Czech out this ski trip!

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In case you were wondering, the recipe of the day is 'ski trip strudel'. Rather than do this 'by the book' and ensure that your strudel turns out as tasty as mine, please bear with me while I add ingredients and preparation techniques along the way to as to let you know how the dish was put together. So, first up, take a 2-step flight, via Frankfurt to the Austrian city of Linz, and add in a pair of skis which the airlines will ferry from and to for free, as long as you put your request in beforehand. Then, upon arrival in Linz, stir in a prompt 'airport to main station' bus transfer which should lay the foundations for the multi-step process of arriving proper. Next up, carefully fold a two-stage train trip into the mix, but allow the mixture to simmer for two hours at the Czech border town of Rybnik to allow for a smooth onward journey. Upon arrival in Lipno nad Vltavou, the lakeside Czech ski resort, expect a short walk to be blended in with the snowy landscape, though I hasten to add that this is a touch early for the strudel's frosting. Once the pastry mix has been put together, now it's time for the filling, and what better filling than smooth, manageable, gentle ski runs with no crowding or hazards as far as the eye can see, blended together with a crop of likeable restaurants, efficient ski lift network, and a reasonably-priced lift pass. The proof of the pudding, in this case, is probably how well the fruit can compliment the dish, and besides the obvious (fruits of the) forest surrounding it, the amenities are berry good too, ranging from an enjoyable aquapark, elevated tree walk, and the plum of all fun-filled activities, the purpose-built bobrun track which adds a theme park flavour to an already tasty-looking dessert. Halfway through the baking process though, be sure to ensure that there is a sweet sauce which can be poured over the creation which adds to the overall effect rather than coating it needlessly. For this sauce, simply take a single rail ticket to the Czech town of Ceske Budejovice, and, upon arrival, ensure that the contents are finely whisked around the (city) centre, taking in at very least the main square for its crop of hotly-attractive building styles which actually make this sauce look like an essential part of the package. Before the effects can set, allow for a brief bus ride further south to Cesky Krumlov to trickle through, and prepare to be wowed at what an enchanting smalltown, big-impact atmosphere this can have on what could have been essentially a monochrome dollop of custard were it not for the fact that the Czech Republic's second-biggest tourist magnet boasts a castle of considerable beauty and a main square so ornate, I am beginning to think that sauce alone constitutes a perfectly acceptable dessert option. Allow to infuse with a bus ride back to Lipno, and reduce the temperature considerably by ducking into one of the town's commendable eateries for an evening meal option. When it looks as if the strudel is close to being able to be served, now concentrate on the frosting, which in this case was a constant snowfall, which neither ruined visibility nor indeed ski conditions, in just the same way as those granules of sugar are supposed to stick likeably to the outer shell of the strudel itself. Serving this dish out is clearly only going to prompt the responses of 'Yum, how tasty' and 'This much flavour on this modest a budget?', but while we're in the process of clearing away, be aware of the fact that the after-effects might just slow things down a little, and expect a delay or two in getting fully cleared away, at least when it comes to the combination of snow on the tracks and a train ride into another nation. With a dish so practically put-together, and the results so palatable, I am beginning to wonder if any others who are now aware of all this might now be craving a generous slice of 'ski trip strudel'.....

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