Whisked Off

Day 1: Hitting the slopes… and the pasta January 31, 2010

To say the scenery at Sauze d’Oulx is breathtaking is like saying the locals enjoy espresso. Glistening peaks and wooded slopes at every turn. Surrounded by so much natural beauty it’s hard to focus on skiing!

On Ali’s recommendation, we rented skis, boots and poles from the outfitter at the foot of the Clotes chairlift. The chatty Irishman working there had us sorted and out on the hill by 9:30 am. Rich and I started with some gentle runs to regain our ‘ski legs’ after a few years’ break from the sport. As we casually observed each others’ form we were relieved to see that our skills are complementary. Although we’ve been talking about how much we love it, this is our first time skiing together.

Enough about skiing.

We’d been in Italy less than 18 hours and already lunch was redefined. At 1:30 pm we skied past a wooden cabin surrounded by skis and poles. It wasn’t marked on the trail map but feeling peckish, and in need of the loo, we decided to add our gear to the pile and venture inside.

Opening the door into a one room bar-cafe with wooden tables and beamed ceilings, we sensed we were in luck. The place was heaving with raucous Italian families, friends, and groups of ski instructors in matching bright jackets. Everyone was talking loudly and laughing, and tucking into pizzas, plates of pasta, soup, paninis and other sandwiches, and beer and wine. We looked at each other and smiled: this is why we had chosen to ski in Italy.

We squeezed ourselves onto the end of a table and promptly over-ordered. A small vat of vegetable soup; a massive salad with corn, carrot, beets and a dollop of anchovy dip; and a mountain of penne with a simple tomato sauce. The bill came to a whopping €25. Clot Bourget is a true gem – a far cry from the overpriced tepid bowl of chili and burnt french fries that often passes for lunch at ski lodges in Vermont.

Barely able to leave the table, we nonetheless skied some amazing runs. The snow was beautiful, the sun was shining, and the mountain seemed nearly empty. This was going to be a great week.

Our first minor scrape occurred as I fell while attempting to board the aptly named “drag lift.” The attendant gallantly hoisted me to my feet. Determined to avoid further embarrassment I held on to the next tow rope for dear life.

By the time I schussed down to the bottom I had regained full confidence. In fact, at the next chairlift we gladly agreed to chaperone a charming 8-year-old ski student up the hill. Despite the lack of a common language, all seemed to be going well – we learned each others’ names and attempted small talk via sign language – until Rich began to raise the safety bar as we approached the exit. Horrified, and holding onto the chair as his ski tips tilted skyward, Jacopo screamed ‘No! No! No!’

How could we have known that this particular chairlift stops mid-mountain to admit more passengers? Our profuse apologies did little to soothe the little guy and we rode the rest of the way in guilty silence. The moment we reached the top Jacopo darted off to the safety of his friends. Probably to tell them all about the crazy English-speaking adults who had tried to bump him off.

After a final run we stowed our gear and explored the quaint old part of town. Cobbled streets and weathered wooden doors defined the neighborhood, with a handful of dimly lit wine bars and pizzerias and a small chapel adding to the charm. We returned to our hotel, washed up and wandered out for an early dinner.

We arrived at Sugo’s Spaghetti House at 6:45 and had no trouble finding a table. In no time the place was jammed with Italian tourists and other pasta fiends. Everything at Sugo’s is served family style. We shared a half liter of wine, a mixed salad and a huge bowl of homemade fettucini in a porcini and tomato sauce with a dash of cream. Tiramisu and pannacotta followed for dessert.

Walking back to the hotel looking forward to the next six days at Sauze d’Oulx, I realize I will need to do a lot of skiing to work off all this great food.