Italian Alps

The inn did not have a pool. It provided guests with a free pass to the public pool of the village in the Italian Alps. We didn't plan to take advantage of the benefit. We were off to a great start, skis on and our passes in hand; once lifted to the top of the mountain our adventure would begin. Then, a surprise: the technique acquired on our previous trip had expired. My youngest son came into despair after his third tumble into the snow. The harsh cold over the slopes incited in him a nervous breakdown. Only with much patience was I able to quell the cries that our ski trip was over before it began. After a heartwarming cream-topped chocolate on the mountain, a confidence booster for many a weak heart, we took to the ski lift at the end of the run. ‘Let’s go again?’, I asked. The angry expression did not hinder the attempt to resume our task. He went through, but on my turn...Where’s the pass? After turning all pockets inside out, I discovered my pass was gone. A benevolent soul allowed our descent but we soon found out that a re-issue was pessimistic: the office reopening, after the siesta, would only be able to grant me a pass on the following day. A ski-free afternoon was pleasing for some, and all of a sudden, the public pool was a good alternative for lost Brazilians in the Italian Alps. Right away, we were surprised by, why not call it what it is, the water park. We dared to communicate in German, (we were in German-speaking Italy) and we understood that our aquatic event depended on trivial swimming caps that must remain fitted onto our heads throughout the entire time we doused in Italian waters. After a shower, the water park, composed of an Olympic size pool, another smaller and shallower one for children, and a hot tub that could accommodate six willing to relax. But what caught my son’s attention was something new to the eye: In another warm pool exposed to the cold, the jewel in the crown. With a small island in the middle, the round pool had strategically placed powerful jets so that an incredible stream entertained those who surrendered to its incessant madness. The discovery absorbed us. Our concern was to secure our little swimming caps that the calculated turbulence of the water every so often confirmed. Without the proper attire our bath would be interrupted. ‘The cap!!, the yelling, that emerged as we caught our breath, served as a warning that the cap was about to be lost and revealed the intense pleasure of a liberating encounter.