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Florence and Tuscany are not just sun but also Skiing & snowboarding
[Susan Glasspool]
When we think about the winter, we can't help conjuring up images of an unpleasant time of year, with cold, wet and windy weather, making it really hard to get out of our nice warm beds of a morning. However the winter gives places like the mountains a new lease of life, triggering off a sort of second spring, for here the local population awaits the cold season like an old friend whose yearly visit brings plentiful masses of dazzling white snow.If you live in Florence, the nearest ski runs are in the Appennine mountains in the Province of Pistoia. These winter resorts include the villages of Pian degli Ontani, Pian di Novello, Doganaccia and Cutigliano, though the most important is certainly Abetone, very popular and visited by tourists from all over the world. This ski location is not only renowned for the beauty and variety of its ski-slopes but also for its world champions, among them Zeno Colò, Celina Seghi and Vittorio Chierroni.
The word Abetone means a "large fir tree" in Italian and this name comes from a huge tree that once stood in the town until it was cut down in the mid-18th century. Situated on the main Abetone-Brennero road that climbs to an altitude of 1,388 metres above sea level and on the mountain pass of the same name marking the border between Tuscany and Emilia, it is surrounded by thick fir forests, further ennobled by the presence of the rare red fir trees.
Abetone is only 85 km from Florence and where most Florentines prefer to go for their skiing weekends or just to come for the day. Skiers first started coming to the village in the early 20th century and, since then, the skiing area has spread over four magnificent valleys - the Luce, the Scoltella, the Sestaione and Lima Valleys - covering 80 kilometres in all, with slopes reaching altitudes of up to 1900 m. All these ski resorts are equipped with artificial snow machines, ensuring constantly covered snowy slopes for an area of 40 km.
The skiing season opens in early December, but the best period is between January and March, when the slopes can become very crowded, especially over the weekends. Abetone is also popular for weekly packages called the Settimana Bianca (white week), when people (mostly families), take a week off for skiing on the slopes. If you enjoy this sport, you are sure to find slopes suitable for your taste and ability at Abetone and the choice is so wide that you can manage to ski all day while changing to a different track each time. The wide runs are ideal for all skiers, from beginners to experts.
The most popular runs - Zeno One, Two and Three, in tribute to the local Olympic gold winner Zeno Colò - are on Mount Gomito, which can be reached up the Ovovia lift. Another popular feature is the new Abetone terrain park, an exciting state-of-the-art facility boasting half-pipe and 10-foot jumps for the enjoyment and thrills of daring snowboarders.
Don't worry if you didn't bring your ski tack to Florence with you. If you want to enjoy a few energetic days out on the ski slopes, Abetone abounds in ski rental stores that can provide all you need, from skis and poles, to boots and boards to match your size and height.
First-time skiers and boarders will find that the Campo Tennis and the Campo Scuola are good, smooth places to learn, though best if under the guidance of a trained teacher from one of the three local ski schools (Scuola Sci Abetone, Scuola Italiana Sci Monte Gomito and Scuola Sci Colò) that offer both individual lessons and group discounts.
There is no lack of places where you can get a lunchtime meal, either down in the village, at the mountain pass or high up on the slopes at the self-service restaurant near the Ovovia or at the Refuges at La Selletta and Val di Luce. Inexpensive and charming diners in rustic wooden lodges, they offer an informal and relaxing atmosphere. Here you can copy the Italians by taking an after-lunch nap on one of the outdoor chairs, also an excellent excuse for getting a suntan. It will give you a much needed rest before embarking later on on the local nightlife at the local pub or the disco in the main square.
There is a wide choice of overnight accommodation, from four star hotels with a swimming pool to cheaper hotels, a youth hostel, rooming houses, tourist villages, mountain huts and villas. There are also several Tuscan style restaurants to suit all price ranges, pizzerias and snack-bars.
Typical food from this area includes mushrooms, cheese, cured meats and wild woodland berries. Characteristic is the local pecorino or sheep's cheese, made only with the fresh milk from local sheep and transformed into cheese within 2 hours of milking. It can be eaten mature or fresh (pecorino fresco, aged for less than 20 days, or abbucciato, aged for 35-40 days). Porcini or Boletus mushrooms are also dried or frozen for out-of-season use and make excellent sauces, while blueberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and blackberries are used to make jams or to flavour distilled spirits. The local honey is also excellent, while the sweet flour made from dried and ground chestnuts makes the delicious pancakes, called necci, that are traditionally cooked on a hot slab of stone and served with a fresh ricotta cheese filling.
So get out your skis and go..!
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