BORMIO ITALY
Feb. 23 - Mar. 2, 2008
BY JOHN ROLLINS
W. Bormio, Italy with optional Italian Riviera add-on
$1595 per person pre pay by August club meeting
$1620 per person installment plan (single supplement plus $150)
• R/T air Atlanta to Milan on Delta
• All airport transfers in Italy
• 7 nights lodging at the 4 star Baita dei Pini Hotel
• 7 full Breakfast buffet & 7 gourmet 5-course dinners daily
• Emergency medical and repatriation insurance included
Bormio is a ski town, spa town and a historical Roman town. It is located in the Italian alps to the east of St. Moritz. Resort Alt. 4,019 feet, Mt. peak 9,882 feet, with a vertical drop of 5,862 feet. The terrain is 30% advanced, 40% intermediate and 30% beginner.
Italian Riviera add-on Mar. 2 - Mar. 6, 2008
Add $455 per person (single supplement $200)
Pre Pay $2,050 per person $2,075 on installment
• Bus from Bormio to the Hotel Continental and back to Milan airport
• 4 nights lodging double occupancy at the 4 star Hotel Continental
• Breakfast daily
Santa Margherita is a charming town, located in the heart of the Italian Riviera, full of delightful restaurants and cafes. The hotel is a sea front hotel and a short walk to the train station, the start of many day trips.
For more information contact Mark Ledford, Trip Captain
E-Mail: markledford@comcast.net
Phone: 423-451-1108
Home address: 1108 Harbor Landing Dr., Soddy Daisy, TN 37379
Installment Plan:
Bormio only: $240/ mo June thru Nov balance due at Dec. club meeting
Bormio and Italian Riviera: $300/ mo June thru Nov balance due at Dec. club meeting
Make checks payable to: Chattanooga Ski Club
TRIP UPDATES:
BORMIO, ITALY Milan Day Trip B
We have scheduled a day trip and tour of Milan on Thursday, February 28, 2008. The day trip will include bus transportation and a tour of the sights of Milan. Specifically Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper at the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, La Scala, the Duomo Cathedral, the old Sfoza Castle and free time for lunch and shopping in the afternoon.
Bormio Pentagon Trip Report
Note: Last year the Pentagon Ski Club went to Bormio and the Italian Riviera. Joel Gardner, Lt. Colonel, USMC retired, was the trip captain. He graciously allowed me to use his trip report to give you an idea of their experience. John Rollins, Trip Chairman
Bormio Pentagon Trip Report
Bormio is a quintessential small town about 120 km northeast of Milan near the border of Switzerland and Austria and about 50 km from St. Moritz as the crow flies. If you are not a crow you have to go the long way around. The mountain, Cimi Bianca, at over 3,000 meters in height and a ski run which is arguably the greatest vertical in the Italian Alps.
Bormio made the sports news in January 2005 when Bode Miller won the World Downhill (crossing the finish line on only one ski). Our Hotel, the Baita dei Pini, had been extensively renovated for the Downhill event and served as the HQ for the US team and the press. That first evening we all congregated around the bar area for a complimentary drink, piano serenade, and the opportunity to relax, make new friends or greet old friends from other trips.
Then it was time for dinner. I had heard through the grapevine that the food was excellent at the hotel and the wine reasonably priced, so I anticipated a good meal. The meal was more than any of us expected –“good” didn’t do it justice. The maitre d’, Lorenzo explained that we would have four courses served at the table (an antipasto, a pasta course (with four choices for each), and a desert, plus a super serve yourself salad bar, which made a fifth course (there was also a cheese and fruit table if you were still hungry.
I’ve been on a lot of European trips, but never had food in the quantity and the quality of the Baita dei Pini. A new standard has been set for future trips. The hotel also provided a buffet breakfast that was supper! I noticed that as the week went on, people dawdled longer over breakfast with an attitude of when I get to the mountain, I’ll get there. No rush. Enjoy and relax.
The hotel has a modern spa with the usual hot tub, sauna and steam room, plus a masseur and masseuse to loosen up those tired muscles after a day of skiing. As if the hotel did not have enough going for it they installed a night club in the basement near the spa.
We showed the youngsters how to party by dancing and having a great time. We packed the place the last night.
All too quickly our time in Bormio was coming to a close. Despite the terrible warnings and horrible scenes of barren mountains all over Europe, we had excellent snow. Our accommodations were outstanding and the ambience of Bormio was just “fantastico”. I think Bormio is a secret the Italians want to keep to themselves –let the masses go to Cortina!
We lucked out with another beautiful day for a leisurely bus ride to Genoa and Portotino on the Italian Riviera and the Ligurian Sea. We got to spend two hours in the charming and picturesque port of Portofino – crowed with tourists even in March. Many had signed up for a tour of Milan and especially to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper, the Duomo Cathedral and other sights. Then back to reality.