Calthorpe Parke Ski Tonale Fri 08 Sat 09 April 2011

Brian and I are off to Tonale in Italy today taking Calthorpe Park School in Fleet ski-ing. This is a job I used to do every year (for 10 years) when I worked for Truemans but haven't driven since 2001. In 2002 I actually went as a passenger for my first ski-ing week. We have a new part time driver called Kenneth who is going to drive the coach to Folkestone where Brian and I will take over and drive through to Italy. We meet Kenneth at the service area just before the shuttle terminal, swapped vehicles and drove to the terminal for a break before our 15:20 train. It is great to be back driving this trip and especially nice to meet up with Paul Edwards the organiser, who is a good friend of mine. I feel comfortable straight away. The other members of staff are Anne (who is also responsible for organising the trip), Tommy, Steve (Jonesy) and Howard. It is extremely quiet at the terminal and we have been alloted a train time of 14:50 which is half an hour earlier than planned. As it is so quiet we can still have half an hour in the terminal and catch the early train. We are late leaving the terminal due to some last minute shopping(!) and end up catching the 15:20. Brian and I have both been issued with our very own ski trip hoody with the school's name on the front and our name on the back. When I spoke to Paul recently I wasn't sure if it woyuld be Ray or Brian driving so Brian's hoody has Ray or Brian on the back! They are also pink! Paul asked me if I would like a pink or blue one and I said pink, which is what I would have received even if I had said blue! We have a choice of ways to go, either through Germany and Austria to Italy or via France and Switzerland. We decide on the French/Swiss route which as well as being a route we are very familier with is also an easier way to drive. So off we go, driving out of Calais at 17:00 and heading towards Metz and the Swiss border at Basle. A problem with the drivers seat occurred last week (too late to be repaired) and whenever you go over a bump the seat bounces up and down at a terrific rate of knots! You can normally set it to your weight and it moves easily with the bumps in the road allowing the driver to stay still while the vehicle bounces. Not any more! Brian was driving and about to take a sip of his coffee when his seat went into tigger mode and he ended up wearing the coffee. A little uncomfortable but very funny. Darkness is here as we continue through France and enter Switzerland. We will need to top up with fuel soon so decide to stop at Gotthard services just before the long tunnel. We pull up onto the commercial pump and unload 43 people all wanting the same thing! I won't be far behind them. I put the nozzle into the tank and press but nothing happens. The pump is switched off. It seems that they are all closed off except one pump which now has a small queue. We decide to stop again at the next service area, well we haven't a lot of choice if the truth be known! We now drive through one of the longest road tunnels in Europe, the Gottahrd Tunnel which is 17km long (over 10 miles). At the next service area we once again pull onto the deserted pumps with nothing open in the service area. I go for a walk and find a credit card machine where you can pay for your fuel. We move the coach over to the pump nearest the machine and after entering the card details fill up. Or rather top up, we can only put in CHF150 which is about 72 litres. So we go through the process again to make sure we have enough for the rest of the journey. I haven't done this before but now I know we could have stopped on the commercial pump as you enter the pump number when paying. Am relieved to fill up though. While here Paul attempts to clean the windscreen with a foot long squeegee that does actually clean where we look out but not high enough for the passengers. Anne has made the tea a couple of times and supplied much needed sustenance in the form of home made flapjacks. Known as Mamma G to the kids, Anne runs a tuck shop during the journey and at the hotel and she seems to have plenty of supplies on the coach. We cross the border into Italy and drive to Milan then turn left towards the mountains. It is now light as we have a breakfast stop on the motorway. We have made good time and are ahead of schedule. The service area where we stop is ok but could do with a MacDonalds! One of the features of a Calthorpe Park ski trip is the playing of a Queen dvd or cd. Paul has forgotten to bring his and all I have is on my i-pod. In the shop here there are the first two Queen greatest hits cd's but they are €20 each. Greatest Hits one is purchased and is soon blaring out of the speakers. We soon come off the motorway and begin our climb up to Passo de Tonale and the Miramonte Hotel. We were expected at the hotel at about midday but arrive at 09:00! We have been very fortunate with traffic and have had a good run through but to arrive at this time is a surprise. To our surprise the rooms are ready and we can settle straight in. The sun is shining and the snow is thinning but hopefully there will be enough for the week. We unload the luggage to find enough sweets, drinks and crisps to feed an army. Mamma G is certainly setting up shop this week. All profits from the sale of these goods goes to charity so lets hope the troops are thirsty and hungry. We park the coach at the hotel and that is it, we do not have to move until we leave to come home! The slopes are just across the road from the hotel. The ski hire shop is close to the hotel as is the ski pass office. I will ski this week and go with everybody else to get my ski's, boots and poles and then go off with the rep to obtain my ski pass which for 5 days will cost me €108. Once we have settled in our rooms and had a drink it is lunchtime and we are both hungry. Rather handy that the hotel has a pizzeria that can feed a couple of fat boys! This afternoon is a bit of a wipeout as I sleep for four hours. Dinner is good this evening with a good choice that included delicious pasta.