There is better snow at Livigno the foyer says.

Haha. Imagine that, a flier.

That wouldn't come until the checkout flier. Silly me, I got confused.

This was all word of mouth.

Down the Baita, sure, but will they let you walk in there with your obsessively sharpened skis? No.

Am I going to lock my obsessively sharpened skis down in their sweaty locker?

I don't think so princess. You will have to let me read this sign.

Basso Baita, sfortza Rezia!

Snow is better at Livigno, the trip has been moved up a day.

We shall see.

Snow is perhaps the hardest surface I have ever come across.

Diamond is no comparison.

I expect had I been upon finely grained concrete the experience would have been much the same. Soft on the edging, its not so giving here.

Still, good day for the speed trap. I hosed my best time by being piggy on my release and that cost me to 59.6 km/h but I had the extra .4 in there.

Best thing about skiing in the Alps is that its good in the hood if your day is not going entirely well to sit yourself down with a pitcher of wine and wait for something fascinating to happen.

Sure enough it did. St. Patrick's foolishness exploded upon the sun deck as did the local high school swim team, determined to get a run in their skivvies.

For fifteen emotional minutes these girls were the belles of all Livigno.

The trek across town is kind of interesting. They say that the best way across the downs is on ski, but this is coming from Paolo who also tells us there is no way we should be going the extra 150m across the street to the other Livigno.

The town in between is a duty-free shopping zone and curiously like what you'd expect such a zone to be. In the US we come close with the reservation booze & smoke shops, but here you can get electronic items, eyewear, perfume, liquor -- much like the departure lounge of any major airport without the airport markup.

The mood is desperately festive at the bar just south of the Piste. Cars are safely tucked in the garage with skis and other equipment and we probably won't be staying in town so lets have a few midday cocktails.

Very genial, these people.

I walked too far to use the head, that's true. Got to see some interesting stuff. Sleigh ponies, the way the massive and dangerous ice sculptures are set up, trickling streams.

End of the day I am beaten. My feet feel as if they are collapsing under the daily strain. I can hardly stand upright.

Tomorrow we rest. Tomorrow we go to Como.

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