I Think I Can See France From Up Here!

Aaahhh the Alps! One hour outside of Torino and about 7 kilometers from the border of France is the little ski town of Sestriere. Several of the 2006 Winter Olympic competitions and celebrations were held in this stunning region. Top photo is the view we wake up to from our bitty apartment. Here the best thing to have with your cappuccino is the strudel. There are many surrounding villages to take in when you don’t quite feel like skiing (or snowboarding) but all in all the feeling is the same; rustic ski village with small shops full of cashmere sweaters and patrons in quaint cafes with raccoon faces sipping their bitter sodas.

I discovered that Sestriere wasn’t always the bustling weekend retreat that is now. In 1930 when Sestriere was a small quite village, Giovanni Agnelli, the founder of FIAT, purchased a large section of the mountain to build a ski lift and resort on. And with the Agnelli's came the Torino society and the little village grew. Luckily I drive a Fiat so I fit right in.

I also hear there is a golf course under all this snow that is the highest elevation course in all of Europe. But if you hit your ball into the ruff, you'll have to search threw the Edelweiss to find it....