Ski Blog: News and Views from the slopes.

Igloo Villages in the Alps?

If you feel like sleeping like an Eskimo inside an Igloo but eat your Cheese Fondue like the Swiss do, then should try staying at one of the Igloo Villages in the Alps: Engelberg, Zermatt, Grindelwald and Garmich-Partenkirchen. The Igloo hotels are built new year winter. Interested? Then you can visit for more details: http://www.iglu-dorf.com/Willkommen_en.html

Restaurant Suggestions for Torino and Olympic ski resorts

If you have the fortune to be one of the few people that is viewing the Winter Olympics in Italy, here are some restaurant suggestions for your stay:

Bardonecchia, Ristorante Smith
The restaurant entrance goes through the not-so-charming bar, but you'll notice the dining room for its stylish decor, high ceilings and elegant table setting. Food and wine are excellent.

Claviere, 'L Gran Bouc
Restaurant-pizzeria with two main rooms, a rustic one and a second one with stylish antique decor. Serves both national as well as Piedmontese dishes. Very friendly staff.

Sestriere, La Gargote
This restaurant is located just a couple of minutes away from the slopes in Sestriere. The atmosphere is rustic. Rather expensive but definitely worth it.

Cow Horns, Mice Tails...and Weather Forecast

What do cow horns and mice (bushy) tails have in common with the weather?

According a recent story published by Swiss Info a lot.
" While Americans wait in the groundhog’s shadow to hear how long winter will last, folks in Switzerland turn to farms for forecasts. Six Swiss “weather prophets” in Canton Schwyz use cows’ horns and mice tails to predict the weather, right down to the day. The lines on a cow horn allegedly can predict that snow will fall on April 10 and the long bushy tails of field mice indicate a long hard winter. The weathermen, members of a meteorological club founded in 1947, are chosen for their “natural ability” to predict the weather based on a local tradition dating back to the 18th century."