FRANCE: a beginner's guide to skiing and chalets with Powder White in Val-d'Isère

looking down on the town of Val-d'Isère from a ski lift
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I tried ice-skating once - I was terrible. Roller-blading pretty much had the same outcome. Which is probably why I've never considered taking to the slopes before. For someone who can just about walk in a straight line at the best of times, I had always assumed strapping two unnatural contraptions to my feet and asking me to propel myself down an incline, wouldn't bode well with my brain.

I was offered the chance to test out this theory in Val-d'Isère in the French Alps, with some of the best skiing instructors (New Generation Ski School) and chalets (from Powder White) in these parts. One I grabbed with both gloved hands, as I figured I'd never make it to a ski resort on my own accord.

If I was ever going to discover a latent talent for careering down snowy mountains locked-on to long and narrow strips of plastic, it was going to be here, with the best of the best at my disposal.

Val-d'Isère at sundown

The location

Mention Val-d'Isère to people who know about skiing, and you'll be met with an approving nod and eyebrows raised in acknowledgement of your well-informed choice of resort. It's universally regarded as one of the world's finest, with both terrain and town making it so. There are pistes for everyone, from complete beginners to veteran slope-bombers.

Its season is long-stretching from the end of November into the first week of May, and linked to neighbouring Tignes, it makes up part of the Espace Killy ski area with a total of 300km of pistes and 94 lifts. Snow-sure slopes are the big draw, with snow machines ensuring there's always enough of the white stuff. Val d’Isère installed its first in 1986, adding another the year after. Now it has 650, covering 40 per cent of the skiable area.

A video of the serene and spectacular view coming down on the Solaise ski lift

They also have the Snow Factory, one of the biggest snow-making facilities in Europe, carved out of the solid rock beneath the Olympique lift. With six pumps, an array of industrial-sized filters and a huge man-made reservoir to feed its production, it can produce 1,000 cubic metres of snow per hour, which is about half a football stadium in just a few hours. 

You'll find Val d'Isère at the end of the Tarentaise valley, two and a bit hours from Geneva airport, and one and half from Chambéry, and the village itself is at an altitude of 1,850m.

We totally lucked out on the weather - two cloudless 'blue bird' days (down with the ski lingo) and outstanding views. The snow-covered slopes shimmer in the moonlight at night, with the clear black skies full of stars. And during the day, it looks something like this - dreamy.

the town of Val-d'Isère

The skiing - a beginner's experience

Firstly, a shout out to the fantastic service received at ski hire shop Snowberry, also voted the best ski shop in Europe. They completely replace their equipment each season, so the gear you hire will barely even be a year old. They carry over 120 different models of skis, covering all levels and disciplines - nowhere else comes close to offering that much choice.

They'll pick you up from your chalet and take you to the shop to rent your gear so you don't have to walk or queue for ages. And you can leave the equipment with them each night. Which is handy, as they're right next to the main lifts, bus stops and ski school meeting points.

top: Snowberry staff fitting my boots; myself and Rachel catching some rays
bottom: the whole crew at lunch; me and my ace instructor Danny
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After my first morning of ski lessons on the first day, I was happy to put my hands up and admit I was no natural. I flew, but mostly on my backside.

But then the afternoon went a lot better. I still had 'the fear' going down two very tame bumps, but my instructor Danny from New Generation Ski School was exceptional at building up my confidence. Very much like when you first learn to ride a bike with stabilisers, Danny was skiing backwards (show off) in front of me until I'd built up enough courage to not bottle it and sit on my arse as soon as I picked up speed.

those views though..

Something eventually clicked and I sort of got it, getting down the whole run from top to bottom, without stopping, falling over or with Danny there, about five times in a row. Admittedly, it was still only a green run and one of the easiest at that, but you should have seen me that morning. 

On the second day, I sort of went back a few steps. We went onto a more challenging slope and I kept losing control at the turns and falling on my arse - again. 

There was one particular fall where I slid fast down the slope for a good 10 seconds before I came to a stop. Once I managed to right myself, I realised my camera (strapped across me) had caught the snow and was caked in it. PANIC. Then once we got to lunch, I realised my phone was no longer in my zipped pocket - it must have come out in one of my many epic falls, lost on the slopes. PANIC. 

We called it, and some kind soul answered who had found it. The screen was a bit smashed, but it still worked. And the camera eventually stopped showing me weird messages every time I switch it on. PANIC OVER.

Skiing cherry popped. Body a little bruised. Muscles sore and stiff. Raving until the small hours with the totally awesome Powder White and New Generation Ski School staff. I thoroughly enjoyed it all. 

Here's a little video of me not falling over, and being very pleased about that.

The restaurants & après-ski

Eating and drinking is my forté; whilst I was pretty appalling on the slopes, I knew I'd be good at this. 

The first course of lunch at La Grand Ourse (the big bear) was huge. I got their house salad, which roughly translated to a dish almost entirely made of cheese. Also with hefty cubes of Beaufort ham, walnuts, chicory, I reckon it had at least 250g of dairy in it. And I'm pretty sure I ate most of it.

When in the Alps, one must eat tartiflette and drink rosé, and then find it really difficult to move in a straight line, with or without skis. And so, mains was just that. A vessel of molten, bubbling Reblochon with potatoes, lardons and onions.

Lunch on another day was about as big as Paraguay. Milanese escalope with linguine at La Tete de Solaise high in the mountains. I was totally defeated. But bloody hell, it was great.

There's no fear of going hungry when skiing in Val-d'Isère. Restaurants and bars are dotted all over the place, serving portions enough for two to fuel you for the rest of the day on the slopes.

Or, you could slack off the afternoon entirely and head straight for some après-ski directly from lunch. Rock up in your gear, park the skis outside, and warm up with a glass of vin chaud, or three.

top: La Grand Ourse house salad; rosé and mountains; tartiflette
bottom: the gang; escalope with linguine La Tete de Solaise; one of many vin chaud rounds
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The Powder White chalet 

The thing about Powder White which makes them stand out from the rest of the tour operators, is that they've made it their mission to un-package the traditional packaged ski holiday.

They want to bring the flexibility back to the booking experience, and they're the only UK specialist to offer chalet, hotel and apartment holidays on a non-packaged basis, meaning they can cater to a huge range of tastes and budgets. Anything from a short break with helicopter transfer and a five-star hotel in Courchevel (what I like to think would be me), to a local bus for a week's stay in a 2-star apartment in Avoriaz (what would actually be me).

We settled into The Marawi within minutes, what with it's peaceful location despite being right in the thick of things, and the roaring fire. The great thing about chalets, and the point skiing friends of mine would always harp on about, is that they can be fully catered. Which means lovely people, like the girls who looked after us below, are there to make you breakfast, lunch, dinner as well as afternoon tea.

my room, our lovely chalet hosts, and some of their great cooking and hospitality
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And I'm not talking about just cracking open a packet of McVities and putting the kettle on. They actually make cakes and biscuits from scratch each day, and have them laid out for when you return from the slopes and you're starving, but it's not quite dinner time.

The food as a whole was a highlight of the chalet stay. As well as the beautiful space, we had delightful and incredibly professional young ladies making these great, unfussy, wholesome, home-cooked meals. From fry-ups and porridge in the morning, to beef bourguignon and slow-roast lamb shoulder with all the trimmings in the evening. Then there were the homemade cakes and desserts, as well as a cheese board each night if we could muster it.

Not to mention the welcome bubbles, unlimited house wine, and special fancy wines with evening meals. I'd also just like to mention these girls partied with us until 4am, then were up making us bacon and eggs by 7am, looking like they'd had a solid 9 hours sleep. Stamina applauded.

some of the terrific meals, cooked totally from scratch, by our chalet hosts

And so in summary, whilst I took to skiing like a whale takes to land, I'm thrilled I gave it a go and enjoyed every moment of doing so. Even if 80% of that was on my backside.

Full credit to my skiing instructor Danny and his infinite patience. These are the guys to go with if you haven't skied before.

Useful information

Powder White Chalets 

Powder White offers seven-nights at The Marwari Chalet, Val d’Isere from £549 per person based on eight people sharing. Based on a January 2016 departure.

snow pose

Powder White offers seven-nights at The Nokota Chalet, Val d’Isere from £649 per person based on eight people sharing. Based on a January 2016 departure.

Prices include seven-nights fully catered chalet board - hot cooked breakfast, afternoon tea, three-course dinner with select dinner wines and unlimited house wine. Powder White can arrange lift passes and ski lessons, along with guiding and in-chalet ski fitting prior to departure. 

Powder White Shuttle airport transfers cost from €65 one-way.

For bookings visit www.powderwhite.com or call +44 (0)20 8877 8888

Ski Hire

Snowberry – In chalet fitting and rental service in Val d’Isere

Ski Lessons

New Generation Ski School offers group ski lessons from €199 for five days (2x hours per day). 

Val-d'Isère App

This is pretty much the only thing you need on your phone while you're in Val-d'Isère. The app will tell you what's going on in town that you might want to get involved with, let you know the best restaurant tables are based on your preferences, provides high resolution 3D maps of all the slopes so you know what to expect before you get there, accommodation suggestions and booking functionality, the nearest open bar to you, and the rest. You'll find more information here.

Swiss Air 

There are over 60 weekly flights to Geneva from the UK and Ireland with Swiss International Air Lines. Fares start from £34 one-way. Fares are available and bookable online at www.swiss.com.

Val-d'Isère Tourism Board
www.valdisere.com

beautiful Val-d'Isère town
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Disclaimer

Note: This trip was hosted by Powder White and the above sponsors as part of a media package - thank you to everyone involved for a truly wonderful and unique experience. I won't be forgetting my first time skiing any time soon..! 

All views remain my own.

Do take a look at the coverage from the rest of the fab group I was with - you can follow them here: Mollie, Laura, Zanna, Rachel, Jess and Emma.

SILVERSEA: A gourmet 7-day cruise through the Mediterranean

Silver Spirit sitting proudly docked in Menorca (lots more images at the end of post)
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Where in the world

A seven day cruise starting in Civitavecchia (Rome) where we boarded, followed by two days and one night docked in Livorno in Italy, with a day trip to Florence.

Then one day each was spent docked in Monte Carlo, Marseille, Porto Mahon in Menorca, and Palma de Mallorca, before ending the week in Barcelona where we disembarked.

Thoughts

I have a news flash for anyone under the age of 50. Cruises are cool. They're not just for the newly wed, the nearly dead, or the very well fed (ok, I might fall into that last option). At least, the Silversea ones aren't.

I've already written about the ship itself, the service, the suites, the vibe in general and the kind of people you find on there in SILVERSEA: Review of cruise ship Silver Spirit. Have a read, you might be surprised.

But what was especially attractive about this particular voyage was that it was a gourmet cruise, meaning heavy focus on food, dining, wine, awesome Michelin-starred chefs, and full on gala dinners. And as you may have gathered, that's right up my street.

The best things I ate this week

This was a good week for eating. There were endless meals of good food and wine, a lot of it brilliant, and one too many cocktails. Below were some of my favourites, both aboard the ship and on land.

On board the ship

Italian Gala Dinner at La Terraza

With Italian culture orbiting around the epicentre that is food, you would expect dining to be a high priority at Silversea. And, it is. For starters, they have a partnership with the prestigious Grands Chefs Relais & Châteaux.

If you're on one of Silversea's gourmet cruises, you can expect gala dinners created and hosted by guest chefs from around the world. During our seven day voyage, two head chefs from Michelin-starred Relais & Chateaux restaurants, each presented two nights of pretty awesome feasting, held in the La Terraza restaurant.

My favourite was the entirely superb Italian gala meal thanks to guest chef Fabio Pisani from restaurant Il luogo di Aimo e Nadia in Milan, with a wine list devised by guest sommelier Gennaro Buono from Il Pagliaccio in Rome (you can find out more about Genarro and his wine under Did you know further down).

dishes from the Fabio Pisani's Italian gala dinner

There were five courses of some seriously spot-on cooking. The voluptuous risotto with courgette flowers adorned with freshly grated white truffle, the yielding veal sirloin with chamomile crust and tropea onions in a raspberry vinegar, and the cream of yoghurt mascarpone with coffee biscuit and bergamot ricotta - were the best from a very strong bunch.

A special note must be given to the accompanying wine list from Gennaro Buono. Never have I experienced a wine pairing where every glass has been knock-out. And there was a bit of a 'STOP PRESS' moment when we got onto the Marche Rosso Kurni 2013 - Oasi degli Angeli. 

I don't know a great deal about wine, but I do know no other glass has ever got me this excited. I quite simply, couldn't stop drinking it. 

It was a good night, as you might imagine.

our group looking rather pleased with ourselves,
with Fabio Pisani at the centre and the pastry chef on the left

Japanese degustation menu at Seishin

We dived into a full on nine-course Japanese tasting menu and a bit too much sake at Seishin on our first night. This is one of two restaurants on the ship (the other being Le Champagne) that come with a little surcharge for evening dining ($40 / £27 per person), but it's like, totally worth it. 

I'm always a bit weary when there's a solo, token Asian restaurant in a hotel or in this case, on a cruise ship, that's not in Asia. They often feel like an afterthought, only there because the place thinks it should probably be serving some sort of Asian food, just to cover their bases.

I wasn't expecting it to be that good. It was very good. 

There was a sparkling caviar sorbet to start, and as well as all of the shimmering sashimi and sushi, we had sea urchin with with potato mousseline, clams in a ponzu sauce, miso-glazed black cod, a corking lobster and lemonsgrass soup, and when we couldn't possibly stomach another savoury bite, the tepan wagu beef came out, and that was nothing but glorious.

I just wished I'd made it there for a lunch, where sushi and sashimi is sculpted while you wait, it's buffet, and there's no surcharge. I was usually on shore - dammit.

some of the dishes from the nine-course degustation menu at Seishin
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DIY hot-rocks steak and lobster at The Grill

Steak. Lobster. Add some fine red (which we obviously did), and that's unashamed indulgence right there. I'll go so far as to call it the holy trinity of a very good meal.

The finesse and pretty plates you find in The Restaurant or La Terraza have no place at the The Grill in the evenings. Instead (and what many would argue, preferred) you get given an almost molten slab of volcanic rock onto which you place your choice of protein, watch it smoke, and listen to it sizzle. Al fresco DIY hot-rock cooking. No fuss, no complications, just quality ingredients. It's a lot of fun. And it was one of my favourite meals from the week.

Fish of the day on our visit was lobster tail, but also expect salmon, fat prawns, and whatever else the chefs have managed to source.

Particular note should be given to the beef, or the chef (that was me), or probably both. The meat is Sterling Silver Premium, graded as "prime" and ranked in the top 12% of all available beef products in the world. The cows are grain-fed in the high North American plains and the meat hand-selected for superior marbling and a rich flavour.

What that all translates to is one seriously good rib-eye. So good, we went back a second night. There's no such thing as too much steak, right?

lobster tail and rib-eye sizzling away on my hot rock in The Grill

again, looking pretty pleased with ourselves - understandable
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Shore excursions

It can be a bit of a challenge pulling yourself away from the ship to explore the shore, what with all the on board amenities, a daily-changing and varied list of activities, and all food and drink included. 

But if you can manage it, there's a lot of good stuff to see. And eat, naturally.

Where to eat in Florence

There are these great places in Italy called fiaschetterie, which are little wine shops where people on their lunch break order a bite, a small glass of libation, and enjoy the two standing on the street. It looks infinitely more sophisticated done in Florence than the same thing could ever come across in London - I'm not sure a Big Mac and beer in Leicester Square would quite cut it.

We were looking for a place called I Due Fratellini, which was pretty easy to spot despite being on a side street, thanks to the small cluster of people congregated around it's tiny frontage. Inside, two men pouring wine by the glass and making great sandwiches. I got a roast ham and truffle cream panini, with a glass of local table Chianti, for just €5.50 (£4). 

sandwich from I Due Fratellini and gelato from Gelateria Santatrinita, Florence
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Better than a Boot's meal deal. And why is it still frowned upon to have wine on your lunch break in England? They even have little shelves on the walls outside with numbered sections, so you can perch your glass to free up your hands for eating, and pick up the right one after.

The UK has some catching up to do.  

I Due Fratellini, Via dei Cimatori, 38R, 50122 Firenze

Then we sauntered about a bit, and across the Ponte Santa Trinita bridge, until we found Gelateria Santatrinita. This was just about the best textured gelato I've ever had. It was like eating a cloud.

Three scoops - sesame, pistachio (a must when in Italy) and coffee. There's a picture of it above with the Ponte Vecchio in the background. It was bloody gorgeous.

Gelateria Santatrinita, Piazza Frescobaldi, 11-12/r (Ponte Santa Trinita), 50125 Firenze

the Ponte Vecchio, Florence

Florence

Where to eat in Palma de Mallorca

Oh yes. This meal was truly wonderful. Easily my favourite lunch from the week.

Hands down, this was the best paella I've ever had. The texture of the grains, the flavours, the big fat juicy hunks of gorgeous fresh fish, the tender squid. Everything was so spot on. One of those food gatherings where the stars align - fautless food, reasonable prices, a great setting, perfect weather, and awesome pals. I've actually dreamt about it since - true story. 

This was had at ENCO Gastronomy, a great spot we happened to stumble upon near the cathedral. And there were fish bowls of sangria. And bread with jamon and local cheese. And pickled chillies. I mean, it was just excellent. And you can't beat a feast like that in the late autumn Spanish sunshine.

ENCO Gastronomy, Vicari Joaquin Fuster, 15, 07006 Portixol, Palma de Mallorca

pitch perfect paella at ENCO Gastronomy, Palma de Mallorca

Palma de Mallorca

Palma Cathedral de Santa María, Palma de Mallorca
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Where to eat in Porto Mahon, Menorca

I really enjoyed the few hours I had on Menorca. The view of its coastline coming in on the boat was quite something, and meandering through the quiet streets was nothing but dreamy. Plus the food market was rocking, full of locals, having a glass of something good and nibbling on small plates. I bought two trio packs of morcilla, chorizo and pork belly to make classic Spanish bean stews with. I'm looking forward to that.

We were on the hunt for a place to eat, and it's hard to go too wrong if you follow the crowds. We ordered several plates of tapa and sangria from a bustling restaurant - morcilla with fried onions and quail's egg, sobrasada-stuffed pastries, Iberico with caramelised goat's cheese, and the rest.

If you're a fan of gin (and let's face it, what good soul isn't), I implore you to try Xoriguer gin local to Mahon. It's one of the only gins in the world (alongside Plymouth) to have a geographical indication, Gin de Menorca. I think this was the best G&T I've ever had. If you can enjoy it in the Spanish sunshine, even better.

I usefully forgot to note down where we had the tapas. Soz. The gin can be found everywhere.

tapas, local gin and market Iberica ham sandwiches in Porto Mahon, Menorca

the view from the ship coming into Porto Mahon, Menorca
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Did you know?

There are a lot of culinary-related activities only found on the Silversea's gourmet cruises that are really very interesting.

These were some of my favourites were:

Galley Tour

You can attend a really insightful tour of the huge central galley kitchens, fascinating if you're interested in seeing the belly of a beast that caters to so many people, all day, every day, and how all that is managed and overseen by one person. 

Executive Chef Anne-Mari Cornelius, responsible for 63 members of staff across five galleys, walked and talked us through a couple of them. It was very reassuring to hear pasta is made fresh daily with traditional grano duro (semolina) flour, along with bread baked twice a day (so it's never more than a few hours old), and fresh produce always locally sourced from the first port before the ship sets sail.

Executive Chef Anne-Mari Cornelius

Cooking Demonstrations

As well as Fabio Pisani and his stellar Italian gala dinner mentioned earlier, the other Michelin-starred Relais & Chateaux chef on board was Erik Arnecke, from restaurant Philipp Soldan in Frankenberg. He too devised and hosted two gala dinner evenings, which were great, but I also managed to make it to one of his cooking demonstrations.

Lap-top eating and 11.15am wine in the theatre-style Show Lounge was no bad way to get through the morning. Erik was on the stage cooking and assembling one of the dishes from his menu the night before - marinated langoustine carpaccio, avocado, rose and espelette pepper.

It's a great opportunity to ask a master of the kitchen any questions you might have been saving for a Michelin-starred interview.

about to eat the product of Erik Arnecke's
cooking demonstration

Wine Tasting

I already mentioned Genarro Buono's genius in introducing me to a wine that had me reeling for days, it was that good. Well, he was also available for wine tastings each day, where guests could sit in the comfort of one of the plush bars, working their way through a series of five glasses.

Genarro is a wine week in the truest sense. He qualified third at the competition of Best Sommelier in Italy in 2010, and two years later he won the title. So he knows what he's talking about. And he talks about it, a lot.

Most of the tasting notes are lost on me; I can usually identify the overriding aroma and flavour, but not a huge amount else. But the best thing about this is seeing someone so passionate and knowledgeable about their craft, and getting to ask him any wine-related questions you might have been storing up. And drinking them, obviously.

Genarro Buono and one of his wine tasting event
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My insider tips

When docked in Livorno, the ship provides a paid for shore excursion to get you into Florence, should you fancy a day trip. A big coach will take you and if I recall correctly, it costs around €90 per person for the return journey. 

That's not bad value, but it's not flexible. There's only one departure time, which was too early for us (8.15 am) considering our late night drinking the day before. And the coach gives you a generous 8 hours or so in the city, so if you're done beforehand, you need to hang around until it's ready to leave. 

getting my culture fix in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence
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Or, you can approach one of the private taxi guys you'll find around the port as you disembark. This is only worth it if there are a few of you, to keep costs down. But do haggle a little if what they're offering sounds too much. We were offered a price and thought it too high, asked the driver just to take us to the station so we could catch a train into the city instead (another good option). Then on the way, he dropped his price a little further, and we accepted.

With five of us in a roomy cruiser, we were charged €55 each (we added another 5 each for tip), he was faster than both the coach and train (he took under an hour each way), he waited in the city until we were done, and we dictated the time we returned. He was also a very nice guy, driving us around the main parts first, so we could get our bearings.

Totally worth it.

My other tip would be to make reservations for the restaurants on board. Some of them are quite intimate with only a few tables, such as Seishin. To avoid disappointment, secure a table beforehand - we saw quite a few guests having to be turned away from Seishin on the first night.

docked up in Monaco - yacht central. View from my cabin's veranda
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Highlights / Lowlights

Highlight  

All of it. Truly, I liked all of it, a lot. 

Particularly the morning we docked in Monaco. I woke up, pulled back the curtains bleary-eyed, and was greeted with the magnificent view above, right in front of me. One of those cities that looks best from the water. Good morning indeed!

Also, standing on my private veranda in my pj's before bed as the ship glided elegantly through inky waters, which became a nightly ritual. Looking up at a dark starry sky, the fresh sea air, the cathartic sound of gently swishing waters. Glorious.

I didn't really want to leave (see below).

Lowlight

Errrm - disembarking??

Porto Mahon, Menorca

Disclaimer

Note: Silversea kindly hosted this trip, including flights, as part of a media package - thank you to everyone involved for a truly wonderful and unique experience. 
 
A special note also goes out to Addison Lee Cabs who whisked me to the airport when it was too early for public transport, and also met me on arrival when I returned to London. Their free in-car wifi and charging stations are particularly handy when you forget to do all those important things before running out of the house.

Their loyalty service is also worth reading up on if you're a regular cab user - ClubLee gives some worthy discounts and exclusive offers.

All views remain my own.

Do take a look at the coverage from my wonderful fellow shipmates too: Hermione Olivia, Lavender and Lovage (Karen's write-up here) and The Travel Hack.

Postcards

Florence

Florence

Florence

Florence

Florence

Florence

Florence

Florence

Florence

Florence

Florence

Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo

Palma de Mallorca

Palma de Mallorca

Palma de Mallorca

Porto Mahon, Menorca

Porto Mahon, Menorca

Porto Mahon, Menorca
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Related links

SILVERSEA: Review of cruise ship Silver Spirit