Week-end in Austria - Skiing at Hochficht

Now that we are complete regulars at the Arber Ski Area in Germany, we thought we would investigate some new pistes. We discovered a nearby run in Austria right on the Czech border and decided to try it out this last week-end.

This was the most painfree booking of accommodation we have encountered. The Austrian tourism websites are excellent for sourcing and booking accommodation and literally with 5 minutes of online searching and then one day for responses, we were booked and confirmed into Landhotel Haagerhof in Diendorf.

If anyone with children is looking for accommodation here, this hotel was brilliant. They have a whole kids club with full day entertainment for the children while the parents are relaxing in the steam baths or saunas downstairs. When we arrived on the friday, the kids club overseer greeted us and let us know that there would be face painting after supper, so we went to investigate. They had an entire room kitted for the kids with games and toys and full time supervision.

Sarah chose to be a princess and Amber wanted the snake on her hand:

This is Martina the kids club manager:
Again, we poorly under performed regarding photo and video footage of the week-end. I got in 3 short videos of the girls before my memory was full (I had forgotten to download for nearly a month).

Hochficht was lovely. Unfortunately, there weren't any kids ski-groups that our 2 could join as they run week-long programms from Monday to Saturday, so we were a little bit hamstrung. They have a great kiddies park area with a conveyer belt lift where the girls enjoyed a good few hours of skiing on the Saturday. The weather was overcast, misty and the wind was very chilly. Nevertheless, we took the girls up the chairlift to do the 3.5km long family blue run. There were some reasonably steep bits which tripped up Amber once or twice, but they enjoyed it enough to even attempt the red run with us.

With the girls following directly in our ski tracks, we took the red run nice and sedately doing big S's all the way down. There are a couple of sections where it goes over a lip and takes a steep plunge down to the next level and here is where Amber lost her nerve a bit. I carried on down with Saz who was coping way better than I expected, while Amber and Dad walked down the rest of the way. Sarah loved it and wanted to go again. After going with Mom, she the wanted to go again with Dad - this time she would lead the way. Apparently, Sarah opted for the shortest route down, which was straight down. Her only deviations were to aim for the big piles of snow so she could jump and launch herself into the air - Colin had to ski at full speed just to keep up with the racing zazzabee. She was in her element! Meanwhile, I was with Amber in the kiddies park.

On Sunday, the sun was blazing and it was an almighty 15 degrees! We were finding new ways of de-dressing in the heat. We decided to explore some of the other runs of the resort. I sent off Colin to explore one red run to see if it was suitable for Saz, and that was the last I saw of him for the rest of the morning. He apparently got stuck on a chairlift for over 30 minutes!

The girls and I were skiing a nice wide, short, blue slope, which was just challenging enough for the girls but easy enough to avoid any unnecessary panics.

(Video coming here):

After meeting up with Colin again we had lunch at the top of the slopes and then headed back home to Zeleny Dum.

Winnie is sporting Sarah's new ski helmet:

The 100th Post

Our Blog turned 100 today! Now, that's something to blog about!

All I wanna do is SKI!!

Something must have happened, but the last 2 times we have been skiing, we haven't taken a single picture - either we have just become so blaaze about it, or.... mmm, or, actually I don't know why. But nonetheless, we have done nothing else for the last few week-ends than head off to the mountains to get in that fresh mountain air and the powder beneath our skis.

The girls join in with the kiddies group lessons and complain that it is boring every time they have to stop and wait for the other kids to catch up. But it at least gives us a 3 hour break to hit the slopes (slopes other than the easy blue/green family slope). Since finding our feet in Samoens, we have braved every slope at Arber, includng the 2 black runs (the first of which I came down more in a broadside skid than a ski), but found them all quite do-able, if not elegant-able. The second black run is definitely my favourite run of the resort.

Today (being Sunday), we just made the trip for the day, leaving Plzen at 7.30, we were still there well in time to hire skis for the girls and check them into their 9.30 lesson. On leaving Plzen this morning it was -9 and by the time we reached Arber it was clocking in at a whopping -15! I was almost certain that the day would be in vain as the children would complain when they became solid blocks of ice... but fortunately, the sun was blazing and in almost no time it was a very comfortable -5.

Also, it is newsworthy to add last week-end we have now taken the plunge and purchased our very own skis. If you want to have some good service and very friendly advice, I would recommend Sport-Poeschl in Bayerisch Eisenstein and the friendly manager Jurgen.

Next week-end we are heading to Austria for the week-end to ski in Hochficht. So, I am sure there will be some photo stories and blogs to follow about that.

My Valentine

"So, what do you want to do on Valentine's this year?"
"Dunno, .... who said I would be your valentine?"
"... well, will you be my valentine?"
"Dunno, ask my on valentines day and see ;)"


So, dinner at the duly appointed (a romantic table for 4... ;)..) and out comes the gift!!!!!

mmm, wait for it, that was just the packaging.... This was the gift (needs sound):

Needless to say, i was weeping shamelessly at the dinner table - it is just brilliant! Most hunnied thing - I love you so much!

(ok, so after that I had no choice but to answer "yes" ;)...not that there was ever any doubt or question!)

The second part of the valentine's gift was lunch on a boat on the river in Prague (and again, a romantic table for 4). It was very romantic - light snowfalls and otherwise clear skies, and the gentle meander through one of the most beautiful cities of the world.
I have to mention here that is was close to -5 degrees in Prague on Saturday and the weather outside was near miserable, but the girls still had every excuse known to man to head out of the comfort of the heated indoors to go on-top.
The river is navigated by a series of locks - this is the arrival of our "lock neighbour" who joined up alongside us while we were waiting for the water levels to rise.
Thanks love - this has been a truly memorable valentines!

I Love You!!!!

Happy Birthday Grandpa

With all the love in the world from Amber & Sarah!

News Flash! December updates available!

Ok, so we have eventually done some blogging! Check out the December updates...
Our January ski holiday is still to follow, but you can see some photos on our web album so long.