10
TRAVEL
december 2023
www.mybracknell.co.uk
Taking to the slopes – a holiday on the piste BY JACKY HAYLER
F
or me a skiing holiday was never really on my radar – I liked a week of sunbathing and plopping in a pool. So why would I want to get freezing cold while falling down some mountains? But as the kids grew up, we decided it would be nice to all have the opportunity. Slovenia was an up-and-coming destination, so we booked the learnto-ski package, bought some salopettes and we were off. After flying into the capital of Ljubljana, we got to the resort of Kranjska Gora, checked in to our hotel and headed off to be fitted for our skis. With snow two feet deep in some places it was hard enough to walk but once we had our skis, helmets and boots it was nigh on impossible. Carrying our own and the kids, we got back to our hotel, shoved everything in our lockers and that was it for the day. The next morning, we hit the slopes eager to learn. The children were booked into a ski school while we joined an adult group. Side-stepping up the slope got very boring very quickly so we were thrilled when we were upgraded to a moving conveyer belt that transported you up to the top. A quick snow plough down and we were back on the conveyer belt again. Although progress was slow, we hadn’t had any falls, so I took that as a win. Before returning to our hotel, we frequented the chalets on the slopes for a glass of mulled wine and hot chocolate for the kids – oh the joys of après ski. We also discovered a yellow drink called bombadino which quickly became our favourite tipple. And it was funny how much better our skiing was in the afternoons after a quick visit to the chalets at lunchtime!
Back at the hotel, we relaxed in the indoor swimming pool and soothed aching muscles in the jacuzzi. There was plenty to do besides skiing – you could go for a sedate horse-drawn carriage ride or rent snow mobiles for a more adrenalin-fuelled journey. There were fondue evenings on offer or you
could simply wander around the picturesque streets of the town. We ventured out one afternoon to the beautiful Lake Bled, frozen solid and stunningly beautiful where the tiny, tear-shaped island beckons from the shore, home to the Church of the Assumption and a small museum. Our week quickly followed a similar pattern as we progressed on to the drag lift and a little higher up the slope. Happy with our progress we bravely tackled a few different runs but never made it passed the green ones. The kids however were whizzing up and down with no fear at all – so for all of us it quickly became a favourite holiday option. With friends living in Canada our second ski destination was Banff and the resorts of Sunshine and Lake Louise. This was a different proposition altogether. Gondolas took you high into the mountains and the runs were much wider, much longer and much emptier than
anything we had experienced in Europe. Although a little rusty, once we had found our groove, and with the encouragement of our friends, we quickly progressed onto blue runs and even attempted a red. The gondola lifts gave aching muscles a little reprieve but as we approached the top and you knew you had to get off, there was always the fear you would crash or fall over, forcing the whole lift system to grind to a halt. In Canada, a beer and nachos were our lunch of choice, overlooked by a moose head in the rustic restaurant. We visited the Fairmont Chateau in Lake Louise and marvelled at an ice sculpture exhibition and explored the turquoise glacier-fed lake. After skiing, a walk round Banff was a joy, browsing in shops with the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. Dinner was a giant steak listening to country music in jeans and checked flannel shirt – we were in cowboy country so when in Rome… We will probably never venture onto red runs again and certainly never attempt a black run – but for us, skiing is a great holiday to do with family and friends.
Creative contest: Design a climate poster for a chance to win!
W
okingham Borough Libraries calls for young residents to enter a climate footprint poster contest. The prize is a £20 book voucher. Entrants should submit their A4 posters, with their name, age, and a parent’s email on it, to their local library by December 22nd. Winners will be eagerly awaited and good luck is wished to all.
