The Things We Do for Love: Passo del Tonale

As my devoted blog reader - hi Dudu - has surmised - it's been a bit of of a $&it show around here. As travel just adds to the chaos, I planned on sitting out this winter break. The boys would go skiing in Italy with friends and Carmen and I would hold down the fort in Berlin. Unfortunately our ski buddies couldn't join. In a moment of great selflessness, I told Paul I'd come on the trip to keep him company.

I, blissfully, didn't have anything to do with the planning of this trip. Passo del Tonale is rather isolated. But, it's also the most sure place for snow in Italy. Generally speaking, skiing is cheaper in Europe than it is in the US. Also, vacation time is much more generous. As such, taking two travel days on an end of six ski days is doable.

This was the first time we stayed at a hotel on the mountain. It is so worth it to have a magic carpet outside the door for:

Snow biking

Snow napping

Most hotels and ski schools are set-up for guests to stay Saturday to Saturday. This is especially helpful as it takes a couple days to figure out where and how to get the kids where they need to be. On the first day, the ski school did a little test for all the kids to place them in the ski class they would be the rest of the week. After the ski school test, Crosby said he wasn't feeling well. I talked about altitude and how I have a little bit of a headache, yada yada, but if you read my last post - you know we got a stomach bug for the forth ski trip in a row.  

Unfortunately Crosby missed most of his ski lessons. But, we found out that private ski lessons in Italy are half the price of Germany/Austria - 43 Euros/$50 an hour. We did one hour for Carmen and Crosby to try and catch them up to the rest of their classes. 

The ski school also offered a couple add ons like trying snowboarding. Cros was too sick to go so I joined Hugo and four other little kids for a lesson.

No pictures please, I'm busy being awesome.

I remembered at the last minute that both Hugo and I are goofy. It was too late to change up the bindings. I think he might have found snowboarding more interesting if he had the right set-up. That's one way to keep him on skis. 

The next day the ski school offered a sunset ski party for kids to chase the mascot around the hill. 

Cros was just coming out of feeling awful for this.

Carmen's mascot chase was on the bunny hill.

We also embraced the European ski culture of not skiing until we dropped every day. Honestly, we need to do a lot more than get 10,000 steps a day to be able to ski eight hours. By the forth day, we got to ski together for a couple hours while two kids were in lessons and one was recovering in the hotel room. 

It was at this point in the trip that I declared that my general travel goals are for a) no one to sustain permanent injury and b) for everyone to like each other at the end of the trip. Or to copy my friend Amy's March Madness turned life motto "Survive and Advance". These trips are hopefully an investment in future ski trips. It was icing on the cake that Carmen found a love for skiing. 

Our pro-move this trip was renting a sled for our gear:

I mean the sled is for the rental gear, because for our bags we'd need a snow cat:

Two large 20K/45 pound bags, three cabin 10K/20 pound bags, one travel stroller, and five backpacks. 

Would we go back to Passo del Tonale? Maybe in a couple years. The 7:30 pm dinner start-time was hard. We had one or more kids go to bed before dinner on half the nights. The upside of skiing in Italy is the Apres Ski music is much better than Schlagger (German hits).  Our little ski dancer cannot resist a good beat.

Real Talk: Tummy Troubles

I wish this post was about some English translations I've seen that don't work. Like the name of the pet food store around the corner from our house:

Dogs go "barf" in German. 

This was my favorite in Italy:

Thinking about licking a mustache is a good segue into the actual top of this blog - vomiting. 

It was a source of pride that I went almost twenty years without barfing with two notable exceptions. I, the lone sober Beckley, was the only one barfing on Christmas Eve 2010. I did get to have the experience of Connor holding my hair back. Thanks again for that bro. The other was my fault but an accident. 

Sushi with Sake + Beer + Altitude = life lesson. This was maybe my last beer and definitely my last alcoholic beverage at altitude. It was also the last time Colleen and I got hit on by an uncle/nephew combination but I digress…

My iron stomach and ability to sleep deeply were thrown out the window when Crosby Ralph took up residence in my womb. Was I tempting fate by picking the middle name Ralph? 

Either way, the inspiration for this blog post came to me at 2 am while deciding I should get up and start sipping some bambino Imodium ahead of our five hour bus ride followed by two hour return flight to Berlin. It was convenient that I was writing in the bathroom office so I could rub Hugo's back 15 minutes later when he came in to ralph. As the trip home to Berlin was not a repeat of the 2003 Belize bus trip that forged Laurel’s and my friendship, I think I got a better deal getting sick at the end of this trip. 

The purpose of this blog is to share some hard won tips and tricks in these "longest shortest" parenting years. 

Tip 1: If possible, abort mission 

If your kid starts barfing in-transit, just turn around and go home. It’s not car sickness, it’s the start of Tip 2 - Putting your kid in a full body rain suit so it’s easier to hose him off when the next round of barf comes. I learned this lesson the hard way with Colleen on the world’s saddest road trip. Unfortunately, we managed to infected every adult - including ourselves - along the way. 

Tip 3: Quarantine if you can't cancel the trip

If it happens in Berlin - lots of options. 

Tip 4: Briefs over Boxers

Once your kids are out of diapers, don't give them all away. A tummy bug is likely around the corner. If you are traveling and don't have any diapers - a maxi pad jammed in briefs might save you a couple extra trips to the laundry mat. My favorite quote from my son wearing the maxi pad, "how are you supposed to move in this?" Turns out the maxi pad trip is also an empathy teaching tool.

Tip 5: Bring your medicine cabinet with you

Everyone will get sick on a holiday or day everything is closed. My complete packing list is here. Generally speaking - skip liquids and stick to chewables and suppositories. As soon as your kids can take the adult version - go that route. Sometimes the kid flavors are even too gross for them. 

Tip 6: Avoid sugar

We'd been avoiding the gallon pump Nutella at breakfast but I figured sipping lemon soda was fine. Turns out sugar doesn't help the bad belly. 

Tip 7: Travel with your own travel sized disinfecting spray

This last trip we had one bathroom for the five of us. I wonder if we'd been able to spray everything down after every use if that would have kept this bug from spreading. If nothing else, the disinfecting spray can double as an air freshener.

Tip 8: Have Ziplock plastic bags in every bag or in your hand at all times

I have large Ikea resealable bags in every suitcase outer pocket in case something leaks. A classier option is to steal them from the plane - as seen discretely here in my right hand during this five hour bus trip. 

Tip 9: Empty Pitcher on the Table

This can be at home or at a restaurant that serves water in a pitcher. Keep the pitcher empty on the table in case anyone can't hold it in. Thankfully I've only had to do this at home. I remember my poor mom having to employ this trick at her office when I was Crosby's age. #Americanworkethic

Tip 10: Have your tummy trouble essentials at the ready at home

On our "luckier" trips, the barfies didn't hit until we got home. I have a bin always stocked with the following items:

• Instant Chicken Noodle Soup
• Electrolytes
• Apple juice
• Rice Crackers
• Apple Sauce
• Glow sticks (to put in the barf bucket so the kids can aim in the dark.)

More tips are always welcome. Please comment or commiserate below.