Our Lady's Ski Trip 2007
In the early hours of Saturday the 3rd of March a bleary-eyed but enthusiastic group of over 60 students and staff flew to Verona for a week of skiing in the Italian Dolomites.
The Hotel Bucaneve, situated at 1400m above sea-level in the Alpine resort of San Valentino, was to become home to the travellers for the next week. Being surrounded by quiet forests, snow-capped mountains and a plentiful supply of Italian pasta meant that spirits and energy levels remained high for the duration of the stay. Despite, one of the mildest winters in the Alps for many years the resort had managed to keep two slopes open for skiing.
The students, who were mostly skiing for the first time, settled quickly and by the end of their first day of lessons were able to ski from the steepest parts of the nursery slope. The Head of the Italian Ski School congratulated the student’s courage and fitness levels and said that they were the only group this year to have made such remarkable progress.
A mid-week break from skiing lessons provided an opportunity to rest tired limbs and visit the beautiful city of Verona. This historic city situated near Lake Garda is famous for its Roman Amphitheatre, the Arena, dating from 30 AD and also for the family home and balcony of Juliet Capuleti, which was the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Of course, the clean pedestrian-only streets lined with chic shops and designer boutiques also attracted the interest of many in the group!
On the last few days the group travelled to the much higher resort of Obereggen, where fresh snow falls and sunshine combined to make for picture-postcard skiing conditions. It was to prove the perfect end to a great Alpine adventure and one which left many looking forward to the next time.
