#and i am very self conscious about both my finnish and just about me

[littlemaple]

i have a lot of feelings for and about käärijä

[night-lie]

Are you a ballet fan as well as a Swiftie? Any Taylor songs you associate with ballet or ballet characters?

Thank you for your ask!! I am a casual ballet fan.

This bit in Enchanted's coreography looks like 5th position, and the dress is just so Tchaikovsky's Barbie of Swan Lake. I would love to watch someone dance to Enchanted. For contrast, perhaps WAOLOM or WANEGBT 1989 tour version are Fokine's Dying Swan? It really depends on what vibes are used as a criteria. My criteria is "it's cool and I like it". Dying Swan isn't quite that angry though but more sad, so maybe ATW10? And if we bring up the scarf, I have to mention Løvenskiold's La Sylphide although luckily Taylor gets away unlike the poor fairy.

I'm half joking when I say the Rep album is Stravinsky's Rite Of Spring. It confused the audience, people hated it, the composer and coreographer's reputations were stained by it, but it made an impact. Watching it can make you very self conscious of being a part of the audience (and confused), which is what being a Taylor fan sometimes feels like.

Finnish National Ballet's The Little Mermaid is ocean themed so I'd use that for 1989 or TTPD, especially the Albatross or BDILH which is a song from Ariel's perspective and about nothing else or nobody else. Certainly not someone we mention on this blog. I love mermaids, I will not think critically when they're involved.

As for characters, it would be obvious to connect Clara from The Nutcracker and Clara Bow, but I don't think it works. I think Giselle is a good fit for Debut/Fearless/Speak Now era; The innocent search for romance and the unexpected pain (and death). Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet could be Lover, perhaps?

I haven't seen it myself, but Skorulsky's The Forest Song sounds like it would fit folkmore. Vera Zorina's performance from The Goldwyn Follies is very nymph-like to me, even though it's a movie.

The only album I haven't mentioned so far is Midnighs, so uh. Um. The White Cat from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty. Because Karma is a cat! Fool proof reasoning. That reminds me of Princess Florine, she saves her prince doesn't she? She was also trapped, so she's both a damsel and heroine. Very Taylor.

[aroundtheworldin18years]

Why do we love Italia so much?  In all honesty, do you really need to ask?  Simply take a look at the photos in any of our Italy posts and it will become transparent as to why we are drawn to this wondrous land.  With rugged mountain ranges, picture postcard landscapes, historical landmarks, and let’s not forget the delectable cuisine, favourable wine and friendly locals; it’s very difficult not to fall in love with all things Italian.  Italians have certainly mastered the way of living life and Italy almost feels like our home-from-home when we visit.  In 2018 we had a glimpse of Winter life in Val di Fiemme when we visited Cavalese and stayed at the Aparthotel Des Alpes.  For our return in Summer 2019; we thought it only right to stay at the sister hotel, Aparthotel Majestic in Predazzo, in the Province of Trento.

Take a beautiful location and frame it.

APARTHOTEL MAJESTIC LOCATION

Located in the beautiful Val di Fiemme region of the Italian Dolomites, Aparthotel Majestic is just one of the many properties owned by Trentino Residences.  Set in a valley with spectacular mountain views, this Tyrolean style chalet-apartment hotel is a short 5-10 minute walk from the main center of Predazzo, and less than 2 miles from Ski Center Latemar, just one of the fine ski resorts that the Trentino South Tyrol region has to offer. 

FACT: Antonio Stradivari regularly visited Predazzo Forest, choosing only the very best quality fir trees to produce his musical instruments.

Aparthotel Majestic is perfectly situated for exploring the outstanding natural environment of Obereggen, Pampeago and Predazzo.  Travelling by car will take you no more than 10 minutes and then a short journey up the mountain by cable car will bring you spectacular views of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites.  A great place to begin your Summer adventure and take a closer look at the flora and fauna, as well as admire the magnificent views.  The Dolomites is the perfect playground for walkers, hikers and those with a bit more energy to burn, cyclists.

Ski Center Latemar in Predazzo

A BIT ABOUT PREDAZZO

Geological Museum of the Dolomites in Predazzo offers visitors a great opportunity to learn about the rock formations, mineralogical and geological properties of this mountainous alpine region.  The short walk from Aparthotel Majestic to the main street in Predazzo is easy to navigate.  Simply exit the hotel, turn left, keep walking and before you know it, you’re in the thriving hub of Predazzo.  Right in the heart of the town centre, Chiesa arcipretale dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo, otherwise known as Church of Predazzo; draws your eyes to the characteristic 19th century architecture as the bells ring aloud!  The church has been welcoming parishioners since 1872 when building work was completed.  There are lots of quaint little shops, restaurants, bars and gelateria’s in Predazzo, and amiamo Italian gelato!  So creamy, so yummy, so moreish!

The Church of Predazzo

Opulent decor inside the Church of Predazzo

The walk to the centre of Predazzo

SELF CATERING APARTMENTS

Having stayed at Aparthotel Des Alpes in Cavalese, we had a fair idea of what to expect from the Aparthotel Majestic self-catering apartments.  Aparthotel Majestic ticked many of the boxes of what we like from our accommodation.  Close to the main town of Predazzo for evening walks, a great location for exploring the region, a large indoor swimming pool for relaxing in after a day filled with adventure, and a spacious apartment with traditional Tyrolean styling and stunning views of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites.  Aparthotel Majestic has 90 apartments including Studios (2 and 4 occupancy) and 1 bedroom apartments (4, 5 and 6 occupancy).  Although, the rooms are classed as 1 bedroom, our room had a lounge-come-master bedroom, plus a separate room with bunk beds, and additional bunk beds in the entrance hall of the apartment.  A great family size apartment.

READ OUR REVIEW OF APARTHOTEL DES ALPES IN CAVALESE

Balcony views of the UNESCO Dolomites from Aparthotel Majestic

ARRIVAL AND RECEPTION

Check in at Aparthotel Majestic is available from 16:00 to 20:00, and check out is at 09:00.  All was peaceful and quiet upon our arrival, not surprising really as we didn’t arrive until well after midnight.  A phone call to reception earlier in the day explained we’d be late and the room was unlocked pending our arrival.  Knowing that we’d be arriving late, we chose to dress the girls in their pyjamas at Malpensa Airport.  Both Lily-Belle and Matilda were sound asleep upon our arrival to Aparthotel Majestic, so all we could do was carry them to the room and tuck them in.  Mummy and Daddy unpacked the car, emptied the Leanpac luggage and then fell into bed…exhausted!

Main lobby at Aparthotel Predazzo

Aparthotel Majestic reception area

THE APARTMENT

The apartment room plan at Aparthotel Majestic is very similar in layout to their sister hotel Aparthotel Des Alpes.  The only difference for this apartment was that it had two additional bunk beds in a separate room, and the decor is more traditional to the region.  Lots of large wooden beams.  The apartment was very clean, extremely spacious and could easily accommodate six people.

Our spacious apartment was split into 6 areas;

bedroom one (hallway) with bunk beds and a wardrobe,

spacious bathroom with sink, vanity unit (with mirror), toilet, bidet, and enclosed shower,

main lounge area/2nd bedroom (pull down bed, large wardrobes either side) with a dining table (bench seating and chairs), seating area with a sofa and TV,

small well-equipped kitchenette,

small separate bedroom with bunk beds and a wardrobe,

large balcony with patio table and chairs for al fresco breakfasts whilst watching the sunrise.

Regarding rooms and beds, Matilda normally fights with Lily-Belle to get the top bunk, but not on this occasion, two lots of bunk beds meant no squabbles…or did it?  Safety conscious Daddy that I am, neither L-B or Mat-Moo were allowed to sleep on the top bunks and of course, this made me the worse Daddy in the world!  I’ll get over it, as will the girls!

BEDROOMS, BATHROOMS, BIDET’S BUT NO BUBBLES

Open the apartment door, and you walk immediately into the hall where there are bunk beds.  Directly opposite the bunk beds is the bathroom; within is a toilet, bidet, wash basin with under-storage, vanity unit with lights and mirror, but as expected, no bath.  Ok, a shower does the job and gets you clean but a bath is the one thing I really miss when travelling, I love a good soak (if the girls leave me in peace to enjoy it) with bubbles…lots of bubbles!  Just to say, our girls still find bidet’s strangely amusing!  Will they ever grow out of it…probably not!

Bunk beds in the halway

Shower enclosure

Bathroom

LOVING THE LOUNGE

As can be expected with an apartment style room, there is a small kitchenette complete with a hob (no oven or grill), microwave, kettle, cutlery, plates, cups and other useful kitchen utensils.  The main lounge area, which also serves as the master bedroom; has a huge pull down bed.  As a family we love snuggles at bed time and the master bed easily accommodated all four of us on more than one occasion.  Wardrobe space either side of the bed is more than plentiful.  The lounge also had a dining table with a fixed bench seat and chairs.  A two-seater sofa should you wish to take the weight off your feet and relax whilst watching the TV.  The apartment summed up in a few words…a spacious and perfectly adequate home-from-home!

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SWIMMING POOL

25 METRE POOL 

Open from 15:00 to 20:00 daily. The heated pool was large with a shallow end for children and a deeper end for adults.  Around the edge of the pool there are loungers for when you’ve had enough fun splashing around.  A swim hat must be worn (unless your head is bald or shaved like mine) as is the standard in most European swimming pools, whether public or private.  The pool is an ample size for a few lengths to grab a little aerobic exercise, but, it’s also fun to just splash about with the girls.  There was also a small area of the pool which formed the jacuzzi.

Lots of bubbles in the jacuzzi

Relax or take a dip

Wet and welcoming

WELLNESS CENTRE

JACUZZI and SPA

Open from 15:00 to 20:00 daily, age 16+ only. Beside the pool is the Wellness Centre.  This excellent facility is very Romanesque in style with lots of mosaic tiles and intricate paint designs all with a calming influence.  There is a Finnish sauna and a Turkish sauna (sorry, don’t know what the difference is), a whirlpool and little foot spas for easing the pain of troubled feet.  The spa area is very spacious and a great place to relax and allow your mind to float away to distant lands filled with unicorns and fluffy clouds.  Sadly, having two under 16’s in tow meant we didn’t get to try out the Wellness Centre facilities.

READ ALL ABOUT MY NUDITY EXPERIENCE IN OUR ALPE CERMIS POST

Wellness Spa

Come in, sit down, relax and converse

Kneipp, perfect for soothing tired feet

FOR CHILDREN

PLAY AND BABY ROOM

There is a spacious Play Room at Aparthotel Majestic.  The room is inviting with brightly coloured alpine murals painted on the walls and lots of play toys for imaginative toddlers.  Matilda particularly loved the toy kitchen.  The Play Room is primarily for younger children, toddlers and babies (supervised).

For tots and toddlers

GAMES ROOM

There is a large Games Room at Aparthotel Majestic.  The room has arcade games, a pool table, a table tennis table and table football, the latter two are firm favourites with The Callaghan Posse and we are very, very competitive!  The Games Room is primarily suitable for older children and teenagers.

A chill out room for the teens

OUTSIDE PLAY AREA

To the rear of Aparthotel Majestic there is a garden with an enclosed children’s play area.  There’s the usual swings, slides, a seesaw, climbing frame and a roundabout.  There’s also plenty of grass to run around on.  In the far corner is a pizza oven should you wish to bake your own pizza’s and dine al-fresco as the children play.

On a slippery slope to Slippyville

What goes up, must come down

I believe I can fly

KIDS CLUB

Beside the Play Room and Games Room is a decent sized auditorium where the Kids Club hold their evening sessions.  Lots of dancing, role play and plenty of encouragement for children and parents to interact.  This is where we struggled a little, the Animation Team spoke Italian (we were in Italy) and we basically guessed what was going on.  Thankfully, an English speaking Italian tourist stepped in and translated for us, we were extremely grateful.  The translation really helped us enjoy the Animation Team entertainment much more.  Lots of fun and Matilda bopped and danced the night away.  Lily-Belle (age10, moody, stroppy etc) was a bit more reluctant and chose to watch the show from a distance!  Our Summer Activity programme was hectic for the whole week, so sadly, we only managed to visit the Kids Club twice.

Colourful Kids Club

WI-FI

Wi-Fi is always very important to us when selecting our holiday accommodation.  We like to capture moments and take lots of photos and videos, even though we probably only use less than 5% of them.  To try and keep our phones relatively clutter free, we tend to upload pics and vids to the fluffy cloud at the end of each day.  Wi-Fi is free in the main reception area, and it is also free in your room if you book your stay at Aparthotel Majestic direct with Trentino Residences.  For all others, the weekly cost for Wi-Fi is cheap at just €15.00 and a password is available to purchase at the reception.  When we travel we like to chill every now and then and watch a movie, the Wi-Fi connected quickly and we never experienced any dropouts even in the apartment.

Reliable Wi-Fi in the reception area

RESTAURANT AND BAR

Aparthotel Majestic restaurant and bar is a decent size and can easily accommodate large numbers.  The decor is bright and, as expected with Tyrolean restaurants; has lots of wood.  The food range is extensive and of exceptional quality.  Presentation was impeccable and always the freshest of ingredients used!  We ate in the restaurant on more than one occasion, and always had a wonderful meal, not to mention a glass (or two, or three) of Aperol Spritz, honestly; it would be rude not too!  On the nights a sit-in meal didn’t appeal to the girls, we used the available take-away service on offer at the restaurant and retired to our apartment to watch a movie.

Freshly made bruschetta

Mouth watering risotto

Tasty pizza

Luscious panna cotta

Delicious penne pasta

TRENTINO GUEST CARD

Staying at Aparthotel Majestic will give you access to a Trentino Guest Card.  Here are a few benefits of applying for this card:

Free travel on public transport within Trentino (trains, ferries and some cableways),

Free entry to over 60 museums, 40 attractions and 20 castles in Trentino,

A range of events to taste local produce in the company of the producers themselves. (discounts apply on purchases and free guided tours),

A range of ‘unusual’ experiences and booking services with the dedicated App.

A Trentino Guest Card is a convenient way to enjoy everything that Trentino has to offer!  As well as travel, the Guest Card gives you free entry to all of the main museums, natural parks and castles.  The Guest Card also allows you to travel for free on public transport.  Definitely worth picking one up, and the added bonus…they are completely free! (free for anyone under 18, free is you book a stay of 2 nights or more at an affiliated hotel in Trentino – otherwise cost is €40 per adult per week). For further info, visit Trentino Guest Card

FIEMME-MOTION CARD

The FiemmE-Motion offers holders once a day lift access in Val di Fiemme (Alpe Cermis, Pampeago, Latemar 2200 Predazzo, Bellamonte – Castelir).  As well as admission into many attraction, the card offers holders up to 30% discounts on a host of activities such as: river rafting, biking and e-biking, trekking with lamas; plus a host of benefits and discounts in local restaurants and at local producers.  The FiemmE-Motion Card is within your tourist tax that you pay to your hotel accommodation.  Tourist Tax is compulsory therefore you may as well take advantage of and use the FiemmE-Motion Card. For further info, visit FiemmE-Motion Card

THANK YOU

We would like to take this opportunity to give a very special thank you to Chiara, owner of Trentino Residences.  Chiara was excellent in recommending places to visit and also put us in touch with Cristiana, at the Val di Fiemme Tourist Board; who organised our Summer activities programme.  Our stay was thoroughly enjoyable at Aparthotel Majestic and we really enjoyed all of the summer activities on offer in Val di Fiemme.  We look forward to returning in the not-so-distant future.

WOULD WE GO BACK

A definite yes and without hesitation we would have no qualm in recommending Aparthotel Majestic to tourists visiting Val di Fiemme.  Predazzo is the perfect base camp in Summer for hikers, walkers, cyclists and horse riders wishing to explore the flora and spectacular scenery of the Dolomites.  And in Winter for skiers, boarders and thrill seekers in search of the ‘white stuff’.  Predazzo is just a short walk from Aparthotel Majestic and worth an evening or two of your time.  When Dorothy Gale clicked the heels of her ruby slippers and uttered the words ‘there’s no place like home’, we are fairly certain that she was talking about Italy.  If you ask us, there is no place like Italy and just like a magnet, Italy draws us back time and time again.  Cannot wait to return, until then…addio per ora!

LILY-BELLE (age 10) SAYS I really liked the pool, the water was warm and really clear so I could see under the water.  The apartment was quite big and the beds were very comfy.  I don’t understand why they give you two single duvets to fit a double bed?  It was nice to sit and eat breakfast out on the balcony.

MATILDA (age 4) SAYS Daddy is a grumpy troll, he wouldn’t let me sleep on the top bunk!  I liked going into the swimming pool and playing with the toy kitchen, oh and I liked the playground outside.

Aparthotel Majestic (itinerary)

Date(s) of stay:  3rd July 2019 until 10th July 2019 Cost:  Aparthotel Majestic – gifted (see disclaimer below)

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                Information, currency and prices are correct at the time of publishing. Views, opinions and experiences are that of The Callaghan Posse and are correct at the time of publication. Photos, unless credited, are taken by The Callaghan Posse for use and distribution by Around The World In 18 Years. Images and content may not be used or copied (individual or commercial) without obtaining prior permission.

[disclaimer:  Our stay at Aparthotel Majestic was gifted by Trentino Residences.  Gifted item(s) were provided in return for social media and blog coverage]

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APARTHOTEL MAJESTIC, PREDAZZO, ITALY – REVIEW Why do we love Italia so much?  In all honesty, do you really need to ask?  Simply take a look at the photos in any of our Italy posts and it will become transparent as to why we are drawn to this wondrous land.