Whew! The last three days have left us breathless and a little sore from hiking. When we first arrived here it was pissing with rain and there were no nountains to be seen. The weather channel said there would be rain storms and possibly flooding. Given the chance that we would probably not be returning to this area we had to at least give it a chance. Trying to find a place to sleep when tourist information is closed and the rain is pounding does not do much to lift your spirits. However every search must come to an end and we were very lucky. The place we chose could not be more perfect. In the small village of Penia the Inn was friendly, good food, quiet and the owner spoke Engish!! He gave us a few ideas should the weather change ... and change it did. We woke the next morning to brilliant sun. After breakfast we headed straight to a gondola ride at Pas Perdoi which took us up to around 3000 Meters. The visibility was endless which meant for good pictures. We were a little cold as we walked on the crusty snow but it was well worth it. After the ride we decided to take advantage of the good weather to drive a circuit through Arabba to Corvara then west to Passo Gardena and back to Penia via Canazai. If you've been here before you will know how beautiful the area is. If you have never been here then I mention the names so you will be sure to put them on your list.
What a breathtaking place .... and I'm from Canada! The mountains are rough slices of rock jutting straight up to heaven. In many ways I am reminded of Patagonia. The light plays on the rock as the day gives way to night. From White to gold to red. Beautiful!!
At the end of our three days we had done a few hikes and taken hundreds of pictures. The wildflowers are in full bloom and the air is so fresh compared to Venice! I love it here!
The interesting thing about this area is how much like Switzerland or Austria it is. The architecture, the food, even the language. I'm more than confused now!! Think I'll stick with English and see how far I get! The local dialect is very strong and the words are a mixture of Italian & German with a few of their own words thrown in. When we bought an expresso in a bar the barman asked for money in Italian and thanked us in German.... then spoke to the next man in French? At least that's what it sounded like. So.... I'm going to stick with my stupid tourist look and a big smile. I get a lot of milege out of that!
We learned a lot about the politics here, and about the wildlife (somehow that seems to be related).
All good things must come to an end so today we headed west taking a pass from Canazei through to Bolzano. Ouur home for the night is in Tassulo in the south of Valle Di Non. You can see the alps in the distance. The valley is agricultural with thousands of fruit orchards and vineyards. We did a little sight seeing and walked up to the ancient sanctuary of San Romedio. Tomorrow we heaad off west again towards Lake Como. Not sure what we will see there... perhaps the odd celebrity!?