"When we arrived there was no road, no water and no electricity," Vanessa told me, "and we had a nine-year wait before we could get a telephone." He worked in advertising, she in interior design, but the lure of Greece took hold and before long they were moving to Zakynthos full time with their three young daughters. I was starting to enjoy it until we suddenly jibed and the boom clobbered me twice in the middle of the forehead (boom! boom!). The next morning a Force 7 was blowing, which was exhilarating for experienced sailors, but dangerous for novices, so I hired a car to explore the island, with its cypresses, olive groves and hilltop villages where locals sell honey and watermelons beside the road. As for Tony, aged 35, well, you can guess what happened to him.
"It's much easier the smaller you are," said the boys' mum, Vivienne, sympathetically.Surely there was something I could do? Later that afternoon, after a quick session at the white board, Nicki took me for a sail in a Laser dinghy. I learned to control the main sheet and guide the tiller, how to tack and jibe and the difference between a beat and a broad reach. what's the third?" My mind went blank and all I could think of was the hokey-cokey "The lavatory position," he reminded us "Skis tucked under your bottom And remember, the hardest part is getting up. If you can do that, everything else is easy."Tristan, aged eight, was a natural - he was "up" and around the bay in minutes Benedict, aged 11, was just as good Sebastian, aged 13, stumbled briefly but was soon away. A fun family outing is to take a snowcat-pulled sleigh ride up the Snowmass slopes to Burlingame Cabin, an original miner's dwelling heated with wood stoves and lit by lanterns. After an oversize Western- style dinner accompanied by a live bluegrass trio, it is time to go sledding home, down the mountain.Aspen has a wide choice of hotels, inns, bed and breakfast lodgings and self- catering condominiums of varying standards. Those that are not within walking distance of the ski lifts are served by a free skier shuttle bus route.
The most prestigious address in Aspen has to be the Little Nell Hotel at the base of the Gondola which boasts that it is the only mountain resort property in North America to have been awarded five stars and five diamonds. It is a member of the Relais & Chateaux group and has a restaurant which has been voted the best in Colorado.Close by is the newly built and somewhat imposing Sheraton Hotel (until recently the Ritz-Carlton) which has a huge spa and fitness centre as well as an indoor/outdoor swimming pool. By contrast, on East Main Street, the restored Hotel Jerome is full of character, having been built during the height of Colorado's silver-mining boom in 1889.The centrally located Aspen Square condominium complex is the ultimate in luxury self-catering with its own concierge installed to make recommendations and reservations for guests' dining requirements. The oversized apartments come complete with log fireplaces and fitted kitchens and facilities include a swimming pool, jacuzzi and gym.Whether you are a keen skier or you simply prefer to pose, with over 150 bars and restaurants and more than 300 shops to choose from, Aspen will undoubtedly make you feel at home.aspen fact fileGetting ThereBritish Airways (0345 222111) operates daily from London Gatwick (except Wednesdays) via Phoenix, connecting with America West Express. American Airlines (0345 789789) has daily services to Aspen from London Gatwick via Dallas and from London Heathrow via Chicago and Denver. Northwest Airlines (01293 561000) has daily flights from London Gatwick via Minneapolis, and United Airlines (0800 888555) has three two-stop connecting flights each day from London Heathrow.AccommodationThe Little Nell Hotel (tel: 001 970 920 4600, fax: 001 970 920 4670); Sheraton Aspen (tel: 001 970 920 3300, fax: 001 970 920 7353); Hotel Jerome (tel: 001 970 9201000, fax: 001970 925 2784); Aspen Square (tel: 001 970 925 1000, fax: 001 970 925 1017).
