Where to Get Bargain-priced Skiing in Europe

The European
Vol. 2. Issue no. 1
January 16, 2007
Paris, France

Top European Skiing at Low Prices

by Leah Larkin

The 10.5-mile run to the valley from the upper slopes of Bansko, Bulgaria’s newest resort, is awesome. “There’s nowhere in the States that you can do that,” said my ski companion when we reached the bottom.

That was not all that impressed us. We were amazed to find the latest in lift and snow-making technology, luxury hotels with spa facilities, and a rocking nightlife—all at bargain prices—in this resort tucked away in the Bulgarian hinterland close to the Greek border. A one-day ski pass is just 25 euro ($36.80) compared with prices of $90 in Colorado resorts—and a six-day pass is 140 euro ($206).
Bansko is three hours south of Sofia in the Pirin mountains with a top elevation of 8,500 feet. Calling itself “the most modern resort in eastern Europe,” the resort boasts 40 miles of slopes as well as off-piste adventure. Some 23 million euro have been spent to turn the area into a purpose-built mountain resort: new lifts, new runs, a snow-park and half-pipe for boarders, a cross-country track. There’s even a shooting range for biathlon competitions.

Old Eastern Europe With Hot Après-ski

The groomed slopes and rock-bottom prices are attracting skiers from Denmark, Great Britain, Russia, and Ireland. Charter flights bring the skiers to Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second largest city, about two and a half hours away. It’s a bumpy bus ride over pot-holed roads through primitive-looking villages where it seems not much has changed since Bulgaria overthrew communism 19 years ago.

In Bansko itself, however, change is visible, from construction sites for apartment complexes and hotels to the brand new, five-star Kempinski hotel. Real estate offices abound, with signs in English promising “dream homes.” But if you wander the streets, you can find the old town, giving it a unique character for a ski town.

Bansko was on the map long before ski slopes. Records indicate a settlement was established there in the 9th and 10th centuries. I was especially intrigued with the Byzantine church, a dark and mysterious sanctuary with candles, gilded icons and ornate chandeliers. The town’s old Renaissance houses of stone are still standing—a pleasant contrast to the chalets of many an Alpine resort. Many of the roads, buildings, and sidewalks are in need of repair, but improvements are in progress. More expansion and more lifts are planned for the ski slopes.

Downtown is a mélange of old eastern Europe—it’s not unusual to see an entire lamb or pig roasting on a spit in front of one of the eateries—and a lively, up-to-date après-ski scene. Many hangouts, like the Lion’s Pub, have names in English. There’s even a disco offering lap-dancing.

Be Sure to Avoid This Temple at Midnight (to Avoid a Red Face)

by Elissa Gilbert

Through the picture window at Ristorante Nettuno we gaze at buff-colored columns reaching skyward, the remains of 2,500-year old temples. The old city wall, large square blocks of gray stone still stacked atop each other, separates the parking area from the street.

We're in southern Italy at a ruined town called Paestum, and these Greek temples are some of the best-preserved ruins of Magna Grecia—the region of southern Italy and Sicily that was colonized by the Greeks in the 8th century B.C. The town celebrated women with major temples dedicated to the goddesses Hera and Athena.

Hera symbolized marriage, and brides and women in childbirth used to worship her. Once a year, Hera’s followers would celebrate the marriage of Hera herself to Zeus—king of the gods. Athena was the goddess of wisdom, and the festival for her birthday drew crowds for the sports and musical competitions that were held in her honor.

No crowds come to Paestum today, drawn more to the relatively recent remains of Pompeii (A.D. 79). Hera's temples stand abandoned, the pillars capped by plain Doric capitals seemingly squashed by the weight of the years spent reaching for the sky. In olden times, the temples had roofs and walls and statues of the goddesses lived inside, mysterious in the flickering light.

A Temple to Fertility

After our lunch we walk down the path—a remnant of an ancient road—to the site's other attractions. A small temple dedicated to fertility used to house statues of swaddled infants. A swimming pool was used for both sport and for fertility rites—our guide claimed a sacred naked swim. But couples still sneak in for lovemaking under the moonlight to increase their odds.

Today it’s the temples that draw the visitors, but in its heyday, the city's fame came from its roses that bloomed twice each year. The blossoms were made into perfumed oil that was sent to Rome. The air today smells more of wild fennel, but there were still roses blooming when I was there, the past and present brought together in a flower.

Good to Know if You Go

Paestum is an easy day trip from the Naples/Amalfi area, and the modern town is a popular seaside resort.
Ristorante Nettuno is just outside the gates, Via Principe di Piemonte 2, Paestum; tel: +39 828-81-1028

What It Costs to Live in…Rural France

by Leigh Fergus

In this occasional column, we report on the costs incurred to you, should you make the move to Europe. This week, we visit Périgueux, France, for the lowdown on some general items you’ll be paying for.

The cost of living in rural France has always been attractive compared with the capital, with groceries at least 25% less expensive. French property prices are still rising, but the growth has slowed since the double-digit increases seen in 2005. Even in the Dordogne you can discover good properties in the 100,000-120,000 euro range—even for less than 100,000 euro—and these are sturdy houses, not ruins. I spotted a pretty two-bedroom house in St. Jean de Côle, one of France’s officially beautiful villages, with a small backyard for just under 90,000 euro ($132,400). With summer rentals in the perennially popular region still much in demand, particularly with British, German, and Dutch holidaymakers, this would be a good investment.
Rentals are much easier to find and cheaper than in the major cities. An unfurnished two-bedroom apartment of 750 square feet in the district capital Périgueux can be rented for 450 euros—this would barely get you an attic chambre de bonne in Paris. A small house with a yard in a village outside the town would rent for a similar rate.
The nationwide Lidl and Ed chains are the cheapest cash-and-carry supermarkets, but Auchan offers quality products at reasonable prices and has longer opening hours. If you like French food, the Périgueux market is a paradise of fresh locally grown produce, including fruit and veg and local specialties such as walnut oil, duck meat, foie gras, and endless cheeses. The winter markets, or marchés gras, from October to February specialize in duck and goose products.

The following are examples of prices in the medium-range Auchan supermarket in Périgueux, and are a third or a quarter less expensive than prices in the Paris region:

A loaf of sliced white bread…………...1.25 euro
A dozen eggs…………………………1.63 euro
1 liter milk…………………………….0.99 euro
Pack of butter (250g)…………………1.15 euro
Fresh chicken per kilo...........................4.50 euro
2 ground beef patties………………….2.00 euro
6 frankfurter sausages………………....1.36 euro
Tomatoes in season per kg………….....1.69 euro
6 bottles of local beer………………….2.39 euro
1 bottle local wine …………………….2.60 euro
1 large bottle Coke 1.5 liter …………..1.25 euro
Ticket for the movies ………………….8.00 euro
Two-course lunch for two with wine…...30 euro
Espresso coffee………………………..1.20 euro

Other monthly costs for running an apartment for two people are the same as anywhere else in France:

Electricity...................................................45 euro
Monthly telephone rental fee.......................16 euro + cost of calls
Broadband Internet fee...............................26 euro
Cable TV...................................................20 euro
Prices given are those recorded as of Sept. 1, 2007. $1.38 equals 1 euro

A Free French Culture Fix

by Leigh Fergus

If you’ve been put off by the cost of museum entrance tickets in the past, a six-month experiment in France may make up for this. While most French national museums have at least one open-house day a month (often the first Sunday), over the next half-year, the permanent collections of 14 museums will open their doors wider to visitors and you won’t need to pay a cent.

In Paris, the museums concerned are:

--The Musée Cluny or National Museum of the Middle Ages. come here to visit the Gallo-Roman baths, medieval miniatures, books of hours, and the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. Métro: Cluny or St. Michel
--The Musée Guimet and its treasures and porcelain from the Far East. Métro: Iéna
--The Industrial Museum for technical instruction (Arts et Métiers) with displays of work environments, technology through the ages, and mathematical and scientific instruments. Métro: Arts et Métiers
--The Renaissance museum at Ecouen is also free until June 30, the national archeology museum of St. Germain-en-Laye, and the Bourget museum of Air and Space—all convenient day trips from the capital.

In the provinces, certain museums in Toulon, Pau, Reims, Bourges and Pierrefonds are also being included.

If you have kids between the ages of 18 and 25, check the special days for this age group at three major cultural hotspots in Paris: the Pompidou Center with its modern art collection (entry is usually 10 euro) is free on Wednesday evenings for this age group, the Orsay and its Impressionist art doesn’t charge on Thursday evenings, nor does the Louvre on Friday evenings.