Long time readers will know that I’m a big fan of all things weird and wonderful, so when I heard about a festival held high in the French Alps that mixes music and bilingual comedy performances with world-class skiing, it certainly piqued my interest!

The Altitude Festival has been described by comedian Marcus Brigstocke as a “laugh-alanche,” and despite having run for only two years it seems to have already become something of an institution among those in both circles – with many people postponing their annual ski trips until March so they can attend the event.

What makes the festival sound so appealing is that it really combines the twin worlds of winter sports and comedy, something I wouldn’t have considered possible before! According to its founder, Irish comedian Andrew Maxwell, the idea was conceived when he and some fellow comedians regularly took time off during their hectic schedules at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to enjoy some dry slope skiing.

While I’ve never been on a ski holiday myself, I have to admit that the idea of gliding down Alpine slopes sounds very appealing and is something I’ll undoubtedly try one day – even though the only time I ever tried dry slope skiing I ended up battered and bruised! I like the idea of heading back to the ski resort in the evening to enjoy some relaxed performances from some of the world’s best comedians – including Eddie Izzard, who apparently does entire shows in French for the benefit of local attendees. I’m not sure my French would be up to that!

Sometimes it’s the strangest ideas that work the best, and adventurous comedy fans with a love of winter sports should consider the Altitude Festival a must. This year’s festival returns to Méribel from 20 to 26 March and is only a short trip from Geneva if you’re heading there by plane.

The line-up for this year’s festival is sure to be its finest yet, and with well-known acts including Al Murray, Rich Hall, Phil Kay and musical act 4 Poofs and a Piano, the Altitude Festival is proving itself to be ’snow joke’… okay, so maybe I need to work on my puns as well as my skiing!

While I’m sure many people will already be travelling to the Eternal City this month on romantic Valentine’s breaks, the overlapping Carnevale celebrations are making a trip to Rome seem all the more appealing. Despite being a religious festival of sorts, there’s little that’s stuffy about Carnevale Romano, which involves concerts, art events and horseback parades bringing the ancient city’s wonders to life.

The celebrations kick off with a costumed parade along Via del Corso on Saturday 6 February, which, according to the New York Times, will involve 60 riders and over 100 performers paying homage to the horse races that used to take place here until the 19th century. The festivities will conclude in grand style on Shrove Tuesday, 16 February – better known to festival-goers as Mardi Gras – with a performance from Italian folk singer and musician Angelo Branduardi.

Rome isn’t the only city in Italy that pulls out the stops for Carnevale though, and this year’s festival season will once again see the city twinned with Venice in an artistic exchange. Simply put, this will involve Rome’s Teatro dell’Opera taking their show to Teatro La Fenice and a number of Venetian artists taking part in events at various venues across Rome, helping to bring two of Italy’s cultural capitals together.

Anyone who’s visited Rome before won’t be surprised to learn that the Piazza del Popolo will be host to one of the festival’s major events, with the Village of Culture and Tradition being set up to host debates, meetings and performances between the 11th and 16th. Equestrian fans whose thirst hasn’t already been quenched by the parade will also be able to see a horse riding show being put on in the square on 13 and 14 February, directed by one of Italy’s leading riding instructors.

For centuries, Carnevale celebrations have been the perfect way for many people to enjoy some light relief before committing their willpower to Lent. Of course, Lent isn’t restricted to Christianity, and even if you’re not religious, the period can still be an effective way of deciding to make changes to your life – even if it’s only for 40 days and nights. Are you thinking of giving anything up this year?

If you’re determined to make this February 14th a Valentine’s Day to remember, how can you choose the perfect destination for you and that special someone when there are so many enticing Valentine’s Day breaks out there?

As the romantic weekend comes ever closer, it always seems that travel writers everywhere are giving their heartfelt opinions on which destinations around the UK make for the ideal Valentine’s break. And while I’m sure each opinion is perfectly valid, it doesn’t help that many of these are contradictory – and you can’t be in two places at once!

With so many great offers and experiences to enjoy around the country, it really does depend on you! That’s not to say that I won’t put in my own tuppence worth and tell you about some of the romantic breaks we’re offering here at Superbreak to help that special weekend go down in history.

If you’re looking to splash out on a luxury Valentine’s getaway for you and your partner, there’s still time to find low prices on top four- and five-star hotels around the nation. Treat yourselves to a little pampering in opulent surroundings – or better still, get your other half to treat you to it!

Whether you’re looking to get away from it all on a country escape to the beautiful Lake District or Cornwall, or even if a Valentine’s city break is more appealing, you’ll find that love is in the air everywhere you go.

To get even more out of your Valentine’s break, you can even look into what’s playing in your area – those of you visiting London might want to combine your hotel with a theatre package or event booking to see Eric Clapton at the O2 or Phantom of the Opera to make it a truly unforgettable night!

Of course, you don’t have to stay in the UK, and what better reason than the Valentine’s weekend to take that trip to Europe? If you’re an old romantic who goes weak in the knees at the thought of a weekend in Paris, you’ll find they really know how to celebrate the event in the world’s romantic capital. But you might also want to check out up-and-coming Switzerland – chosen as this year’s top Valentine’s spot by popular travel blogger Adventure Girl for its beautiful hotels and awe-inspiring scenery.

Four months might sound like a long way away, but apparently travel packages are already being snapped up by those eager to witness one of 100 showings of the legendary performance first-hand – and quite a legend it is too!

In ‘Things You Want to Know About the Oberammergau Passion Play’, Sue Brages of Technorati Travel relates the tale of the play’s origin in the dark times of the Black Death. As the dreaded plague claimed 100 of its townsfolk, the people of Oberammergau made a pact with God that they would re-enact the crucifixion of Christ every ten years, if He would spare them. Lo and behold, no more townsfolk died, and the community has honoured that pledge every decade since (well, give or take a couple of years).

It really does sound like a most spectacular commitment, with around half of the town’s population getting involved in staging the play of Christ’s crucifixion, from his entry into Jerusalem to the Easter resurrection. 2,000 local performers from all walks of life – who need to have lived in the town for at least 20 years – perform the epic tale in an open theatre against the majestic scenery of the Bavarian Alps.

But don’t let the community spirit fool you into thinking this is an amateur production – with Christian Stueckl of the Munich Theatre at the helm, the Oberammergau Passion Play satisfies all artistic credentials and is being dubbed Europe’s cultural event of the year.

Tickets are selling fast for the performances, which are being staged between May and October, so don’t leave it too long to book your place – otherwise that’s another ten years you’ll have to wait!

Well, as ‘real’ as need be to spellbind children. Kids are sure to love taking a sleigh ride through a real Lapland forest in north Finland and chance upon the woodland cabin of jolly Saint Nicholas himself. They even get to take home an early Christmas present – Santa might have run out of Nintendo Wii consoles at this busy time of year, but kids are sure to get a cuddly reindeer for their troubles.

These Lapland Santa tours are the perfect idea for a family Christmas break, and offer up a festive wonderland that’s just as you might have imagined it – although you’d better make sure you really do wrap up warm, it can get mighty chilly. You’re only 32 miles from Russia after all, so your finest Arctic gear is a must if you plan on following in Rudolph’s hoofprints – and after all, it wouldn’t really be Christmas without the snow.

There’s a whole host of activities to enjoy on a trip to Santa’s Lapland, lifted straight out of your childhood Christmas books. All the family can enjoy rides on snowmobiles and sleds pulled by huskies and reindeer, but let’s face it – this is really a time to treat your children. Christmas is one of the most magical times of the year when you’re young, and while taking a Santa trip might seem like a wish fulfillment for the child in you, it makes for an unforgettable experience for your little ones (and the young-at-heart). A step up from a bloke in a beard down at your local garden centre any day!

The first – and last – time I ever tried anything that resembled skiing was at Hillend in Edinburgh a couple of years ago. My partner thought it’d be a nice, romantic idea to hit the dry slope in Scotland’s capital before heading out for drinks and to nurse our wounds. Well, in the end, I had so many wounds my partner didn’t get a chance to even think about anyone’s other than mine, and I vowed never to go skiing again.

But you know what it’s like – you see those pristine slopes of the Alps and imagine what it’d be like to go speeding down in the cold, crisp air, throwing up sheets of snow as you make a turn, almost feeling as though you’re flying – and you have to admit that it sounds pretty amazing.

Winter sports have always been something that are popular year round because, no matter what time of year it is, it’s always snowing somewhere. So I’ve been doing a little research on some of the hot ski locations, though I already know that if the opportunity arose, I don’t think I could accept – Edinburgh was traumatic enough for me! But while I’m dreaming, I can at least pretend I’m a good skier – one that gets to hit the slopes in America on an amazing winter break stateside, that is! It looks like there are plenty of places in the US that are great for skiers, like mountains in Montana (who’d have thought?) or stunning slopes in Colorado.

Of course, staying close to home is a more tempting option for many ski fans, especially during the tough economic climate. France looks to be one of the best places for supreme ski opportunities, spreading out towards Germany and Switzerland, meaning there’s a great deal of choice if you’re stuck for where to go. And if you fancy hitting the piste in summer, New Zealand’s always an option…

As for me, I think I’ll stick with the après fun – skiers are known for being great partiers once the day on the powder’s up, right? Well, that’s where you’ll probably catch me – sitting in front of the fire with a mug of hot chocolate, resting up for a big night out

And guess what? The effort was fantastic. We got hundreds of entries ranging from the sweet and romantic to the downright bizarre, with a surprising amount of you choosing to build your dream break right here at home. There were plenty of entries looking to enjoy a break in Edinburgh, London, Liverpool, the Lake District, Inverness and here in York

We also discovered dreams involving Spain, Italy, France, Norway and Germany, with many of you hoping to take advantage of the cold weather by heading off on New Year or Christmas breaks, filled with romance, snow and walks through idyllic city settings. Some of you, however, wanted nothing more than to jet off for a holiday in the sun in destinations like Hawaii, Sydney, the Caribbean, New Zealand and a host of South American destinations like Peru and Mexico. It was clear our entrants really got their imaginations going and ran wild with their dreams – especially one fellow who included the presence of Angelina Jolie in his!

Unfortunately, there’s only so much Superbreak can do – and that isn’t one of them. One thing we did do, however, was pick a winner. And it was tough. There were heaps of fantastic dreams and cutting them down to end up with only one was a truly nightmarish task. But we managed, and our congratulations go to Paul Marshall for his poignant entry, which we hope he can make true with the £1000 prize which can be used to tailor make a break on our website.

As for the rest of you who didn’t manage next time, keep your eyes peeled. We had so much fun with this competition that we’re already brainstorming the next – so good luck and keep dreaming!

We’ve had heaps of entries so far, from the nice-but-normal romantic city break style choices to some really wacky and adventurous ones. It’s been a pleasure reading them so far, and the competition has had all of the Superbreak office buzzing over the last few weeks – I think there’s more than a few of us who have been eyeing up our last days of annual leave after being inspired by your suggestions.

So go ahead and tell us what your dream break would be. Don’t worry, you can be as imaginative as you like – after all, we’re looking for an eye-catching winner whose dreams we can turn into reality. That’s not to say we don’t adore the slightly more usual ones too, meaning that you’ve got a great chance no matter what your ideal break would be.

And time is running out – the competition closes on Halloween, October 31, which is just a little over a week away – now there’s a scary thought! Keep the entries coming and you can also add me to Twitter to stay up to date on how the competition is going. Good luck!

However, it seems like the popularisation of Halloween by big celebrator America has managed to influence other countries into considering the spookier side of the festival – with many thanks going out to the American horror industry that exploded in the 80s, with films like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th and, of course, Halloween gaining mass global popularity. So, while keeping to their traditional All Saints’ Day celebrations, more and more countries across Europe are beginning to embrace Halloween and its ghoulish festivities too.

Here in the UK, Halloween is a pretty big tradition. Kids get dressed up and go trick or treating – called ‘guising’ in some parts of the north, as well as in Scotland and Ireland (the name comes from children dressing up in ‘disguise’) – and many adults will head out to fancy dress parties and celebrate in other ways.

But that’s enough about us – what about the Italians? In Italy, Halloween is becoming more and more popular amongst children and teenagers, who are beginning to see just how much fun dressing up and trick or treating can be. Italians are notorious for their party hard attitude – so if Halloween gives them another excuse to have a ‘Festa’, then they’ve been reaching for it with both hands over the last few years.

In Germany, you’ll commonly see carved pumpkins adorning the windows of shops and residences as Germans get to know the year’s scariest holiday. It’s not yet tradition for kids to go trick or treating, but it seems as though the party atmosphere in Germany is immense and many Germans take the holiday as an opportunity to get dressed up in their best witch, vampire or werewolf costume and head out to any number of themed parties.

Halloween doesn’t seem to be all that popular all over the continent, sadly – but it is getting there. For example, Copenhagen in Denmark is known for throwing massive events, with Halloween in Tivoli amusement park being one of the greatest, In mid-October, Tivoli Park is transformed into an immersive Halloween world, with pumpkins, witches, scarecrows and vampires roaming around set to terrify and entertain visitors. The festival lasts until the end of the month and all rides are open late into the night. It sounds to me like this could be the winner – a two week Halloween festival! That definitely sounds like one that only hardcore Halloween fans would enjoy!

I heard about an event that takes place every year in Malaga, a city in Andalusia, Spain, which celebrates the birth and life of one of Spain’s most famous artists, Pablo Picasso. All across the world, people are familiar with Picasso’s surrealist works, as well as his contributions towards cubism, a painting style Picasso was very involved in founding.

Born in Malaga on October 25, 1881, Picasso showed an aptitude for drawing and painting from a very young age. It’s said that his first ever word was the Spanish word for pencil and, from seven years old, he was already en route to becoming the artist he grew into when his painter father began Picasso’s formal training in art. His father was a staunch believer in the idea that great art comes from learning from the masters, and taught Picasso to copy their styles during the development of his own. I wonder if this was where Picasso’s leaning towards creating his own versions of master artworks in his later years came from? I’ve seen several; they range from straight copies with the most intriguingly subtle subversions to more obvious critiques – I’d recommend viewing his extraordinary artwork to anyone.

The festival in Malaga lasts for the bulk of October and involves a growth in festivity every day, with parades stocked with colours and energy like only the Spanish can do, huge concerts with all the best local, national and international music, with dancing, drinking and all the other events you’d expect from a festival of this scale.

And, of course, that’s what’s available for those who aren’t big Picasso fans. If you’re really interested in the artist and his incredible life, many museums and galleries open their doors to the public with special Picasso exhibitions, and myriad tours assemble visitors to take them across the city on a discovery trip of some of the most important places that impacted Picasso’s life.

As October 25 is the big day itself, it’d definitely be worthwhile considering a trip to the south of Spain for the big celebration of Picasso’s 128th birthday. With fantastic fiestas taking place all across town and the party atmosphere in the air, I bet that’s one place where it won’t feel like the end of the summer!