The best kept secret when it comes to play on snow is the Spanish Pyrenees and it's no wonder the Spanish King has a house here. First, there's the Spanish culture. I read that you won't find a self-respecting Spaniard clicking into his or her bindings before 11am. That means, you have the powdery white slopes all to yourself from 9 to 11. Or, when on the Spanish Pyrenees, do as the Spanish do and not worry about trying to beat the crowd - because there is no crowd - and enjoy your coffee and breakfast of scrambled eggs in olive oil and slowly make it to the slops around 1030am. With that bit of a leisurely start, you get to enjoy a luxurious late lunch around 3p with grilled Spanish octopus, skirt steak and a gorgeous glass of red served in a long-stemmed glass (no plastic cups or turkey chilis to be found here!), then furiously pack in the last two runs and marvel at the fact that many of the lifts are open beyond 5p. Don't be looking for an immediate apres-ski scene, though. The Spanish do siesta, even when on the slopes, and while you might find a few tourists having a drink downmountain you'd rather take that yummy nap, start stirring round 9p, and then go into town and bop around the lively tapas spots. Start in nearby Arties. It really doesn't pick up until after 10p, so even getting down there around 930p you will be able to beat the crowd, so to speak.