Landhaus Schmid Fischen im Allgau

... setting up the chalet's etc. Our chalet is MASSIVE! and very hi tech as well - our kitchen is a proper industrial kitchen with a dishwasher which washes things in 90 seconds - have tried to attach a picture but it probably doesn't come across brilliantly. We went out and got pretty drunk and went clubbing the night we arrived and then on Wednesday night there was an opening party for Bar Cuba where the theme was "bright and black" a couple of our guys dressed up as black men ...

... of fresh snow fell on Tuesday night. Visibility was perfect and the clear blue skies allowed the sun to shine brightly all day. The piste was perfectly groomed and those who felt adventurous enough to venture off-piste were rewarded with soft powder which was surprisingly deep in parts. I have a few pictures from that day which I have posted below and with more snow forecast for the next few days, hopefully we will get some boarding/skiing pics on here soon.

... nor interesting so if you ever feel that I am heading in that direction please don't hesitate to leave scathing comments below!

So since we last spoke, the temepratures began to warm up to 2-3 degrees but fortunately there was no precipitation and a thin layer of snow still covers the village. I took the opportunity to go shopping at the unlikely named local snowboard shop, 'Supa Surfers Paradise' to buy a new board and ...

... dispensed *t * series of st*lls spre*d out *long the m*in street.

We met some friends on the snow-covered street *nd enjoyed * few drinks th*t w*rmed us inside despite the sub-zero temer*tures. The Gluhwein (w*rm red wine enh*nced with schn*pps, berries *nd spices) *nd the Fruschpunch (w*rm fruit juice with rum) w*s very t*sty *nd went down * little too e*sily, however the schn*pps ...

... lies nestled within the Tyrolean region of Austria (St Anton am Arlberg) which is normally accessed most easily from Zurich (3hrs by rail) or Munich (5hrs by rail). Tori (my girlfriend) and I have a rented apartment for the 2009/2010 winter season. Having organised the rental using the internet, we were a little uncertain of what exactly to expect, but having seen some photos and liased frequently with the owner/manager Silvia ...

We stopped on the way to the castles to climb to the top of the castle above our campsite, which gave us a nice view of the green lake below. We reached the castles in Germany after lunch but due to the fact that they both closed at 5pm, we decided to choose one to do a tour. My favorite by far was the Neuschwanstein, which I had seen in photos and heard that the Disneyland castle was inspired by. We learned a lot about Ludwig II ...

... side of the lake, and the weather was glorious.

Unfortunately, the second bodge didn't quite make it all the way we needed it to, and just into Austria (Bregenz), we heard the ominous noise we had heard before. We pulled into a garage, as we all wanted to refuel, then moved over onto the forecourt and took another look under the bonnet. Our fears were confirmed, the rope had worn through, but we had managed over 130 miles on it. So after a few failed ...

... The Schloss is the last stop on the Romantic Road in Germany. There were many Japanese tourists, which was fun for us to see. Unfortunately one side of the castle was under repair, but it was still beautiful to see the castle in its lush surroundings.

Fussen is a little town on the Bavarian region, where many people start or end their travel through the "Romantic Road", and it's the perfect base to explore the Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein Castles, being the latest known as the Sleeping Beauty's Castle, for having inspired Wall Disney in his creation. Locally known as "mad" King Ludwig II's Castle, Neuschwanstein is nestled in the mountain. It's something simply ...

Today we drove up into the mountains to see the fairy tale castle, Neuschwanstein. This is another of Ludwig's castles, this one unfinished, and served as the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle. It ...