Lost in america 2009, Chalky White-best ski instructor in CO?

30 mar.
It has been a whirlwind trip, as usual, here in the US. I started out in Rome where I saw the museum of the Villa Borghese, which is certainly high on a list of "to see's" there. I finally found the church with the bones of 4000 Franciscan friars in all sorts of iconic patterns, chandeliers of clavicles, crosses of sacrums, etc. You need to walk 50 meters up the hill from the Barberini metro stop and you are there. I was trying hard not to laugh at the absurdity of it all.
I then flew to Denver arriving in the late evening with a next day flight to Chicago at 0600. I made it to the italian consulate with 45 minutes to spare and encountered Marta, an efficient and pleasant lady who promised me I had everything in order. With 5 business days to wait for the visa, I headed to St. Louis to see my family and then the next day headed back to Denver where I picked up my friends, the Cordells, when they arrived an hour later. We headed straight into the biggest blizzard of the year, arriving in the Beaver Creek area after 3.5 hours of stresssful driving. We had some of the toughest skiing the 1st day I have ever experienced with the thick powder and cold snowy weather which continued all through Thursday. Then the sun reappeared and I can't remember 2 more enjoyable ski days as we had Friday and Saturday with all the fresh snow, groomed and neat and sunny skies. Saturday, we enjoyed a great ski lesson with Chalky White, a world traveller who has lived in 13 countries where he has taught skiing in each. He was great and I could watch each of us improve in the 3 hours he spent with us. Watch for his book which will come out in the next year or so.
I have had some of the worst food in the world on this trip having eaten a really sad lunch at Chili's Too at Lambert airport in St. Louis, but also have had some good stuff here in Denver where I am searching out authentic ethnic foods I can't find in Italy.
The pics are from the Villa Borghese park and Beaver Creek. Look up Chalky, no matter what your skill lesson for a lesson and your skiing will certainly benefit.
Time to do taxes tomorrow at my peaceful retreat near RMNP, then back to Chicago to pick up my passport and fly back home Thursday.
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