About me
Coming from a family of non-skiers, my passion for skiing started when I went on my first school ski trip when I was 13. We went to Saas-Fee in Switzerland, and I came back with a “Skier of the week” award and well and truly bitten by the bug! After that first trip I went every year, visiting Tignes, Cesana, and Cervinia. Since then I have also skied in Whistler, Silver Star and I went on a skiing honeymoon to Lapland!
My passion for travel isn’t limited to ski resorts though. I spent two months travelling round Australia in my Gap year between school and University. Inevitably I took a second Gap year after Uni and travelled the world with my boyfriend (now husband). The idea was to “get it out of my system”…. Needless to say it didn’t work! My tally to date includes France, Majorca, Menorca, Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, South Africa, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, the Cook Islands, Moorea (French Polynesia), America, Canada and Grand Cayman.
Where I've been
Sardinia – secluded beaches and amazing food
South Africa – Sundowners on the “Wild Coast”
New Zealand – Wild and beautiful scenery
Fiji – Bula! Barefoot on the beach for 3 weeks – bliss!
Vancouver – City, Sea, Forest & Mountains all on your doorstep!
Silver Star – "Champagne" powder
Travel nuggets
Australia – try something different and head for the west coast rather than the east.
Books are heavy! Take one book with you, and look for book swaps once you’re at your destination.
Don’t apply DEET to freshly manicured nails! (Can you tell that I did this?!)
When in Thailand make sure you “treat” yourself to a portion of Pad Thai from a street hawker for the grand sum of about 70p! Remains to this day my favourite dish!
My hot picks
Verdura, Sicily – a foodie’s paradise. From the orange juice at breakfast (freshly squeezed from oranges picked from their own groves), to the balsamic vinegar on your table at dinner (created by Michelin-star chef Fulvio Pierangelini), the fine-dining on offer at Zagara, to the rustic Sicilian dishes served up at Liola – everything is delicious! And there are plenty of activities on offer for all the family to help you work off all those extra calories!
Chalet Cristal de Roche, Courchevel 1850 – a quaint chalet apartment just over the road from the piste. Cristal de Roche is wood panelled throughout, giving that lovely cosy atmosphere that you want from a ski chalet. The huge sofas are perfect for sinking into in front of the enormous log fire as you enjoy your evening drinks, and you should ask your host to leave the curtains open in the evenings for fantastic views down the valley.
Terre Blanche, Provence - it’s an ideal place to go and thoroughly relax. We spent the mornings pottering around the beautiful local hillside villages, and the afternoons relaxing by the pool and watching the gliders from the nearby airstrip come and go.
