Take Me Away to the Via Lattea!

Postcards from our passing 2015 winter

Colle Bergia- Claviere Peak

Though the sounds, smell, and feel of spring are thick in the air, I am just not quite ready to leave this winter wonderland  beauty behind. Having lived and worked in a Colorado ski resort area for many years, when we got to March and April spring's warmth and promise of summer to come would be vaguely in the air, when it wasn't buried under a ton of snow. I found it was such a beautiful time of the year and a wonderful time to ski. Normally that time also coincided with it being our busiest time of the year, so it is nice to enjoy the beauty of winter here in our Italian alps with out all the stress of mass producing loads of bakery products. Instead I am working on my home production of new foods and ideas for our coming season of guests and "Cooking Together" classes. 
Nice change indeed. 

Fabrizio in Claviere and Marla in Mongenèvre 

Fabrizio and I managed to pull ourselves away form our endless projects, got up early and treated our selves to a day on the Via Lattea.  The "Vialattea, Sciare senza confini "which translates as the "Milky Way, skiing without borders" is the largest interconnected ski areas in Europe. 

The Alps stretching out before us from the top of Claviere ski area

It unites 7 ski areas, two of which, Pragelato and Sestriere, are at the top of our Chisone valley, and goes up and over to the Susa valley that runs parallel to us over the mountain behind us and included in these Olympic venues of 2006, is also Mongenèvre in France. So we headed up and over the top of our valley to Claviere and skied in two countries in one day, Italy in the morning and late afternoon and France for top of the hill skiing, with lunch on the deck in France on a clear blue sky kind of day, ooh, la la!

Please note that all the food is served on real plates, cutlery, and glass water bottle. Very Nice!

La Baita --note the name, a mountain house or chalet

A little chalet right on the ski piste

We usually ski across the way at Prali one of our most favorite and closest to home above tree line ski areas, and Sestriere being the next closest. We are close enough for a great day out skiing, but if you are planning a ski holiday where you will ski every day, you would want to be much closer to the slopes than where we are located. Guests at Christmas time have often spent a few days skiing and other days doing other activities, like snow shoeing, site seeing,  cooking or shopping. 

Mighty Mt Chamberton

 It's a great thing living so close to the ski areas, but not right in them. I love that we are moving in to t spring. the primula are poking their heads out of the snow and the birds are singing their little hearts out as well.  I heard a woodpecker today making a bit of racket after all of this white winter quiet. It is nice to revisit and it nice to know that spring is surely on its way, but just for today, we'll enjoy this winters wonderland.