The first flight was a quiet one, from Milan to Rome.
A regular journey, nothing special.
A domestic flight, full of career men with briefcases and families leaving for a classical Roman holiday.
The second flight, from Rome to Sofia, was decidedly more eventful.
They boarded us on a shaky, somewhat rickety military plane, escorted by the Soviet army, who watched us with a mixture of admiring wonder and stiff disapproval.
Those were the seventies, and the whole world was held back and divided up, something today’s youngsters would find really hard to believe.
There was the Iron Curtain, Germany was divided in half, though not exactly half, and the whole of Europe looked like the map of a board game of strategy, something like Risk, in constant turmoil.
I’m at the start gate.
I tighten my bindings.
Grab the handles.
Feel my entire body extend from my hands to the board, as if we were a single being.
My feet extend along the board, I can feel up to 50 centimetres in front of me.
I feel everything.
I move the board underneath me and feel how far it goes.
I feel good.
I don’t feel cold, I don’t feel hot, I breathe quietly, my diaphragm is relaxed.
I can see clearly, I adjust my mask a little and feel really centred.
I’m where I need to be, in my place.
And when I feel like this, I know I’ll make good time.
I’ll do the competition well.
Larch, in dialect "lárasc" is a tree that turns yellow in autumn and has always been the subject of various uses in local culture.
Amongst the traditional mountain cabins and huts, sculptures carved into larch trees proffering a thousand different shades of red, yellow and orange and breathtaking panoramic views, Livigno offers visitors the very best slow trails for enjoying an autumn break in nature.
The Sitas Ski Area opened last Saturday: many the skiers who have reached Livigno for this early opening, while cross-country skiers can continue their training on a perfectly groomed track.