By the time we made it to Italy, I was feeling a little weary and completely incapable of blogging. We had been travelling for five weeks and whilst Rome is an amazing place to sightsee and to explore rich history, we had to take it easy.
Each day, we chose one sight to see and the rest of the day was all about enjoying Rome’s culinary delights. We spent hours wandering cobbled streets discovering delightful cafes, pizzerias and gelato shops.
Spoilt for choice, there was zero disappointment…..
Fungi Pizza – So simple but incredibly delicious with a thin crunchy base. Each bite was a sensation.Tomato gnocchi (and four cheese gnocchi in the background) – presented in the pan it is cooked in, this gnocchi melted in your mouth. Little fluffy clouds in rich creamy sauces – yum!Pesto Pasta – little worms of pure bliss, I loved every mouthful. Rich basil and olive oil flavour perfectly paired with roasted cherry tomatoes. Light in size but perfectly satisfying. Cannelloni – a forgotten pasta but certainly back on my radar. Strong meaty flavours balanced with tomato and Parmesan cheese.Tiramisu – a traditional Italian favourite. Ladyfingers dipped in coffee then covered in whipped mascarpone and cream. Perfecto.Gelato – who doesn’t love gelato? A sweet and naughty treat. Perfect…even in the middle of winter!Best coffee of the trip – Rome airport!
Tonight the Travel Bees are exhausted. Driving down off the mountain we had two sleepy Bees in the backseat. I think we had all forgotten quite how tired you get skiing/boarding and how tough the late afternoon can get!
Our day started with a flurry of activity as everyone got their ski gear on and we gathered the required puffers, masks, hats and neck warmers. We piled into the car and started our half hour journey from Mansfield to Mt Buller.
After passing the toll gate, we started the road up the mountain complete with zig zags, hairpin bends and narrow corners. I had completely forgotten about this part of skiing! I am a nervous passenger at any time but this was next level and took me back to the days of Mt Hutt and The Remarkables travelling by bus (NZ). Those were truly terrifying trips.
The weirdest part about the journey up today was the gum tree lined road with signs to look out for wombats and koalas. It just felt a bit wrong to me! There was one other glaring fact…… there was no snow! Master 15 was getting rather distressed in the backseat comparing it to our trip to Japan where there was snow piled beside the road miles and miles from the ski field. It wasn’t until a few turns before the carpark that we saw our first glimpses of snow.
We needn’t of worried. Once we were up on the mountain and at the lifts, it was clear there was plenty of snow………and plenty of people! This season is in fact one of the best for snow in recent years. This combined with Covid has lead to the busiest season ever according to staff at our ski hire.
Bourke Street – Mt Buller
We are travelling with another family who are very experienced with Mt Buller. They kindly took it upon themselves this morning to show us around. The teenagers went off in one direction (not seen until several hours later) and the rest of us headed for the main Bourke Street run.
Okay…… I may have gone to the magic carpet…… but only for one run before realising I actually don’t need to do that anymore….. Hooray!
Miss and Mrs Travel Bee
And so, it was a full day complete with friends, thrills and spills. Not surprisingly, the scheduled dinner at the pub had to be postponed (due to lack of energy) in favour of pizza at home in the AirBnB.
There are a few aches and pains tonight as our bodies remember the muscles needed on the mountain. There is also a pretty sore bottom for one of our snowboarders!
The Travel Bee 