Kiki's snow diary from Italy

About Cheryl Morero-ski outfits, wine on the slopes, and why you want to go here too

If you're wondering what I've been up to this Sunday: I'm comfortably typing under a blanket in a ridiculously nice hotel bed in Italy. A country I usually come to for the fashion, the sunshine, weddings and the gelatos, but this time it's for the snow. Yes, I'm surprised myself.

I mean, let me be clear: a choice between the sun and the snow is not very difficult for me to make. Diehard winter sports enthusiasts hate this statement, but well, winter sports just always sounds so... uh, sporty. I mean winter + sports are really on my list of favorite things, so a combination of both has always intimidated me.

Anyway, I've always found skiing really cool. Whether I'm good at it is another question, but when asked if I wanted to join a ski/wellness trip in the Italian ski area Val di Fassa (part of Dolomiti Superski, with over 1200 kilometers of slopes the largest ski region in the world), I didn't have to think long. That sounded incredibly Cheryl-Morero-à-la-Gooische-Vrouwen skiing. And I'm totally up for that. 'Three days out with pros who go down the black slopes, HELP!'.

‘I must admit I started to feel a bit nervous when I saw that quite a few serious ski journalists were joining, but well, put four Dutch people and two Belgians together on a mountain with some wine and everything will be fine. After three days of snow munching, wine, jokes and fun, dinners, and intimate butt-to-butt practices in ski lifts, I can even say: I haven't had such an unexpectedly fun group to travel with in a long time. For beginners like me (I've been on skis a few times before), it shouldn't go too fast or be too scary. Skiing is really about self-confidence, and it's nice if you can lean on someone who's better than you. So I waddled along like a baby chick behind mother hen and pro-skier Daphne, and I must say: aside from a hilarious fall on the red slope, it went pretty well.’

I had never skied in the Dolomites before, but it's really a top spot. Extremely impressive too. In some parts, you ski right between steep reddish-brown rock walls, which only enhances the contrast with the white winter wonderland snow landscape. No wonder this region was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009. Most of the slopes in.

Val di Fassa may be red, but truly difficult red is never the case, making it perfectly manageable for beginner skiers. Also nice: all the slopes are quite wide. So as a beginner Cheryl Morero, you won't run into problems. 'Really, I'm convinced. I've joined the dark side of winter sports enthusiasts'.

‘Oh, and if you ever want to ski in the Dolomites (I say: do it), definitely book a room at the cozy Dalosilla Park Hotel, where the owners still wear traditional costumes and leave chocolates on your bed, god, I find that so cute. And let's say you're here and you're just a bit tired of skiing or the muscle pain is too much in the first few days (man, those calves!), then just dive into the QC Terme Dolomiti spa. Something with massages, something with a super cool outdoor pool, again something with an incredibly Gooische Vrouwen feeling.’

Okay, I should freshen up. Because we're heading to restaurant L Chimpl, awarded a Michelin star... I'm telling you: cheap ass Flügels downing and rolling down the mountain drunk might happen in Austria, but in the Dolomites, things are different. Here you order a good glass of wine on the slopes, have the best-prepared duck of your life for lunch, get a massage at the spa, and go out for dinner like a star in the evening. I'm just saying. Winter sports enthusiasts, I never thought I'd say this, but I understand them. Completely. And for all the people who shout: 'Skiing? No way, I'd rather go to the sun!', you don't know what you're missing. Really.

P.S.: If you're wondering how to somewhat fashionably ski down that mountain?.

Just click here. With a big kiss from Cheryl. If you're wondering what I've been up to this Sunday: I'm comfortably typing under a blanket in a ridiculously nice hotel bed in Italy.