Open Writing

Last month Estevan, a friend whose family owns a café/bar in Ferreira invited us to join him and a couple of friends for a day’s skiing in nearby Manzaneda.

We had spent a few days in mid January in Formigal, which had not been over successful as there was little snow and being low season, few people. Of course, as soon as we returned home, it snowed heavily everywhere.

You win some you lose some!

We kept promising ourselves a trip to Manzaneda and so readily took up Estevan’s invite. We arranged to meet early Monday morning outside his bar. Monday at eight o’clock was freezing, with the temperature at minus 9 degrees, and wrapped in thermals, polo jackets, gloves, and wearing goggles, we felt adequately dressed for the day.

Estevan arrived with his girlfriend, Miri who was dressed in a light fleece jacket but she assured us she would be fine!

Oh for the constitution of youth!

Originally we were going to go in two cars, but changed our minds and all piled into Estevan’s. After loading his car with skis, poles boots, etc, we collected our final passenger, Paula, and started off, into the promise of a bright sunny day’s skiing.

The drive to Manzeneda follows the gorges of the river Sil and is extremely windey and narrow in places, but the views are spectacular. The drive is a little hairy at times, especially when oncoming vehicles try to use the whole width of the road, and two or three times, gasps could be heard from the girls in the back. (Well, in truth only Terri. The other Spanish girls being used to their compatriot's driving.)

At the small village of Pueblo de Trives, we stopped for breakfast before making our final ascent to the skiing resort. Whilst, it is true to say that Manzaneda is not a huge resort, it does attract a lot of skiers, especially at the week-end, but by the state of the road, you would never believe it. At times, it seemed as though we were going to someone’s house, rather than a resort.

The resort is small, but has good facilities and on Monday, as there were few people it was as though we had the place to ourselves. There was plenty of snow, and early in the morning with the sun shining, it was sparkling and crunchy.

In the middle of the road slept two large, hairy dogs who seemed to think their job for the day was that of a roundabout!

Estevan is an excellent skier and as Paula had never skied before, he started to teach her the basics. He’d learnt to ski with friends when he was sixteen and therefore had no fear, whereas we’d learnt in later years, with a teacher and thus ski with caution. To us it seemed he was teaching Paula in a rather reckless fashion, that is to say it was into a snow plough, lean forward and go as fast as you can. Strange though it might seem, by the end of the day Paula was able to ski in a straight line, down the green piste, without falling over.

Oh for the confidence of youth!

Skiing is amusing enough, but a sight which brings a smile to my face even now, is that of three sixty-years-young men, who wriggled into plastic bags then went tobogganing off piste.

Brilliant fun!

We had lunch at the resort in a self service restaurant. We had a three course meal, a bowl of thick lentil soup, roast meat and vegetables and a dessert, plus water. Not bad for 10 euros! It actually tasted pretty good as well!

After much laughter at our attempts to stand afterlunch, and with Miri insisting on a siesta which she was denied, we took the chairlift back up to the piste.

The girls spent a little time on their own, whilst Estevan gave us a guided tour of the mountain. It was a delight for once to ski without having to think.

The day drew to a close and we reluctantly had to come off the mountain. All of us were pleasantly weary.

We took a slow drive home and stopped off in the family bar for one last drink whilst the girls compared bruises. Other friends joined in the conversation and we left with promises of future times with new friends on the “PISTE”

Yes, we I do like Mondays.