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Top travel picks of the week  Ski
trip of the week
Méribel, in the heart of the Trois Vallées in France, is
the biggest ski area in the world.
It boasts more top-of-the-range chalet accommodation than any other resort
in the world, including four ski-in/ski-out chalets from the gourmet ski
specialists, Fish & Pips.
This April, Fish & Pips are offering guests the chance to enjoy a
top-class ski holiday, while enjoying exceptional cuisine cooked by Cordon
Bleu-trained chefs — with an outstanding collection of handpicked,
chateau and domaine-bottled wines in store as well.
Chalet Le Christophe (sleeps eight) is perfect for a large group wanting
a ski break during the school holidays.
The four-bedroom chalet, commencing April 5, is now just £625pp.
A week’s stay at the four-bedroom Chalet Braye (sleeps eight), commencing
April 12, is just £475pp.
Prices are based on two sharing and include seven nights’ catered
chalet accommodation (daily breakfast and afternoon tea plus a four-course
evening meal six days a week with unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks).
Flights and transfers arranged on request.
For further information call Fish & Pips on 01483 421777, or visit
www.fishandpips.co.uk for details
of special offers and last minute discounts.
Hotel of the week
The Peat Spade Inn is on Bunny Lane in Longstock, a village on the western
slope of the Test Valley, Hampshire.
The address seems singularly unlikely but is in fact real.
And the Peat Spade Inn is as full of character as its address, with the
rooms named after members of a local fishing club.
Longstock is just a couple of miles north of Stockbridge, nestling between
the historic cities of Winchester and Salisbury, with the New Forest to
the south and London an hour’s drive away.
The River Test bills itself as ‘the fly fishing capital of the world’,
although Lough Erne in Fermanagh would probably have something to say
about that.
Opened by chefs Andrew Clark and Lucy Townsend, the Peat Spade is renowned
for its glorious food, good beer (real ales) and fine wines.
The Peat Spade’s owners have designed their rooms with a generous
bathroom, ample hanging space, mini-fridge with fresh milk and wicker
tray of tea and coffee things and a luxurious bed.
Downstairs, candles flicker in a brick fireplace and on tables, illuminating
old prints and photos of forgotten cricket sides.
The bar is friendly and buzzy.
Fish, naturally enough, takes the starring role on the menu although local
beef, served with homegrown vegetables, can hit the spot if you’ve
been out walking — or fishing — all day.
Breakfasts are hearty, setting you up for the day’s activities.
Fly fishing can be arranged on a number of chalk stream rivers within
a few miles of the inn, including the Test, Itchen, Dever, Hampshire Avon
and Bourne.
There is also access to a spring-fed private estate lake — perfect
for beginners and improvers alike.
Professional instruction and guides are available.
Tel: 01264 810612 www.peatspadeinn.co.uk
Doubles £110 B&B
Three-course dinner around £25 per head excluding drinks.
House of the week
Lisnavagh House on the borders of counties Carlow and Wicklow has been
a family home for 10 generations and still prides itself on its welcoming
atmosphere.
The McClintock-Burnaby family have now turned it into a venue for small
weddings, house parties, corporate gatherings, family reunions and whatever
you’re having yourself.
The imposing Gothic revival mansion has seven very elegant bedrooms, with
en suite bathrooms carefully added to avoid disturbing the architectural
charm of the house.
The dining room comes with candelabra, the music room with piano and fireside
and oak-panelled library with portraits, leather sofas and games.
The 1,000-acre wooded estate offers unspoilt views of the Wicklow hills
to the east and Mount Leinster and the Blackstairs to the south.
Emily Bunbury, the lady of the house and founder of the company Tailormade
Ireland, organises specialist holidays, sometimes of a huntin’,
fishin’ and shootin’ nature but not exclusively.
She’ll come up with everything from garden to gourmet tours and
all stops in between.
Lisnavagh House and Gardens, Rathvilly, Co. Cariow
Tel: 00 353 59916 1473
E-mail: events@lisnavagh.com |
