and waited some more and eventually around 9.20 Jess came running in. “Don’t worry” was her command. “Everything will be okay. This region is not in lockdown carry on withYour holiday.” 

The others, not being in the slightest worried, had indeed caught the first lift up the mountain. They contacted us around 10.30 to say they would meet Vicky at the bottom of the lift where I deposited her. I then set off for a walk around the village.

The skiers depart

The skiers reported that to prevent the spread of coronavirus they were not allowed to sit next to each other on the chairlift. This meant that the chairlift Queue did not move as quickly as usual, which meant there was a huge Melee at the bottom of the skilifts because people didnt get on as fast. This did appear to defeat the purpose.

Madonna di Campiglio 

A spot of lunch 

Meanwhile somewhere up a mountain in Italy

The skiers were having fun times due to the fact that the slopes were really quiet.  I wonder why that was. An early faller was Alex who forgot how to turn about 20 m off the first ski lift. An almost faller was Chris Who went shoulder to Knee with a small Italian child, and although he thought about tossing the child off the slope, found himself being run off it. They stopped for a nice lunch where Alex had a mozzarella ball as big as his head. They then skied some more, everyone of them enjoying it. Vicky even stayed out quite late, not making it back to the hotel till around 4 pm. After a couple of drinks in the bar we all showered and rested before meeting up for dinner in the restaurant. After dinner we played the first round of Yahtzee which Ian won. We are not alone this evening as the other British crystal family and a couple were also enjoying Maurissimos cocktails. I wonder what tomorrow will bring. 

Zero ‘oh god not another middle of the night flight’ dark thirty

As we were flying from Brizzle airport we decided it would be nice to start the holiday on Friday night, and make things easier for ourselves, by staying at The hilton on the airport. With Chris and Ian in from work nice and early, and me not bothering to go to work at all, we arrived there about 8.30. A nice man welcomed me back, vicky and I had stayed here before Florence, we got the keys and dumped our stuff before ian and I stowed the car in the multi storey behind the hotel. Nice airport Brizzle, easy to negotiate. We then headed to the bar.

Kathy was coming by train (replacement bus Southampton to salisbury) then airport bus (A1). She was ill. The usual nausea/weakness, but she was very afraid she wouldn’t even get into Italy, never mine back out again. We dumped her stuff and headed to the bar. Although it was 10pm she hadn’t eaten. Luckily nachos cure all. 

By now it was 10.30. Chris was in bed, Kathy was Ill (but nachoed), and the little ones hadn’t even arrived for the first night of the holiday. Just as Ian was getting more brandy (no ice) the call came that they were in the Uber. “A beer and a G and T please dad!”. About 11.30 we called it a night. We had an early start in the morning. But when don’t we. 

So, the world doesn’t seem such a good place at 4am. Nevertheless we all managed to drag ourselves up and check out. We filled our breakfast bags with goodies, mainly pastries, although Chris made the mistake of adding pastrami to his and spent most of the morning worrying it would contaminate his sweet things. Across the road we strolled to the TUI check in. Surprisingly, we didn’t have to wait too long and were soon airside with narry a strip search between us. But I have to tell you that Brizzle airport is not sanitary. A guy in front in the queue knew loads of people and proceeded to break government protocols again and again by shaking hands loads. People all around were coughing, and not into their elbows. I went to the loo and a woman only sang happy birthday once whilst washing her hands. Let’s hope things are better in Italy. 

We found a table and got ourselves (well, Alex got us) coffee, and waited for our gate to be posted. And waited. And waited. All around were being called while we sat drinking coffee

“I think we’ll be at gate 3, right over there, so they know we don’t have to walk far like the rest of the poor souls”. Vicky postulated. Almost immediately the board changed. Verona, go to gate 3. Hmm. We boarded easily, mainly due to the fact the plane was half empty. Wonder why that was.

Entering Enter Air

Early mornings don’t suit some people

Soon we were on our way in our Enter Air very safe (as the captain worryingly put it) 737. And soon after we were landing in Verona. Comfortingly we had our temp taken on entry, all passed. Just the temp guys were wearing masks, surprisingly. Not long to wait at the carousel as there weren’t many bags on the plane, although there was a bit of excitement when a doctor was hailed and went rushing into a first aid room. Wonder why that was! Ask no questions seems the best policy. The Crystal reps were on hand to direct us to our bus. A list on the front window showed eleven passengers expected, two were crossed out, and another didn’t show up. Just the eight of us then. Wonder why that was. The journey up to Madonna took just over two hours (no toilet stop) and the driver left us outside the Alpen Hotel Vidi. In reception we were met by a pleasant man. ‘Walters you say? Crystal phoned and told us you had cancelled.’ Well, no, cos here we are! Luckily for us he rallied and rustled us up some rooms. Vicky and Alex were pursuaded to go for their skis at this point, then we had a leisurely lunch in a nice cafe. 

Fed and watered the day took a distinct turn for the worse when Vicky insisted we watch the Rotherham v Rochdale game on iPlayer. Nuff said. Some of us napped. We showered (hot and powerful) then assembled for dinner. We have our own table, good job because only half the tables are taken, wonder why that is. Our choices were read to us by a man who makes the most boring priest in Ireland seem interesting. By the end we were all pleasantly stuffed. 

Our table with Alex disobeying the order to LEAN IN!!



Apres dinner Brandy

Apres dinner cocktails courtesy of Maurissimo of Sicily

A few drinks followed in the bar, where it was just us. Wonder why that is. By then, 9.30, we were all ready for bed. As Vicky drifted off her BBC news app pinged. “The whole of Northern Italy to be put into lockdown!!”. She rolled over and went to sleep.