Skiing first time? Well yes, me too. I was never a what you might call a sporty kid. Netball was a no-no due to my challenged hand to eye co-ordination. I was always stuck in goal on the hockey field, decidedly ungainly in gait as I staggered around swaddled in thigh-high leg pads. My tennis style was described as ‘wild’ – and not in a good way.

Cross country runs were spent bunking off at a fellow failed jogger’s gaff who just happened to live en-route, and I distinctly recall being told by the games teacher that no athletics discipline would ever be ‘my sport’. I wasn’t fussed. I was good at other stuff, and positively distinction level when it came to sneaking a crafty fag behind the back of the bike sheds.

I distinctly recall being told by the games teacher that no athletics discipline would ever be ‘my sport’

There was, however, one sport that my teenage self always secretly longed to try. Skiing. To be honest, I think it had more to do with imagining myself hanging out with the beautiful people on some snow-capped mountain – 1970s and 80s Martini advert-style. That and the vision of a 19th century me channelling my own inner Anna Karenina. A vision moving silently across a moon-lit snowy landscape in a horse-drawn troika while swaddled in rugs and blankets.

Or in another incarnation, I resembled a nostalgic Christmas card as I perched, in full Edwardian period garb, primly on a sledge as I prepared to launch myself down a snow-covered mountain. And then there was all the yummy Alpine food to sample – fondue, raclette, goulash, and schnitzel with noodle.

Help! I need the slopes

I could have hit the snows in my 20s, 30s, 40s… but life always got in the way, somehow. And besides, whenever I thought about a winter holiday, sunshine always won over snow. But then, at the end of last year, I happened to watch the Beatles’ film Help. The sight of the Fab Four, or rather their stunt doubles, swooping down the oh-so-picturesque Austrian Alps to the strains of Ticket to Ride picqued my interest enough to finally try the ski and snow thing.

I read up on where Help was filmed, and discovered to my delight that you could stay in the hotel in the ski resort where John, Paul, George and Ringo had performed an impromptu gig for a crew member’s birthday party. Their only ever gig in Austria, incidentally, almost 60 years ago… Well, it was a done deal!

Summer travel more your thing? Read – Jacqui’s Cyprus trip honouring her mum

The Alpine comforts

While my retro ‘rubber’ soul longed to stay at the Marrietta (the name of the hotel where the Fab Four performed) circa mid 1960s, my 2024 body was highly delighted that in the early 2020s the hostelry had been extensively modernised, having been taken over by the Croatian-based company Valamar group and renamed ‘Places’.

No doubt the Marrietta was the place to be in its prime, but as we approach the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, Places ticks all the right modernist, style, and creature comfort boxes. The interior has been redesigned with a vibrant yet minimalist aesthetic. It feels luxurious but in a chic, funky kinda way. However, it’s touching that Places hasn’t forgotten its unique place in music history. There are several signed photos of the Beatles, in situ on the snowy set, in the lobby. Even more impressive is the fact that the drum kit actually used by Ringo Starr for the concert is on display in a corridor behind the lobby, along with more fascinating mop-top memorabilia.

When it comes to the bedrooms, think traditional alpine with a modern twist that feels like a warm cuddle. And, should you be in the mood for rather more than a hug, the complimentary pleasure boxes containing condoms and lubricant could well come in handy. On the other hand, should you be sharing the bed with a snorer, the complimentary earplugs will come as a godsend!

Not just a snowy landscape

Obertauern, which lies 5,708ft above sea level and is 55 miles south of Salzburg, is the winter holiday resort with the best snow record in Austria. But the skiing, the frolicking amidst the flurries, could wait. I wanted to explore Places.

There’s a stunning, subterranean indoor pool – kidney shaped rather than rectangular. Fine with me. I wasn’t planning on doing any laps. We’re talking serious unwind time, here. The lights are low, with loungers positioned on several levels. Plus, there are star-shaped floating bean bags! A first for me. Nearby is the stunning spa area and sauna, and the massage I treated myself to certainly didn’t disappoint.

The hotel boasts a trendy lounge and bar, think posh private members’ club vibe, and probably the smartest self-service restaurant I’ve ever been in. Guests are able to eat as much as they like in the evenings. Meat dishes, fish, salads, fab veggie options including gourmet handmade pizzas.

Opt for the ‘Places Flexi’ package and dinner is free, with each person given a 30-euro (£26) allowance a day to spend on food and drink at the bar as an alternative. Payment is made via wrist-worn electronic ‘watches’, which also open bedrooms and doors to various public spaces. Hi-tech or what?

But Place’s ‘piece de resistance’ is to be found on its top floor. There’s a seriously fun 400-sq-m (4,305-sq-ft) top-floor gaming area complete with a soft-play complex and all manner of computer games and consuls. Next door is a rooftop bar with jaw-dropping valley views. I enjoyed a Campari-spritz on the balcony while taking in the vista, warmed by a table-top open fire. Now, that was a Martini moment for sure.

So. . . what about the skiing?

Well, I got myself decked out at the Freudenaus Sport Rental next door to the hotel. Skis, helmet, sticks, ski boots… you know the drill. Except that, er, I didn’t. Not really. In all my ski-land visualisations, I’d never pictured myself actually skiing. The nuts-and-bolts stuff. And if I’d thought hockey goal keeping garb was stagger-worthy, blimey, I didn’t know the half of it. Give me thigh-high, Michelin man-like leg pads over ski boots any day! Clomping about, I felt like a clone of Frankenstein – and that was just outside the hotel.

Prep for your skiing trip with a quality pair of waterproof boots. Like these tactical boots which are even up to military standard!

I had a lesson on the nursery slopes with an instructor from the Obertauern Frau Holle ski school – he was very patient but by the end of the session, he gave me a broken English echo of my school games’ teacher’s words. Skiing clearly wasn’t ‘quite my sport’.

Alison (far right) and friends before heading down the slopes

The sledging fantasy

So let’s try sledging or sledding. Arranged by the uber efficient Valdermar folk, I pitched up at dusk at the Gnadenalm Alpine experience, about six km from Obertauern.  The toboggan taxi – a snowmobile with old-fashioned wooden toboggans attached to the side – zipped us up to the top of a mountain. At least it felt like the top to me, and the start of the flood-lit 1.5km long run. We were dropped off with the sledges. ‘Now what?’ I said, somewhat naively. ‘You go down,’ came the reply. As the driver sped away, there was no option but to follow his instructions. Reader, it was the ride of my life. Scary, yes, but incredibly exhilarating.

Zooming down snow-covered peaks and mounds, I felt more Bond girl in the Spy Who Loved Me than lady on front of an Edwardian Christmas card. But no matter. I had a real sense of achievement on reaching the bottom. My Anna Karenina fantasy followed as I climbed aboard the troika or carriage, attached to two massive cart horses, and made myself comfortable against the cushions and under the blankets. Sleigh bells rang out as we wended our way across the snow-covered countryside by moonlight while sipping on shots of Schnapps. It was possibly one of the most romantic moments of my life!

Great grub, to top it all off

It had been an incredible evening but it wasn’t over yet. A full-on Alpine feast comprising of fondue, raclette and cheese dumplings followed at the Restaurant Wirtshaus Gnadenalmin, the most Heidi-esque eaterie imaginable. All roaring fires, pine wood panelling, red and white check cushions and table cloths, and heart-shaped dining chairs.

Skiing may not be for me but this trip made me realise that I have fallen for the snow in a big way. Next visit I intend to channel Julie Christie in Dr Zhivago – but I guess I’ll need to find my Omar Shariff first.

Going on your own Alpine adventure

Getting There

Wizz Air – return flights in January 2025 from London airports to Salzburg from £57.00
Easy Jet – return flights in January 2025 from London airports to Salzburg from £54.00
British Airways – return flights in January 2025 from London airports to Salzburg from £139.00

Taxi transfer from Salzburg to Obertauern – approximately €165.00, good value if there’s four of you

Accommodation

Places by Valamar – from €316.00 per night/double room

Ski Stuff

Ski Equipment Hire from Silver Ski Equipment

Boots – €27 per day
Helmet – €16.20 per day
Skis and sticks – €34.50 per day

Ski pass – €65 per day

Ski lesson for beginners at the Obertauern Frau Holle ski school – €121.50 per day, €252.00 for three days

Carriage Ride and Sledding

One hour carriage ride for four people – €90

Toboggan rental: € 9 per toboggan
Toboggan taxi: € 8 per ride & person

Alison James

The post Winter wonderland – skiing for the first time appeared first on Silver Magazine.

It’s not just the heat from the Caribbean sun that can be felt wandering the dusty backstreets of Havana – the warmth of the Cuban people is just as tangible. All smiles and waves, it’s as if the obvious poverty doesn’t bother them. Not for that moment, as we pass, anyway – maybe not ever. In passing, all we get is a glimpse. We can only really guess the truth of it all. But in a place where being poor is the norm for most families and the average income is a shocking $25 per month, you’d imagine they might be more miserable.

Cuban hospitality

Buildings that are crumbling in a way that makes for nice photos but not-so-nice homes, provide the backdrop for the lively townsfolk. Not a sad face among them.

On our first night there, one of our group was taken ill in a bar and the staff were amazing. It was clear they knew their first aid and did everything in their power to make things right. The Cuban family on the next table were also concerned and, despite having had their evening interrupted, still asked if everything was OK and offered to help in whatever way they could. In the UK, people would turn a blind eye. In the USA, they’d sue.

On the outskirts of town on the Malecón, at the Iberostar Habana Riviera, a faded hotel with more than the faintest whiff of the 60s about it, the staff couldn’t be more friendly and helpful. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the foyer not only framed the passing vintage cars and across-the-road sea looking out towards Miami, but also served to reflect the warmth and smiles from inside the building.

Scenic driving in a stylish car

I go for a ride around central Havana in a pink Cadillac. Like you do. At 62 years old, she wasn’t doing too badly (the car, not me). OK, so the gears crunched a little and the front passenger door flew open halfway up a dual carriageway, but I still felt like a modern-day Lady Penelope.

OK, so the gears crunched a little and the front passenger door flew open halfway up a dual carriageway, but I still felt like a modern-day Lady Penelope.

I ask my tour guide – a beautiful lady in her fifties, sat next to me on the leather back seat – what makes the Cuban people so happy?

I comment too, as we drive slowly past about 20 pensioners in a park, moving rhythmically and in synch, how slim and fit the majority of elderly Cubans seem to be, despite the supposedly high intake of rum and cigars. “They’re doing tai chi,” says my guide. “We look after our old people here.”

She tells me the average age at death of a Cuban is 79.5, which reminds me of the tiny 88-year-old Cuban lady who sat next to me on the eight-hour flight from Gatwick, (“Call me Mama,” she’d chuckled, as she swept leftover freebies from my fold-down table into the capacious bag at her feet) and that the country has the highest doctor-to-patient ratio in the entire world, with 58 doctors to every 10,000 people, compared to just under 21 per 10,000 in the UK.

We talk about mental health and I mention how joyful most of the natives appear to be. She says it’s probably because they live simple lives. It’s the complexity of modern-day living that causes sad faces and stress-related illness, she reckons.

Living lively

Across the street, on a patch of green, are a group of teenagers, kicking a ball around. Along a bit further are some young people sat on the back of a bench, laughing and chatting. With the internet introduced a mere three years ago and wi-fi available in only a few places, there’s not a mobile phone in sight. These kids are actually talking to each other (“in real life,” as our kids might say) and looking at each other (using their eyes, not via Instagram pics!).

They are interacting the old-fashioned way and look very happy about it. No frowny brows, squinty eyes and hunched shoulders; the youth of Cuba look carefree, un-addled and – dare I say it? – normal.

In the bars, there is dancing, singing, smoking, drinking, the air around buzzing with chatter and music. No-one sits still for long. The constant movement is mesmerising.

I notice there’s not much variation in the clothes worn by Cuban youth – with the girls in colourful skimpy shorts and tiny t-shirts and the boys in looser variations of the same garb. My guide informs me that, in Cuba, not only do people not go shopping (“they only go to a shop if they need something,” she says), but that there are only two types of clothing available to buy – “boutique or economy,” she says, adding that “most people buy economy.”

It’s actually quite nice not to be constantly bombarded with billboards, telling us what to buy and how to look.

She also points out the lack of advertising: in fact you’re more likely to see images of Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and John Lennon than posters showing stuff available to buy. This is thanks to Cuba being a socialist country and a one-party government (led by Miguel Diaz Canel) who don’t allow any private companies to promote anything that might be viewed as ‘propaganda’. I must say that it’s actually quite nice not to be constantly bombarded with billboards, telling us what to buy and how to look.

Make like the Cubans

Later in the holiday, at the beautiful Dhawa Hotel at Cayo Santa Maria, the locals were as friendly, kind and laid-back as they were in Havana. As a woman, I noticed – and I feel almost sexist for saying this, but any woman who’s travelled abroad especially alone will know exactly what I mean – that the men were respectful and polite and not even in the slightest bit flirtatious.

There seemed to be fewer rules about the small things – smoking, crossing the road, drinking – and, whereas at home, we often feel under scrutiny, in Cuba that feeling was absent.

After all we are told about the place, I was surprised to feel that way.

Adding it all together, I come to the conclusion that the happiness, health and kindness of Cuban people has much to do with the way they live – in a simple way, low on technology, money and advertising, high on fresh air, movement and life.

I remember commenting to no-one in particular as I sat in a tiny backstreet bar in downtown Havana how everything just felt so real. Hard to recapture now I’m back to non-reality…

To be happy, perhaps we need to take a step back and follow their lead and, strange dance move though that might be, maybe going backwards for a bit is the only way forward!

So stop fretting so much, have a few cigars, drink some rum, smile big smiles and make like the Cubans. Just remember to dance, sing and laugh at every opportunity. Oh, and to leave your phone at home.

Going to Cuba? Then make sure you….

… take a tour of Havana in a vintage classic car, making sure to drive along the Malecón, one of the city’s typically Cuban thoroughfares

… while you’re in Havana, pop along to the John Lennon Memorial Park and sit next to a bronze statue of the man himself. You can also talk to Aleeda Rodriguez Perasa, a lady employed by the government to specifically guard the statue’s removable glasses!

… go to the lively town of Remedios and see one of the island’s oldest churches (built around 1550)

… sunbathe on its finest beach – Playa Sirena

… drink some Cuban rum! If you like cocktails, go for a mojito

… stroll around the beautiful Plaza del Carmen near the town of República

… check out the Salto del Guayabo waterfall near the Villa Pinares del Mayari, the highest in Cuba

… walk through the Plaza de la Revolución, one of the country’s best outdoor music venues, where orchestras regularly play

… visit Trinidad Cuba, a stunning Spanish colonial town, part of which is a UNESCO world heritage site

… dance! Strut your stuff in one of the many live music bars or with some locals in the street

… visit the tobacco fields of Vinales and smoke a Cuban cigar. It’d be rude not to

* * * *

Jacqui visited Cuba as part of the FITCUBA Fair 2018, and was invited by the Cuba Tourist Board

The tour in Havana was courtesy of Viajes Cubanacan (MINTUR) ground handler of the UK tour operator Holiday Place

Jacqui stayed at the Iberostar Habana Riviera Hotel in Havana and at the Dhawa Hotel in Cayo Santa Maria. The “Gran Manzana Kempinski and Royalton Cayo Santa Maria” package from Cuba Direct includes three nights at the elegant Gran Manzana Kempinski in the heart of Cuba’s capital Havana, followed by four nights of luxury and relaxation at the Royalton in Cayo Santa Maria, a paradisiacal island off the coast of Cuba. Based on two people sharing over seven nights and including transfers and representation services, the package costs £1,239 per person. This package does not include international flights. Book here

Jacqui Deevoy

Jacqui Deevoy has been a freelance journalist for over three decades, starting out on teenage magazines, then later working for women’s magazines worldwide, and national newspapers including the Daily Mail, the Mirror, Express and Telegraph. These days, as well as writing for magazines, papers and websites, she produces documentaries and hosts a Monday night talk show for Unprecedented TV.

The post Planning some winter sun? Time to consider Cuba… appeared first on Silver Magazine.