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alexcaldownapier · 3 years

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Week 15 (Final Post) - Film Narrative 2

I am very happy with not just the final film, but also the feedback received.

I have here, links to all the pre-production documents created -

Director’s Statement: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19KVLVP1G5PCHiTcOcuI42VNU3CzjQ-Uh27faf96X02I/edit?usp=sharing

Cinematography Inspirations: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZAWA3FF3YeOQn3VqHEBN_6C3yC1WWfhOKDWFjL5WBCI/edit?usp=sharing

Sound Inspirations (By Ben): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i1niHwm45eJ-LQtVOWEpiWR155wuORDjDG6cc0EBA-Y/edit?usp=sharing

Beat Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xVBByh6u8C-cQZO0nG65Zt3IF0KEeKnuQBg9kd1i3FQ/edit?usp=sharing

Shot List: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12Y1BPXi3voIXwtFhmsp5M-eM5n_J9Unp_4nNOjFuEZI/edit?usp=sharing

Sound Design Beats: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QAIHZPzOK-rHGhCxNoNqa2GJyWID6QGytfaAu-d4fJQ/edit?usp=sharing

Cinematography Guide (By Sam): https://docs.google.com/document/d/17wrpN92vydYefwTokgifcrhaxfGPjHqjLt9uKBhHFME/edit?usp=sharing

Roles

Producer/AD: James Fox

Cinematographer/Colourist: Samuel Tabotta

Camera Operator/Sound Recordist/Sound Designer: Ben Anstruther

Editor: Rowen Henderson

Director: Alex Caldow

Critical Reflection

While these documents and my previous blog posts detail a lot of the work done throughout the project, I will quickly recap before responding to the critiques.

Pre-Production

We began with a group call, brainstorming. By the end of that call, we were leaning toward James’ idea - an intense, emotional scene with a comedic twist. We reconvened, I think, after a week for another brainstorm. Ben and Sam had been chatting and came to pitch a film about two mobsters carrying a body across a bridge. The idea had some logistical issues so we pivoted, keeping the noir aesthetics and tense sound design but changing to a chase scene through the alleyways of old-town Edinburgh. We wanted to create a surreal landscape, editing the different locations to give the sense of one long maze (a great idea from Ben). We all chipped in, bouncing ideas of each other, creating an in-depth idea of the film.

Excited to get started, we all went off to create inspiration documents as we had already talked about possible inspirations during the call. Sam gathered images, Ben wrote about sound and I created a list of inspirations more based on tone and storytelling. This worked out well as, while we didn’t have concrete roles to begin with, these lined up well with our final roles.

Next, Ben, James and I (who are living in Edinburgh) went on a location scout around the old town, mainly on the Royal Mile. Some issues came from this in terms of realising our idea. Firstly, the alleyways were a little samey, very straight and often too short to hide the busy streets outside. Also a problem were the lights. We had originally planned o use warm dirty natural streetlights to light our scenes. However, many alleyways had colder, almost green-ish, lights which would clash with the orange tones as well as creating a strange skin tone.

We had a lengthy discussion after this recce about the practicalities of accomplishing our vision. To get over the hurdles, we decided to shoot in black and white as it added to our aesthetic and hid the clashing colours. Sam did a mock grade on some of the recce photos and we decided that they looked good.

I felt that the locations would cut together well so I created a flow chart matched to a beat sheet (that was developed from James’ original rough beat sheet) to communicate how it would all work. This lead to us taking on roles as Sam was very keen to take on the cinematography. Rowen, being away from Edinburgh, took on editing; Ben shared the cinematography, camera-operating on set. James and I weren’t too sure about roles, but Ben suggested, as I seemed to have the clearest idea of how the film would work, that I direct the film, leaving James as producer.

To better communicate the flow of the film, James and I went out again to our locations, taking example shots for my shot list - this is one thing I regret, I made a shot list without properly talking to Sam which is a (forgive my language) dick move. I did ask if there were any other shots Sam would like, but I think it’s hard to come up with shots when not at the location. The shot list with the location photos better showed how the locations would edit together.

We started casting, with Sam suggesting Theo who he had worked with before. I’d seen him in Sam’s tableau from last term where he put in a charming and believable performance. I knew he could play anxious and afraid and he had a strong look, with searching eyes. I think he was a good choice while also being very easy to get in touch with.

Production

The day of the shoot, things began to take a turn. First, the lenses were broken. The 17mm lens could not focus properly which limited one idea we had had - using increasingly longer lenses throughout the chase to minimise how much of the location was shown and emphasise the feeling of being trapped. Sam and Ben are not keen on shooting on the 12mm so we were down to just the 25mm and the 35mm. Then, the gimbal was acting up which took up a lot of time. This meant that the lighting had changed dramatically from our opening tripod shot as the sun had completely set by then and the lamppost had turned on.

Working with Theo was interesting. I’m not the most experienced with working with actors, most of my previous films star family, friends or child actors. The action was quite simple and I think I was able to clearly communicate what I wanted. I am happy with the final performance but would also quite like a little more over-acting.

Overall, I was very happy with the shoot, there isn’t much that I would go back and change - we got all the shots we wanted and got enough takes of each.

Post-Production

I am not a technologically capable person. This is a definite weakness for me. I left Sam, a very technologically capable person, to organise the workflow. My contributions past this point were all just notes. We went through three picture edits before locking and two sound edits. Rowen used some interesting techniques and the development was very cool to see. He went from more classic, continuity editing to a looser, more expressive rhythm that really brought the best out of the material. Ben’s sound edit developed, mainly through the time spent on it, becoming more layered and interesting. There’s still small sections where there are issues which were highlighted in the crit, which I agree with, but nothing major and overall, it is really great, adding a lot to the atmosphere and the story.

Feedback

I agree with all the feedback given and it was just great to see how positive the response was from the class as well as the lecturers. All the issues raised I think would have been eliminated through time and more edits. Ben was a bit pushed for time and I think he could have easily polished the sound design with a little more time.

My Role

I have many mixed feelings about myself as a director. In all honesty, I don’t like myself when I am a director - it brings out the worst in me. I have specific control issues I think. I want things exactly how they are in my head and am just a tiny bit massively irritating when trying to get to that point. This leads me to push over into others’ roles like the cinematography which I’ve already highlighted. Having read Sam’s blog, where he mentions feeling ignored and left behind, I am thinking a lot about my directing and my style. If I decide to do more directing in the future, I will keep this in mind and try to be more open in the creative process and let other ideas in, because everything that people contributed that were outside my original vision were just great and added so much to the film. I am much happier working towards another’s vision and this will only However, all the work I did myself, I was pretty happy with. I really enjoyed the pre-production work and crafting the story. The final film, as well, is something I am proud of and I think, while it is not entirely the type of film I’m most interested in making, it has allowed me to be creative and craft a good story.

As a group, I think we worked well. We had our moments as I think Ben and Sam are much like me in terms of having very particular visions. But we talked through all the different issues (this was one aspect that was also impacted by mainly communicating through a group chat) and came to a conclusion each time.

Changes

There isn’t too much I’d change about our film, aside from my directorial style. The film is not quite what the original idea could have been, however, it is what iworking within certain limitations. The main things I’d change would be more close-ups in the chase to tie us into the character’s fear, more expressive performance and more range in the sound design to guide the audience through the emotional beats.

Overall, I am really happy with this project, the process and the outcome. Lots to mull over and process going forward.

#film narrative 2

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the-trans-advice-blog · 4 years

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A mix of asks from other asks games:P What’s a memorable dream you’ve had? Five songs to describe you? What is the first meme you remember ever seeing? What do you prize above all things? Do films ever make you cry? Is there anything you always carry with you? What’s a fact about yourself that you don’t know how to explain? Have you ever climbed a roof top?

1. I remember a nightmare I had where I was being chased by a crack in the ground!

2. Uhhh honestly I have zero clue. I guess I’ll just give song reccs. Selfish Man by flogging molly, iunno by bbno$ and Yung gravy, Hold Me by Weezer, Good as Hell by Lizzo, Jenny by Studio Killers

3. I couldn’t tell you, I can’t remember last week

4.Honesty

5. All the time!

6. Uhh my glasses?

7. Ummm maybe my knack for knowing people well?? Like it doesn’t take me long to know someone pretty well

8. Nope, I’m to scared lol

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marudyne · 5 years

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hello!! im absolutely in love with your art and i found a post u made of fanfic recs and i was wondering if you had any more to add to that? your taste is *chefs kiss*

First of! Thank you! I think that recently my taste in fics has changed a bit…Oh boy, these are going to be a lot of akeshu fics. (There’re two taesae fics, a person whom i was recc’d for PegoRyu and three gen ones too).

Gen fics:

Sobremesa - Akira centric, food as metaphors for love. It’s very cute, rated GenSoma- Body horror/dark eldritch take on the Velvet Room mechanics, rated E. No one is surprised I smash that mf like button. (Seriously, mind the tags)Little Reminders - Rated G. Makoto, Protagonist, and compulsory heterosexuality. There’s not enough stuff exploring this themes in the fandom.RULES FOR PLAYING DEAD - 11/20 spoilers, Ren centric and how he adjusts to his new life. Rated T.One Man’s Trash - Rated G- Implied AkeShu, spoilers for the whole game. About Ren, and the significance of the junk he steals from his friends.

The fic writer singlehandedly making me consider pegoryu: carlyraejepsen. If you like PegoRyu/are curious about the ship you should read this person’s pegoryu. They only have three oneshots, but they are really good. My friend’s recc.

Shiho/AnnSteadfast - Rated G. The monster inside was one Shiho wanted to slay. She wanted to wrangle it from Ann’s body. This angry creature that she had, undoubtedly, stirred when she took that step off the edge of the school roof.

TaeSae:Stellar Collision - Vampire AU, Rated M. Mutual unrequited pining between vampire Sae and human doctor with some blood bags in her hands Tae.Do No Harm - Huntress Sae + With Tae AU. Rated E. Sae is injured and she needs to be patched up- Tae offers to help.

Now for All The AkeShu:The Best We Can Hope For is Revenge- A set of two drabbles, both rated T, set in canon, both before 11/20. Canon divergence where Akira+Akechi end up on the same side.Two Lies and One Truth - Another drabble set (2). First one rated T, second one rated M. Akira and Akechi meet, but during Akira’s train ride to Tokyo.on the way- Akechi asks Akira to cut his hair. Rated T.mask- Not rated, Majour Character Death. Akechi notices Akira is different.False Start- Rated M. Akechi gets a small taste of what the future could have been. Also xov wrote this and I devour everything xov writes please read l’appel du vide if you havent yetand it looks so very much like me- Post canon, rated M. The velvet room has a new attendant.mouth full of crimson gold - rated E, violent thoughts. Akira is so goddamn pretty. Each to Each - Post traitor boss fight, rated G. Akira seeks comfort from a dead boy and his doppelgangerTo Share, Sometimes - Rated T. Ren and Akechi share a bed, established relationship + post canon. Listen I’m fond of this one dont @ meTo Bake and Eat Your Cake- Rated T, another one im fond of dont @ me. Akechi decides to see where a little bit of honesty will take him.Changes - Rated M. Ren and Akechi are intimate before November, and all the hesitations that come with the uncertainty of an unspoken relationship.

#i'll toot my own horn #fic reccs #maru asks #anon #Anonymous

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lena-in-a-red-dress · 5 years

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You write a bit of OT3- do you have some advice for someone looking into writing it- or any resources to look into? TIA

Ummm... online queer community resources are good? I don’t have any specific ones to recc, unfortunately, bc I did most of my reading while I was figuring out all my ace stuff, and not for writing purposes (which only started with the OT3 stuff years later). You’ll want to look into polyamory as a keyword, sometimes referred to more simply as “poly”.

In terms of execution, communication is key. So is honesty. If there’s lack of honesty, then it needs to result in conflict. And honestly having all of them be totally into each other is my favorite arrangement to work with, but there are some relationships where that’s not the case-- again, honest communication is an absolute must in establishing and maintaining boundaries.

And at the risk of getting on my soapbox: Let them be happy.

Poly ships do not have enough representation in media to justify the “everyone cheats and is unhappy” grimdark trope that the hets love to push on us. Sure, that stuff happens in real life, even to poly relationships. But showcasing it in a poly fic only perpetuates the already-existing assumption that poly is synonymous with sexual greed, promiscuity, and adultery.

Poly ships in fiction are still in their infancy-- give them their hundred years of happily-ever-afters, and then we can start talking about gritty realism.

Create responsibly.

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unforgetabelle · 6 years

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Happy Fanfic Writer’s Appreciation Day!

In honor of today, here's my first ever recc list! Stories I have read more than a few times and love them more each read!

Smoulder- @midnightstarlightwrites

I've got to start off with this one. The first ML fanfiction I ever read, and boy did it set the bar high. Also, midnight is one of those authors when I see she's written something new, I just know it's going to be great! Like these one-shots:

Songs in the Key of Fluff

(Which also has some bomb music reccs, including flor and Hey!Ocean)

All Good Things Must End

(Angsty, but Kwami-centric, which is amazing. I love hearing our little gods' POV.)

A brand new dawn- @whitebear-ofthe-watertribe

Aged up, college Love square. It’s amazing. Read it.

tangled ribbons- demistories

A dancer AU fic that sucks me in everytime with the slowest of slow burns. And it’s amazing.

Honesty, this is another writer where every story posted was just so amazing, it's so hard to choose!

Runner up from demistories: Cresendoing

Her- @bullysquadess

Do you need a cry? This is it. Gets me everytime T^T I love it so much!

A place for spring- yestomiraculous

Love love love LOVE! The interactions and concept of this is amazing and proof that we all need more DJWifi in our life. I love them so much.

Chasing the C/h/atwalk- Inkkerfuffle (@runningoutofink)

I've read this fic soooo many times and I still can't get over how perfect it is! Project Runway meets Miraculous. LOVE!

The Pink Lady- @seasonofthegeek

Written from Marichat May, it’s a Marichat ghost AU that’s fluffy, and lovely and heart-twisting, and fantastic <3

There’s so many more, I can’t even begin to list them all (but my ever-expending bookmarks list is a good reference if anyone needs more!)

Thank you all for creating such amazing content and gifting us with your writing! And may you all get oodles of comments and kudos and messages today so you know how fabulous you truly are!

#ml #miraculous ladybug #fanfiction #writers #reccs #you're all wonderful #keep writing!

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e-dash-lace · 7 years

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My Fave Japanese YouTubers + some YouTube Vocab

I was introduced to Japanese YouTube and J-Vloggers through a friend and I watched a lot of videos when I was first learning Japanese. I do admit that I couldn’t understand EVERYTHING but YouTubers tend to repeat themselves often and you can see what they’re doing so you pick up a lot.

It’s important to distinguish J-Vloggers from Japanese Youtubers.

J-Vlogger is a term that usually refers to foreigners living in Japan who vlog regularly. Simon and Martina, Taylor R, Sharla, Micaela, Rachel & Jun, VenusAngelic, and Mimei are all J-vloggers. Their channels are mostly in English and they speak very little Japanese in their videos. Mimei actually does a lot of her videos in Japanese now but I wouldn’t recommend learning Japanese from her because she isn’t a native speaker. Her content is still really cute though.

Japanese Youtubers are usually native Japanese content creators. Their videos are all in Japanese usually with subtitles created by the community. They usually belong to the big partner group UUM but there are a few independents like PDR.

PDRさん

This is a great channel for beginners. @uni-venture mentioned him in her own post about this as Just Duncan. He’s a British-Japanese ハフwho spent much of his childhood in England but now currently lives in Japan with his wife and their cats. He speaks in Japanese in most of his videos with an even pace and simple videos. All of his videos are subtitled in English. He’s pretty unusual for a Japanese Youtuber because he isn’t attached to a major partner company and he mostly makes sarcastic joke videos and vlogs. He often talks about Convenience store customers and things that annoy him.

PDSKabushikiGaisha PDS is PDR’s younger brother Dante. Dante was much younger when the family moved back to Japan so he speaks no English and all of his videos are completely in Japanese. Only a few of them are subtitled in English (mostly older videos that Duncan subbed for him when they both still lived at home) and he speaks a lot faster. Despite his speed, Dante tends to repeat himself more often or use captions to emphasize words he’s using. For example I learned the word 交ぜる from one of his videos. Mostly he sits in his house and screams while doing something unnecessary like turning himself into a water balloon or fucking up one of his coffee tables. Occasionally he also make 20 minute long videos of himself trying to win something from a UFO catcher (claw machine) and throwing away like $35 in change. He is also a bodybuilder? So he occasionally makes videos about his fitness, but most of the time you would never know that because he does things like eat 100 Umaibo or deep fry an entire watermelon.

If you want to know how to use the particle ね you should really watch his videos.

はじめしゃちょ Hajime Syacho (President Hajime)

Hajime is probably the most difficult of these YouTubers. He talks FAST and his words often are kind of slurrred to together. But I think his videos are often translated by the community and he repeats himself a lot so you can learn lots of stuff from him. He does a lot of dumb stuff like Dante. His videos include drinking too much of a drink that is meant to inflate your stomach to curb your appetite, making slime alone and nearly spilling it on the floor, and covering an entire room in those heat pads that you can stick to your skin. He also does some science-y videos sometimes. He’s a pretty big YouTube celebrity in Japan so his videos are usually a lot of fun.

If you want to learn how to use the phrase やばい！his videos are the best.

Kinoshita Yuka: Oogui Eater

Yuka is kind of a legend. She’s a little Japanese woman who eats a LOT of food. The nice thing about her is that she eats pretty normally and unlike YouTubers who do this for the weird factor, she like legitimately enjoys everything she eats. She will like eat the entire Mister Donuts holiday menu and take time between don’t to discuss how fluffy the dough is and how refreshingly light the glaze is and so on. All of her videos are translated by the community. The translations are pretty good except the regular translator always translates 美味しい to Oishii which is not helpful and is really kind of annoying. In all honesty, Yuka is my life goals. Like she is my fave of all time. If my job could be to just eat like this girl, I would be living a dream.

If you want to learn how to talk about how you can’t handle spicy food, Yuka’s your girl.

HikakinTV

I used to watch him all the time but now I really don’t? He is one of the biggest Japanese Youtubers who got famous for beatboxing. He often beatboxes in his videos and even has a video where he beatboxed for Ariana Grande when she was on tour in Japan. He mostly does like food and snack reviews where he gives a review at the end. Most of his videos have been subtitled in Japanese so that you can read while you watch if you want. I don’t know he’s really not my favorite tbh…

モーニング娘 Morning Musume

So this isn’t really a Youtuber. This is an idol group with an audience of middle aged men and young girls. However, Morning Musume is one of few Japanese music groups that has its music videos available to view in the United States and all of their music videos have English and Japanese subtitles which is very rare. If yo ucan get past the cheesy costumes and the general idolness of their videos, you can learn A LOT from them. Remember to keep in mind that the Japanese you’ll learn will be a little bit more awkward than vlog-style Japanese because it will come from song lyrics. To be completely honest though, I love muting their videos and playing like hip-hop and rap underneath of them because they match up shockingly well.

Texan In Tokyo

So this is technically more of a J-vlog channel but whatever. So this channel has actually ended but it’s the channel of Grace and Ryosuke, an international couple. Most of their videos are travel videos in English but some of them are cooking videos done entirely in Japanese with subtitles. Ryosuke is really good and speaks slowly in simple sentences so you can see what he’s making and hear him talk about it. He tries to do the videos with time constraints but doesn’t always do that. Their other videos are good too for culture lessons and general information about living in Japan.

Kirizaki Eiji　桐崎栄二

So in all honesty, you probably won’t learn anything from him at all but I put him on here because I love his stuff. He, like many male Japanese Youtubers, is just like the master of pure idiocy. His channel is mostly him messing with his sister and making videos with quick, sudden jump cuts and loud slapping noises. He talks way too fast but he uses a lot of subtitles so you’ll get something. Eiji lives in the suburbs somewhere with his sister, grandparents, and parents and frequently just messes with all of them. Occasionally he purchases expensive cuts of beef, pours himself a couple of glasses of Mugicha (barley tea, god’s gift to mankind) and feasts alone in his kitchen. I just find him really entertaining I don’t know.

I think the lesson with him is to find things that make you want to learn Japanese. I don’t quite completely understand all of the humor in his videos but I really want to so I study Japanese.

Other Reccs:

AskJapanese – Interviews by Cathy Cat

Mahoto – He eats giant cicadas once a year

JPCMHD – Commercials usually in one to two week intervals

#japanese langblr #langblr #japanese #language #youtube #i don't know what this is #studyblr #language learning #japanese language #japanese youtube #i was so lazy when i made this #i need to make banners #i just #hmm #jpnstudynet #mine

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justsomeantifas · 7 years

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do u recommend the cheesecake recipe? idk if u were being genuine about it being good or only said that to troll the anon but i rly like cheesecake.

Ok, in all honesty, that no-bake cheesecake recipe is ~good, but not like, the BEST I’ve ever had. I’d recommend another one that’s better, but I’ve had some trouble getting that one to set in the past, so I’m hesitant to recc that, even if the flavour is great.

My advice is to just like, go for it, because it’s cheesecake, and it can’t go wrong, and the ingredients are fairly simple. So try it for a starter, see how it goes, and even if it kind of sucks, just like, scoop it with a side of fruits or something (which is what I’ve been doing with the cheesecake that has not set tbh). It’ll still be good!

#food #anonymous #asks #antifa bakes

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imsvg · 7 years

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Finding You chapter 4: finding

Fandom: Hibike! Euphonium/Sound! Euphonium Pairings: Kumiko/Reina; Natsuki/Yuuko; implied Asuka/Kaori/Haruka; Nozomi/Mizore; Hazuki/Shuuichi Summary: Two years have passed since Reina left after their second-year. Two years have passed and Kumiko is now a freshman in college. Two years have passed and she receives a letter from Reina. Two years have passed but something Kumiko thought she lost is making its way to her. Words: 4.2k+ Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 Links: FF is here! AO3 is here!

as usual, i recc reading on AO3 - or anywhere that’s not tumblr lmao

The days leading up to the Agata Festival came in a slow-kind of blur. Kumiko never really knew what happened each day, aside from the fact that she would desperately wish for the sun to go down faster so that the next day would come, followed by the next, and so on and so forth until the dawn of the Festival was on the horizon.

And what better way to spend the morning of the Festival than to run errands?

“I’m starting to think that Mom likes me back home so that she can stay inside the house,” Kumiko grumbled as she shielded her face from the blinding sun, “where there’s air conditioning.”

A sudden screech pierced the air. A bit startled, Kumiko looked over her shoulder to see what was going on.

“OH SHI—” The rest of Kumiko’s words came out as a wheeze when two women slammed into her, locking her in a rib-crushing embrace.

“Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!” One of the women squealed, tightening her hold on Kumiko. “It’s actually you!”

“U-uh-h-huh….” Kumiko wheezed, and pushed on their shoulders. “C-can't…breathe….”

“Oh! Right! Midori-chan, you heard her!”

“Aye, aye, Hazuki-chan!”

As if on cue, both women released her. Kumiko took in a huge gulp of air, wincing when a shot of pain hit her in the ribs. “I-it’s great to see you two,” Kumiko said with a crooked grin. “It really has been a while, huh?”

“Yeah!” Hazuki said with a nod, her bun following her movement. Kumiko wondered how long Hazuki’s hair had gotten. “God, you should have told me you were in town! The both of us were thinking that you didn't come after all!”

Kumiko furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “Did Shuuichi not tell you?”

Hazuki’s and Midori’s jaws dropped at the same time.

“What!” Hazuki exclaimed. “He saw you?!”

Kumiko nodded. “First day I came back.”

“And he didn't think to tell me?”

“Are you thinking about beating him up?”

“It’s very tempting.”

“Do it,” Kumiko said with a smile, “and be sure to film it, yeah?”

“Kumiko-chan!” Midori said with a gasp. “When did you get so violent?”

Kumiko laughed. “I was just kidding, Midori-chan, don’t worry.” She took a moment study Midori, noticing how, while there weren't any physical changes, a mature air hung around her.

She shook the thought aside, and put on a smile. “How’s England?”

Midori’s eyes sparkled as she pressed her hands together in awe. “Amazing! Truly amazing! I can’t find the words to describe it!”

“That good, huh?”

Midori gave an enthusiastic nod. “It really is! The both of you should visit me sometime!”

Hazuki gave a nervous chuckle. “That’s…a lot of money, Midori-chan.”

“Oh, money's no object!”

“To some it is,” Kumiko muttered with a frown.

“Say, we should all explore the town together!” Midori said with bright eyes. “Like we did back in high school!”

Hazuki perked up. “We should! God, it’s been so long since all three of us hung out!”

“I would love to, but”—Kumiko raised her empty grocery bag—”errands.”

Hazuki scoffed and waved her hand. “We can kill two birds with one stone, right, Midori-chan?”

Midori fist-pumped and nodded. “Yeah!”

“It’s decided, then!” Wrapping an arm around each of them, Hazuki guided an excited Midori and an overwhelmed Kumiko down the sidewalk.

Well, Kumiko thought with a small smile, at least some things don’t change.

-X-

Kumiko forgot how tiring hanging around Midori and Hazuki was. While, yes, she was having fun, there were times where Kumiko felt the need to sit down and gather herself before moving on to their next stop.

“You’re acting like an old woman!” Hazuki said after Kumiko took her fourth break. “This time in your life is supposed to be your prime, Kumiko!”

“Easy for you to say, Ms. Softball Player.” Kumiko rolled her eyes and leaned back, resting her head against the wall behind her. As she stared at the cloudless sky above, she noticed that waves were swimming in her vision, and her head felt considerably lighter, yet her brain felt like it was ready to explode.

“You don’t look so well, Kumiko-chan,” Midori said. Kumiko flinched when she felt cold fingers press against her cheek. “And you’re super warm! Hazuki-chan, she might be dehydrated!”

“Seriously?” Kumiko felt another pair of fingers press against her face, this time on her forehead. “Whoa, it’s like you have a fever!”

“Great,” Kumiko groaned. “Just what I needed.”

“I’ll make a quick dash somewhere to get you a drink, Kumiko-chan. Midori-chan, can you take her inside that shop?”

Midori made a noise of confirmation. “Roger! Okay, Kumiko-chan, you need to get up, and I’ll support you. Yeah, easy does it—whoa! Okay, okay, I got you.”

Kumiko leaned most of her weight on Midori, grateful for the support. “You’re a lot stronger than you let on,” she said as she shuffled inside the open door. An intense smell of sweetness hit her.

“The contrabass isn't exactly the lightest instrument around,” Midori said, lilts of amusement and pride in her voice.

Kumiko chuckled weakly. “Right.”

“Here, let’s get you seated next to the aircon.” Midori carefully guided Kumiko down to a nearby chair, which Kumiko promptly flopped herself on.

“Thanks,” Kumiko muttered, clasping her palm over her scalding forehead. “The hottest day of the week just had to be today….”

“If you properly hydrate from now until tonight, you should be well enough to go to the Festival if you were planning on going,” Midori said with a knowing nod.

“Mm…hopefully.” Kumiko frowned, the thought of her missing out on her meeting with Reina upsetting her much more than it should have.

“Sit here, Kumiko-chan. I’ll go ask the clerk if they can spare a glass of water.”

Kumiko replied with a thumbs-up, and watched as Midori disappeared behind a display of roses.

A flower shop, huh? She looked around, appreciating the vibrant colors greeting her. Explains the sweet smell.

“Excuse me! I’m here with a bottle of—oh? Oumae-san?”

Kumiko’s eyes widened when she saw a familiar pair of blue eyes, a shade much lighter than Asuka’s. “N-Nozomi-senpai!”

“Whoa, you actually remembered me!” Nozomi said with a laugh, tucking away a strand of hair that fell from her French braid. “God, how long has it been? Two years, right?”

“About.” Kumiko’s lips quirked up into a small smile as she took the cold water bottle from Nozomi. She pressed it against her face, relishing the way the condensation kissed her skin. “You’re a lifesaver, you know?”

Nozomi shook her head. “Hardly, but I do try.”

The sound of plastic filled the air as Kumiko opened her water bottle. “You work here?” she asked before taking a drink.

“Part-time. Mizore and Haruka-senpai work here too, but I’m the only one on shift today since it’s one of our slower days.”

Kumiko let out a relieved breath as she capped her half-empty water bottle. “You’re still with Mizore-senpai?”

Nozomi’s cheeks flushed a faint shade of pink as she chuckled. “Y-yeah. I mean, we’ve always been together, you know?”

“Are you two—mm—in a relationship?” Kumiko asked, fiddling with the peeling sticker on her water bottle. Nozomi’s eyes widened a bit and her blush darkened, but she answered the question with a sheepish smile and a nod.

“Yeah,” she said quietly, “we are.”

A small smile crawled on Kumiko’s face, and she chose to ignore the faint beginnings of Jealousy’s flame in her gut. “Cute.”

“A-ah, thanks.” Nozomi laughed again, and her smile turned mellow. “It hasn’t always been an easy ride, though.”

Kumiko thought back to Mizore’s and Nozomi’s tearful reconciliation in that empty classroom in her first-year. “I bet. But you two managed to make it work in the end, so isn’t that what counts?”

Nozomi nodded. “It’s like that with a lot of things, really. If you want to make something work in the end, you have to put effort into it. Relationships aren’t an exception.”

“What was it like,” Kumiko began slowly, “after you two got back together?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, was it awkward between the both of you? Did you find it hard to talk with one another?”

Nozomi hummed, shifting her weight back and forth between her feet as she thought. “In the beginning, I guess. But we kept talking about was on our minds, you know? We’ve developed this relationship of honesty because we were tired of keeping everything bottled up. After that whole classroom incident, there was this unsaid agreement to be more open with one another. And that whole incident that once split us apart was made us even closer together.”

Something welled up inside Kumiko’s chest as she smiled, and Jealousy’s flames were dampened. “You two really love each other, huh?”

“Yeah.” Nozomi chuckled, scratching the back of her neck. “Honestly, I’d really love to spend the rest of my life with her.”

Kumiko’s smile grew. “I’ll be supporting the both of you.”

“Thanks,” Nozomi said with a grin.

For a moment, the hum of the air conditioner was the only thing that was heard.

Nozomi was the one who broke the silence.

“Is there a reason?”

Kumiko looked up from her water bottle. She blinked. “What?”

“Is there a reason you asked about Mizore and I?”

“A-ah, well, mm, I’m…reuniting with an old friend”—Kumiko suppressed a wince—”and we had this falling-out thing. We’ve been talking lately, but it’s never been face-to-face, you know? And I’m meeting her tonight, so I’m pretty anxious to see her.”

“In a good way or bad way?”

“Little bit o’ both.”

“Well,” Nozomi began, “if you’re willing to work to repair your relationship, then everything should fall into place, yeah?”

Kumiko gave a nod. “Yeah.” She gave a grateful smile. “Thanks, Nozomi-senpai.”

Nozomi grinned and gave a thumbs-up. “Don’t mention it. Think of it as thanks.”

“Thanks? For what?”

“Helping me back in my second-year.”

“Oh, that.” Kumiko chuckled sheepishly. “I barely did anything, though.”

Nozomi shook her head. “You’re discrediting yourself. You were a driving force that helped me get back into band, you know.”

Kumiko felt her face heat up to scalding temperatures. “Then, mm, you’re welcome.”

Nozomi laughed. “I better get back to the counter,” she said, taking a quick glance at her watch. “If you’re looking for Midori-chan, she’s near the front looking at flowers.”

With quick words of goodbyes, Nozomi left, disappearing behind the display of roses. Kumiko took a sip of her water before hefting herself up, the pain in her head dulling a bit.

“Midori-chan,” she called out, “where are you?”

“I’m here!”

Following her voice, Kumiko found Midori standing in front of a display of Italian whites. The sight was strangely familiar to her.

“You know,” Midori began, “I’m kind of surprised to find out that Nozomi-senpai worked here. She didn’t seem like the type, you know. I thought she would work at a music shop or something.”

Kumiko hummed, never taking her eyes off the flowers.

A silence fell over them for a brief moment before Midori broke it.

“Do you remember what they mean?”

An image of Reina, dressed in her white one-piece, looking over the town of Uji during their first Agata Festival together came to mind. The remnants of the wonder and awe Kumiko felt that night tugged at her heart.

That was the night where it all started; the night when she began to feel Something towards Reina.

“It means that you’re always thinking about that person, right?”

Midori let out a noise of confirmation. “Forever and always.”

-X-

“Kumiko, there you are! Why are you home so late? I was beginning to think that you got kidnapped!”

“Sorry Mom! Here, I got the groceries.”

“About time—wait, why are there so many empty water bottles in the bag?”

“I was dehydrated earlier today.”

“You were what?”

“But don’t worry! I drank lots of water and fluids after I almost fainted.”

“You almost what? Kumiko, can you please sit down and tell me everything—”

“I will, I will! Once I get back, that is.”

“Get back? From what?”

“The Agata Festival, obviously.”

“That old thing? Honestly, you’re acting like a high schooler again—”

“Can’t talk Mom, gotta go!”

“Wait, Kumiko—”

“Okay, bye, see you later! Love you!”

-X-

To say that Kumiko was nervous would have been a terrible understatement.

While, yes, taking her usual route to Mount Daikichi gave her nostalgic comfort, her mind was full of anxieties and her nerves were a jittery mess. Kumiko let out a shaky breath as she separated from the group she was clumped with to follow the quiet road that led to Daikichi—and Reina.

Walking through here, Kumiko thought as pebbles crunched under her feet, really brings back memories.

The clamor of the Festival faded behind her like a distant memory. With every step she took, Kumiko remembered the first time she walked this path, the heavy ghost of her euphonium strapped on her back. She had gotten strange looks and quiet whispers from passersby, but she didn’t pay them any mind as she trekked up the path towards Mount Daikichi.

Thinking back on it, Kumiko remembered not feeling any ounce of fear as she walked alone that night.

“Gah!” Kumiko found herself tumbling forward, but managed to catch herself before she face-planted into the ground. She took a breath, trying to calm her rattled nerves.

“At least no one saw that,” she mumbled as she dusted herself off.”

“That’s what you think.”

A jolt passed through Kumiko’s body, and she whipped her head up. She opened her mouth to say something, but her throat clenched before she could say anything. She stood there, open-mouthed and wide-eyed, at an enigmatic woman dressed in a white yukata, printed lilacs wrapping themselves around her body.

The woman’s lips curled into a familiar half-smile half-smirk. “Yes?”

Kumiko felt her face heat up in the cool air. “R-Reina!” She squawked. “I-it’s you!”

Reina laughed, the sound so light Kumiko thought her soul would drift away with it. “Why wouldn’t it be me? I was the one who invited you here.”

“R-right.” Kumiko gave a shaky laugh, trying her best to wipe her clammy palms on her shorts discreetly. “You, uh, look good.”

“Thank you. You do, too.”

Self-consciousness made Kumiko hold onto her own forearm. She wasn’t wearing anything elaborate like Reina; it was just a shirt and shorts with her usual sneakers.

“Well?” Reina asked, pulling Kumiko from her thoughts.

“W-well what?”

“Are we going?”

Kumiko gave a singular nod. “Y-yeah. Let’s go.”

Reina took the lead, her yukata flowing behind her in the breeze. Kumiko observed her and her every movement as more and more memories of their first hike together flooding back together. She remembered how she thought Reina looked like a yuki-onna that night, with her flowing hair and white dress. Kumiko felt like she was a weak traveler entranced by beauty that was beyond words.

That sentiment seemed to hold more truth now.

“You cut your hair,” Kumiko said, breaking the silence.

Reina ran a hand through her neck-length hair as if to prove a point. “Didn’t I mention it in one of our letters?”

“Not that I remember.”

Reina hummed.

“Why’d you do it?” Kumiko asked. Her words felt heavy on her tongue, and a part of her hoped that Reina would catch onto their double meaning.

“Long hair is a pain, so I decided to cut it. Easier to manage, you know?”

“Yeah,” Kumiko said as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “I can relate.”

Reina let out a breath of amusement. “I’m glad you can.”

Their conversation was blown away with the passing breeze, and silence was all that was left. It was awkward and heavy, weighing down on Kumiko’s shoulders that it made her slump.

The “grown-up” shrine came into view. While the torii gate was more weathered than Kumiko remembered it, she thought it was in rather good shape. An offering of oranges was sitting in a pyramid of sorts, their vibrant skin giving them a faint glow in the flickering lights.

“I thought no one visited this shrine,” Kumiko pointed out.

“Not exactly,” Reina said. “An old woman comes here sometimes to keep it clean. Or as clean as she can—she has back pain so she can't do much.”

“Yeah?”

Reina nodded. “But sometimes when I hike up here and I see her, I help her.”

“Really?”

“I mean, it’s an important place for the both of us.”

Reina’s words struck Kumiko with a hidden weight, and she wondered if Reina meant more than she was letting on.

The rest of the way was spent in an uncomfortable silence, like the both of them had things to say, but didn’t have the heart to voice their thoughts.

This is stupid, Logic reprimanded. What’s difference between talking to her and and writing to her? You’re still exchanging words. You’ll still say the same thing.

She’ll hear the cracks in your voice if you speak, Anxiety said. And then what’ll happen?

Fear entered the conversation. Kumiko felt her heart clench in her chest. Maybe she’ll leave again.

But maybe she won’t, Something said. Because maybe she’s hurting just as much as you are right now. And she’s struggling to find words, too.

“We’re here,” Reina announced. Kumiko’s thoughts scurried away like little animals as she followed Reina to the railing.

The sight made Kumiko’s breath hitch in her throat.

The city and Festival lights gleamed and sparkled, as if some deity had taken stars from the night sky and planted them in the soil. There were bursts of reds and oranges that came and went, no doubt from firecrackers and fireworks. Kumiko’s lips curled into a smile laced with nostalgia.

“I’ll never get tired of this view,” she found herself saying.

Reina made a noise of amusement. “Same.” There was a beat of silence until Reina asked, “When was the last time you came here?”

Kumiko didn’t answer right away. “I dropped by the night before I moved.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. Just to think about things.”

“Mind if I ask what kind of things?”

Goosebumps littered Kumiko’s arms as a breeze passed through. “What happened, what could have been”—Kumiko’s throat felt unbearably dry as she swallowed—”what should have been.”

Reina said nothing.

“It looked a lot like tonight,” Kumiko continued, gesturing to the town. “All pretty and magical, like nothing could go wrong. But something felt wrong. Something was so very wrong.” She turned to Reina, whose eyes were glued to the scenery below. “Because you weren’t there.”

Reina tensed, as if Kumiko’s words slapped her. She slowly raised her head. Her expression was placid and emotionless, but her eyes were glazed, like she was ready to cry.

“You weren’t there because you left,” Kumiko said. A part of her wanted to stop so that she wouldn’t say anything she would regret, but the filter that separated her thoughts from her voice was nowhere to be found. “You left without a word, Reina! L-like everything we had was nothing but—but a fling!” Hot tears were spilling from her eyes, burning into her cheeks. “I-it hurt!”

Through blurry vision, Kumiko saw Reina staring at her with that impassive masks, but the cracks were beginning to show. “You know I want to become special,” she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Anger and Frustration churning Kumiko’s stomach. “You always say that! But why? Why do you need to be special? Why do you need to look for justification from others? Don’t you see you’re already special? To me?”

Tears began to well up in the corner of Reina’s eyes.

“A-am I…not good e-enough for you?” Kumiko’s words scratched at her throat, making it feel raw. “Am I not—”

“You are good enough! You always were!”

Reina’s outburst shut Kumiko up.

“I always knew that I was special to you,” Reina croaked out, tears free-falling “I knew it ever since our first-year in high school. You looked at me no one in the world ever did! I t-tried denying it for a whole year, trying to force my focus on Taki-sensei, b-but the way you looked at me just—God, it made me so happy. B-because I was finally recognized.” Her lips curled into a shaky smile. “Don’t you know how amazing that feels?

“But th-then I r-remembered what you said when we were practicing for the competition in our first-year. You said”—Reina had to pause to take a breath, and her smile faded as she did so—”you said you wanted to become special to catch up to me. A-and I said that I would work harder to be even more special. I f-felt so h-happy then, but there was this thought that scared me: What if I couldn’t be anymore special? What if you surpassed me and l-left? L-like the others?”

“You know I wouldn’t have,” Kumiko said quietly. “You would’ve killed me.”

“B-but still!” Reina shook her head. “That thought ate at me! Especially so during our second-year! Watching you improve so much in just two years scared me, Kumiko. And I just kept thinking if I really was special to you….”

Understanding dawned over Kumiko. “Was—was that what you meant by my good-girl skin?”

Reina’s weak smile came back. “Initially, n-no. But later on, yes.”

“And…and then you left,” Kumiko began, “to become special abroad.”

Reina’s expression melted into a mix of morose and regret. “I never wanted to.”

“You felt you needed to,” Kumiko finished quietly.

“I know that no justification nor apology will excuse your hurt and my actions, but I’m sorry, Kumiko.” Reina reached out to cup Kumiko’s face in her hands. Kumiko shut her eyes and tensed at the cold touch. “I’m so, so, sorry….”

As she wiped away a stranded tear from Reina’s cheek with the lightest of touches, Kumiko realized that this is the first time she truly saw Reina vulnerable. There was no more mask, no more good-girl skin to peel back at this point. If Reina’s letters were raw and honest, then seeing her at this moment was pure emotion: puffy eyes, red-faced, mussed hair, quivering lips. The brilliance that set her apart during their high-school days was nowhere to be found.

Can you blame her? Sympathy asked. She’s human, too.

That realization hit Kumiko like a meteor.

“You should have told me all of this,” Kumiko said with watery eyes. “Why didn’t you?”

“Part of it was pride,” Reina began quietly, “another part was fear.”

Kumiko brushed a strand of woven obsidian behind Reina’s ear. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Never realizing how much pressure I put on you.”

Reina took a deep breath, then released it, long and slow. “You didn’t know, it’s—it’s fine.”

“Looks like we’ve both done something wrong, huh?”

“Some more than others.” Reina sniffled and pulled Kumiko closer so that they could touch foreheads. For a moment, the both of them shared warm breaths in the quiet cold of the night.

Kumiko broke the silence. “Can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Why’d you come back? As a teacher?”

“Part of it was because I missed Japan. Part of it was because I wanted to repay my debt to Taki-sensei, to inspire a kid the same way he inspired me and so many others.” She took a half-step closer, the tips of their noses brushing together. “But mainly it was because I had this crushingly strong urge to see and apologize to you.”

Kumiko’s heart leapt and fluttered in her chest like a butterfly. A crooked smile pulled on her lips. “That so?”

Reina hummed her confirmation.

“So…what does this make us?”

“I don’t know. What do you want us to be?”

Kumiko opened her mouth, but hesitated on her words.

Go on, Something urged, say it.

“I’d really love to rebuild what we had,” she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

Reina broke down again. Her tears fell like little waterfalls, but the biggest grin, one that held all the genuity in the universe, was on her face. “I’d really love that, too.”

It took Kumiko a moment to realize that this was the first time she ever saw Reina truly, truly happy.

A wave of Something hit her chest in a pleasant sort of pain, breaking the remaining seams on her heart, and filled her body with incredible warmth. It was a strangely familiar feeling, one that made her stomach feel unbearably light and ticklish. It made her shoulders shake as she laughed, her mirth ringing in the night sky like a song.

It took her another moment to realize that Something was Love all along.

With a light push on the shoulder from Love, Kumiko closed the distance between her and Reina. Her lips were slightly chapped and had the distinct taste of tears on them, but Kumiko could make out the faint sweetness that always lingered on her lips. Kumiko smiled into the kiss, overwhelmed by the nostalgia and awe of it all.

Things certainly changed, Kumiko mused, but Love certainly didn’t.

They broke apart at the same time. They looked into each other’s eyes, fondness gleaming in their eyes.

“It looks like this is the place where we found Love,” Reina said with a quiet chuckle.

Kumiko smiled at the reference.

“Yeah,” she said, “it really is.”

sorry for the late update - again. i completely forgot to do it on saturday...and on sunday...and on monday. lmao

but anyways, thank you guys for reading. this concludes this little novella-length kumirei of mine. i know, looking back on it, a lot more could have been added to make everything much more...better, for lack of better term lol. but i initially wrote this as a way to get things off my chest, and i must say, it has been quite therapeutic lol. most of these characters and the relationships, especially the relationship between kumiko and reina, have been very important to me, both in canon and in story. i guess you can say this is self-insert and projection to the Extreme^tm. if you wish to know more, feel free to PM me on fanfic or on tumblr (tumblr is much more effecient; my url is imsvg).

this story also holds a special place in my heart because it's the first multi-chapter that i actually had the dedication to finish, lmao. but that's much more insignificant in the scheme of things lol.

but really, thank you, you guys. i truly, truly appreciate the reviews and comments, and the little theories. it made me look at this piece in a bit of a different light, lol.

thanks for reading.

#i write #hibike #fanfiction

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skogmancalahan · 4 years

Note

ask memes: recc theonsa fics

So I only read modern au theonsa so here are my faves. All of these writers are amazingly talented.

- Cooperative escapism in unfamiliar relations by pentagastly

- intro to knots (or, alternatively, the psychology of growing up) by pentaghastly

- I hate your guts ‘cause I’m loving every minute by jolie_unfiltrd

- Finders Keepers by @provocative-envy

- Let’s not make it harder than it has to be by kattyshack

- Like stupid people do by kattyshack

- In (Slightly Less Than) All Honesty by lunarlychallenged

#ask vee #if any of the writers that are not tagged have tumblrs pls tag them #cuz they are amaze

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aroundtheworldin18years · 6 years

Text

ALPE CERMIS

Winter or Summer holiday, which do you prefer? Our family has mixed views when it comes to the type of holiday we take. For Daddy, a fair skinned ginger, sun worshiping isn’t really my thing, but Mummy, being whiter than talc, loves nothing more than lazing in the hot summer sun, and both girls love all that both types of holiday have to offer. Easily pleased thankfully. Rather than squabble over where and when to go, we try to take a Summer holiday and a Winter holiday…best of both worlds so to speak. 2018 is no exception with a first time ski holiday at Alpe Cermis, Cavalese; a place of astonishing natural beauty where the locals are as beautiful as the mountains themselves.

The Italian Dolomites; an area of outstanding natural beauty

WHY ALPE CERMIS, CAVALESE

Back in the day Mummy and I took to the slopes of the Canadian Rockies on snowboards, that’s what cool cats do! Skis and the thought of having two broken legs didn’t appeal to us in the ‘noughties’. As we get older (and hopefully wiser) we have decided to leave the ‘dangerous’ sports to our fearless children. Who would have known that a quick half hour lesson on a rolling ski slope at We Are Vertigo, Belfast, in 2015; would have planted a seed within Lily-Belle. Now the girls are a tad older, aged 3 and 9, plus having a lower sense of gravity than us oldies; we thought now would be the perfect time to book a ski holiday.

Skiing…but not a singe flake of snow to be seen

Alpe Cermis isn’t your typical ski destination for British or Irish travellers, in fact it’s quite the opposite. We were pleasantly surprised to find out from locals that we were the only British-Irish family they had come across the whole season (we were there in March 2018, right at the end of the season). Seems Alpe Cermis isn’t yet on the radar of the British-Irish as they continue to visit popular ski destinations like the French Alps, Switzerland and Austria to name but a few. We’re not ‘normal‘ and we often opt for ‘different‘ which is why we chose Alpe Cermis, Cavalese. As well as the fact that we find it very difficult to drag ourselves away from Italy, we love the country so much.

DON’T MAKE PROMISES YOU CAN’T KEEP

If you have read any of our other posts, you will see that quite often we take our own car when holidaying in Europe, a bit mad, probably, but for me (Daddy) it just makes sense. Having to drag children and suitcases through airports isn’t my thing, I like to be in charge of my own trip, from loading the car right through to reaching the final destination. I want to be in charge (with Mummy’s beady eyes always watching…always…watching).

Everything but the kitchen sink

Little jet-setters

For our trip to Alpe Cermis, Cavalese, Mummy persuaded me to fly-hire with the promise of ‘Don’t worry, we only need one carry-on bag each’. Aye right! It soon became obvious and clear that there was no way on this Earth we could do our trip to Alpe Cermis without the addition of hold luggage. So, trundling through Belfast International Airport with two children, four hand luggage and two hold luggage, oh yes, plus a child car seat; really didn’t start this holiday too well for me. Thankfully, after a relatively straight forward and stress free flight with Ryanair, the plane touches down smoothly at Bergamo Airport, Milan. Once we collect our luggage, we trundle off to Firefly Car Rental.

A view of the Dolomites from our Ryanair flight

LUNCH AT LAKE GARDA

Firefly rental car collected and if I am being completely honest, if I had a euro for every dent it had, I’d be a millionaire. When Mummy is in charge of getting ‘bargain’ car hire, dents and dings are always expected, in fact, if it has all four wheels I consider it a huge bonus. One thing we always do is take a 360° video and photos of any damage, that way we have proof should the rental company ever open a dispute upon returning the car. Bags loaded and we begin our journey to the spectacular and dramatic landscape of the Italian Dolomites via Italy’s largest lake that is Lake Garda. Our stop is brief so we can grab lunch, take a few photos and for the girls to skim stones across the calm clear water of Lake Garda. Breathtaking views and so very peaceful.

Holding hands and skimming stones…just need an old gold chevy.

WHERE’S THE SNOW?

Our journey from a peaceful Lake Garda, to the snow-covered Italian Dolomites, takes us along hairpin bends, scarily narrow roads and of course, beautiful scenery. We feel truly blessed every time we visit Italy. Lily-Belle’s main concern for the nigh on 2h 30 min journey was that there was a severe lack of snow. In all honesty I was also a tad concerned but chose not to be as vocal as little Miss Callaghan. We needn’t have worried though. As we drove through the town of Cavalese we could see the snow covered mountains of Alpe Cermis in the distance. Excited!

Snow capped Dolomites

APARTHOTEL DES ALPES

It’s mid afternoon when The Callaghan Posse arrive at Aparthotel des Alpes, just one of the five self-catering apartment buildings owned by Trentino Residences. The apartment building itself has traditional Tyrolean styling and an amazing backdrop of the snow-capped mountains of Alpe Cermis, Cavalese.

When picture perfect is right on your doorstep.

At the Aparthotel des Alpes reception we were warmly greeted by Cinzia. Over the next few days we would get to know this lovely young lady quite well. Mummy had excelled in booking the accommodation on this occasion, the apartment was spacious, modern and extremely homely. The girls immediately began arguing over who was getting the top bunk. To make the absolute most of our time, bags were left and we hopped back in the car and drove the short distance to Alpe Cermis Ski Resort to have a recce and book ski lessons for the girls with Scuola Italiana Sci Alpe Cermis.

Back at Aparthotel Des Alpes we chatted with Cinzia about the local area; where the supermarket was, best restaurants and places to get a quick bite, but most important of all…where to get the best ice-cream, an absolute must for our girls in Italy. The time is a little after 7pm and we are shocked to learn that the local supermarkets are already closed! Looks like provisions will have to wait until tomorrow, but for now, we need fed. Thankfully Pizzeria Des Alpes, the restaurant situated right next door; is still open. Lily-Belle and Matilda ordered a pizza and were thrilled when it arrived at the table in the shape of a bunny.

Three happy hoppers.

ON THE SLOPES (DAY 1)

Before leaving home, Mummy and I made a conscious decision to leave the skiing to the girls, we have been snowboarding a few times, but that was many (many) years ago. As a family we are not early risers, and as the girls were taking to the slopes for the very first time, we decided freshly groomed slopes had no appeal. After breakfast, we got dressed into our cold weather clobber, gathered our ski essentials and made our way to Alpe Cermis.

Who will be dressed first…on your mark, set, go!

Private ski lessons had been booked the evening before for 11am, and by leaving the apartment at 10.30, we thought we’d left ourselves plenty of time…how wrong could we have been. Unbeknownst to us, the journey, from the bottom of Alpe Cermis to the ski rental shop and nursery slopes at level 2; takes around 5-10 minutes, and we still had to purchase our lift passes from the main reception and get kitted out. Late again!

GETTING KITTED OUT

A short (to us it seemed to take forever as we were running late) ride on the cable car left us in awe. The views far surpassed our expectations. Snow-capped mountains, pine forests and clear blue skies, there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. Arriving at level 2, we alighted from the cable car and hurried ourselves along to the Sport Cermis rental shop.

Getting kitted out is easy at Sports Cermis

A great selection of hire equipment at Sports Cermis

The shop is extremely well equipped, not just with rental items but also with ski/snowboard products for purchasing. As you enter the shop your eyes are immediately drawn to a huge window that overlooks the Dolomites…picture perfect and spectacular! We made ourselves known to a member of staff, Claudio, and he came to our assistance with getting the girls fitted with boots, skis and helmets. The rest of the gear we took with us (goggles, clothing etc).

What a magnificent view

Although our trip was short, we got to know Claudio quite well over the time. A lovely and lively character…jolly, charismatic, witty and an infectious smile. Claudio really knew his stuff when it came to kitting out the girls.

Note to self #1: don’t wait until the girls are fully clothed before asking do they need the toilet….disaster! Note to self #2: remind Mummy not to put Matilda (age 3) on the loo then keep moving in front of the automatic flush sensor. Poor Matilda could be heard screaming from outside, her little butt was soaked and she was not a happy little bummy…sorry, I mean bunny!

GOOD TO GO…FINALLY

Finally…snow! Far from being cold, it was actually really hot with beautiful clear blue skies. With no cloud cover the sun was extremely hot. It didn’t take long to realise we were all a little overdressed and so we began to peel away the layers. The girls were introduced to Alessandro, who was their instructor for the lesson. Alessandro put the girls at ease instantly, and since we were late, put the girls to work right away after a quick lesson on how to put on their skis. A short push-pull session (about 2 minutes) and Alessandro took the girls to the top of the nursery slope via the rolling carpet.

Matilda and Alessandro for the first lesson

Sometimes you’ve just gotta roll with it

Lily-Belle and Alessandro for the first lesson

The slope itself is about 150-200 metres in length, not too steep but steep enough to gather speed if you don’t control your descent. From the slopes we could hear cries of ‘pizza, pizza, pizza’….was someone serving food? No food, it turns out that ‘pizza, pizza, pizza’ is pretty much a slope code word for ‘slow down’. Basically, with knees bent slightly, you turn the tips of your skis inwards towards each other (almost touching) and push the back of the skis outwards, thus forming a shape like a slice of pizza…genius!

LESSON OVER BUT WE’RE GOING NOWHERE

We honestly didn’t know if the girls would like the skiing therefore we only booked a one hour lesson, and as we were late, it was over in a flash. Alessandro had such a good rapport with the girls so we arranged for him to instruct the girls the following day.

Having fun and laughter on the slopes

The girls took to the skiing with no hassle at all, and it wasn’t long before they were going up and down the slope on their own. Matilda did need a little help (according to her she didn’t) getting on and off the rolling carpet, a job that Mummy undertook for the afternoon. As for Daddy, I just sat watching the girls ski, admired the view and took photographs, lot and lots of photographs, the scenery was breathtaking.

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

It was around 3pm when we managed to pull the girls off the slopes and make our way to the top of Alpe Cermis for a late lunch. The ride to the top uses two modes of transport; a cable car followed by a chair-lift. We soar between a clearing of pine trees before they open up to reveal panoramic views of the surrounding Dolomites, truly spectacular. Definitely a lot colder at the top of Alpe Cermis than on the lower slopes, time to put the layers back on.

Italian Dolomites…spectacular

The restaurant at the top is called Paion Del Cermis, a beautiful wooden building with a fantastic terrace offering unspoilt views. The food is typical buffet style, plenty of healthy salad and ‘green stuff’, with the option of pizzas and burgers etc from the menu. Unfortunately for us the restaurant was about to close. Matilda went into a meltdown and the staff kindly allowed us to dine, but not wanting to create work for the chef, we opted to eat whatever was left in the buffet trays.

Skiing is thirsty work…cheers

GET A WRIGGLE ON OR GET WALKING

Back outside we stood and admired the magical mountain, the views were astonishing for as far as the eyes could see. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a man stood by the chair-lift frantically waving his arms. As we approached he told us we had 2 minutes to be on the descending chair-lift or we’d have to walk down….always rushing, always the last, will we ever learn….probably not! In all honesty, we thought the slopes stayed open until dark, you know, Après-ski and all that, but no, 5pm and a complete shutdown! A lost photo opportunity on a day when the sky was completely blue and barely a cloud to be seen!

What goes up, must come down

SHOPPING AL SUPERMARCATO

Back on terra firma, and before we returned to Aparthotel Des Alpes, we took the opportunity to visit a local supermercato (supermarket) for essentials, the girls particularly enjoyed the child sized shopping trolleys…and filling them! We return to Aparthotel des Alpes with a few Italian treats; cheeses, meats, olives (a particular favourite of Daddy’s) and of course, locally produced vino.

Little shopping trolley’s for little shoppers.

Each evening upon our return, we were warmly greeted by Cinzia whom the girls were happy to take short Italian lessons from. It’s late, and once the girls are asleep, Mummy and Daddy crack open the vino and begin sorting and uploading the many photos taken that day. Sleep!

ON THE SLOPES (DAY 2)

Breakfast in the self-catering apartment. Back to the slopes to meet Alessandro for lesson number due (two). Yaaaaay, we arrive on time…just! Once again the sun is shining but this time there are a few clouds in the sky…hopefully it’ll snow! We feel proud as we tell Alessandro how well the girls progressed on their own the day before. No time wasted, Alessandro takes the girls to the children’s snow-park for them to attempt moguls and slalom through obstacles. Amazingly, after only one 60 minute lesson with an instructor and a few hours on their own, the girls took to skiing like ducks to water. No bother at all navigating the course.

I think it’s all downhill from here

Pizza, pizza, pizza

Did someone say pizza?

Lesson due over. Alessandro informed us he wasn’t going to be able to take the girls for any more ski lessons as he was heading away to take part in a big competition. The girls were a bit sad! Mummy and Daddy knew they were both confident enough to handle the nursery slopes on their own…but were they competent? We needn’t have worried as they spent the next couple of hours competently going up and down the nursery slope on their own.

The Three Muskateers

Before we left our apartment at Aparthotel des Alpes, we made up sandwiches and packed a few drinks/snacks for the girls to eat al fresco at the slopes of Alpe Cermis. Once gain, we head up to the top of the mountain to finish off our afternoon.

Sandwiches and a sit down, hard to beat

AS NAKED AS A BABY

Back at Aparthotel des Alpes, a quick change into our swimming gear and it’s off to the swimming pool. Much to the delight of the girls, there’s a huge jacuzzi and unlike in the UK; children are allowed. Most European swimming pools demand that you wear a swim hat and Aparthotel des Alpes is no exception. Thankfully, Daddy has a head like a billiard ball and managed to negotiate not having to wear one!

Plenty of room in the swimming pool

Apparently 3 heads are better than 1

Beside the ample pool and huge jacuzzi is the Wellness Centre. Loving a bit of luxury Daddy decides this is the place for him. Came as a bit of a surprise to Daddy as most of, if not all of, the occupants were buck naked, ah well….when in Rome, or Cavalese as the case may be….more than happy to join in. I was just a tad worried in case I spilled my tea! Quite funny. I was sat having a cup of complimentary peppermint tea and a stout fella drops his towel and plonks his bare bum in a sink filled with ice…..not two minutes later a different fella dips his face in the same ice sink….I couldn’t help but cringe and chortle to myself at the same time.

Dip your face in at your peril

Slippery When Wet…but not Bon Jovi

P-P-P-PICK UP A PIZZA

It had been a long day and our energy levels were low. Dine in or dine out was put to the vote…and dine in was unanimous, probably another first for us! Having a pizzeria next door was really handy so we ordered take-away food from Pizzeria des Alpes. The girls were asleep in no time at all, and once again, as the videos and pictures were uploading to the cloud, Mummy and Daddy cracked open the vino and ate some of the lovely meats and cheeses purchased the day before. Sleep!

Snacks and a movie before sleep

DAY TRIP TO SKI CENTER LATEMAR (DAY 3)

Saturday morning we decided to give skiing a miss in favour of a visit to Ski Center Latemar, a ski resort that is a short 20 minute drive from Aparthotel des Alpes. Ski Center Latemar is the western most mountain of the Dolomites and can be accessed from any one of the three local villages, Obereggen, Pampeago and Predazzo. The latter is where we’d be beginning our journey for the day.

READ ALL ABOUT OUR TRIP TO SKI CENTER LATEMAR IN THE DOLOMITES

Our visit to Ski Center Latemar was primarily to ride the thrilling Alpine Coaster Gardonè, and also to have lunch at Rifugio Passo Feudo which is the restaurant right at the very top of Latemar mountain. At the top of the mountain the (almost) 360° views were breathtaking. The Alpine Coaster Gardonè is a little over halfway up the Latemar mountainside and what an exciting ride. Home time, the girls are getting hungry.

Spectacular views from the top of Ski Center Latemar

TANTALISING TITO SPECK

Wanting to dine where the locals go, we took a recommendation from Cinzia to book a table at Tito il Maso dello Speck. Tito’s is less than 2 miles from Cavalese and boasts fantastic views of the countryside with the majestic Black Horn Mountain to the rear. The building itself is just what we expected…very traditional, lots of wood and the surrounding landscape is very picturesque. Our table was pre-booked so we are shown to our seats, menus are provided and our drink order taken.

Dining the Tyrolean way.

The decor is very Tyrolean with lots of wood, colourful cowbells and an array of musical instruments on the walls. In the corner there’s an open fire and the smell of fragrant (charred) wood fills the air. Before we left Aparthotel des Alpes, Cinzia recommenced a dish for the girls, something that all Italian children love…späetzle.

It’s green and edible….späetzle

Our food arrives and it soon becomes obvious that our girls don’t like the späetzle. Isn’t it a good job Mummy and Daddy had ordered one of our favourite meals…steak on a sizzling stone. The food is of exceptional quality, (including the späetzle which Daddy demolished), and it’s easy to see why this is the place that the locals themselves frequent.

Succulent and juicy…not me, the steak!

You can’t beat a plate of spuds

MUCH MORE THAN JUST MEAT

Right beside Tito’s Restaurant there is a shop selling a whole arrangement of meats, cheese, preserves and wines to accompany each. A wonderful shop and the smell is pungent, but in a good way. It’s a little after 20:30 and the shop is busy…really busy! This is obviously where the locals go for their own supplies. Back to Aparthotel des Alpes for an early night ready for more skiing tomorrow.

Italy’s finest Grappa

Speck in all shapes and sizes

Don’t forget the crackers

Speck is a boned pork leg which is cured in salt, and spices, primarily laurel and juniper; then over a period of months is slow-smoked using pine or juniper wood. Späetzle is a soft egg noodle often cut into tiny little dumplings before cooking in boiling water. There are many variations of shape, texture and flavour.

ON THE SLOPES (DAY 4)

It’s Sunday and for once, we arrive at Alpe Cermis early and without feeling hurried…this has to be a first for us! At the reception, as we were collecting our lift passes for the day, we got chatting to Federica, the Resort Manager at Alpe Cermis. Chat flows freely and Federica informs us that Alpe Cermis rarely sees visitors from the UK, or indeed Ireland. Hopefully, once people read our blog and see what this amazing place has to offer skiers and snowboarders; that will change.

Clouds are beginning to form, could this be a snow day? The nursery slopes are empty and our girls were content going up and down on their own. Their confidence had grown and neither wanted any assistance with the rolling carpet or the skiing. With Alessandro away, we booked a lesson solely for Lily-Belle to try a green run. Massimo, her new instructor, had other ideas. As they both disappeared into the distance Matilda decided she didn’t want to ski today and so the three of us took the opportunity to relax, grab a drink and take in the views at level 2.

Massimo and Lily-Belle..ski buddies

After an hour of skiing Lily-Belle and Massimo returned. Green run, nope. Blue run, yes. Massimo tricked Lily-Belle into thinking she was going down a green run but instead had her doing a controlled weaving descent down a trickier blue run. Little Miss Callaghan loved it, and never once did she feel scared or fall (that’s what she told us anyway). We were so thankful to both Alessandro and Massimo for their excellent ski tutoring, especially as both of our girls were first time skiers. It also really helped that both instructors spoke excellent English. Ski lesson over.

SLIPPY SLEDDING FUN

Beside the nursery slope is a great run for sleds. After the first bend the run splits into two, one run for younger children, and one for older children. With Matilda sat on Mummy’s knee, they braved the run for the older children! The sled came down really, really slow…Mummy was too scared and had the brake on the whole way down. Let the Master of Speed (Daddy) have a go. Let’s just say I didn’t hold back and poor Matilda screamed the whole way down. Exhilarating and loads of fun. We have definitely worked up an appetite!

Oh look, we’ve been overtaken by a snail!

It’s such a beautiful day so outdoor dining seems to be on the cards. Music fills the air and high in the sky a couple of paraglider’s soar effortlessly, following the ski trails as they descend down the mountain. The food choice is excellent, pasta for the girls and a huge pork joint for Daddy. No snow today!

It’s big, it’s meaty and it’s in my belly!

SO THIS IS APRÉS SKI

At the top of Alpe Cermis the music is playing and there’s a real party atmosphere. Skiers are dancing to The Ketchup Song (otherwise known as Aserejé) and there’s plenty of beer and wine being consumed. A fire pit burns and it’s a chance to warm our hands.

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The girls spot swings and make their way over to them. The snow is much deeper at the top of Alpe Cermis and Matilda is swallowed whole. Mummy and Daddy order a drink and relax on the sunloungers as the girls play. Aside from the music and revellers dancing, it’s such a peaceful spot to take in the panoramic views of the Dolomite mountain range. For a change, we opt to leave the slopes a little earlier than usual in order to explore the town of Cavalese.

Sunloungers and snow…what a combo

Don’t mind if we do

What do you mean one of us has to push!

IT’S NEVER TOO COLD TO EAT ICE CREAM

During the summer months in Italy, The Callaghan Posse consume lots of ice cream, so why should winter be any different? A few days earlier Cinzia had mentioned Gelateria Tre Valli just on the outskirts of town, so this was our first port of call. This establishment is owned and ran by Franco Simonazzi, and what a fantastic character he is. The decor may be a tad old fashioned but Franco and his staff are extremely welcoming. Easter Eggs are displayed in full colourful glory. Once seated we are approached by Lara, our waitress for the day. Lara’s English is excellent but she explains to us that Franco, the owner and her Uncle, doesn’t speak any English at all. This doesn’t prevent Franco from attempting to communicate with us with lots of hand and face gestures. Thankfully Google Translate comes in handy once again.

Easter eggs in all shapes and sizes

From a glance around the room it would appear that the Chocolate Gourmet Fondente is popular and this chocolate feast has Mummy and Daddy’s full attention. After a short while Lara returns with our order. A platter of chocolate fondants await; pistachio, amaretto, hazelnut and nougat plus a selection of delightful pastries to dip into the gooey chocolate delights. It isn’t long before we all began to feel sick. Our eyes are bigger than our bellies!

A chocoholics dream

FLAMING HECK…WHAT IN THE BLAZES?

All of a sudden the lights go out and Franco appears with a pan of fire! The flames shoot upwards as he proceeds to fill small cups with this flaming drink. As Franco didn’t speak English, and we didn’t speak Italian, we had to rely on Lara to explain what was going on. The drink is called Parampampoli. It’s a blend of coffee, grappa, wine and caramelized sugar and is really tasty. Served hot and flambé, Parampampoli instantly warms the soul.

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Lara informs us this drink is always best served with friends, and we think Franco has just become our new best friend, what a joyous and lovely man. It takes us over an hour to leave Franco’s as he insists on taking photos with us and pouring us lots of different drinks, all completely gratis, he refused point blank to accept our money. Franco even gives our girls little Easter Eggs to take away with them. Before leaving there were lots of hugs and we also connected with Franco and Lara on Facebook. We’ve only just left and yet we can’t wait to return.

Forging friendships over a tipple

The evening is drawing in so a quick stroll through the town to take a few snaps. Most of the shops are closed but we stumble across a gift shop and our girls are eager to spend their holiday money. A few souvenirs purchased, and gifts for Nana and Granda, and then it’s back to Aparthotel des Alpes for our evening meal. As if we could eat anymore after all that chocolate at Franco’s!

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DAY TRIP TO OBEREGGEN (DAY 5)

Obereggen has been on our radar for some time, it almost pipped Alpe Cermis as our destination when we came to booking this ski trip. It came as a real shock to us to be in Italy and hear everyone speaking German! Obereggen belongs to the municipality of Deutschnofen.

READ OUR REVIEW OF OBEREGGEN IN THE VAL D’EGA

At the very top of Obereggen is Oberholz Restaurant and Bar, the very reason for our visit today. For unobstructed views of the UNESCO World Nature Heritage Site of the Dolomites, Oberholz is the perfect place to be. Three over-sized viewing windows allow you to take in the natural scenery as you dine.

Three windows, three views…spoilt for choice.

Oberholz was a culinary delight but the girls had other things on their minds…tobogganing (that’s sledding to you and I). Tobogganing was so much fun and one go just wasn’t enough. Although it was quite late in the day, we still managed to squeeze in three fast runs. It’s an absolute blast and definitely one of our holiday highlights.

Whether you call it tobogganing or sledding, it’s lots of fun

ON THE SLOPES (DAY 6)

Knowing the girls felt comfortable skiing on their own, we decided against a ski instructor for our final day at Alpe Cermis. Lily-Belle and Matilda happily rode the rolling carpet to the top of the nursery slope then effortlessly skied down. Sat at the bottom of the slope, Mummy and Daddy were happy watching, photographing and, every now and then, shouting Pizza, Pizza, Pizza in an attempt to slow our over enthusiastic 3 year old…she was completely fearless. Nutter! Before the girls finished skiing for the day we took one last video of them maneuvering through the obstacles. We felt so proud, from non-skiers to skiers after just two short lessons, and all thanks to the excellent tuition available from Scuola Italiana Sci at Alpe Cermis.

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AS SARAH BRIGHTMAN ONCE SANG…TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

Our time at Alpe Cermis had come to an end and it was time to say goodbye. The week had flown by and the last day came around far too soon for our liking, 6 days just wasn’t long enough. Goodbye, Ciao, Auf wiedersehen…until the next time.

WOULD WE GO BACK

This is by far the easiest yes we have ever said. As a family we absolutely amore Italy and from the moment we arrived in Cavalese, we knew it was a special place. Beautiful town, magnificent mountains, perfect skiing at Alpe Cermis and the loveliest locals you could ever meet. Our visit was in the Winter but we have absolutely no doubt that this region would be just as spectacular in Spring, Summer and Autumn. As a family we are really looking forward to returning to Alpe Cermis in the future. Hopefully the next time we’ll feel cotton soft snowflakes kissing our rosy cheeks.

With a very special thank you to:

Federica Bailoni – for her very warm welcome at Alpe Cermis and excellent hosting

Cinzia Pistoia – for her warmth, friendliness and local recommendations

Alessandro and Massimo – for putting our girls at ease and their excellent ski tuition

Franco and Lara Simonazzi – for newly formed friendships, ice cream and for introducing us to Parampampoli

A heartfelt thank you for making our visit both special and memorable! We look forward to seeing you all again in the not so distant future.

LILY-BELLE (age 9) SAYS I really enjoyed Alpe Cermis and skiing. I think the instructors are brilliant, and they spoke very good English. This was my first time on real snow and I was a bit scared of the bumps (moguls) at first. I loved the sledding at Obereggen, but I thought I was going to fall off a cliff and die! The alpine coaster was really cool. Daddy: Die? Slight exaggeration as there wasn’t even a mountain side anywhere near us, just a beautiful fast twisty run all the way down to the bottom.

MATILDA (age 3) SAYS I really loved skiing so fast and doing it all by myself and I liked going up the carpet to the top of the hill. I didn’t like Mummy wetting my bum in the toilets, she’s so mean! Mummy, why did you even do that? (shouting at Mummy). Can we go back and get another ice cream at the Fanjo’s shop? Yuuuuuuuummy! Daddy: For those of you who are in doubt, Fanjo’s is in fact Franco’s Gelateria.

Travel Itinerary and Costs

Travel Dates: 21st – 27th March 2018 Flights (2 A + 2 C): Ryanair – Belfast to Milan Bergamo – £152.00 (plus £30.00 for 1 x 20kg checked bag) Car Hire: Firefly – €59.22 for 7 days (plus €350.00 refundable security deposit) Accommodation: Aparthotel des Alpes – €668.29 (plus €150.00 refundable security deposit) Scuola Italiana Sci: Private lessons €40.00 (1st child) + €15.00 (2nd child) – lesson duration 1 hour Pedestrian Lift Pass (Alpe Cermis summit): €16.00 (adults) and €10.50 (children) Rolling Carpet Ski Pass (Lily-Belle and Matilda): €5.00 each

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