From a Norwegian lodge with summit-to-sea skiing to a Shinto-Buddhist escape in the Alps? Here are 15 amazing owner-run snow retreats1. More Mountain, Morzine, FranceThanks to its proximity to Geneva airport, snowboard-friendly pistes and parks, and less obscene drink pricing than many other resorts, Morzine has more independent chalets than most resorts. One such offering is More Mountain, run by husband-and-wife team Sam and John Dredge, who promise "luxury but not pretentious" sleek-looking chalets in the heart of town. Each is furnished with iPods, flatscreen TVs and Garmin GPS devices so you can plot where you've skied and, more crucially, see how fast you've gone. They make toffee vodka and provide hip flasks to take up the mountain, as well as serving bacon and eggs for breakfast, for when you've overdone it the night before.Book it From �449 per person, per week; moremountain.comGet there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Geneva from �37.98 return; the one-hour transfer from Geneva is included in the price of your stay. 2. Lyngen Lodge, Tromso, NorwayLyngen Lodge sits in a natural forest clearing above a fjord with a striking mountain backdrop. High in the Arctic Circle, it's as remote a ski spot as you could hope to find, in Europe at least. Co-owner Graham Austick, who grew up in the north of England before defecting to St Anton to become a ski instructor and mountain guide, spotted the site when hiking through a nearby forest. He wanted to create a place which complemented rather than offended the nature around it, so he used a traditional Norwegian "lafting" pine timber frame with a thick grass roof, which also insulates the property. Fast boats transport you direct to the snow, where you can ski down from spectacular summits to snow-covered beaches ? potentially basking in the midnight sun if you're there in May. Or if you're there in January or February, you can gasp at the northern lights.Book it 23,500kr (�2,458) per person for a week; lyngenlodge.comGet there Norwegian Airlines (norwegian.no) flies from London Gatwick to Troms� from �53.10 return. Private transfers to the lodge are included.3. Ferme de Moudon, Les Gets, FranceThose blessed with an excellent memory, or who've been watching the repeats on More4, will remember Nicky Dobree chivvying on French workmen during the conversion of a 17th-century farmhouse to a luxury chalet in a 2004 episode of Grand Designs. The show's presenter Kevin McCloud likened the finished product to "something from a James Bond set" and he wasn't far off the mark. The Ferme du Moudon combines a traditional chocolate-box exterior with a high-concept Scandi interior; the kitchen alone cost �32,000. Lying in the shadow of Mont Blanc, it has its own private grounds in a hamlet just three minutes drive (chauffeured, of course) from the slopes of Les Gets, an untapped gem of a ski area if ever there was one. Book it �10,000 per week for the entire chalet, which sleeps 10; fermedemoudon.com Get there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Geneva from �37.98 return. The one-hour transfer can be organised at an extra cost.4. Chalet Gerard, Dolomites, ItalyOnce a lowly wooden ski hut, Chalet G�rard was transformed into a chalet in the late-1970s by former Italian Olympic skier G�rard Mussner. It's been in the family ever since and recently had a stylish, curvy refit, which saw the addition of a relaxation lounge, complete with fireplace and knockout mountain vistas, and the upgrading of the restaurant and bar area. Mamma Helga (G�rard's wife) still lovingly presides over the popular kitchen that serves up all manner of South Tyrolean delights, including handmade venison ravioli, speck ham and walnuts. At 2,000m, the chalet also offers rapid access to the ever-scenic slopes of Val Gardena in the northern Dolomites.Book it From ?98 per person per night; chalet-gerard.comGet there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Innsbruck from �42.98 return. Transfers take around two hours and can be organised through Viaggi Gardena (viaggigardena.com).5. Hidden Dragon, Veysonnaz, SwitzerlandFinding a chalet that employs Shinto-Buddhist principles might not be a crucial factor for everyone booking a winter break, but it's the ethos that underpins the new, super-exclusive Hidden Dragon lodge. But, as is often the way, such spirituality comes at a price ? it's one of the most expensive chalets in the Alps, though that could also be due to its idyllic setting, nestled discreetly among conifer trees with uninterrupted panoramic views of the Rh�ne valley. It could also be the restaurant-level gastro-cookery, fine-wine selection, private cinema, holistic therapies and ski-in/ski-out access to some of the best slopes in Europe. Veysonnaz is part of Les 4 Vall�es, which also includes Verbier, Nendaz and Thyon, and though it isn't especially well known in its own right, it has been the training ground for Swiss World Cup races for decades.Book it From 30,000 Swiss Francs (�19,000) for the whole chalet per week, which sleeps 12; hidden-dragon.comGet there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Geneva from �37.98 return. The one-and-a-half-hour transfer can be organised at an extra cost.6. La Source, Samoens, FranceMany chalets proudly tout their eco-credentials, but it can be hard to separate those who actually make a difference from those who simply say they do. La Source appears to be the former. Along with discounts for arriving by train or by shared car, they encourage ski-touring, cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing ? activities that "outwit" the lift system, as they put it. However, for those happy to harness its power, they are only five minutes from the Samoens lifts. The chalet, in a converted farmhouse, is well insulated, they recycle and compost heavily and their food is 80% vegetarian, organic and local. Their guides, who are paid full rates with no mark-up, are encouraged to expound on the local culture, flora and fauna.Book it From ?680 per person, per week; greenalpinechalet.comGet there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Geneva from �37.98 return; gather in the Airport Jazz Caf� at 3pm on Sunday for a free group transfer (one hour). Or take the train from London St Pancras to Cluses from �117 return, followed by a bus for ?8 (snowcarbon.co.uk).7. Mountain Bug, Bareges, FranceTourmalet is perhaps best known for providing epic climbs during the Tour de France, but it's also the largest ski resort in the French Pyr�n�es. Unlike much of the Alps, it's relatively crowd-free and more popular with the French than the English. It is great for beginners, intermediates and ski-tourers, and what it lacks in steep faces it makes up for in sunshine and snow. Robert and Emma Mason, who run Mountain Bug, are both qualified International Mountain Leaders, with a passion for the Pyr�n�es. They have one of the few chalets in the region, situated in a converted 18th-century house in the heart of Bar�ges.Book it From �440 per person per week; mountainbug.comGet there Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies to Pau from �16 return. Transfers from the airport can be arranged at ?40 each.8. Apartment Sony, Jasna, SlovakiaPaul Wilson snapped up Apartment Sony in Jasna when he was just 22, and created Slovakia's first chalet to target the UK market. Working under the name Propaganda Snowboards, which must amuse the English-speaking village elders, they are now heading into their sixth winter, yet are still more than happy to host you up the mountain on a daily basis at no extra cost. Jasna has a good snowpark and designated free-ride zones, and a recently modernised lift system. It also represents some of the best-value snow time you're likely to find anywhere this winter, with three-hour group lessons from ?25, decent three-course meals from ?6 and beer from ?0.70 a pint.Book it From �179 per person per week; propagandasnowboards.comGet there Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies to Bratislava from �27.58 return. Transfers from the airport can be arranged at �20 per car.9. Chalet Rozov, Bansko, BulgariaIt isn't often you look out of your chalet window to see goats and cows being herded under the nearest ski lift, but as Bankso is still a working mountain town, it's a genuine possibility. At Chalet Rozov, mod cons such as Wiis and docking stations sit alongside a traditional mehana-style dining room, which has an open log fire that the chef uses for cooking. The hosts are on hand to offer tips. They'll also guide you to the finest bars and clubs and take you on at the retro bowling alley.Book it From �265 per person per week; pisteandpeaks.comGet there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Sofia from �80.98 return; Bansko Express (banskoexpress.com) run transfers from �25 return.10. Morino Lodge, Hakuba, JapanFrom Whistler to Chamonix, via New Zealand's Southern Alps, the men behind Morino Lodge have visited the key spots on everyone's snow wishlist. Hakuba made the strongest impression and Scottish snowboarder Matt Dunn and his Canadian business partner moved there four years ago to set up the lodge in the picturesque village, dwarfed by 3,000m peaks. Thanks to a kindly Siberian weather system, Hakuba boasts an average of 12m of top-quality powder a season, a stat European resorts can only dream of. There are plenty of tree runs and great terrain, so you can make the most of those soft fluffy landings. Morino Lodge is five minutes from the lift and has a mix of western and Japanese tatami mat rooms and weekly "Nabe" parties, where they serve noodle broth with sake.Book it From 4,000 yen (�30) per person per night; morinolodge.comGet there British Airways (ba.com) flies from London Heathrow to Tokyo Narita from �720.10 return; private transfers can be arranged to the lodge for 13,000 yen (�97) per person.11. Custard Mountain, Meribel, FranceHaving lessons is often one of the most expensive components of a snow holiday, especially in France, so many of us don't bother, soldiering on with bad technique in the hope that no one will laugh at us from the chairlift. But at Custard Mountain you don't have to worry as on-tap snowboard lessons, tailored to your level, are included in your holiday price. Or if you don't fancy lessons you can opt to be guided around all that Les Trois Vall�es has to offer. This family-run business has a commanding three-storey chalet in Mussillon, the newly revamped quarter near the centre of Meribel, with high-vaulted ceilings in the main living space, a balcony with stunning views of Mont Vallon and Saulire, and spacious en suite bedrooms throughout.Book it From �340 per person per week; custardmountain.co.ukGet there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Geneva from �37.98 return; Ben's Bus runs transfers from Geneva from �69 return (bensbus.co.uk). Or take the train from London St Pancras to Mo�tiers from �99 return followed by a bus for ?10 (snowcarbon.co.uk).12. Chill Chalet, Les Arcs, FranceBonus-laden bankers might seem a more potentially fruitful target market than teachers, yet it's the latter that Chill Chalet are keen to help out. Co-owner Chris Cracknell says, "We're not teachers, but do believe they do an amazing job. And even if they don't have children themselves they're tied to travelling during expensive periods." So they offer a teachers' discount during the Easter holidays. Other thoughtful touches include discounts for those who travel by train and an in-house nanny, who for ?15 an hour will build snowmen and igloos with your kids while you tear up the 568km of piste on your doorstep (Les Arcs being part of Paradiski, the largest ski area on the planet).Book it �65 per person per night; chillchalet.comGet there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Geneva from �37.98 return; Ben's Bus runs transfers from Geneva from �69 return (bensbus.co.uk). Or take the train from London St Pancras to Bourg-St-Maurice from �99 return (snowcarbon.co.uk).13. Heinz Julen Loft, Zermatt, SwitzerlandEntering this 300m2 Manhattan-style loft, housed implausibly yet successfully in a wooden chalet, will involve a degree of picking your jaw up off the textured concrete floor. Lavish doesn't always equal tasteful when it comes to luxe residences but then this grandest of designs is the creation and former home of architect Heinz Julen. The blurb tells us he hosted many a rock star party here and it's easy to see why. Acres of glass, steel, stone and wood combine to give a sense of space and light, while the vast views of the valley below remind you of a deep proximity to nature. From the baby grand Steinway piano to the remote-control curtains, the interior is full of imaginative touches. Should you ever want to step out during your stay, the slopes of Zermatt are a mere six-minute walk away via the private Omnia Hotel lifts, for which you'll have a special key.Book it �1,854 per person per week, based on six people sharing; mountainexposure.comGet there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Zurich from �50.98. The train to Zermatt then takes three and a half hours (fahrplan.ch).14. Snowpod, Tignes, FranceHaving visited ample ski resorts and experienced an excess of what she calls "Heidi-on-a pine-rampage"-style lodgings, Yvonne Russill, the brain behind Snowpod, knew she wanted to do something different. The resulting pods, which are basically serviced apartments, have a strong design focus, with graffiti art, salvaged finds, shagpile carpets and mountain-view photo wallpaper, all incorporated into a look which saw them win an award at last year's Cardiff Design Festival. The pods, which are left to you for the week save a midweek tidy, are packed with all manner of kidult toys from Xbox and Wii to Scrabble and films on flat-screen TVs. Snowpod is based in Val Claret, which at 2,100m is the highest of the villages in Tignes, itself part of the vast Espace Killy that also includes Val d'Is�re. This winter Tignes is hosting the second ever European X Games.Book it From �199 per week B&B, �299 per week including dinner; snow-pod.comGet there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Geneva from �37.98 return; Ben's Bus runs transfers from Geneva from �69 return (bensbus.co.uk). Or take the train from London St Pancras to Bourg-St-Maurice from �99 return, followed by a bus for ?13 (snowcarbon.co.uk)15. Fresh Traxxx, Chamonix, FranceBack in 2000, Fresh Traxxx set up one of the first snowboarder-run chalets in Chamonix. It has brightly painted walls, themed rooms and timber triple bunks, all fashioned by the owner's friends, plus approachable, laid-back staff, providing a welcome antidote to the more uptight, traditional chalet experience. A decade on and they've replaced the original chalet with the more swanky Chalet 715. It boasts a home cinema projector, two floors of balconies with stunning views of Mont Blanc, an eight-seat Jacuzzi and jumps and rails in the garden, should you wish to practise your freestyle skills of an evening. The staff and vibe remain as friendly as ever.Book it From �495 per person per week; freshtraxxx.comGet there EasyJet (easyjet.com) flies from London Gatwick to Geneva from �37.98 return. The one-hour transfer from Geneva is included in the price of your stay.Sam Haddad is the editor of Cooler, a boardsports magazine for women SkiingFranceEuropeTromsoNorwayDolomitesItalySwitzerlandSlovakiaBulgariaJapanAsiaWinter sportsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Three-Piece Suits
Or, how Full Tilt and Dalbello, with a little help from Seth Morrison and NASA, are bringing the sexy back to three-piece ski boots.
Overnight accomodation tax in Rome
On 28th July 2010 Rome City Council gave its approval, in accordance with Article 14, Paragraph 16, Letter e), of the Decree Law No.78 dated 2010, as converted by Law No. 122 dated 2010, to the introduction of an overnight accommodation tax on tourist services in the city (Municipal Council Resolution No. 67 dated 28th/29th July 2010).
The fee, which is intended to financially assist the city?s efforts in organizing urban services, is aimed at ensuring the standard of the tourists? stay is both highly efficient and of the best quality.
The fee is set to be applied as of 1st January 2011 and will be asked of anyone staying in every overnight accommodation inside Rome?s boundaries, with the sole of exception of hostels, at the end of each stay.
The fee is also asked of anyone who has booked or paid for the trip through a travel agency or tour operator and therefore pays by presenting a voucher at the reception desk. In the same way, as the grounds for the tax are not the general services provided by, for example, a hotel, but for overnight accommodation in the city, the fee is asked of anyone even where agreements stipulate exemption from payment of hotel bills (for example: group guides, CITI tourist coach drivers, etc.)
Children under the age of 10 years are on the other hand exempt from payment.
Details of Fee:
Camp sites 1 Euros per person per night max 5 days
Farm Inns 2 Euros per person per night max 10 days
B&B 2 Euros per person per night max 10 days
Rented Rooms 2 Euros per person per night max 10 days
Holiday Homes 2 Euros per person per night max 10 days
Holiday Apartments 2 Euros per person per night max 10 days
1, 2, 3-Star Hotels 2 Euros per person per night max 10 days
4, 5-Star Hotels 3 Euros per person per night max 10 days.
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Eat up some Mexican culture
It's official: Mexican cuisine is so good Unesco has put it on its cultural heritage list. And the best place to try it is Oaxaca, the country's foodie heart'Would you like to try stone soup?" asked my guide as we drove east out of Oaxaca city along highway 190. I wasn't sure my teeth could take it, but she swung the car off the dusty road and pulled up beside an open-fronted wooden diner, where dozens of tables and benches waited in the shade.The waiter delivered a jug of iced pineapple juice with a plate of freshly baked mushroom and pumpkin flower quesadillas, then led us to a smoky corner where the chef was poking around in a fire with long wooden tongs. Several gourd bowls filled with clear broth, sliced green chillis, coriander and onions, a few plump greyish prawns and a chunk of raw red snapper were lined up on a bench. When the stones glowed crimson with the heat, he pulled them from the flames with the tongs and dropped them into the bowls. The contents began to boil immediately, fizzing and spitting ferociously. By the time we had carried them back to our table the fish was cooked to perfection in its tangy spicy broth."We use river stones; they can only be heated once or they explode," said the chef. This pre-hispanic dish, caldo de piedra (stone soup), has been made by the Chinantec people of San Felipe Usila, in the state of Oaxaca, southern Mexico, for centuries. It is this sort of ancient dish that last month led Unesco to list Mexico's traditional cuisine (the only other is French gastronomy) as "intangible cultural heritage".While Unesco's world heritage list recognises historic and natural wonders, the "intangibles" list covers traditions such as dances, songs, rituals and crafts ? fragile links with the past, at risk of erosion not by weather or woodworm, but by modernisation and globalisation.To those who know Mexican food as enchiladas, fajitas and burritos, this may be surprising. But the country's culinary heritage is several millennia old, with recipes from Aztec, Mayan and other groups fused with Spanish influences, and staples of corn, beans, avocado and chilli jazzed up with chocolate, cactus and grasshoppers.One of the best regions for Mexican eating is Oaxaca, rich in indigenous culture and famous for its mole (chocolate sauce used in savoury dishes), and meat. Who could be a better guide to Mexican food than Oaxaca city's top chef, Alejandro Ruiz, whom I met the week after the Unesco announcement at the restaurant he runs in the city's luxurious Casa Oaxaca boutique hotel? As one of a new wave of contemporary chefs turning traditional cuisine on its head, he claimed not to give an ay caramba! for Unesco's seal of approval, though he does care about culinary history."I want to protect our ancient recipes. So many are lost when our old ladies die. But I also wanted to do something lighter, more modern."Alejandro has travelled all over Mexico, gathering recipes and cooking techniques using unusual ingredients such as iguana, wild mussels and goat, striving for new interpretations of old recipes and methods.El Restaurante (casaoaxacael restaurante.com), his main venture, has Oaxaca city's best views, and some of its best food. From a rooftop candlelit table, I drank a passionfruit mescaltini and watched teenagers canoodling on the polished steps of Santo Domingo cathedral. Cheese-stuffed pumpkin flowers (a local delicacy) were followed by duck tacos with frijole (bean sauce) and squishy suckling pig with white beans. Our only complaint was that it was so dark we couldn't see what we were eating, so much of the joy and presentation was lost.Alejandro's favourite new restaurant is Pitiona (pitiona.com), opened three months ago by Jos� Manuel Ba�os Rodr�guez, a young chef with a stint at Spain's famous El Bulli restaurant under his belt. It shows. The food was incredible. My friend and I both ordered the six-course tasting menu (refusing the offer of a different accompanying mezcal with every course), but were each brought a different six. From the traditional sopa de fideos (noodle soup) with tiny floating cheese marbles ? thin-skinned capsules of liquid which burst on the tongue ? to the chicharr�n (crisp pork skin) and prawn taco, the fish burger that looked like a scallop, the lamb with white bean spray-can mousse, all had serious wow factor.But what about real traditional food, I had asked Alejandro, where do we go for that? His eyes lit up as he described the Sunday food market in the nearby village of Tlacolula, so the next day, we went. Amid the live turkeys, dried grasshoppers, basketball-sized cheeses and fermented cacao juice sold here by 22 indigenous communities, we found the barbacoa (barbecue) section. There women touted baked lamb and goat, thrusting out samples with their bare fingers. We picked the tastiest stall, called Chabelita, and enjoyed a tortilla of soft spicy meat cooked for five hours in a hole in the ground then rolled in lime juice, onions and radishes.Further on were dozens of butcher's stalls and a line of charcoal barbecues; we bought paper-thin slices of beef shin and grilled them ourselves with spring onions and chillies.While posh meals in the city were astounding, these traditional out-of-town places were the most exciting. Linda Hanna, the guide and B&B owner who had taken us for stone soup, introduced us to other traditional dishes at Azuzena Zapoteca (tilcajete.org), in the village of San Martin Tilcajete. Chiles en nogada was a fantastic patriotic dish of Mexican colours ? green chillis stuffed with meat and dried fruit, with pomegranate seeds and creamy nut sauce.Her last tip, revealed with a wink as she said goodbye, was to go to Hosteria de Alcal� (hosteriadealcala.com), back in the city, and to mention her name when asking for the caf� de diablo. We didn't know what to expect so were amazed when three waiters set up two tables beside us, lit grills, and set to work flamb�ing bananas, pouring several different liqueurs into a vat of coffee and, just before serving, setting a spiral of booze-soaked orange peel alight in a dramatic blaze of flames. Not exactly what Unesco had in mind, but a spectacular finale.? Doubles at Casa Oaxaca (casaoaxaca.com) cost from �138 a night. Or stay at Las Bugambilias (i-escape.com, doubles from $80 a night), or out of town at Casa Linda (folkartfantasy.com, from $65 a night). Flights from Heathrow to Oaxaca via Mexico City in April and May 2011 start at �764 with British Airways and Aero Mexico, through Netflights.com (0844 493 4944, netflights.com). Further info: whc.unesco.org MexicoFood and drinkCultural tripsFood & drinkGemma Bowesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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Where to Ski this Weekend: The Christmas Edition
The snow is falling and the holidays have arrived. Here are some of our favorite events taking place this week including grinch performances, apr�s parties and Santa repelling from the Snowbird tram.
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