Day 9 – Mt Baldo and the train to Paris- Saturday, January 11th 2014

You will be aware that this blog report is being set up later than usual. That is because we are on the train to Paris and of course there is no internet connection on a moving train.

As usual we were on the move early and had to get out of the hostel and back to the coach via the Vaporetto. It was the last of our Venice experience, another boat trip with the view of the main island as a backdrop.

Our last view of Venice

Our bus was waiting for us as planned, so we boarded for our trip north to Mt Baldo. It was going to be a trip of about 3 hours so we settled ourselves in for a relaxing bus trip. We knew we were getting close when we saw mountains rearing their heads through the mist. As we got closer we saw that there was snow on the tops.

The mountain tops with snow on them

It took some time to go around the shores of Lake Garda eventually we approached Mt Baldo. After a much needed Lunch break where the boys consumed even more pizza, we went to the cable car station to start our ascent of the mountain.

The Cable car up Mt Baldo

It was a little cramped inside. Especially when people insist on blowing their noses!

So everyone got an even view the cable car cupola even revolved (in an anticlockwise direction- some were worried it might unscrew itself!)

It is also one of the fastest cable cars I have ever travelled in. As we got closer to the top the amount of snow became evident.

 

It is always amasing to see the reactions of people when they see snow for the first time, and for many of the boys they had never had the opportunity to play in the snow.

The group on top of Mt Baldo

The views from the top were stunning and no one was left unimpressed.

A little village on the other side of the mountain

It was not long before the usual snow type activities took place in a spontaneous manner. Snowball throwing, Exploring, Snowman making and Tobogganing.

A direct hit!

Jack summiting (look out Hillary!

Liam and Brandon Tobogganing

…….and the expected end

Just to put them to shame here is a 5yr skiing (without poles)

A new game…guess which one is the snowman? Some of the boys and their new attraction to Snow.

Matthew

 

David (look at that view)

3 mates on a mountain

A contemplative Christian

Theo thinking he’s Climbing the Eiger

All to soon it was time to return to the non-snow environment. So down the mountain we went. A little of the mist had cleared so we actually saw the castle on the edge of the lake.

The Castle on lake Garda

Back on the coach for another 2 hours to a restaurant for dinner, and then dropped off at the railway station to catch the train for Paris. We had to wait 1 ½ hours till the train arrived. It was an easy task to find our compartments, but not so easy to get everything to fit in there.

 

The Compartment and the corridor of the train