Towns of a Christmas Tale

If you take into account our recommendation for this week about skiing and also consider that Christmas is coming, our plan is clear: visit one of the following towns that seem towns of a Christmas tale.

Everyone have ever read or heard a tale at Christmas time. For some reason, that tale often occur in areas where it is cold, where it often snows, there are forests and where people are at their home next to a fire.

Here you are our recommendations:

1.- Grindelwald (Switzerland): located in the canton of Bern, is a hill resort that in winter is covered in white, but also allows some of the best views of Switzerland between mountain peaks and forests.

2.- Rothenburg (Germany): located in Bavaria, is an ancient medieval imperial city that preservers the aspect intact of centuries and inspired the town of Pinocchio in the Disney version. Half-timbered facades, sloping ceilings accumulating snow and Christmas decoration are the perfect setting for a special Christmas.

3.- Hallstatt (Austria): located in the Salzkammergut region and is one of the most beautiful villages of Europe.

4.- Shirakawa-go (Japan): is a village in the district of Ono, a famous site for their houses Gassho-zukuri style. It is located in the center of the island of Honshu and literally looks like a fairytale site. Their houses, with very slanted roof are adapting the architecture to the amount of snow that must withstand winter, being a mountainous region.

As you can see, they are so beauty that you can visit them in winter or in any other season. Which is your choice?

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Airbag backpack

The finding of this week is an airbag backpack for snow. The backpack "snow pulse" is special for backcountry skiing.

It is based on the RAS system (Removable Airbag System) which can be coupled to different backpacks. It is a lightweight, compact and fast inflation system.

If you want to know more about its specifications you can see them at the web www.snowpulse.com. I strongly recommend you watch the video demo of the website, as well as looking at youtube videos about this product, there are many and so good.

Here you are some photos about this product:

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Ski

The first snow has already dropped and all skiers are hoping the opening of the ski resorts which are in full performance finishing the details on the preparation and conditioning of the ski hills.

All around the world there are 3.579 ski resorts spread in 67 countries. Following you will find a link (ski resorts) where you can locate the nearest ski resort to your place of residence and begin to organize the first trip to the snow.

One of my favorite ski resorts is "Aramón Cerler", located in the Aragonese Pyrenees which was awarded as the best season of Spain last November 22 in the "World Ski Awards" in Austria.

Skiing is a sport of wonderful sensations, where each descent is different from above. You can practice it alone, in pairs, in groups and the entire atmosphere is great, indescribable. For me, the best of all is the landscape. When you are on the ski lift going to the top of the mountain, you have the feeling of touching the ski with the hand.

Like many other sports, skiing requires do it safely. Although the use of helmet is not mandatory in adults (yes in children) my advice is to put it always. For any blow or fall, the head is protected and injuries will be minor.

And last but not least, my advice is to take some classes before start skiing both you are a beginner and amateur. For beginners, classes will help you to acquire the right position, lose the fear and especially enjoy with the progress. And in the case of amateurs, classes will help you to correct defects and improve the technique.

See you at the ski resort!

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Tango, decor and argentine alfajores & wines

Here there are all links posted during the week with all our recommendations related to Tango: National Day of Tango, decor with glasses, roses and candles, alfajores and argentine wines.

National Day of Tango

Glasses, roses and candles

Argentine alfajores

Argentine wines

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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Glasses with flowers

The decor that we suggest to decorate the National Day of Tango are glasses with red roses and candles.

It's very simple to do, just choose the glasses that you like, your favorite flowers, put a candle on top and done!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
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Argentine wines

The drink that the National Day of Tango suggests us is a good Argentine wine, and to choose one to celebrate that day we looked for the best Argentine wines of 2014, according to the prestigious American magazine Wine Spectator (www.winespectator.com), which publishes a list of the 100 best wines in the world every year.

This year 4 Argentine wines were selected:

Bodegas y Viñedos O.Fournier Malbec Uco Valley Alfa Crux 2010. 

Score: 94 and price: 54$ (44€).

According to the magazine: "Plush and rick, with concentrated flavors of dark plum, porcino, baker's chocolate and blackberry. This has a core of dried beef and Asian spice notes that linger on the powerfully creamy finish. Drink now through 2018".

Luca Malbec Uco Valley 2012. 

Score: 93 and price: 32$ (26€).

According to the magazine: "Very suave and polished, with ripe, pure flavors of blackberry, hoisin sauce and black pepper. Finely textured, this is packed with tar and roasted plum notes, showing plenty of licorice snap and dark chocolate accents on the powerful finish. Best after 2020".

Trikal Patriota Mendoza 2012. 

Score: 91 and price: 23$ (19€).

According to the magazine: "A rich red, packed with concentrated flavors of blackberry, dark plum and mocha, featuring plenty of dark chocolate notes. Offers a ripe texture, with creamy accents and hints of savory herb on the long finish. Drink now through 2020".

Fincas Patagónicas Malbec de Zolo Reserva Mendoza 2012.

Score: 91 and price: 19$ (15€).

According to the magazine: "A deeply colored and robust red, with a core of lusciously spiced dark plum, blackberry and dark currant flavors that are long a pure. Medium-grained tannins and firm acidity lend this a musular structure. The rich finish is filled with dark chocolate and Asian spice notes. Drink now through 2020".

We like all of them!


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Argentine Alfajores

The dessert that we recommend you to celebrate the National Day of Tango are Argentine Alfajores, you can find them in bakeries or even in supermarkets (see in bakery section or in latin products).

There are several types of alfajores, although we prefer the Havanna alfajor, and we also like Mardel (below some pictures of the latter).

And if you are inspired to make them yourself, here you have the recipe, you need: flour, yeast, eggs, vanilla essence, sugar, lemon, powdered cocoa, covering chocolate, and butter. The filling is made with caramel.

1. To prepare the dough mix 350g of flour with a teaspoon of yeast. Then make a kind of volcano with the mixture and, in the centre, add a teaspoon of powdered cocoa, 150g butter, 3 egg yolks, one teaspoon of vanilla essence, 100g sugar, and zest of a lemon.

Work the dough until it is thick.

After mixing the dough stretch it and cut it to form small "caps" or biscuits. In a greased baking tray, put the "caps" and bake until swell, without being toasted.

2. Once the "caps" are cold, fill two with caramel and cover them with covering chocolate.

To see the recipe of "dulce de leche" (caramel) click here.

Enjoy!

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National Tango Day

Tango is one of the music and dance genres more powerful of the world, and its Day is celebrated every December 11th, in honour of the birthday of Carlos Gardel and Julio Caro.

This genre was born in the late nineteenth century in Río de la Plata between Argentina and Uruguay, and since 2009 it is Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, when that was declared by UNESCO.

It is originated from the fusion of Afro-Argentines and Afro-Uruguayan cultural elements, as shown in UNESCO declaration the Tango arises "In this region, where European immigrants are mixed, the descendants of African slaves and native (Creole), there was an amalgam of customs, beliefs and rituals that became a specific cultural identity. "

Of course we encourage you to celebrate this day dancing tango, if you are so lucky to know how to dance it, and if not, the December 11th is certainly a great day to start your tango lessons.

Here you have a few videos of movies for you to begin to practice:


Take the lead - enlace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSsfP8nRvYg

Scent of a woman - enlace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIbJJi9GHms

Moulin Rouge - enlace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZgUl8fakRk&spfreload=10

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