I’ll start this Sunday with a scene-setter. It’s Saturday afternoon and I’m rinkside at the Kulm in St Moritz, jazz classics are playing for the skaters and lunchers, the furs are out, PC-12s and Challengers are passing overhead on approach to Samedan, we’ve scored tickets to see Conclave tonight and there’s a full baking programme lined up for the days ahead, including Estonian kringel (saffron-raisin bread) and gingerbread cookies.

In the village things are shifting into full swing. Approaches into the Dorf are lined with Italian and German licence plates and if you try to book a table at any of the top restaurants you’ll be told to check in again after 6 January. Thankfully we’ve secured the tables we need and are going with a bit of an experiment for Christmas Eve. Rather than the stress of prepping a Baltic feast this year, we’re having the Estonian chefs at the charming Albana Hotel in Silvaplana take on the assignment. Worry not, I’ll give you a full report next week.

At our client cocktail party in Zürich on Tuesday, I got a lot of: “Do you manage to properly switch off in the mountains?” I’m always tempted to say, “Yes! Absolutely. It’s my time to completely disconnect and return to centre.” This, however, would be an enormous fib. For though there are fewer meetings, there are still plenty of work contacts to catch up with, big ideas to plot in my notebook, columns to write and daily visits to the Monocle resort shop we’ve opened again at the Hotel Steffani (pictured throughout). If you’re up here over the season, make sure to swing by and say hello to Max (or occasionally Tobi), grab a coffee and watch the village pass by. Should your winter pursuits take you to the other side of the Alps, there’s also our outpost in Merano on Dantestrasse. In fact, we’re hosting a shopping eve there tomorrow night if you just happen to be in Südtirol.

Before I go, a big thank you to all who have made the jump from being readers to subscribers, plus those who’ve offered Monocle or Konfekt (or both!) as Christmas gifts. If you’ve not found your way into the club that helps us get out in the world, then you can swiftly sign up here. Also, it was a delight seeing so many of you at Midori House this past weekend for our Christmas market. To set the tone for the coming days, here’s a little highlight reel. Merry Christmas and more next week.