I hope you’re ready for an extra long blog this week, you might need to go and get a cuppa before you settle in to read it.
It’s been a very exciting few days for The Doré family. Our chief Doré (AKA Chris) has had a big birthday. The big five oh. The fabulous 50!
It started with a meal out with friends which was absolutely wonderful.
Chris and Mike have been friends for over 30 years and Michelle, his wife and I have been friends for 23.
Our children have been friends since their births, so Thursday night was a wonderful celebration as well as being wholly nostalgic. How many times have we sat round that same table dining in that same restaurant, only now the children are all grown up and simply the best humans beings I know.
Dress from Primark, Tights from Tesco, Shoes from Christian Dior.
It was such a great night, I love time spent with all these people. I feel very privileged that we got to share Chris’s big birthday together, especially as it was a bit touch a go if Sam could get there. He, Milly and Zak were meant to come up for it but Zak went down with a shocking chest infection, so the last thing he wanted or needed was to be dragged around the country. Thankfully Sam was able to come at least, even if it was heart breaking it wasn’t the fullest full house we had hoped for. Zak is now slowly on the mend thank God. Poor baby.
Huge thank to our friends for such an amazing night and memories to treasure.
Then Saturday, early (3am starts are not my forte) we drove round to Gatwick for our very exciting birthday piste bash!
Chris, Ben, Kaitlyn and I headed to Obergurgl in Austria. Now I’ve been on 5 ski holidays and have never skied.
I spa, I walk, I read, I strudel, I indulge in hot chocolate, despite and in spite of the fact it gives me gut ache.
This resort, this hotel is the best we’ve ever stayed in.
We’ve stayed in Saalbach, Austria a few times and Sierra Nevada, Spain a few times (ghastly place for non skiers - never again for me thanks). But this hotel here in Obergurgl is fantastic.
I’m a non skier. So I need a good spa and this place has delivered. I’ve had some wonderfully relaxing treatments so far.
I may not ski but I love snow. It’s so breathtakingly beautiful here.
Packing for a ski holiday when you don’t ski can be a challenge, I like to look the part even if I can’t join in the ski bit.
The most important part of my packing routine is bringing enough colostomy supplies.
I have had an unfortunate experience on one ski holiday where I only brought 14 bags for a seven night holiday, you’d think that would have been enough but I wanted a clean bag for swimming, for the massages and for dinner in the evening etc. I found I had to restrict my activities which is a bit annoying.
This time I have brought 30 bags with me. And I feel free to do what I want, when I want. A plentiful supply of bags has given me freedom.
Arriving in Innsbruck…
I’m sure you will enjoy my latest misadventure.
Chris wanted to actually ski on his 50th birthday, so we collected all the equipment from the ski hire place.
Kaitlyn didn’t want to ski as she wanted lessons the next day, so we both went up by gondola, with plans to return the same way.
We were sitting at the top of the mountain having a lovely hot chocolate (me) and gluwein ( Kaitlyn) when we noticed the gondolas had stopped running. But there were some a bit further down the hill still going, so we ran (of sorts to get it, it was very slippery).
We got in one only to realise that they weren’t actually going back down the mountain but in fact being put to bed in the night shelter. We quickly got off. Then spent some considerable time at the top of a very cold, darkening mountain, wondering how the hell we were go to get off it. Then we saw a German lady walking so we asked her if it was possible to walk down and she said yes...this was not strictly true...we attempted to walk but for the most part, I mostly but Kaitlyn too, came toppling down the mountain on a combination of our feet, knees, hands and knees (yes, you heard right, I came down at one point on all fours, sliding on my hands and knees down the mountain side) back and for me personally my belly!! I can assure you you have never seen anything quite as graceful as a grandmother sliding down a mountain on her back like an upturned turtle!! Can you imagine what we must have looked like! Hahahahaha
I can also reiterate that should you happen to follow our route down then you’d be wise to adhere to the old adage “never eat yellow snow!” (Must work on pelvic floor! Don’t judge me!! My innards have birthed two children one of whom was 9lb 2!, I’ve had pelvic surgery and radiation…walk a mile in my shoes and then turn your nose up, or in this case slide a kilometre on your back and then judge! Hahahahaha hahahahaha).
I have never laughed so much in all my life than I did whilst speeding down a mountain arms and legs akimbo on my back and belly. Who needs skis when you have a back. The reason there’s no further footage than this... our phones switched off up there due to the cold.
You should have heard and seen us, screaming with laughter, hurtling down a blue ski run.
I can thoroughly recommend it, It’s very good for refreshing the soul and lifting your spirits.
Back home to the hotel for a hot bath and a clothes change. Perfect day out, great start to the holiday! Hahahahaha
Top from French Connection (TK Maxx), Leggings from Topshop, Boots from Russell and Bromley.
One of the best things about snow holidays is the clothes, I love an apres ski outfit even though I don’t do the ski bit first, or the drinking bit come to that. Hahahahaha
While the others ski I go for walks in the mornings and on one of my walks on the second day here I found a little baby ski slope, totally unused (we’re in off season, because we’re so high up here the season starts early but the big crowds don’t start arriving till further into December).
I don’t ski, I tried it once at the snow dome in England, I booked a 2 hour lesson, I lasted 11 minutes, 7 of which I spent on the floor!! I gave up there and then and vowed to never ski again.
But then I kept thinking about that little empty ski slope, so perfect and hidden away, and the fact that I had fallen over a kilometre down a mountain the night before gave me a sudden boldness.
Could I try? Should I try? Would I try? I assumed no to all of the above questions but it niggled at me. So I asked a very shocked Chris to hire me some stuff and teach me.
Shocked as he was, and in fairness I’m still in shock that I requested it, he kindly obliged.
I can’t say I enjoyed day 1. God it’s painful. I fell and fell and at one point fell over and my elbow got wedge under a travelator, it is now a very black swollen elbow, I have a collection of bruises of varies colours and shades, was it worth it? …no idea! Hahahahaha.
After a considerable amount of practice and falling. I decided to pack it in for the day and head up to the mountain top on my very capable feet.
For hot chocolate an mountain views.
Then we headed back to the hotel pool. I am perfectly happy to wear a bikini by a pool. I have no problem with my body, it’s bigger than I’d prefer but let’s face it, the weight we carry on the outside is a choice, if I was that unhappy I’d work a lot harder to be thinner.
I’m very lucky to be happy with what I see in the mirror. I count my blessings where I can and being at peace with the outside is definitely a blessing.
I think my boldness to wear a bikini helps others feel they could do the same, and not just bagged women, but the plumper ones like me can see that it’s ok too. One does not burst into flames simply because we aren’t built like a super model.
I saw on Twitter the other day a poster that was made for Iceland (the country, not the shop) or some Scandi country, I can’t remember which one it was now. Anyway it was a public information poster.
To start with I thought oh that’s a great idea as it explained what a colostomy bag was and why the person might need it, but the last line sent a shiver down my spine, it said something like “at no point is your health at risk to be near or in a swimming pool with this person”.
…errr, exsqueeze me????
Never, NEVER has it ever occurred to me that anyone would ever worry that it was!! Never at any point did I ever think that others might view me as a threat to public health!
I can take the stares, that’s simply just curiosity, I’m a nosey old bag myself so I’m bound to have a look see at something different.
But to think that people might be concerned their health is at risk because of my bag!!? Nah mate, that’s unacceptable!!
In fact I’d go as far to say that I wouldn’t bother to inform them that they are perfectly safe, I think I’d prefer them to be sitting there in misery and in fear due to their own stupidity! I can accept ignorance, lack of knowledge is absolutely fine, but not stupidity.
On what planet would someone think that a medically devised device would be medically ok-ed if it posed a health risk to others?!? And how daft do you have to be to even think that!? And might I add what a weirdo they are if the first thought they have about someone else’s stoma is for their own well being!
I’m all for people being educated about stomas but that really bugged me. Of course my colostomy bag is not a danger to others…well maybe at bag change time, sometimes that makes me want to retch. In fairness to me though, some of that poo has been sitting in there for 24 hours, it’s unlikely to smell of flowers and fresh linen, and might I point out that bag change odour still isn’t a public health risk!
This literally is living the dream…and the world is safe from me. Hahahahaha
We headed to the other part of the spa, the saunas and steam rooms, but as in most Austrian resorts it’s a naked area and I’m very British and we just don’t do that.
Kaitlyn and I have the emotional maturity of a 10 year old, and couldn’t stay due to the amount of elderly naked mens bums and bits.
I don’t need to see what’s ahead of me, it’s bad enough I’ve got a 50 year old at home hahahahaha…I can wait till I’m elderly for that! Hahahahaha
Top from Karl Lagerfeld, leggings from a boutique in Colchester, Boots from Russell and Bromley.
We had a fantastic meal, the hotel do a five course evening meal and it’s heavenly and then a trip to the Christmas market in the village.
I’ve never been to a Christmas market before, well I’ve been to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park but as our whole group except me got a stomach bug from that night out I vowed to never go again.
This one was adorable. I’m just not sure how to get all my purchases home, I did not think that far ahead. :)
Coat from Belstaff, Leggings from Topshop, Boots from Jimmy Choo.
I woke up day two of my ski adventure with sporadic sciatica shooting down my leg, hernia pain, bruised and aching legs and a swollen elbow. I really thought I wouldn’t go back for more but as it had cost £45 a day to hire the kit I felt compelled, I’m a spendthrift but I want my money’s worth! Hahahahaha
Coat from Moncler, Salopettes from Dare2be
I had a blast!! I loved the speed, I loved the sound of the snow rushing under my skis. Chris reckons I ski like I drive (I drive a Porsche hahahahaha).
I had some great little runs down my own private ski run, not a soul around.
Am I now going to take up skiing full time?
No, I’ve decided I’m satisfied that should I want to at any time I could, and I’m happy I’ve tried but I’m going to bow out on a high. Shortest ski career ever!! Hahahahaha
There’s too much at stake if I break, number one of which is I don’t like pain. ;)
It was fun while it lasted though. I had a very patient teacher, in spite of my tantrums and swearing. Thank you Chris. x
So it was back up the mountain for hot chocolate in the sky. This for me is the perfect way to enjoy my holiday.
After I finished my hot chocolate, I headed back down the mountain to the spa for one of the weirdest but very pleasant back massages I’ve ever had.
At one point the masseuse covered my back with a sheet and then proceeded to lift my skin away from my spine…I didn’t even know this was possible…I’m still not sure to be honest. Hahahahaha
The rest of it was normal and absolutely amazing, so I will forgive her the skin pulling episode.
I then spent the rest of the afternoon alone, sound sad? It really wasn’t. I was alone, yes, but not lonely. I had a lovely time. I took myself for lunch at a little restaurant we found earlier in the week. I had the chicken schnitzel followed by strudel and vanilla sauce, oh my Lord, I was made for Austria!!
Finishing off the day by the pool and thankfully everyone around is still safe from me and my bag! ;)
Then it was back to the pool area for a swim and relax, not that I needed to relax, I’m having a very restful time.
I have the pool to myself most days as everyone else is up on the slopes. It’s heaven.
After getting ready for dinner Chris and I took ourselves off for a walk. This village is lovely, it’s so beautiful, and extremely festive.
Just outside our hotel is a beautiful little church.
it’s really very picturesque here.
Top from H&M, leggings from Topshop, Boots from Russell and Bromley.
We headed back and had the obligatory pre dinner photos for my blog, why pre dinner? Well I’m a spiller, absolutely no point waiting till after. ;)
These leggings are the ones I bought in Topshop a few weeks back, they are seriously comfortable. I would recommend them. No leaks so far which really is far more important than what they look like. But they feel great on, look good, or so I’ve been told and so far leak free.
The following day we decided that we’d venture down to the next village along for a session of taboganning (sledging), apart from falling down the mountain on our first night I have never had so much fun up a mountain!
It was exhilarating, and crazy, and a tad dangerous which just added to the fun really. The toboggan track runs alongside a red run, it’s ridiculous steep and you go ludicrously fast.
Was I any good at it? No idea, but doubtful as I kept crashing into the fences at high speed, but I’m not sure if being good at something is the point of doing something, because I laughed so much.
It was so much fun.
After a fantastic morning crashing into barriers and tearing down the mountain we headed back to the hotel for massages.
As it had snowed some more I decided I’d get one of those bikini in the snow shots, well if it’s good enough for the Kardashians of this world I think it’s good enough for a 46 year old, overweight grandma! Hahahahaha hahahahaha…and rest assured, still the world at large is perfectly safe from my bag! :)
Bikini from Tesco.
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Anyone that’s into skiing will know how unfortunately cumbersome the clothing can be. But I found these fantastic skinny salopettes from Dare2be.
They are heaven compared to my old puffy ones.
I bought the size up just for extra poo room but they’re still close fitting and flattering. No Michelin man looking outfit for me thank you very much.
The holiday is just midway through and I’ve had a blast. Chris, of course has loved every minute, which seeing as it’s his birthday present that really is the main thing.
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Our darling boy Sam had his scans and needle biopsy on Monday, the oncologist had assured him last week that there was nothing to worry about. But the lady doing the scans was concerned, not about the actual lumps he went for, but the scan revealed an area of concern further inside, invisible to the outside, he had a needle biopsy of that which was horrendous as they have to put it in and wiggle it about for 2 minutes to collect the sample. So the lumps he went for are fine and a lump he knew nothing about might not be, but maybe the harmless lumps were pursued to find the other deeper lump. The universe working its magic again.
At least he is further ahead than he would be had the harmless lumps on the outside not piqued his GP’s interest.
For now we are back to living in hope and some fear. The results should be in later this week or early next. Just got everything crossed. xx