Alpine

Saint-Martin-de-Belleville

The Greatest Outdoors

Set between Les Menuires and Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, my recent foray to the mountains offered plentiful serene moments of reflection and emotional expansion, with ample time to enjoy the last of the white stuff as the ‘23-’24 ski season came to a close.

Cervinia, The Cheat Sheet

I won’t lie, I can’t. That part of any trip where I sit at my desk and relive each moment to digitally pen the experience, that really is not the best bit. Where is the snow? Where are the divine panoramas of iced mountains and frosted pines?  The morning light hits a little differently in the cityscape I see from my window at home as I embark upon my day. Alas, from my screen to yours, I imbue your daydreams with all the details you need to plan your next sojourn in the Italian Alps.   Where to stay Just a short 90 minutes through the rolling countryside outside of…

Airelles, Courchevel

Escapism. Goodness knows we all need some after the last couple of years. Crossing the Masai Mara at sunrise by hot air balloon to watch the migration or boarding the Glacier Express across the alps is arguably bucket list-worthy. However, for me, the instant gratification of short-haul travel is equally satisfying, waking up to the mundane breakfast at home, yet taking lunch somewhere completely out of the ordinary. With French Alpine resorts open, this can only mean taking that midday intermission mountainside.

The Alpine Edition Europe

We’re headed to Lech, a luxury resort at the heart of the Austrian Vorarlberg region. Lech has had a remarkable snow record over the years and is now part of Austria’s largest skiable area thanks to the Flexenbahn gondola.

Restaurant with a twist

1,775 metres above sea level in the Valsana hotel is not where you expect to find an English library, but that’s where I found myself. Sat in the ski resort of Arosa, surrounded by books, in front of a log fire, enjoying a glass of Roederer. Although the books in this recreation are a little modern, it’s the thought that counts. It’s a nice homage to the UK by the owner of the hotel, who dictated its form as he was a fan of all things English. All I need now is my smoking jacket and slippers, and I could be ensconced in a modernised 221b Baker Street with Watson…