San Cassiano, Alta Badia, 2011 - Day 3, Monday

I've hired some professional help today. Daryl is still really poorly and there's no way she's going to be able to make the slopes so I'm going it alone with a local for company and to show me around.

My guide is a guy about my age (or possibly younger but looking older through an outdoor life). Icaro is his name and true to his namesake, he spends his life living as high as possible. 

Icaro is a true mountain man. In the summer he climbs them, showing youngsters the way up and down. He walks them, showing those with an interest in nature all the sights and sounds at above 2000 metres. And in the Winter, he's a guide. Normally, he enjoys going off-piste, but since this is only my second day's skiing in seven years, we decide that it's better for me to stick to the (relatively easy) pistes here in the Alta Badia.

He's a lovely guy and we get on very well. He's no slouch though, and keeping up with him is quite a challenge for the rust that is permeating every skiing muscle and memory in my body and brain.

After three hours of skiing what seems like most of the resort (and I think might well have been), we part company. I do a about an hour's more until my legs are too tired to cope and ski down the mountain to be collected by the hotel shuttle service – one more civilised aspect of staying luxe... But the civilisation doesn't stop there. I show Daryl the pool and Jacuzzi which are simply amazing and are part of the spa which is this year's holder of the ' Best Hotel Spa in Europe' award from Traveller Magazine.

The swim and hot tub do wonders to revive my aching muscles and then it's time for a quick lie down whilst Daryl has a massage. I conk out almost immediately!

When she returns, I decide to light a fire in the supermodern fireplace in our room and soon it's crackling away and the room is even toastier than before.

Dinner tonight was meant to be in the a la carte restaurant, but it's totally deserted so we go back to the wine and grill.

After dinner it's up to bed, and I once again conk out almost immediately.