Seriously, no matter where we go we seem to find adventure. Or maybe adventure finds us. Either way, today was most definitely an adventure. We left our mountain house to head further up the mountain to find snow and a good sledding area. We were told that it would be a thirty minute drive. But remember, we are in Italy. Signs are horrid and most places (especially in the mountains) are a challenge to find. After driving up the mountain, then down the mountain, then up once again, we finally found the suggested sledding area. We were told that it would be a thirty minute walk from the parking lot . . . We get out of the car, put on our snow gear, put the kids on the sleds and started pulling them up the incline.
UP
UP
AND UP SOME MORE!
After forty-five minutes of walking straight up the steep mountain while pulling the girls on the sled and Gabriel walking and grabbing snow to throw in the air and shouting, “It’s snowing!” we reached a little brown sign. The sign simply stated that the baita that we were heading towards was fifteen minutes away. Fifteen minutes by car or by foot? Hmm… Let’s keep walking. After fifteen minutes of walking at our slow pace (remember, we were pulling sleds with children up a steep mountain side) we decided it wasn’t worth it. The kids were cold and we were exhausted! So I took the girls and ran down the mountain, spurred on by their squeals and shouts of glee. I slipped and fell a number of times; I think I have pulled something in my leg and bruised my bum. Yet it was worth it.
Our half-an-hour walk to the sledding hill (that we had no idea would be entirely up a steep mountain experience) turned into an hour and a half of vigorous exercise in 1°C temps. The whole way up I kept asking myself what we were doing and why. The answer? . . . We were trying to let our children experience the snowy mountains one more time since soon we will be living on a tropical island.
Experience the snowy mountains they surely did!
The video and pictures speak for themselves . . .
The Cortes Odyssey 