Today dawned with a lot of hope in the air. The sun was out, the wind was down and conditions were ideal for exploring the various mountains and ski-runs, which we proceeded to do with enthusiasm from all parties. A rare treat!
In fact, the skiing was so good that there was little in the way of complaint and predominantly consensus as to where we would go. Life was good. It's the way that I holiday is supposed to be.
It was only around lunch time that we started to face our first challenge. Where to eat. We'd skied our way well away from where we were on the previous day and no one relished the prospect of skate-skiing back to where we had eaten the day previously. One of the less popular aspects of this series of resorts is that there's a number of up-hill traverses required to get between the different ski areas. Sam has been braving it all on my old skis which we should have had waxed on day 1, intended to get waxed on day 2 and have only actually managed to remember to have waxed ready for day 3. For a kid that likes to go fast, sticky skis weren't that enjoyable.
Eventually we did find somewhere to eat, though the undulating terrain at various points meant that at times we had to go uphill; both ways! Sounds like something from a Monty Python sketch.
One of the things that the search for lunch did for us was strand us at a group of vending machines. Not really that uncommon over here, but we decided it was time for a drink. After almost everyone had chosen something I suggested that Thomas should pick some random Japanese drink and see how he fared. He went for the pink can with cute little characters plastered over it. Opening it presented pretty much the entire room with a sickly sweet grape aroma and upon drinking it, he found that it had little floating jelly bits in it. It was certainly different, but it was decided all in all that it was good and it didn't last too long.
This particular stop also brought back to front of mind the joy of star wars based toilet operating systems. I can't think of a time I encountered a toilet with more controls that an early video-game back home, but they're proving quite popular. It was Caroline that emerged from the rest rooms exclaiming with glee about the fact that she'd found the 'flushing sound' button. It literally didn't do anything other than make a flushing sound. Of course, such a discovery had to be witnessed and so I, and most of the family proceeded to file through the toilets to discover this marvel for ourselves! I haven't quite yet worked out what purpose it might serve (didn't stop me from taking a video though - I'll put that little treat on facebook).
After lunch we hit the slopes again for what was in the main a very successful day of skiing. Finding the small terrain park helped with the moods as the kids tried out various jumps, rails and butter-boxes.
Stack of the day (at least the one that I witnessed) had to go to Michael on nearly the last run. Screaming down a nice black run he drifted a little too far to the side, found some powder, buried a tip and failed in the most spectacular of fashions. Skis, arms, legs and bits he possibly didn't even know he had went flailing through the air. One ski was buried to the binding and I swear there was a full-body vertical cart-wheel mid crash. Amazingly, he jumped up, ran back up the slope to his skis and was perfectly fine. I've told him a thousand times that if he's going to do something so spectacular that he should warn me so that I can get the video out, but no such luck. Kids are so disappointing some times!
Thomas had a bit of a go, not quite nailing a rail and butt planting on it instead, but by comparison it was pretty tame.
Emily has banned me from face-booking the video I managed to get of her first exploratory attempts in the powder, mainly because at the point that she entered the nice fresh bit she decided that eating it would be a better performance than skiing through it. She's sitting here as I write this, so we'll see if she relents and lets me share it at all. Apparently not.
We finished the day off with something of a cultural culinary extravaganza. All the nights that we've been here so far, dinner has been set out as a buffet which has enabled us to be as brave or not as we like in our dinner selections. Despite telling myself before I left that I would be adventurous this time round, I have definitely struggled when some of the more culturally unique items have been presented.
Tonight's dinner was beautifully presented though somewhat mixed in its success at tempting various members of the family to try it (me included). The tempura prawns were delightful, the fish yummy. The tofu burger didn't quite make it to my chopsticks (I was lucky enough to win extra prawns from the non fish eaters in the family) and I had to definitely draw the line at the bowl of 'stuff' that appeared to have been sneezed from somewhere deep in someone's gut. Caroline tells me it was mushroom and given that I don't eat them normally, these particular babies were never going to get the chance to assault my taste buds!
All seemed ready to be forgiven when the table next to us was presented with truly fantastic looking apple pie. With mouths watering, we waited patiently for ours to arrive (the strange jelly having been only partially successful at being devoured). Sadly it must have been a special order and we were left with mouths watering and hearts and hopes dashed.
Now its time to relax in our furniture bereft room for the evening and see what Day 4 has in store for us.
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