Making my way to Val d’Isere, the epic Chamonix required a stop. Unplanned was discovering the train from Verbier included the Mont Blanc Express, a very picturesque journey. (photos below) But as you can see (right), not much snow late…
Skiing in Verbier Switzerland
Verbier near the French border, touts an expanse of off-piste areas. So the piste “runs” are basically setting up access to enjoy off-piste, without going back-country. There is plenty of back-country for the adventurers who want to hike (photo beside),…
Skiing in Zermatt & Breuil-Cervinia
In the shadows of the Matterhorn, Zermatt (accessible by train) provides an international lift pass option to ski over the top into Italy (Breuil-Cervinia). A massive terrain of mostly Red grade ski runs (Blue in Canadian terms, ie Intermediate skill…
Bellagio Lake Como Italy in winter
Met with blue skies, Bellagio has a special beauty about it, even in winter. As a predominately tourist town, there seemed no end of people wandering the alleys, streets and waterfront; and yet, most of the town was closed for…
Turin Italy Day Trip
Turin conjures a famous religious antiquity. But, It is also home to the worlds oldest Egyptian Museum, and the stunningly beautiful Royal Place of Turin, the latter’s ticket including a visit to the chapel of that Shroud. The Shroud itself…
Milan Italy
In my final days before skiing Switzerland and France, I added Milan and Bellagio (Lake Como) to my itinerary, getting a further taste of Northern Italy. Aside from high Fashion, Milan’s massive Duomo was also a draw. The unexpected came…
Verona Italy, where for art thou
Heading to Milan from Venice, I simply had to make a stop in Verona. Home to the Arena which pre-dates the Colosseum in Rome, and Casa di Guilietta, that famous balcony. Without much other planning, my delightful AirBNB host Guilia…
New Year in Venice
Who could resist an authentic Venice apartment, just 50m from San Marco Square for New Years Eve ? Some 150 islands connected by around 450 bridges await. I hadn’t originally considered re-visiting any European place from 7 years ago, but…
Hallstatt Austria
Ahhh, Insta-famous Hallstatt. Yes it’s pretty, yes it was nice to see, but it equally suffers from excessive visitors, especially those after this well know shot (right) But to get it, you have to battle this crowd (below) Get…
Christmas in Salzburg Austria
I sort-of expected Salzburg to be a smaller Vienna, but not even close. The Old Town is tucked into a sheer-cliff mountain range, home to Fortress Hohensalzburg & a Monestary/Katacombs to touch the surface. Stunning churches, countless passageways…