#and i have been to the bergamo airport like so many times before so i know what's what etc

[imperatorcopia]

i still dont know to which city i should go to and also i see that they have booked NOTHING for june of 2025.... so i think i will wait a bit to see if they will announce a concert in athens in june but then i have to take the risk of maybe not finding tickets for certain cities... idk

[red-moskito]

24. April. 2020

Málaga, Spain

For many of us, the last time it felt like the whole world was having the same conversation was on September 11th, 2001. For me, it was also the day I left London for Faedis, Italy. A few people around me on the train were murmuring about some kind an attack. When I got the airport, it was so quiet. People stood frozen in front of televisions watching two plumes of black smoke rise into a blue sky.

I’d met Marco while he was in London for a couple days to sell some wine. We both quoted Biggie Smalls and the Big Lebowski. He was just getting the family vineyard going as a proper business. I had no plans beyond the next weekend. I said I liked the idea of working on a vineyard. He said, cool. 

The house was a kitchen and a bedroom above the cantina. Almost everything inside was older than me. The roof in the bedroom sloped down to the floor. We opened a few bottles and ate dinner. 

While insects buzzed and chirped outside the windows, we watched our world reorganize itself towards endless war on television. It was cold that night. We slept under scratchy blankets on little beds made during times of less abundance. 

I stayed until the end of October. We often ate lunch in Orsaria with his parents, Paolo and Miriam. I liked them. They acted as if Marco had just found a younger brother they had somehow misplaced. I also liked their house. It was big, beautiful and warm. They had comfortable sofas and a computer for sending sentimental emails and downloading mp3s. 

I did my best to match their enthusiasm for every course. E buona la pasta, Tito? Si, si... buonissimo! Marco, perché non mangia di più? When I got sick, they had a doctor come to the house. He brought a stethoscope in a leather bag. Nonna introduced me to grappa as medicine. The first glass felt like hot wax going down my throat.  

I annoyed Marco with my plans to marry his sister Barbara, even though she thought I was a sfigato. We drove down gravel roads to parties in little bars where his friends played reggae like some of mine did back home.

No matter how late we stayed out, or how many bottles we left empty on the table, Marco was up with the sun and ready to work. He’d drink flat Coca-Cola before his coffee. Some fuel to get the engine started, man. Good for the stomach. 

Winemaking is agriculture, science, art, design, engineering, sales, marketing, gambling, guessing…. When there aren’t vines to trim, there are tanks to check, fertilizers to buy, grapes to take to the laboratory, grass to cut, cases to deliver, bottles to label, fill, cork... People we’d meet throughout the day said, buon lavoro as goodbye. 

Whenever something could go wrong, it often did. Marco’s momentary frustration would quickly just become something else to laugh about. Stay calm. Piano, piano. We have to be the Tom Cruise of the situation, man. 

Sometimes he would sketch out the plans for our day on scrap paper. Little cartoons of machines, grapes, tanks and tubes with arrows between them. Numbers and notes floating around the edges. He never drew us. We were always moving anyway. 

During the vendemmia a crowd arrived to help. Friends, traveling workers and his family, of course. Nonno laughed and shook his head at me and my allergies. I never really got the hang of the tractor, but I loved cutting the grapes free. We stacked crates and tipped them into presses. They all knew far more about my country than I did about theirs. We debated the merits of Sublime, compared Berlusconi to Bush and retold our favorite Simpsons episodes. Every day we all ate lunch together on the patio beneath a sunshade of interwoven vines. 

The wine we made went to tables all around Friuli-Venezia-Giulia and parts of Europe. I brought a few bottles with me when I left for Torino. Some went to rest on shelves in the cantina.   

The last time I was in Faedis was in August 2016. Marco still sings while he’s walking between the rows of vines. 'Biggie Biggie Biggie can’t you see…’ I mean come on. man. He was really the best. You know it. The best... ‘It was all a dream. I used to read Word-Up Magazine…’ 

The TV in the kitchen is gone. There’s a wood stove there now. They watch movies projected on the wall of the room we used to sleep in. A futon for guests has replaced the little beds. Marco had remodeled the house to make room for another proper bedroom. 

He dug out some grimy bottles of our wine. It was six years younger than I was when we made it. I didn’t get to see Barbara. Paulo and Miriam’s house is now a bed and breakfast. Go there if you’re ever near Orsaria. It’s even more beautiful now. 

Friuili is 300 km from Lombardia. In February, Marco and I started talking and texting about the virus. I’d already started veering away from people on the sidewalk. There was a movie I wanted to see in the cinema, but I didn’t go. I avoided the port full of cruise ship passengers. But I still went out. 

On March 6, I’d had an internal debate about going to the botanical gardens on my day off. It’s outdoors. It’s low season. It’ll be empty. It’s windy and warm. And anyway, Málaga isn’t Bergamo. I rode my bike there, and while I was locking it, I reconsidered again. I saw a couple walking down from the mountains across the road. Should I just hike up this trail instead? Instead I went inside. I’d only been in summer before. I wanted to see what it looked like at the beginning of spring. 

While I was having my coffee, a woman sat at the other end of the picnic table. When she started blowing her nose, I told myself it would be silly and rude to get up. Then she started coughing. I looked at the unwrapped sandwich I had brought from home. My open water thermos. Mentally measuring metres and wind speed. Still feeling like I was being ridiculous. Her daughter brought the drinks and sat down. Ecco la tua mamma... I picked up my things and moved to another table.

I spent the next half hour telling myself I was being paranoid while trying to focus on the plants in the sunshine. Doing impossible math in my head. There are 60 million Italians.... they could have been traveling for weeks... maybe they live here... anyone could have it... there are so many old people here... I heard that man couch under is hat... it could have been on the coffee cup anyway… the bartender washes them in the sink... how hot is that water?

I walked to the end of the gardens where a gazebo was built for the view of the cathedral and the sea. I watched turtles swimming around the little pond. Marco texted me. Stay at home. I called him to tell him about the Italian women and my paranoia. They walked by while I was on the phone, and I moved upwind. Still feeling ridiculous. 

He was calm as always. The main problem is there aren’t enough beds for the, how do you say... the reanimation. The people they are just fucking dying in the corridors. They don’t know for sure who is the patient zero, but the patient one or two. He’s a 38 years old guy. He’s been on the fucking respirator for weeks. In Cividale there are three cases. It’s crazy, man. What we have to do is just fucking close everything like they did in China. But that will never happen you know man, because this is Europe. 

Two days later the Italian government locked down Lombardia and fourteen other provinces. The following day they extended to it include the entire country. Within a week, most of Europe followed suit.

Seven weeks later the Italian government agrees with many of you about the essential nature of wine. So Marco is still working. Since the lockdown started, he’s been in the hospital twice. He was in a car accident in March, and then something more serious happened in April. 

He sent me a selfie from the hospital bed. I called him and he answered laughing. His wife had thought he was faking a stroke to play a trick on her. Fucking unbelievable, man. I tried to drink the juice. You know in the morning, the orange juice, and I put it all over my t-shirt. I couldn’t put it to my mouth. I couldn’t say nothing. I was like blah, blah, blah. My brain was no good. Anyway, how are you, are you good?  

The hospitals in Udine aren’t overwhelmed, but he was only allowed one visitor per day. He asked his mother to bring his laptop, so he could get some work done. Everybody say rest. Rest, rest, rest. Okay, I’m in the bed. 

When he was discharged he sent me a photo with his wife and baby walking between the vines. Their daughter, Emilia, has unruly red hair. In every photo she looks overjoyed and a little surprised to have found herself inside her new body. Are you ok? Super ok, man. Super ok. They were all smiles. Glowing in the green grass. Paola looks far too smart to have fallen for either of us back when we would try to out-charm each other every time a woman arrived at the vineyard. 

Marco’s still getting up with the sun. But fewer and fewer Italians have money for wine. He’s not loading pallets with boxes bound for dinner parties in Oslo or Chicago. No American tourists will be giggling at his accent this summer. The local restaurants are dark and full of stale air. 

For almost twenty years, whenever I’ve called Marco to talk about moving or just getting away, he reminds me of my house in Faedis. 

Next to the front door there are photographs of family and friends working together since long before the days of color. Behind the house, up on top of the hill, there is a little shack with the year 1867 written above the door. It will still be there once our world has reorganized itself yet again. 

So will we. 

https://www.cecchinimarco.com/

http://www.dorsariabedandbreakfast.it/index.php/it/

[lancelewisvan-blog]

The 10 Scariest Things About antinfortunistica bergamo

Beforehand, Italians have been only allowed to enterprise inside a number of hundred metres of their door for important train or meals purchasing. In the afternoon we determined that it was time for buying and we departed to Buenos Aires Avenue. Final week it was revealed that Italy, the primary European nation to be affected by the coronavirus pandemic, had seen its daily coronavirus dying toll fall below 100 for the first time in greater than two months. This time we reviewed the menu in detail - the drinks have been with normal prices and we bought inside, where the air conditioning was our award after several hours on foot. Rupert Fawcett of Knight Frank says that across the lakes prices have stabilised after strong progress, however that prices "will continue to rise for those very important and distinctive properties (particularly waterfront and particularly on Lake Como), that are for sale in a really limited provide, and infrequently by means of personal 'off-market sales'." On the market, although, is a transformed interval house with two apartments for sale in Faggeto, about quarter-hour from Como.

The preliminary contract of sale normally takes about 4 to six weeks and the completion comes when the notary contract transfers possession of the property. Jackson Stops & Staff has an condominium on Isola Bella, one of the picturesque Borromean Islands in the course of Lake Maggiore, on the market for ¬320,000 (£253,000). The spacious first-ground residence in one in all the normal fisherman's houses has two balconies from which to take pleasure in lakefront views. MilanoNeverStops on his social pages, which insists on avoiding a slowdown of the financial, moral capital of Italy, the epicentre of a area antinfortunistica bergamo that is among the richest in the entire of Europe. Lombardy has been by far the worst-affected region in Italy, piling up more instances and deaths than many international locations have completed. Billions of individuals around the globe are under lockdown, familiar places the place I have been to dozens of instances like New York, London, my beloved India (so dear to me to the purpose that my daughter's second identify is Chandra) look far by hundreds of thousands of mild-years. There was a pond with ducks, folks sleeping on the benches and people who had been on the seaside. As an alternative, it's like an invisible, merciless, coward medieval monster who spreads its wings and takes their life away (and never solely), no matter what.

They used to work together in Silvio Berlusconi's television empire, where they launched Italians to shows like Large Brother. Nonetheless, know-how experts warn that such apps aren't foolproof because bluetooth signals work best in open spaces. But be aware that the Italian rental laws are very prescriptive and don't at all times work in one of the best interests of the landlord. Nonetheless, our company repeatedly evaluates, on the basis of incoming orders, any substitutions or purchases of chopping-edge machinery that provides the most effective efficiency when it comes to high quality and precision of processing. Our gadgets, particularly medium-sized and small ones, produced by our Bergamo firm are made primarily based on customers' specs, and are broadly used in numerous industrial sectors, just like the automobiles, family appliances, construction, packaging, liquid transport, accident prevention, and motorcycle and bicycle helmets. Digital tags are being issued to visitors at a famend art gallery in Italy after it reopened its doorways to the public this weekend amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Accademia Carrara Museum in Bergamo, which opened its doors on May 22 after greater than ten weeks in lockdown, has requested guests to wear electronic tags to make sure they stay at the very least 1.5 metres away from others whereas inside. Immunity tests are seen as crucial to ending the worldwide lockdown, however ministers in Britain and Germany have mentioned they aren't yet reliable enough. These holidays are an vital alternative to create recollections as a household that can sustain you all for a lifetime to come. What is this thing? How did we come up so far? Are we - the humans - the reason for it? Is the whole lot linked with environmental abuse, overpopulation and pollution? Is nature trying to discard people, as the properly-recognized Indian philosopher Preethaji tells in a short video shared thousands and thousands of occasions by Italians on WhatsApp? These and different questions usually fragment my sleep at night time and are the focus of many Tv programmes.

The most popular resorts, like the fairly town of Stresa, are on the western, Piedmont aspect of the lake, which is served by the primary railway via the mountains to Lausanne and Geneva; however the jap side, with its proximity to Milan, remains to be sought after. The following cease was the railway station. Then we decided to have a stroll round the town - our first stop was Sempione Park (Parco Sempione) - an exquisite place for relaxation, especially when the temperature is 30 degrees Celsius. I have not been in Italy before, however I've heard lots concerning the Italian towns, the pizza and pasta, the ice-cream and a lot more. Italy recorded 119 new deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic on Saturday towards 130 the day before, the Civil Safety Company said. On the subsequent morning (Saturday) we ate in a neighborhood quick meals scrumptious croissants. Lake Garda is the most important of the Italian lakes, situated to the west of the area but still within an hour's drive from Milan's Bergamo airport or, relying on which facet of the lake you are going, Brescia and Verona are additionally airport choices.

[ladystylestores]

Coronavirus, Seoul Mayor, Ava DuVernay: Your Friday Briefing

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good morning.

We’re covering coronavirus surges around the world as places reopen, a NASA scientist’s three-year ordeal in a Turkish prison, and Ava DuVernay on art and activism.

States that moved to reopen earlier, like Florida, Arizona and Texas, are driving the higher numbers. Hospitals across the South and West are being flooded with virus patients, forcing them to cancel elective surgeries and discharge patients early.

Tokyo recorded 224 new infections on Thursday, surpassing a record set in April. Most of Australia is now off-limits to people from the state of Victoria, as the country responded to an outbreak spreading through Melbourne. With virus cases soaring in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that the country had reopened parts of the economy too early.

Case study: The imposition of a second lockdown in late June in the English city of Leicester as those in other regions were returning to jobs and pubs — part of Boris Johnson’s “Whac-A-Mole” approach to the virus — has angered residents.

A different milestone: The intensive care unit at the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Bergamo, Italy had no Covid-19 cases for the first time in 137 days. The hospital commemorated the occasion on Wednesday with a moment of silence, followed by a round of applause.

Seoul mayor is found dead

The authorities in South Korea said on Friday that they had found the body of Mayor Park Won-soon in northern Seoul, hours after his daughter reported him missing.

His disappearance came days after a secretary in his office told the police that he had been sexually harassing her since 2017, several news outlets reported.

Mr. Park, 64, had left his daughter a “will-like” message, according to the Yonhap news agency. He had canceled his schedule for Thursday and called in sick to City Hall. No suicide note was found at the scene, a senior detective in Seoul said, but there was also no sign that he had been killed by someone else.

Context: The mayor of Seoul was considered the most powerful elected official in the country after the president. A prominent human rights lawyer who championed women’s rights, Mr. Park had often been named as a possible successor to President Moon Jae-in.

Three years in a Turkish prison

Days after a failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016, Turkish police officers stopped Serkan Golge, an American NASA scientist, at the airport.

To his disbelief, they had received an anonymous tip that he worked for the C.I.A. and was part of the terrorist group accused of masterminding the plot.

It was four years before Mr. Golge ended a nightmare in which he was held in solitary confinement and became a bargaining chip in high-level disputes between the Turkish and American governments. He returned to Houston just last week.

“It is a very small room — it barely sees the sunlight, and the guards took me out only one hour a day,” he said of that confinement, in his first interview since returning home. “And I stayed in that room, in that small single cell, for three years.”

What happened: Mr. Golge was held in prisons, alongside military officers, judges and prosecutors, before moving to solitary confinement and facing charges of overthrowing the government and Constitution, which carried a life sentence. He was eventually convicted on a lesser charge and released from prison in May 2019.

Context: His experience is a rare defendant’s perspective into the Turkish judicial machine. Some 70,000 people have been accused in the Turkish courts in connection with the failed coup and many prefer to keep silent even once free.

If you have some time, this is worth it

29 short stories about this moment

As the coronavirus pandemic swept the world, The Times asked 29 authors to write new short stories inspired by the moment. As Rivka Galchen writes, “Reading stories in difficult times is a way to understand those times, and also a way to persevere through them.”

Read the original short stories, from authors like Leila Slimani, Margaret Atwood and Yiyun Li, this weekend.

Here’s what else is happening

Thailand: The cabinet approved a draft bill on Wednesday that would give same-sex unions many of the same benefits as those of heterosexual marriages. The bill, which needs Parliament’s approval, is a major step for one of the most open countries in the region for L.G.B.T.Q. people.

Russian death-for-hire plots: A Chechen man who claimed he had detailed the world of contract killing to the Austrian and Ukrainian authorities was shot near Vienna last weekend. He had said there was a price on his head.

Trump tax records: The Supreme Court has cleared the way for prosecutors in New York to see President Trump’s financial records, a stunning defeat for President Trump. But Congress cannot see them, at least for now, meaning they won’t be made public before the November election.

Melania statue: After a wooden statue of Melania Trump was burned near her hometown in Slovenia, the American artist who commissioned it wants to interview the arsonist as part of a new project.

Snapshot: Above, Cairo under lockdown. The coronavirus brought a much-needed deep cleanse to the city and stripped it of its grit, our correspondent writes. But without the noise, bustle and grind, was it really Cairo?

What we’re listening to: Behind the Bastards podcast. “I was enthralled,” writes Shaila Dewan, a criminal justice reporter, by the “mini-series on policing, including its roots in slave patrols and its embrace of the Klan.”

Now, a break from the news

We’re in a moment of upheaval — hundreds of thousands marching, a pandemic, an upcoming U.S. presidential election. What’s the role of storytelling in this moment?

The story has been told from one point of view for too long. And when we say story, I don’t just mean film or television. I mean the stories we embrace as part of the criminalization of Black people. Every time an officer writes a police report about an incident, they’re telling a story. Look at the case of Breonna Taylor and her police report. They had nothing on it; it said she had no injuries. That is a story of those officers saying, “Nothing to look at here, nothing happened.” But that’s not the story that happened, because if she could speak for herself, she would say, “I was shot in the dark on a no-knock warrant in my bed.”

This is a moment of grief and rage for so many. How can those emotions be translated into art?

The answer to your question for me personally was the creation of our Law Enforcement Accountability Project — LEAP — which uses art to hold police accountable.

It links to the idea that an artist and an activist are not so far apart. Whether you call yourself an activist or not, artists use their imagination to envision a world that does not exist and make it so. Activists use their imagination to envision a world that does not exist and make it so.

Many people in the United States are just beginning the fight for racial and social justice. You’ve been in this battle a long time. What’s your advice for sustaining the fight long term?

The battle is ongoing whether you keep it going or not. The question is how are you going to react to it? That’s up to everyone to decide for themselves.

But the battle is not by choice. I would rather not do any of it. I’d rather just make my films and go about my day. But if I don’t buy into the fight, then I don’t get to make my films.

That’s it for this briefing. Have an energizing and safe weekend.

— Isabella

Thank you To Melissa Clark for the recipe, and to Theodore Kim and Jahaan Singh for the rest of the break from the news. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

P.S. • We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about why an early scientific report of symptom-free coronavirus cases went unheeded. • Here’s today’s Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: Climate activist Thunberg (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • “The 1619 Project” from The Times Magazine will be developed into a portfolio of films, television and other content in partnership with Oprah Winfrey and Lionsgate.

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from World Wide News https://ift.tt/3ekdD7b

[xsmom2000]

Our lives have been turned upside down and we don’t know what’s normal anymore. In fact, we are all having to adapt to a new normal.

In December 2019, Covid -19 and coronavirus, were words bandied about in reference to what was going on in China. For many of us, it was a news story from another part of the world, one that didn’t touch us directly unless we were watching the stock market.  The facts were unsettling, and people were dying, but like all events that take place thousands of miles away from our first world couches and our 9 to 5 jobs, it wasn’t about us and it probably wouldn’t make it this far. For that moment, it was interesting and gripping, but still just news.

How quickly things change.  Today Covid-19 is affecting the entire world and no matter where you live in this great big world of ours, your lives, by now, are in various stages of upheaval. Our normal lives have changed dramatically and most of us are desperately trying to adapt to our new routines.

Today marks 14 days of a government-sanctioned lock-down here in Spain. This meant staying home unless there was an essential or imperative reason to be out:  Essentials – having to work; to purchase food, medicine or fuel; transportation to airports to return home or driving home; to walk the dog within a short distance from home. Imperatives – immediate health emergencies; ongoing medical appointments such as dialysis and cancer treatments; country-wide delivery of essentials to stores and medical facilities.  Initially, the lock-down was slated for two weeks but has since been extended until April 13th – I won’t be making bets on it. The number of new infections, hospitalizations and fatalities are still rising, and until the curve flattens, I know the lockdown will continue.

Here in Nerja, all levels of the police force and some military have been called upon to monitor peoples’ compliance with the regulations and to help out wherever they are needed.  Police cars constantly patrol the streets, loudspeakers are used to tell us (in Spanish, English and German) to stay inside, to not leave our homes unless absolutely necessary.  Fines are handed out for breaking the rules.  Woe unto to those who slip out to get a pack of smokes, a 6-pack and a bag of chips, go for a walk day after day with the same rock hard loaf of bread in your back-pack or walk your dog 3 kilometres from home because it takes her a while to find the perfect place to relieve herself – it will cost you big bucks or worse.  There are few tales of non-compliance and most people in this town of 21,000 are doing their best to keep ‘un bicho (the bug)’ away.

The strict precautions seem to be working in Nerja because as of yesterday, there had not been one reported case of Covid-19, which means no deaths resulting from it either. Such amazing news in light of what’s happening in other parts of Spain.

So, amidst the lockdown procedures, we have adapted to a new normal.

First of all, my partner and I decided that I be the one to venture out into the public spaces for shopping and such, and he would bring out the trash and recycling.  I go out every six days to pick up fresh vegetables, buy food and other essentials (including toilet paper we haven’t stockpiled).

An organic bounty – how we manage to eat it all, I don’t know.

This once a week food excursion is my social event of the week. First on the list is to pick up a box of fresh organic vegetables. Money is exchanged in a plastic baggie slipped out through a half-opened car window and the freshly picked vegetables are placed in the trunk. I can smell the onions right away! After a smile, a thank you and a brief conversation, I am off to the supermarket.

Once inside the store, I sanitize my hands, don my plastic gloves, grab a cart and away I go pick up according to my list.   I keep my distance from others, step back, move aside and with a grand sweep of my plastic gloved hand, give leeway to others when they venture too close – my Covid-19 waltz of the supermarket aisles.

Supersol is the closest supermarket to my home and their employees are fabulous.  Plastic gloves and hand sanitizer are provided upon entering the store.  The employees themselves are masked, gloved and aproned, but are still helpful and engaging.  The numbers shopping at one time are closely monitored.  Lines 1-meter x 1-meter are taped off in front of the meat, cheese and fish counters and at the check-out, making it easy and safe for us shoppers to self-distance and to not subject the employees to unnecessary risk.    Employees are constantly sanitizing the carts, trolleys and baskets.  Still, they remain kind and helpful and are still laughing and joking with each other- I guess laughter still works in a 1-meter square space.

Groceries are packed when I get out to the car – bags for immediate use and those that can stay in the car until the next day.  Packing this way is really an excuse to climb the 180 steps to the car and back. We have to take exercise wherever we can get it.  As soon as I get home, I change my shoes and wash my hands. I’m done for another week.

At home, I’ve been cooking up a storm in order to use up the bounty in the veggie box and I now bake all of our bread.  Since yeast (fresh or dried) is non-existent, a sour-dough starter is now fermenting, so in 3 days, it will be sourdough bread for us from then on.

I’ve tried to keep my days as close to routine as possible – get up early, shower and dress (no PJ’s allowed), read, write, study Spanish, have online chats with fellow Spanish students (in Spanish), cook, bake, play very competitive games of Scrabble with my partner, keep in touch with friends and family and let’s not forget the never-ending scourge of housework.  Oh yes… I do watch TV, particularly Netflix, because I can’t handle the news anymore.

Sounds great hey? Normal even.  Not even close. For as mundane and ridiculously ordinary as my life sounds right now, it is damned hard not to feel the weight of what is happening in the world.  Just watch news coverage from places like Bergamo, Italy and Madrid and Barcelona, where the number of the sick and dying still rise, where health care workers and political leaders weep at the loss and heartbreak. It is gut-wrenching to think about the numbers of people who are isolated in their suffering, fighting with each shallow breath or taking that final breath alone.  It’s difficult knowing that doctors are making real decisions on who can be taken off a ventilator in order to let someone else live.

It makes me angry seeing stories of queues of people hoarding toilet paper and bottled water, Coca Cola and flour;  of people treating self-isolation and social distancing as if they were obstacles to overcome, searching for some loophole to enable them to thumb their noses at the system in order to live their lives selfishly, without thought for others. Overcrowded parks and beaches; government leaders who deny or downplay what’s happening before their eyes.  Is it ignorance, invincibility, selfishness, the lure of the almighty dollar?

As much as we seek to flood social media with uplifting and positive thoughts, read bedtime stories via Skype or find creative ways to battle boredom, somewhere mixed among it all is the scary reality stemming from this pandemic. We need to do absolutely everything in our power to slow the spread of the virus, to ease the difficulties of those working and fighting on our behalf, to turn our small actions into a massive collective turning point. And if that means simply staying home, then that’s what we need to do.

Thinking and hoping and wishing…

So, for those of you asking how I am doing?  For the most part, I am doing fine – healthy and safe with enough of everything that I need.  I fill my hours by keeping busy and doing things I never seem to find time for. I try and keep in touch with others. I feel good in that I am doing my part by following rules and check on our elderly neighbour every day under the guise of sharing a meal or a loaf of bread food. Physically, I can do no more. I do try to maintain a  positive outlook, but it’s not easy seeing what’s happening in the world without feeling the hurt and uncertainty of the moment.  It’s hard to comprehend what the fall out will be when the tide has turned.  I long for simple things – the company of family and friends, freedom to come and go, physicality of warm hugs and the joys of laughter shared across a table.

The weight of the world does lay heavily on me at the moment- more so regarding the future of our world.  It causes me to think and question everything.  When this is all over, I will return to a new normal…with gratefulness for people who serve me every day – the shop workers, truck drivers, health workers, and teachers to name a few.  I will endeavour to show more patience and kindness to others.  I will express thanks, admiration, and love often  I will speak and live my truth as best I can. I will use my time wisely and be more circumspect with finances. I won’t take my freedom for granted and most of all, I won’t take this life for granted.

Life has never seemed more precious than it does at this very moment.

      NORMAL IS CHANGING Our lives have been turned upside down and we don’t know what’s normal anymore. In fact, we are all having to adapt to a new normal.

[aroundtheworldin18years]

ALPE CERMIS

Winter or Summer holiday, which do you prefer?  Our family has mixed views when it comes to the type of holiday we take.  For Daddy, a fair skinned ginger, sun worshiping isn’t really my thing, but Mummy, being whiter than talc, loves nothing more than lazing in the hot summer sun, and both girls love all that both types of holiday have to offer.  Easily pleased thankfully.  Rather than squabble over where and when to go, we try to take a Summer holiday and a Winter holiday…best of both worlds so to speak.  2018 is no exception with a first time ski holiday at Alpe Cermis, Cavalese; a place of astonishing natural beauty where the locals are as beautiful as the mountains themselves.

The Italian Dolomites; an area of outstanding natural beauty

WHY ALPE CERMIS, CAVALESE

Back in the day Mummy and I took to the slopes of the Canadian Rockies on snowboards, that’s what cool cats do!  Skis and the thought of having two broken legs didn’t appeal to us in the ‘noughties’.  As we get older (and hopefully wiser) we have decided to leave the ‘dangerous’ sports to our fearless children.  Who would have known that a quick half hour lesson on a rolling ski slope at We Are Vertigo, Belfast, in 2015; would have planted a seed within Lily-Belle.  Now the girls are a tad older, aged 3 and 9, plus having a lower sense of gravity than us oldies; we thought now would be the perfect time to book a ski holiday.

Skiing…but not a singe flake of snow to be seen

Alpe Cermis isn’t your typical ski destination for British or Irish travellers, in fact it’s quite the opposite.  We were pleasantly surprised to find out from locals that we were the only British-Irish family they had come across the whole season (we were there in March 2018, right at the end of the season).  Seems Alpe Cermis isn’t yet on the radar of the British-Irish as they continue to visit popular ski destinations like the French Alps, Switzerland and Austria to name but a few.  We’re not ‘normal‘ and we often opt for ‘different‘ which is why we chose Alpe Cermis, Cavalese.  As well as the fact that we find it very difficult to drag ourselves away from Italy, we love the country so much.

DON’T MAKE PROMISES YOU CAN’T KEEP

If you have read any of our other posts, you will see that quite often we take our own car when holidaying in Europe, a bit mad, probably, but for me (Daddy) it just makes sense.  Having to drag children and suitcases through airports isn’t my thing, I like to be in charge of my own trip, from loading the car right through to reaching the final destination.  I want to be in charge (with Mummy’s beady eyes always watching…always…watching).

Everything but the kitchen sink

Little jet-setters

For our trip to Alpe Cermis, Cavalese, Mummy persuaded me to fly-hire with the promise of ‘Don’t worry, we only need one carry-on bag each’.  Aye right!  It soon became obvious and clear that there was no way on this Earth we could do our trip to Alpe Cermis without the addition of hold luggage.  So, trundling through Belfast International Airport with two children, four hand luggage and two hold luggage, oh yes, plus a child car seat; really didn’t start this holiday too well for me.  Thankfully, after a relatively straight forward and stress free flight with Ryanair, the plane touches down smoothly at Bergamo Airport, Milan.  Once we collect our luggage, we trundle off to Firefly Car Rental.

A view of the Dolomites from our Ryanair flight

LUNCH AT LAKE GARDA

Firefly rental car collected and if I am being completely honest, if I had a euro for every dent it had, I’d be a millionaire.  When Mummy is in charge of getting ‘bargain’ car hire, dents and dings are always expected, in fact, if it has all four wheels I consider it a huge bonus.  One thing we always do is take a 360° video and photos of any damage, that way we have proof should the rental company ever open a dispute upon returning the car.  Bags loaded and we begin our journey to the spectacular and dramatic landscape of the Italian Dolomites via Italy’s largest lake that is Lake Garda.  Our stop is brief so we can grab lunch, take a few photos and for the girls to skim stones across the calm clear water of Lake Garda.  Breathtaking views and so very peaceful.

Holding hands and skimming stones…just need an old gold chevy.

WHERE’S THE SNOW?

Our journey from a peaceful Lake Garda, to the snow-covered Italian Dolomites, takes us along hairpin bends, scarily narrow roads and of course, beautiful scenery.  We feel truly blessed every time we visit Italy.  Lily-Belle’s main concern for the nigh on 2h 30 min journey was that there was a severe lack of snow.  In all honesty I was also a tad concerned but chose not to be as vocal as little Miss Callaghan.  We needn’t have worried though.  As we drove through the town of Cavalese we could see the snow covered mountains of Alpe Cermis in the distance.  Excited!

Snow capped Dolomites

APARTHOTEL DES ALPES

It’s mid afternoon when The Callaghan Posse arrive at Aparthotel des Alpes, just one of the five self-catering apartment buildings owned by Trentino Residences.  The apartment building itself has traditional Tyrolean styling and an amazing backdrop of the snow-capped mountains of Alpe Cermis, Cavalese.

When picture perfect is right on your doorstep.

At the Aparthotel des Alpes reception we were warmly greeted by Cinzia.  Over the next few days we would get to know this lovely young lady quite well.  Mummy had excelled in booking the accommodation on this occasion, the apartment was spacious, modern and extremely homely.  The girls immediately began arguing over who was getting the top bunk.  To make the absolute most of our time, bags were left and we hopped back in the car and drove the short distance to Alpe Cermis Ski Resort to have a recce and book ski lessons for the girls with Scuola Italiana Sci Alpe Cermis.

  Back at Aparthotel Des Alpes we chatted with Cinzia about the local area; where the supermarket was, best restaurants and places to get a quick bite, but most important of all…where to get the best ice-cream, an absolute must for our girls in Italy.  The time is a little after 7pm and we are shocked to learn that the local supermarkets are already closed!  Looks like provisions will have to wait until tomorrow, but for now, we need fed.  Thankfully Pizzeria Des Alpes, the restaurant situated right next door; is still open.  Lily-Belle and Matilda ordered a pizza and were thrilled when it arrived at the table in the shape of a bunny.

Three happy hoppers.

ON THE SLOPES (DAY 1)

Before leaving home, Mummy and I made a conscious decision to leave the skiing to the girls, we have been snowboarding a few times, but that was many (many) years ago.  As a family we are not early risers, and as the girls were taking to the slopes for the very first time, we decided freshly groomed slopes had no appeal.  After breakfast, we got dressed into our cold weather clobber, gathered our ski essentials and made our way to Alpe Cermis.

Who will be dressed first…on your mark, set, go!

Private ski lessons had been booked the evening before for 11am, and by leaving the apartment at 10.30, we thought we’d left ourselves plenty of time…how wrong could we have been.  Unbeknownst to us, the journey, from the bottom of Alpe Cermis to the ski rental shop and nursery slopes at level 2; takes around 5-10 minutes, and we still had to purchase our lift passes from the main reception and get kitted out.  Late again!

GETTING KITTED OUT

A short (to us it seemed to take forever as we were running late) ride on the cable car left us in awe.  The views far surpassed our expectations.  Snow-capped mountains, pine forests and clear blue skies, there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky.  Arriving at level 2, we alighted from the cable car and hurried ourselves along to the Sport Cermis rental shop.

Getting kitted out is easy at Sports Cermis

A great selection of hire equipment at Sports Cermis

The shop is extremely well equipped, not just with rental items but also with ski/snowboard products for purchasing.  As you enter the shop your eyes are immediately drawn to a huge window that overlooks the Dolomites…picture perfect and spectacular!   We made ourselves known to a member of staff, Claudio, and he came to our assistance with getting the girls fitted with boots, skis and helmets.  The rest of the gear we took with us (goggles, clothing etc).

What a magnificent view

Although our trip was short, we got to know Claudio quite well over the time.  A lovely and lively character…jolly, charismatic, witty and an infectious smile.  Claudio really knew his stuff when it came to kitting out the girls.

Note to self #1: don’t wait until the girls are fully clothed before asking do they need the toilet….disaster! Note to self #2: remind Mummy not to put Matilda (age 3) on the loo then keep moving in front of the automatic flush sensor.  Poor Matilda could be heard screaming from outside, her little butt was soaked and she was not a happy little bummy…sorry, I mean bunny!

GOOD TO GO…FINALLY

Finally…snow!  Far from being cold, it was actually really hot with beautiful clear blue skies.  With no cloud cover the sun was extremely hot.  It didn’t take long to realise we were all a little overdressed and so we began to peel away the layers.  The girls were introduced to Alessandro, who was their instructor for the lesson.  Alessandro put the girls at ease instantly, and since we were late, put the girls to work right away after a quick lesson on how to put on their skis.  A short push-pull session (about 2 minutes) and Alessandro took the girls to the top of the nursery slope via the rolling carpet.

Matilda and Alessandro for the first lesson

Sometimes you’ve just gotta roll with it

Lily-Belle and Alessandro for the first lesson

The slope itself is about 150-200 metres in length, not too steep but steep enough to gather speed if you don’t control your descent.  From the slopes we could hear cries of ‘pizza, pizza, pizza’….was someone serving food?  No food, it turns out that ‘pizza, pizza, pizza’ is pretty much a slope code word for ‘slow down’.  Basically, with knees bent slightly, you turn the tips of your skis inwards towards each other (almost touching) and push the back of the skis outwards, thus forming a shape like a slice of pizza…genius!

LESSON OVER BUT WE’RE GOING NOWHERE

We honestly didn’t know if the girls would like the skiing therefore we only booked a one hour lesson, and as we were late, it was over in a flash.  Alessandro had such a good rapport with the girls so we arranged for him to instruct the girls the following day.

Having fun and laughter on the slopes

The girls took to the skiing with no hassle at all, and it wasn’t long before they were going up and down the slope on their own.  Matilda did need a little help (according to her she didn’t) getting on and off the rolling carpet, a job that Mummy undertook for the afternoon.  As for Daddy, I just sat watching the girls ski, admired the view and took photographs, lot and lots of photographs, the scenery was breathtaking.

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

It was around 3pm when we managed to pull the girls off the slopes and make our way to the top of Alpe Cermis for a late lunch.  The ride to the top uses two modes of transport; a cable car followed by a chair-lift.  We soar between a clearing of pine trees before they open up to reveal panoramic views of the surrounding Dolomites, truly spectacular.  Definitely a lot colder at the top of Alpe Cermis than on the lower slopes, time to put the layers back on.

Italian Dolomites…spectacular

The restaurant at the top is called Paion Del Cermis, a beautiful wooden building with a fantastic terrace offering unspoilt views.  The food is typical buffet style, plenty of healthy salad and ‘green stuff’, with the option of pizzas and burgers etc from the menu.  Unfortunately for us the restaurant was about to close.  Matilda went into a meltdown and the staff kindly allowed us to dine, but not wanting to create work for the chef, we opted to eat whatever was left in the buffet trays.

Skiing is thirsty work…cheers

GET A WRIGGLE ON OR GET WALKING

Back outside we stood and admired the magical mountain, the views were astonishing for as far as the eyes could see.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a man stood by the chair-lift frantically waving his arms.  As we approached he told us we had 2 minutes to be on the descending chair-lift or we’d have to walk down….always rushing, always the last, will we ever learn….probably not!  In all honesty, we thought the slopes stayed open until dark, you know, Après-ski and all that, but no, 5pm and a complete shutdown!  A lost photo opportunity on a day when the sky was completely blue and barely a cloud to be seen!

What goes up, must come down

SHOPPING AL SUPERMARCATO

Back on terra firma, and before we returned to Aparthotel Des Alpes, we took the opportunity to visit a local supermercato (supermarket) for essentials, the girls particularly enjoyed the child sized shopping trolleys…and filling them!  We return to Aparthotel des Alpes with a few Italian treats; cheeses, meats, olives (a particular favourite of Daddy’s) and of course, locally produced vino.

Little shopping trolley’s for little shoppers.

Each evening upon our return, we were warmly greeted by Cinzia whom the girls were happy to take short Italian lessons from.  It’s late, and once the girls are asleep, Mummy and Daddy crack open the vino and begin sorting and uploading the many photos taken that day.  Sleep!

ON THE SLOPES (DAY 2)

Breakfast in the self-catering apartment.  Back to the slopes to meet Alessandro for lesson number due (two).  Yaaaaay, we arrive on time…just!  Once again the sun is shining but this time there are a few clouds in the sky…hopefully it’ll snow!  We feel proud as we tell Alessandro how well the girls progressed on their own the day before.  No time wasted, Alessandro takes the girls to the children’s snow-park for them to attempt moguls and slalom through obstacles.  Amazingly, after only one 60 minute lesson with an instructor and a few hours on their own, the girls took to skiing like ducks to water.  No bother at all navigating the course.

I think it’s all downhill from here

Pizza, pizza, pizza

Did someone say pizza?

Lesson due over.  Alessandro informed us he wasn’t going to be able to take the girls for any more ski lessons as he was heading away to take part in a big competition.  The girls were a bit sad!  Mummy and Daddy knew they were both confident enough to handle the nursery slopes on their own…but were they competent?  We needn’t have worried as they spent the next couple of hours competently going up and down the nursery slope on their own.

The Three Muskateers

Before we left our apartment at Aparthotel des Alpes, we made up sandwiches and packed a few drinks/snacks for the girls to eat al fresco at the slopes of Alpe Cermis.  Once gain, we head up to the top of the mountain to finish off our afternoon.

Sandwiches and a sit down, hard to beat

AS NAKED AS A BABY

Back at Aparthotel des Alpes, a quick change into our swimming gear and it’s off to the swimming pool.  Much to the delight of the girls, there’s a huge jacuzzi and unlike in the UK; children are allowed.  Most European swimming pools demand that you wear a swim hat and Aparthotel des Alpes is no exception.  Thankfully, Daddy has a head like a billiard ball and managed to negotiate not having to wear one!

Plenty of room in the swimming pool

Apparently 3 heads are better than 1

Beside the ample pool and huge jacuzzi is the Wellness Centre.  Loving a bit of luxury Daddy decides this is the place for him.  Came as a bit of a surprise to Daddy as most of, if not all of, the occupants were buck naked, ah well….when in Rome, or Cavalese as the case may be….more than happy to join in.   I was just a tad worried in case I spilled my tea!  Quite funny.  I was sat having a cup of complimentary peppermint tea and a stout fella drops his towel and plonks his bare bum in a sink filled with ice…..not two minutes later a different fella dips his face in the same ice sink….I couldn’t help but cringe and chortle to myself at the same time.

Dip your face in at your peril

Slippery When Wet…but not Bon Jovi

P-P-P-PICK UP A PIZZA

It had been a long day and our energy levels were low.  Dine in or dine out was put to the vote…and dine in was unanimous, probably another first for us!  Having a pizzeria next door was really handy so we ordered take-away food from Pizzeria des Alpes.  The girls were asleep in no time at all, and once again, as the videos and pictures were uploading to the cloud, Mummy and Daddy cracked open the vino and ate some of the lovely meats and cheeses purchased the day before.  Sleep!

Snacks and a movie before sleep

DAY TRIP TO SKI CENTER LATEMAR (DAY 3)

Saturday morning we decided to give skiing a miss in favour of a visit to Ski Center Latemar, a ski resort that is a short 20 minute drive from Aparthotel des Alpes.  Ski Center Latemar is the western most mountain of the Dolomites and can be accessed from any one of the three local villages, Obereggen, Pampeago and Predazzo.  The latter is where we’d be beginning our journey for the day.

READ ALL ABOUT OUR TRIP TO SKI CENTER LATEMAR IN THE DOLOMITES

Our visit to Ski Center Latemar was primarily to ride the thrilling Alpine Coaster Gardonè, and also to have lunch at Rifugio Passo Feudo which is the restaurant right at the very top of Latemar mountain.  At the top of the mountain the (almost) 360° views were breathtaking.  The Alpine Coaster Gardonè is a little over halfway up the Latemar mountainside and what an exciting ride.  Home time, the girls are getting hungry.

Spectacular views from the top of Ski Center Latemar

TANTALISING TITO SPECK

Wanting to dine where the locals go, we took a recommendation from Cinzia to book a table at Tito il Maso dello Speck.  Tito’s is less than 2 miles from Cavalese and boasts fantastic views of the countryside with the majestic Black Horn Mountain to the rear.  The building itself is just what we expected…very traditional, lots of wood and the surrounding landscape is very picturesque.  Our table was pre-booked so we are shown to our seats, menus are provided and our drink order taken.

Dining the Tyrolean way.

The decor is very Tyrolean with lots of wood, colourful cowbells and an array of musical instruments on the walls.  In the corner there’s an open fire and the smell of fragrant (charred) wood fills the air.  Before we left Aparthotel des Alpes, Cinzia recommenced a dish for the girls, something that all Italian children love…späetzle.

It’s green and edible….späetzle

Our food arrives and it soon becomes obvious that our girls don’t like the späetzle.  Isn’t it a good job Mummy and Daddy had ordered one of our favourite meals…steak on a sizzling stone.  The food is of exceptional quality, (including the späetzle which Daddy demolished), and it’s easy to see why this is the place that the locals themselves frequent.

Succulent and juicy…not me, the steak!

You can’t beat a plate of spuds

MUCH MORE THAN JUST MEAT

Right beside Tito’s Restaurant there is a shop selling a whole arrangement of meats, cheese, preserves and wines to accompany each.  A wonderful shop and the smell is pungent, but in a good way.  It’s a little after 20:30 and the shop is busy…really busy!  This is obviously where the locals go for their own supplies.  Back to Aparthotel des Alpes for an early night ready for more skiing tomorrow.

Italy’s finest Grappa

Speck in all shapes and sizes

Don’t forget the crackers

Speck is a boned pork leg which is cured in salt, and spices, primarily laurel and juniper; then over a period of months is slow-smoked using pine or juniper wood. Späetzle is a soft egg noodle often cut into tiny little dumplings before cooking in boiling water.  There are many variations of shape, texture and flavour.

ON THE SLOPES (DAY 4)

It’s Sunday and for once, we arrive at Alpe Cermis early and without feeling hurried…this has to be a first for us!  At the reception, as we were collecting our lift passes for the day, we got chatting to Federica, the Resort Manager at Alpe Cermis.  Chat flows freely and Federica informs us that Alpe Cermis rarely sees visitors from the UK, or indeed Ireland.  Hopefully, once people read our blog and see what this amazing place has to offer skiers and snowboarders; that will change.

  Clouds are beginning to form, could this be a snow day?  The nursery slopes are empty and our girls were content going up and down on their own.  Their confidence had grown and neither wanted any assistance with the rolling carpet or the skiing.  With Alessandro away, we booked a lesson solely for Lily-Belle to try a green run.  Massimo, her new instructor, had other ideas.  As they both disappeared into the distance Matilda decided she didn’t want to ski today and so the three of us took the opportunity to relax, grab a drink and take in the views at level 2.

Massimo and Lily-Belle..ski buddies

After an hour of skiing Lily-Belle and Massimo returned.  Green run, nope.  Blue run, yes.  Massimo tricked Lily-Belle into thinking she was going down a green run but instead had her doing a controlled weaving descent down a trickier blue run.  Little Miss Callaghan loved it, and never once did she feel scared or fall (that’s what she told us anyway).  We were so thankful to both Alessandro and Massimo for their excellent ski tutoring, especially as both of our girls were first time skiers.  It also really helped that both instructors spoke excellent English.  Ski lesson over.

SLIPPY SLEDDING FUN

Beside the nursery slope is a great run for sleds.  After the first bend the run splits into two, one run for younger children, and one for older children.  With Matilda sat on Mummy’s knee, they braved the run for the older children!  The sled came down really, really slow…Mummy was too scared and had the brake on the whole way down.  Let the Master of Speed (Daddy) have a go.  Let’s just say I didn’t hold back and poor Matilda screamed the whole way down.  Exhilarating and loads of fun.  We have definitely worked up an appetite!

Oh look, we’ve been overtaken by a snail!

It’s such a beautiful day so outdoor dining seems to be on the cards.  Music fills the air and high in the sky a couple of paraglider’s soar effortlessly, following the ski trails as they descend down the mountain.  The food choice is excellent, pasta for the girls and a huge pork joint for Daddy.  No snow today!

It’s big, it’s meaty and it’s in my belly!

SO THIS IS APRÉS SKI

At the top of Alpe Cermis the music is playing and there’s a real party atmosphere.  Skiers are dancing to The Ketchup Song (otherwise known as Aserejé) and there’s plenty of beer and wine being consumed.  A fire pit burns and it’s a chance to warm our hands.

The girls spot swings and make their way over to them.  The snow is much deeper at the top of Alpe Cermis and Matilda is swallowed whole.  Mummy and Daddy order a drink and relax on the sunloungers as the girls play.  Aside from the music and revellers dancing, it’s such a peaceful spot to take in the panoramic views of the Dolomite mountain range.  For a change, we opt to leave the slopes a little earlier than usual in order to explore the town of Cavalese.

Sunloungers and snow…what a combo

Don’t mind if we do

What do you mean one of us has to push!

IT’S NEVER TOO COLD TO EAT ICE CREAM

During the summer months in Italy, The Callaghan Posse consume lots of ice cream, so why should winter be any different?  A few days earlier Cinzia had mentioned Gelateria Tre Valli just on the outskirts of town, so this was our first port of call.  This establishment is owned and ran by Franco Simonazzi, and what a fantastic character he is.  The decor may be a tad old fashioned but Franco and his staff are extremely welcoming.  Easter Eggs are displayed in full colourful glory.  Once seated we are approached by Lara, our waitress for the day.  Lara’s English is excellent but she explains to us that Franco, the owner and her Uncle, doesn’t speak any English at all.  This doesn’t prevent Franco from attempting to communicate with us with lots of hand and face gestures.  Thankfully Google Translate comes in handy once again.

Easter eggs in all shapes and sizes

From a glance around the room it would appear that the Chocolate Gourmet Fondente is popular and this chocolate feast has Mummy and Daddy’s full attention.  After a short while Lara returns with our order.  A platter of chocolate fondants await; pistachio, amaretto, hazelnut and nougat plus a selection of delightful pastries to dip into the gooey chocolate delights.  It isn’t long before we all began to feel sick.  Our eyes are bigger than our bellies!

A chocoholics dream

FLAMING HECK…WHAT IN THE BLAZES?

All of a sudden the lights go out and Franco appears with a pan of fire!  The flames shoot upwards as he proceeds to fill small cups with this flaming drink.  As Franco didn’t speak English, and we didn’t speak Italian, we had to rely on Lara to explain what was going on.  The drink is called Parampampoli.  It’s a blend of coffee, grappa, wine and caramelized sugar and is really tasty.  Served hot and flambé, Parampampoli instantly warms the soul.

Lara informs us this drink is always best served with friends, and we think Franco has just become our new best friend, what a joyous and lovely man.  It takes us over an hour to leave Franco’s as he insists on taking photos with us and pouring us lots of different drinks, all completely gratis, he refused point blank to accept our money.  Franco even gives our girls little Easter Eggs to take away with them.  Before leaving there were lots of hugs and we also connected with Franco and Lara on Facebook.  We’ve only just left and yet we can’t wait to return.

Forging friendships over a tipple

The evening is drawing in so a quick stroll through the town to take a few snaps.  Most of the shops are closed but  we stumble across a gift shop and our girls are eager to spend their holiday money.  A few souvenirs purchased, and gifts for Nana and Granda, and then it’s back to Aparthotel des Alpes for our evening meal.  As if we could eat anymore after all that chocolate at Franco’s!

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DAY TRIP TO OBEREGGEN (DAY 5)

Obereggen has been on our radar for some time, it almost pipped Alpe Cermis as our destination when we came to booking this ski trip.  It came as a real shock to us to be in Italy and hear everyone speaking German!  Obereggen belongs to the municipality of Deutschnofen.

READ OUR REVIEW OF OBEREGGEN IN THE VAL D’EGA

At the very top of Obereggen is Oberholz Restaurant and Bar, the very reason for our visit today.  For unobstructed views of the UNESCO World Nature Heritage Site of the Dolomites, Oberholz is the perfect place to be.  Three over-sized viewing windows allow you to take in the natural scenery as you dine.

Three windows, three views…spoilt for choice.

Oberholz was a culinary delight but the girls had other things on their minds…tobogganing (that’s sledding to you and I).  Tobogganing was so much fun and one go just wasn’t enough.  Although it was quite late in the day, we still managed to squeeze in three fast runs.  It’s an absolute blast and definitely one of our holiday highlights.

Whether you call it tobogganing or sledding, it’s lots of fun

ON THE SLOPES (DAY 6)

Knowing the girls felt comfortable skiing on their own, we decided against a ski instructor for our final day at Alpe Cermis.  Lily-Belle and Matilda happily rode the rolling carpet to the top of the nursery slope then effortlessly skied down.  Sat at the bottom of the slope, Mummy and Daddy were happy watching, photographing and, every now and then, shouting Pizza, Pizza, Pizza in an attempt to slow our over enthusiastic 3 year old…she was completely fearless.  Nutter!  Before the girls finished skiing for the day we took one last video of them maneuvering through the obstacles.  We felt so proud, from non-skiers to skiers after just two short lessons, and all thanks to the excellent tuition available from Scuola Italiana Sci at Alpe Cermis.

AS SARAH BRIGHTMAN ONCE SANG…TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

Our time at Alpe Cermis had come to an end and it was time to say goodbye.  The week had flown by and the last day came around far too soon for our liking, 6 days just wasn’t long enough.  Goodbye, Ciao, Auf wiedersehen…until the next time.

WOULD WE GO BACK

This is by far the easiest yes we have ever said.  As a family we absolutely amore Italy and from the moment we arrived in Cavalese, we knew it was a special place.  Beautiful town, magnificent mountains, perfect skiing at Alpe Cermis and the loveliest locals you could ever meet.  Our visit was in the Winter but we have absolutely no doubt that this region would be just as spectacular in Spring, Summer and Autumn.  As a family we are really looking forward to returning to Alpe Cermis in the future.  Hopefully the next time we’ll feel cotton soft snowflakes kissing our rosy cheeks.

With a very special thank you to:

Federica Bailoni – for her very warm welcome at Alpe Cermis and excellent hosting

Cinzia Pistoia – for her warmth, friendliness and local recommendations

Alessandro and Massimo – for putting our girls at ease and their excellent ski tuition

Franco and Lara Simonazzi – for newly formed friendships, ice cream and for introducing us to Parampampoli

A heartfelt thank you for making our visit both special and memorable!  We look forward to seeing you all again in the not so distant future.

LILY-BELLE (age 9) SAYS  I really enjoyed Alpe Cermis and skiing.  I think the instructors are brilliant, and they spoke very good English. This was my first time on real snow and I was a bit scared of the bumps (moguls) at first.  I loved the sledding at Obereggen, but I thought I was going to fall off a cliff and die!  The alpine coaster was really cool. Daddy:  Die? Slight exaggeration as there wasn’t even a mountain side anywhere near us, just a beautiful fast twisty run all the way down to the bottom.

MATILDA (age 3) SAYS I really loved skiing so fast and doing it all by myself and I liked going up the carpet to the top of the hill.  I didn’t like Mummy wetting my bum in the toilets, she’s so mean!  Mummy, why did you even do that? (shouting at Mummy).  Can we go back and get another ice cream at the Fanjo’s shop?  Yuuuuuuuummy! Daddy:  For those of you who are in doubt, Fanjo’s is in fact Franco’s Gelateria.

Travel Itinerary and Costs

Travel Dates:  21st – 27th March 2018 Flights (2 A + 2 C):  Ryanair – Belfast to Milan Bergamo – £152.00 (plus £30.00 for 1 x 20kg checked bag) Car Hire:  Firefly – €59.22 for 7 days (plus €350.00 refundable security deposit) Accommodation:  Aparthotel des Alpes – €668.29 (plus €150.00 refundable security deposit) Scuola Italiana Sci:  Private lessons €40.00 (1st child) + €15.00 (2nd child) – lesson duration 1 hour Pedestrian Lift Pass (Alpe Cermis summit):  €16.00 (adults) and €10.50 (children) Rolling Carpet Ski Pass (Lily-Belle and Matilda):  €5.00 each

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Information, currency and prices are correct at the time of publishing. Views, opinions and experiences are that of The Callaghan Posse and are correct at the time of publication. Photos, unless credited below, taken by The Callaghan Posse for use and distribution by Around The World In 18 Years.

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ALPE CERMIS: DIAMOND OF THE DOLOMITES ALPE CERMIS Winter or Summer holiday, which do you prefer?  Our family has mixed views when it comes to the type of holiday we take. 

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Summer is starting to feel like a distant dream. Getting up in the morning is more and more of a chore. Fear not, it may simply be time for a quick break to turbocharge your Autumn/ Winter. Europe offers visitors an exciting array of possible sights, tastes, and experiences. Plus, there’s plenty of great coffee to keep busy travellers perky during their break. 

Venice for Coffee Lovers

The City

The Grand Canal in the winter sunlight, Venice

Cities may style themselves ‘the Venice of the North’ etc. However, there’s only one Venice. Even better, it’s a jewel that really sparkles during the cooler season. As the summer sun fades, watch as the city becomes ephemeral. With the sun hanging low in the sky, its buildings cast their reflections deep into its many canals. Wander through the maze of backstreets and hidden alleys before taking a ferry out to the glass-producing island of Murano. The workshops, cool bars, and restaurants there easily merit a full day of exploration.

Window displays to brighten a winter’s evening

The Coffee 

Coffee and cake at a cost, Caffè Florian

It’s hardly surprising that the Venetians, the quintessential Mediterranean traders, all but introduced coffee to Europe. Caffè Florian in Piazza San Marco is, in fact, the world’s oldest coffee shop. Although it’s not a cheap cup of coffee (€23 with a cake), expect waiters in full suits and service on silver trays. With much of its original decor still intact, patrons will feel as if they’re re-entering the 18th century as they pass through its doors.

The Practicalities 

Venice Marco Polo Airport has links to Italian, European and US airports. Water taxis will take travellers straight to Piazzale Roma. From there they can move on to other places in the city. High-speed trains connect the city to Italian destinations such as Milan, Florence, and Rome. Book in advance on the Trenitalia website. Sadly, costs are higher in the city due to its unique transport system (vaporetti). Also, Venice is a tourist honeypot with clear consequences for the wallet. However, it’s possible to find good accommodation deals on booking.com and Airbnb. Get more ideas for your break in Venice by following this link.

Copenhagen for Coffee Lovers

The City

The colours of Nyhavn in Copenhagen, Denmark

What Copenhagen lacks in light and heat, it more than makes up for in vibrancy and human warmth. ‘Hygge’, broadly translated as ‘cosy’ for English speakers, defines this northern city. Head to the busy port area of Nyhavn to channel your inner Dane before setting off to explore more of Copenhagen. Art lovers shouldn’t miss the Carlsberg Glyptotek and its fine winter garden. It’s a warm place on a cold day. Finally, children of all ages will love the winter wonderland feel of Tivoli around Christmas.

The lights of Tivoli at Christmas, Copenhagen

The Coffee

The Coffee Collective at Jaergersborgade is a legend in coffee. Yes, it’s busy and can feel somewhat commercial. However, there’s a reason for this- the care and attention poured into every cup of coffee. Some customers may prefer more sophisticated drinks using filter methods such as Aeropress or V60. Others will simply want a plain espresso. Regardless, they’ll almost always get a great cup of coffee.

The Practicalities

Copenhagen Airport at Kastrup is on an island just outside the city. It’s a short train ride to the central train station. The metro system covers most of the main areas of Copenhagen. This means that it’s quite easy to get around. Like its Scandinavian neighbours, Denmark isn’t exactly a budget destination. However, Wake Up Copenhagen mostly receives top reviews from travellers. More to the point, it shouldn’t break the bank!

Winter garden at Carlsberg Glyptotek

Paris for Coffee Lovers

The City

The Eiffel Tower from the ground, Paris

If there’s one city in Europe that everyone should visit, it must be Paris. First, savour the old world ambience in the winding streets around Montmartre. Then, brave the tourist mayhem at The Eiffel Tower. Flea markets, palaces, world-famous art museums- Paris has literally got it all. Yet, its greatest joys are often found in those overlooked spots like Parc des Buttes-Chaumont.  To tell the truth, this city needs a lifetime of exploration.

The Coffee 

La Caféthèque led the coffee revolution in Paris

Coffee is a mainstay of French life. Much like Italy, locals pack the local cafés in the morning and down their espressos with gusto. Of course, French people can be conservative about their coffee. Yet, there’s now a burgeoning Third Wave scene. True aficionados shouldn’t miss favourites such La Caféthèque and Café Lomi. Follow this link to learn more about the coffee scene in Paris.

The Practicalities

Most visitors will arrive at one of the city’s three main airports (Charles de Gaulle, Orly or Beauvais). Regular trains and buses transport travellers directly into the city centre. Those coming from London or Brussels have the additional option of taking the Eurostar train to Paris Gare du Nord. In terms of accommodation, travellers should think carefully about the area where they want to stay. Montmartre offers authentic charm while Le Marais is central, lively and bustling. Regyn’s in Montmartre is a good option for budget-conscious travellers.

View across the city from the Eiffel Tower

  London for Coffee Lovers

The City

114 Tottenham Court Road, London

At first sight, it may lack the grandeur of its cross-channel rival. Add in a transport system that seems to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Yet, despite its failings, London is an energetic city that showcases up-to-the-minute coolness. Take a walk along the Thames in Southwark. London Bridge is no longer falling down and foodies will adore the hip places to eat and drink in the area.  Also, the district around Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street is unmissable. Think bookshops, boutiques, Indian restaurants and The British Museum (free). You’ll hardly believe that there can be just so much to see, do and eat. Vibrant, thy name is London!

The Coffee

Food and coffee at 114 Tottenham Court Road

The scent of freshly brewed coffee fills the air while The Rolling Stones’ Hot Rocks album plays in the background. However, the real soundtrack is the whirring of the latest Italian espresso machine, accompanied by the regular beats of the barista’s portafilter from behind the bar. Welcome to 114 Tottenham Court Road. This coffee shop personifies the coffee scene in London. It sells a selection of single estate coffees from far-flung countries like Kenya, Ethiopia and Guatemala. Needless to say, this is a great spot for coffee lovers who want a break from their London adventure.

The Practicalities

After a lifetime of travel in over forty countries, it wasn’t until I visited London in September 2017 that I had this experience. The train from Stansted stopped in the middle of nowhere. Then, a voice announced that there was a delay because ‘someone is removing their cow from the line’. The Germans in the carriage around me laughed cruelly.

Travellers should constantly check the TFL (Transport for London) website. This is particularly true on Sundays when they close busy lines for maintenance. Many may find London’s airports ugly and grubby, but there are quite a few of them to choose from. Here’s looking at you- Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, London City and Luton.  London doesn’t have the reputation of being a cheap city. However, budget-conscious travellers should check out the Indian YMCA. This hostel offers great value in a central location.

Milan for Coffee Lovers

The City

View of the roof at Milan Cathedral at sunset

Milan may not possess the immediate appeal of other Italian cities. That being said, it now exhibits a newfound confidence following its recent Expo. Also, the city increasingly packs a punch in terms of its tourist offering. Visiting the roof of Milan Cathedral is an experience that won’t be quickly forgotten. Due to the crowds, book in advance here. Walk through Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II to Piazza della Scala, home to the world-famous opera house. Via Verde, the street running along beside Teatro alla Scala, leads into the Brera district. Once there, explore the warren of streets filled with old world boutiques. Make sure to finish the day at 10 Corso Como, a café meets art shop. It’s the epitome of style. Looking for something quieter? No problem. Click here to take a trip to one of the Italian lakes.

10 Corso Como is a stylish spot

The Coffee 

Located in a verdant residential neighbourhood, Orso Nero is a café for true coffee lovers. The brainchild of a Canadian expat and his Italian wife, its look is sleek and simple. Yet, with products sourced from top Italian roasters, the coffee is often spectacular. Coffee drinkers will go crazy for the fruity African filtered coffees, while those who want to drink Italian-style in Italy won’t be disappointed either. Although its location may be a little challenging to find, it’s worth seeking out Orso Nero on any trip to Milan.

The Practicalities

Malpensa, Linate and Bergamo are the three main airports that serve Milan. Travellers arriving at Malpensa can take direct train services to either Stazione Cadorna or Stazione Centrale. There are buses to the city centre from Linate and to Centrale from Bergamo. The city has invested in its Metro system, which now covers most destinations of interest within the city. A day ticket covering all transport in Milan costs €4.50. As for accommodation, it’s best to avoid the area around the Central Station. Ostello Bello, near the centre of the city, receives good reviews and offers great value rooms.

View towards La Scala in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan

Dublin for Coffee Lovers

The City

A corner of central Dublin, Ireland

Dublin has been at the forefront of every change in Ireland over the last forty years. That’s a lot of change! Yes, Dublin can be expensive and exasperating, but it’s rarely dull. Seek out its lesser-known haunts like the gardens of Dublin Castle (free) or the Chester Beatty Library (also free). Regarding the latter, the Lonely Planet describes it as one of Europe’s best museums. Temple Bar is now totally passé. Instead, in-the-know visitors head to the city’s burgeoning Cultural Quarter. For your information, it’s between George’s Street and Grafton Street. Foodies of all ages will love Murphy’s Ice Cream. Meanwhile, the bar in the Central Hotel has a cosy retro feel that even Copenhagen would envy.

Even the cows approve of Murphy’s Ice Cream

Tired of the bustle of the city centre? Dart out to Howth for a walk with views of the city, Dublin Bay, and the mountains. Dublin may be damp at times, but it’s always fun! Indeed, don’t let Irish weather put you off visiting. These ‘Rainy Day Dublin’ recommendations provide solutions to Ireland’s leaky roof problem.

Shabby chic meets Irish ‘hygge‘ at the Central Bar

The Coffee 

Dublin hosted the 2016 World of Coffee Championships. This sums it up! The Irish spoof news website, Waterford Whispers, often mocks the current obsession with coffee. Articles include Coffee Shops to Outnumber People By 2025 or an expletive-filled review of a coffee bought at a petrol station. 3fe fathered the Third Wave tsunami that hit Dublin and it’s a 15-minute walk from Trinity College. Visitors who prefer to stay in the centre should check out the Tasting Menu (book in advance) at Vice in Middle Abbey Street. The award-winning Brother Hubbard North in nearby Capel Street combines coffee and fabulous food. Ireland may soon introduce Scandinavian-style alcohol restrictions. This could be the perfect time to join Dubliners of all races, nationalities, and creeds in their new mania- coffee!

The Practicalities

The transport situation is improving, particularly since the introduction of the tram system (Luas). City destinations along the coast are usually within walking distance of a DART (train) station. However, there’s still progress to be made. Despite years of talking, politicians have yet to build a rail link to the airport. Therefore, travellers arriving by plane reach the city by bus, coach or taxi. One advantage of Dublin is that many of its sights are in the compact city centre.

Unfortunately, it’s not a cheap city, for visitors and locals alike. Travellers should shop around when looking for a place to stay. Book in advance!

Have you any great tips for off-season travel? Is there a coffee shop everyone should know? Leave a comment below or send your story to me by email at Unlatinoverde@gmail.com. 

Next Post: Monday, October 16th, 2017

10 Corso Como is a stylish spot

View towards La Scala in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan

Coffee and cake at a cost, Caffè Florian

The coffee lover’s guide to off-season European city breaks Summer is starting to feel like a distant dream. Getting up in the morning is more and more of a chore.

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Ryanair Fights With Booking Sites Even as It Tries to Imitate Them

Ryanair is in talks with Norwegian to sell Norwegian's flights, and wants to do the same with other airlines that fly to the Americas. Norwegian Air

Skift Take: Ryanair has little hope of becoming a Booking.com or Expedia but it could find new revenue streams if it convinces other airlines to enable it to sell their flights on Ryanair's sites.

— Patrick Whyte

Ryanair doesn’t love online travel agencies. It tolerates them, and is once again going after them.

But, in a twist and in a bid to become more comprehensive, the Irish airline is taking steps, online travel agency-like, to convince other airlines to allow their flights to be sold on Ryanair sites.

Over the years the Irish airline has been embroiled in all manner of arguments with various companies, including eDreams Odigeo and Google, for abetting the practice it hates most: screen-scraping. That’s a practice where third-party websites lift information from an airline website, for example, without any sort of cooperative technical integration or contract.

At the same time, Ryanair has been touting itself as the “Amazon of air travel” in an attempt to try and wrestle back some of the control airlines have handed to travel’s middlemen by becoming one itself.

The company’s chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs, has been at the forefront of many of the changes that have taken place at the company since joining in 2014.

He believes that airlines and the hotels missed the opportunity offered by the Internet back in the 1990s and 2000s, allowing online travel agencies, to seize the advantage. Now, he says it is time to fight back.

“I mean what does an OTA do other than put it all in front of you? And all we’re going to do is put it all in front of you and the advantage we’ll have is we have an incredible amount of visits and the advantage we have is it starts with the flight,” he told Skift.

“Because when you are that person in San Francisco thinking ‘I want to do a bit of a tour of Europe,’ you think of how do I get there. The travel equation starts with the airline. So If you’re an airline who sells everything, you have a good chance of getting those people.”

Ryanair has talked before about selling other airlines’ flights but recently took a step closer to achieving this when it began talks with Norwegian late last year. At some point in the near future, it looks like customers will be able to book a transatlantic flight on Ryanair.com — flights that are not operated by Ryanair, which doesn’t fly to the Americas.

“I would love people be able to come in and book … Boston, Bogota on the Ryanair website. I would love people be able to book cruise ships, camp sites. Hotels is an obvious one: We have that; holidays is an obvious one: we have that. But pretty much other airlines, all other airlines fares, we’re quite happy to share them,” said Jacobs.

He added: “When we start doing connecting flights with Norwegian and Aer Lingus  I want an American to come onto the Ryanair website… and book San Francisco to JFK with an American airline; book JFK to Dublin with Aer Lingus and Dublin to Bergamo with Ryanair; and Bergamo to Berlin with Ryanair, and do all that from the one website on the one booking reference. Add the hotels, add everything else that you want to book.”

It is easy to see why Ryanair might be keen to add further revenue streams. Last year, Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said that tickets years from now might be free with money made from sharing airport revenues.

Ancillary revenues, including everything beyond the actual ticket, make up about 24 percent, or $1.7 billion (€1.6 billion), of Ryanair’s 2016 revenue. That figure is an increase of 12.5 percent compared with 2015 revenue.

Taking on the competition

To further its ambitions, Ryanair is not afraid to take on the competition.

It recently revoked Momondo’s licence and is embroiled in disputes with smaller online travel agencies, including both Lastminute.com Group and On The Beach.

“The Group is one of several online travel agents involved in litigation with Ryanair in connection with Ryanair’s efforts to prevent OTAs from booking and selling its flights,” said On the Beach in its most recent annual report, before adding, “Litigation is unpredictable and if Ryanair were to prevail, this could have a material impact on the Group’s business.”

Lastminute.com Group’s disputes are more extensive and concern a number companies in different jurisdictions. In two of these cases, Lastminute.com noted: “the likelihood of success for Ryanair Ltd is remote.”

Ryanair has also said it planned to sue Expedia. When the story was first reported by The Times of London, no details were given, but Jacobs has now expanded on the reasons behind the disagreement.

“We are suing Expedia at the moment because they’re scraping, they’re not using our licensed API [application programing interface] and we’re saying to Expedia, use our licensed API. You’ll get our full inventory, you can show our full inventory, you will be a partner of ours but you’re using our licensed API and it comes with a hefty charge of one euro no matter how many bookings for the full year. It’s basically for free. We want them to use the API,” Jacobs said.

Skift contacted Expedia. A spokesperson declined to comment specifically on the litigation but said: “We believe the best way to empower that customer choice is through a transparent marketplace with as many options as possible.”

When Ryanair rejoined the global distribution systems after a gap of a decade it looked like the end of the war with third parties but in truth hostilities have never ended. That might be because while Ryanair is happy to sign deals and relinquish some of its fares, it holds back its three lowest categories.

“We work with a number of GDS providers, who access our inventory in an agreed and legitimate manner, and we trust that our partners do not authorise any collaboration with [online travel agencies] to mis-sell our flights,” the airline said.

Although Ryanair also grants licenses to some metasearch sites such as Skyscanner for comparison purposes, this to could be heading for problems should any decide move into the realm of instant booking.

Online travel agencies see Ryanair’s aggressive tactics as an attempt to limit consumer choice, while Ryanair says the online travel agencies simply aren’t sticking to the rules. This argument is going to run and run.