Take a gondola up from Ürtejei and you arrive at whole new level of pristine beauty–the largest high alpine pasture in Europe. Hike around. Listen to the thunder and birdsongs. Get rained on by passing squalls. Then enjoy aperitivo in the lodge, before riding down into town.
Iconic, massive cathedral of peaks in the Dolomites, rising about 10,000′ was our destination today. (No, we didn’t ride to the top, but we rode up to the high mountain pass from our house in Ürtejei.)
St Jakob Kirche sits high up the steep walls of the valley overlooking Ürtjei. We watched the colors and clouds shift in the evening.
Everyone always told me the Dolomites were beautiful. I had no idea. Today we did biking and hiking (with caffe and gelato in between, of course).
Don’t let the photos fool you into thinking it’s flat here! We just stopped at the only two flat places we found. 😉
Looks like she either lost the bet, or is on her bride’s maid party, or both.
Marina Vanelli and family made us feel welcome and provided the best cappuccino in Italy.
This promontory on Lake Trasimeno commands the region. The Etruscans built a thriving culture more than 2,600 years ago, then the Romans moved into the neighborhood, learned from them and took over. The towering medieval fortress stands as a monument to centuries of militarization.
Spasso: fun walks and meaningful chats 