So we’re away skiing right now, well technically, some of the group are skiing…some are not. No prizes for guessing who’s the wuss that won’t ski!
I tried it a few years ago. I managed it too, on a very small incline, but I just couldn’t move on to progress into a fully fledged skier. I couldn’t rid myself of the thoughts of impending disaster.
For example, if Chris breaks himself hurtling down a mountain he’ll still be able to function day to day.
I’d drop him to work - depending on the injury - let’s say it’s a leg or arm one.
He’d do his full day at work and then I’d pick him up.
If I break myself, the house would grind to a halt. My role isn’t more important obviously, but it’s definitely more physical. And that’s the bit I couldn’t reconcile with actually putting myself in the path of danger.
I know, what a bore! What a mood hoover! Hahaha
But in my defence, injury is not a consideration you make when going on holiday to the Caribbean to lay on a sun bed.
This isn’t stoma related, although I suppose knowing first hand how fragile bodies actually are doesn’t really add to my enjoyment of risking harming myself.
People with any form of stomas are perfectly capable of doing anything they wish to. There are no limitations, and no set rules. There is literally nothing you can’t do with a stoma.
There are things I choose not to do though.
This is just me being feeble and a scaredy cat.
So my ski holidays are spent walking around in the snow, drinking hot chocolate and spa-ing. It’s nice, but it can be a bit lonely. It’s my own fault for not wanting to stay home. So I can’t complain (although I imagine I do).
But this time I had the best time ever.
Because I had the best day time company ever…Zak!!
This was Milly’s first time skiing. She is naturally very sporty. She took to skiing like a duck to water. Honestly if you saw her you’d assume she was a seasoned skier.
So while Chris, Sam and Milly spent their days hurling themselves off mountains, Zak and I pottered around. Walking, playing games and generally not endangering ourselves.
Zak did get out on skis too. He’s only 3, so his concentration and enthusiasm was time limited. But it was adorable nonetheless. He was a natural.
Sam and Milly taught him, totally, utterly adorable watching them, with admiration and envy in equal measure. If only I’d learned age 3, and not left it too late for the fear/enjoyment ratio to lead me to give up.
Europe has had a disastrous start to the ski season. They’ve been plagued with a freak weather front, that’s been named a “heat dome”.
The snow finally arrived in Borovets, Bulgaria, two days before we arrived. And the resort itself opened the day we got here.
My holiday this year has been amazing. Spending time with Zak has been such a treat, he’s hilarious. And fabulous company.
We went for wonderful winter walks. And played at my room which he named Nana’s playroom.
We met up with the skiers for lunch and hot chocolate breaks. Zak was hilarious, we were sitting in one of our favourite day time restaurants, Zak was having a pizza when all of a sudden he shouted “mamma mia!” In an Italian accent. He’s 3, where he gets this stuff from god knows.
He’ll be skiing full time in no time at all so I made the most of spending this holiday with him.
For a ski holiday that I have no intention of skiing on I pack way more clothes and bags that I could possibly ever need.
My luggage was overweight at Gatwick, but there wasn’t much I could or would do about it.
I did try and cut down on outfits. I did actually unpack a tracksuit, it didn’t make much difference to my luggage weight though.
I packed 30 colostomy bags. Overkill? Maybe.
I probably only need 14 for a 7 night stay. But I didn’t take enough one year, and I had to drastically restrict what activities I could do.
I change my bag after every shower and swim. That particular trip I swam twice a day and showered 3 times a day.
So I went through too many bags too quickly.
Bringing 30 bags meant I didn’t have to restrict anything that I wanted to do. Which made me feel incredibly comfortable and positive.
Trousers from ACAI Outdoorwear, Boots from Moncler, Jumper from Costco
First port of call, after Chris had been for his morning ski, and Zak went off skiing with Milly and Sam, was for me to go on a winter walk with Chris. It’s one of my favourite things to do.
Sadly there wasn’t enough snow for the horse drawn sleigh rides (which I’ve got to be honest I was absolutely gutted about. Plus there wasn’t enough snow for Skidoos either. So the only two activities I do partake in were off the menu. I did feel a bit sorry for myself about it).
I don’t ski, but I do slide :)
And hot chocolate…
And of course, swim…
Bag cover from Ostique. Bikini from Sainsbury’s.
Dress from Tesco, Maternity tights from Tesco (I trialed them to see if they’d be any good. And they really were), Boots from Jimmy Choo.
Walking, playing Lego, swimming, eating - sooo much eating…
I spent my day times wandering around with Zak, it was absolute heaven. At home, when I baby sat him for the day we did a nature walk, so here we named this our snowy nature walk.
I was having a lovely time until he said this is where the bears live. And I do not know enough about Bulgarian wildlife to know if that was true or not, so I was a bit cautious up there, trying to remember how to fend off a bear attack. ;)
He took the photos above and below. Yes, I made a 3 year old trip photographer. (The snowy walk photos - not the swimwear ones).
Swimsuit from Marks & Spencer
Shirt from Hollister, Vest Top from Reiss, Trousers from Holland Cooper, Boots from Jimmy Choo
Every day everyone did something they love. They skied and I stayed and occupied Zak…oh who am I kidding, it was definitely the other way round.
Then all meet up for lunch, and swimming and spa-ing.
Jumper from Ralph Lauren, Trousers from Holland Cooper, Boots from Jimmy Choo
Jumper from Holland Cooper, Trousers from Holland Cooper, Boots from Jimmy Choo
Yes, I bought multiple pairs of these trousers as they are soooooo cosy.
The skiers skied every day of the holiday, but the snow was precarious to say the least. We had a day of really warm weather, where coats weren’t even needed for evening walks.
The weather was bizarre across Europe, but on the whole, for us here it was fine, as the skiers got to ski.
The one and only gondola was shut for a few days due to high winds.
So high were the winds in fact that the door out to our 5th floor balcony blew wide open in the middle of the night.
It was hilarious, I had no idea what had happened, Chris got up to close it, clearly detecting the door had blown open. Whilst I literally ran round the room like chicken licken, shouting “Chris, what’s going on!? What’s going on!?”
So if you need someone in an emergency situation, please feel free to call me…for added pandemonium. :)
We overheard a man on the phone to his parents in a restaurant, he had just come in on the Gatwick flight, he was in a terrible state.
We knew it had been windy where we where, but rather that than what he and his family had been through.
It was sooooooo windy that the flight that came in from Gatwick had a horrendous time.
The plane got battered. He said the flight attendants started handing out life jackets. Now I’m not sure if this was an exaggeration…mainly because there’s no water between here and where they had to divert to. So what would be the point of the very brightly coloured float jackets? Is it to help find you in the event of an emergency?
It was carnage apparently. Absolute hell. it sounded traumatic just listening to him.
They aborted the landing in Bulgaria, and went to Romania.
Stayed there for 2 hours and then attempted to land in Bulgaria again.
….after hearing that I did consider getting an Uber home. ;)
I think I could live in this resort, and live off potato and broccoli cheese!
In all honesty, and I’m going to be brutally honest - it’s not the most attractive ski resort. The buildings in the village have an essence of shanty town to them, with rusted wriggly tin roofs.
So if you want pretty alpine lodges, Borovets is not for you.
If you want really good value skiing then it definitely is. I really don’t think it can be beaten for good value, and good skiing.
Dress from Zara, Tights from Tesco, Boots from Jimmy Choo.
The maternity tights were an experiment for me. I wanted “flesh tone”. Are they ever really the colour of anyone’s flesh?
But they were a damn sight better than the American Tan ones available when I was young. I’m still scarred by the vileness of them. ;)
Then it was time for the last day. The snow melted fast the night before so we were all resigned to the fact there would be no skiing at all.
We all booked massages for the afternoon to fill out the day a bit.
But we woke up to a surprise snow storm. Which meant the ski group could go and make the most of the final bit of time available.
Jumper from Holland Cooper, Jeans from Next, Sliders from Topshop.
I let the others persuade me that me going up in the now up and running gondola, was a good idea.
Why I thought this was a great plan I don’t know, because it was an Absolute f*cking nightmare!
The gondola up there takes 24 minutes!! Twenty four minutes!! - Hell, absolute hell. It’s twice the length of the longest one I ride on in Austria, and 10 times more rickety.
The ******* thing stopped quite near the top and started swinging in the wind. Zak enjoyed the swaying in the wind and started to rock in time with it. (Arrrrrghhhhhhhhh) hahahah
I was screaming. I mean, I didn’t know I was but then Milly shouted “can you please stop that screaming!!”
I said “I would if I could, Mils, I would if I could!”
Hahaha
It was all rather harrowing! :)
In fairness it was worth the distress as it was stunning up there. As Zak calls it “on top of the earth”.
There you are on a mountain, above the clouds. You realise how small and - not to be unkind or melodramatic - how insignificant you are in the grand scheme of things.
Just an ant running around up a mountain in the sky.
The views are incredible! I’m glad I went. Not sure the others are though. ;)
It’s very freeing to feel the fear and do it anyway ….apart from when you have to come back down in the same gondola of doom you went up in.
I did manage it without any difficulty. Zak was adorable, he kept me calm.
Just a speck in the universe.
All I can say is, thank the gods for my stoma because I needed it getting to the top. ;)
We came back down through the clouds, and back for massages at the spa, which were much needed by that point.
What an absolute dream trip. It was very special to be able to bring Sam, Milly and Zak with us. I hope we can do it again some day.
Our final day would be spent hanging around the hotel until the flight home at 8pm. But Crystal Ski, who we booked through, have this clever addition to the trip.
You can pay for a guided tour of Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria. We did it last year too and it was fantastic!
So rather than be bored stiff at the hotel, you hand your skis back the night before, so it’s literally just sitting round doing nothing otherwise.
Sofia is beautiful and definitely worth a visit.
Highlights, hints and tips for this trip;
Stay at Hotel Rila - it’s the best in the resort. It’s cheap, but very good.
But bring your own maple syrup or golden syrup. They do waffles and pancakes but nothing to put on them.
Eat lunch at Pappa Mia
Although the hotel is half board it’s nice to go out for an evening meal.
Katina - opposite hotel Rila is fantastic! Vikki, one of the waitresses is an absolute darling. Zak had a real soft spot for her.
Chris would recommend the lamb chops, he says they’re the best he’s ever had.
And the steak is apparently fantastic too.
I had potato and broccoli cheese. I ask for it to be made with yellow cheese - not blue. It’s delicious.
Then back to Pappa Mia for apple pie and ice cream.
Go to the restaurant, Malina, by the sledging hill, buy drinks and they let you borrow a sledge for free.
All in all a fantastic trip. And some amazing memories made. Xx