Ah, I get the drift

With reliable snow and friendly company, Laura Nightingale finds Norway is an ideal choice for anyone learning to ski

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sport and realise I'm not as much of a wimp as I first thought I was.

The English-speaking ski school instructors were so friendly (and exceptionally patient), the lessons were well organised and fun - and the fact that my hotel, and conveniently the bars, were all located literally across the road from the chair lift, helped make the whole excursion feel so relaxed.

After a two-hour flight from Gatwick, we touched down in snowy Oslo before hopping on to a three-and-a-half hour minibus transfer to the mystical alpine wonderland.