Skiing... Skiing... Skiing... And Eating!!!

In winter the ski week has been a must for years here at my house... forget the seaside... winter is made for enjoying snow sports, for staying warm by a cosy fireplace in one of the many chalets in the middle of the ski slopes or in a splendid hotel. This year my choice fell on Val Gardena... in South Tyrol... after spending several years in Trentino I wanted to try going further up... and I must say that either way it's always a spectacle. The Dolomites are truly beautiful... every year when I see them they enchant me as if it were the first time. Ortisei is really a lovely little spot because those who don't ski have plenty of opportunities to keep busy. It has a nice pedestrian area full of shops, bars, wine bars etc.... plus there's a large complex that houses an indoor pool and more than one outdoor pool...

in the latter the water is obviously piping hot and you relax to the max..... what's more, in this complex you can have massages, saunas, Turkish baths etc....! Don't even think about skipping the bakery in the centre of Ortisei.....you'll come away with all sorts... wine, polenta, pasta of every kind, canederli (the typical huge dumplings), pizza, oil.....in short, you'll spend a fortune because there are things to eat that I defy anyone not to eat! Well....let's move on to the skiing....you can ski on both sides of the Ortisei valley.... on ALPE DI SIUSI, where there are many slopes, I must say... very well groomed and very, very wide... plus the ski lifts are new and fast... I'd recommend this side for anyone who has to learn to ski...

my boyfriend learned in no time thanks to the lots of space he had available and the very helpful ski instructors.........or you can ski on the other side, on SECEDA, where the slopes are harder and from where you can access the famous SELLA RONDA of the DOLOMITI SUPERSKI.....so recommended for expert skiers and for those who want to spend the whole blessed day on skis....like me! I want to point out that both sides, and therefore both ski resorts, can be reached thanks to cable cars that start right from the centre of the town, so you'll forget your car for the whole week since everything is truly within reach... I want to point out that I was staying at the HOTEL MARIA, located in the centre in the pedestrian area: very nice, lovely rooms, clean, the food is good and the staff are friendly and helpful! BYE!