Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright made the most of some rare downtime amidst their hectic work schedules this month and jet-setted off on a very glamorous winter getaway. The couple headed for a luxury ski holiday in the French Alps, joined by a group of their close friends. Michelle opened up about their fun-filled break in her HELLO! blog, revealing that she had loved the trip despite usually preferring sun-soaked beach holidays.
"I know I am a self-confessed beach bunny, I love summer holidays and lounging around on a sunny beach, but we all agreed heartily that this was one of the best holidays we have ever been on," the Tina & Bobby actress wrote. "I am a total snow convert now, and we are definitely going to go away skiing with the gang again next year."
Michelle and Mark enjoyed a fun-filled winter getaway
As for their ski resort of choice? The couple headed to Val Thorens, which left blown away by the "stunningly beautiful and picturesque" scenery. "Val Thorens has the largest ski area in the world with over 600 km of runs," she added. "There is loads to do there – with great snow sports on offer, for people who are total beginners and for more experienced snow lovers."
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For ultimate relaxation and a glamorous après-ski experience, Michelle and Mark chose to stay in a catered chalet rather than hitting a hotel. "Mark and I organised the trip with Crystal Ski Holidays www.crystalski.co.uk, and stayed in a cosy and traditional six bedroom chalet with our friends: Rachel , Phil, Helen, Liz, Kelvin, Gubby and Freddie," explained Michelle. "We were fortunate to have our own chef who made delicious home-cooked breakfasts, and all our evening meals. Some of our treats included chocolate chip cookies on arrival, and one day after a full day skiing we were greeted with freshly baked lemon drizzle cakes."
The couple were joined by a group of friends for the trip to Val Thorens
It wasn't the first time that the Our Girl star had been skiing, but she admitted that her confidence had grown after she and Mark took some lessons at The Snow Centre ahead of the trip which "certainly paid off".
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"I was so much more confident this time around, compared to last year where I was falling all over the place," she explained. "The majority of our skiing was done on the green and blue runs, but I decided to get brave and tackle a red run which, I’m not going to lie, was very scary, and some of the girls in the group (naming no names to spare any embarrassment!) ended up going down on their bums – which was HILARIOUS, I couldn’t stop laughing!"
She continued: "We also tried tobogganing one evening – on a sledge from the top to the bottom of a not so steep mountain. We raced each other which was so much fun, and at the end we all feasted on hot chocolates, mulled wine (well, why not?) and some tasty cheese and salami. Perfect!"