I keep not posting because much has happened and it seems too much to fit into one post, so I don’t post. Of course, this is circular; the list of “happenings” keeps getting longer. So I’ll gradually catch up with a few belated posts. Warning – I’m moping today so this post (even the good bits) will have a mopey tinge.
So we went skiing, in Bulgaria. It was ok – not as good methinks as our previous year in France, but whether that was the snow, the rather scary lessons (red runs on day 3 of skiing?) or the fact it was 6 days when 3 probably would have been sufficient I’m not sure.
Day One – Sunset on the flight, Kai mildly hyperventilating on take off and landing as usual. Anxiety of flying getting worse each time – will see how the flights this summer go. It didn’t help that the Captain began with “We’re going to be a little delayed – when we landed last time the computer threw up an error that the engineers haven’t seen before! So we’re just gonna check that out.” We got to the hotel and had a traditional Bulgarian meal (with a plate of cucumber and tomato as starter…) which was nice.
Day Two – sorted out passes and stuff (very easy this tour operator style holiday lark), got given one-size-fits-all-apparently skis and dumped into a ski school of varying abilities. Went out that night to tequila icebreaker, got a little tipsy, and had a pancake on the way home (pancake shop on the right there).
Day Three – second day of ski school, already on challenging blue runs doing a fun-yet-scary run they call the “half-pipe” – AnM fell over, I skiied past shouting “Sorry! Can’t stop!” and as I looked back watching the ski instructor help her up it looked ever so pretty with the sun and all. Nice scenery. This was the day we stopped halfway down the mountain and just sat on the snow. In the evening we went on the arranged pub crawl, met up with C and J from ski school and managed to spend an inordinate amount of money on very cheap alcohol. Pub crawl was complete with inane competitions; AnM unwillingly pole danced and won (mwahahaha). Pizza on way home, totally wrecked. Good pizza though (24 hours! Asda price!).
Day Four – AnM stayed at home to revise having injured shoulder and knee the previous day (not hangover at all – both of us 95% OK ironically). Kai went with ski school. It had snowed the night before and so the snow was fluffy and sticky – totally different style of skiing required, had to learn all over again! Luckily P and N generally on hand to pick me up when I fell down, which I did repeatedly. Did go down a bit of a red though – more frustrating than scarey as I didn’t get the hang of it (apparently you have to stand up!) before the last few turns. C bailed out at lunch – horribly hungover – he’d turned grey! At some point though my skis snapped, and I gave up for the day (the rest were going mogul skiing – I was rather glad my skis had broken…) That evening was quiz and pizza night – great quiz (we came second after a tiebreaker where a great member of our team won the Dance Like A Bulgarian task…), though the pizza was foul.
Day Five – bunked off ski school – we both went skiing but it was horribly sticky snow, my skis wouldn’t turn on anything other than steep slopes. AnM went down the chair lift rather than ski lol and I and a foul time going down simple blues and greens with skis that wouldn’t turn or stop. Either I was standing wrong (a significant possibility) or the snow was too sticky and the new skis were crap (my preferred explanation). I gave up after one run and we went to lunch (soup, yet again) then home for a rest before snow tubing. Snow tubing is sitting or lying in a truck inner tube and sliding fast down a hill – wicked 😉 I wasn’t keen initially but AnM was, and I ended up going down the hill 7 times – the tour operator had to hint we had to stop now…
Day Six – A very late start – AnM sat in a restaurant while I went down slow green road runs, and again had a horrendous time at the end where it was flat and impacted. Then that afternoon we went skidooing! It was snowing, and basically being Bulgaria they give you a skidoo (two people sharing, like motorbike), the guy drives off and the six skidoos follow. Cue mild terror, but amazing fun.
Day Seven – late start again, then off to baby slopes for the last day of skiing. Unable to turn again, had a great time on some blues (photo shows my favourite slope, a lovely wide blue at the top of the mountain I could have spent all day on), but then had to go down the greens to go home. Started ok, then got worse. Then on final flat baby slope, only 500 yards from handing our skis back for good I crashed into AnM and broke her knee! Felt very guilty 🙁 Had to go and fetch mountain rescue (who were amused they only had to go to the baby slope behind their hut) and took her to medical centre, where she was put in half plaster. Then the fun began of trying to get home with an insurance company that almost demanded she have 2 seats and a airline that couldn’t provide extra seats – the insurance helpfully suggested we split up at one point! Like someone on crutches can travel on their own *eye roll*. Sorted in the end – both said “if the other one is happy, we’re happy” and we just didn’t cover that detail specifically, and they didn’t ask.
Day Eight – long day spent in hotel, waiting for news of whether we were going home or not, didn’t know for sure until the plane took off! Great folk at Gatwick transported us from the gate to baggage control, then to our busstop to get us back to our car.
AnM’s had surgery on the knee now so hopefully it heals ok without further difficulties!
And yes – I will go skiing again 😉 But probably not to Bulgaria. Lovely people, cheap presents, highly underrated food (fantastic soup), but it’s Magaluf on Ice. “Beauties! Come in to bar! Cheap booze! Asda price!”