July 2009
Day six: I love a parade!
The title for today’s report didn't materialize until the very end of the day...so stay tuned.
We have another intensive day of hiking planned for tomorrow, so today was to be more
restful (on the legs). We left the valley bound for Lago di Braies and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
It took us about an hour and a half to reach Lago di Braies via the “Michelin
recommended” route. The lake, which is bounded by mountains on most sides, was a
vibrant green today (apparently, it changes color). We enjoyed a leisurely stroll around it
and spent a brief moment looking in on the old hotel—encountering the largest
Newfoundland dog any of us have ever seen. It’s an outstandingly picturesque small
lake, although it probably would have been more pleasant with fewer than several
thousand people there.
It was only another 45 minutes to Cortina, and we found the very large car park at the old
train station rather easily. All three of us were very thirsty, so we stopped at quite literally
the first café/bar we encountered and took the last available outdoor table. After
refreshing ourselves, we wandered through the old town, admired the old church
campanile, and did a little window shopping on the Corso Italia. After about an hour, we
were ready to head home—via the Great Dolomite Road.
First of all, the Great Dolomite Road is everything it’s cracked up to be, quite literally—
from the first views as you drive out of Cortina to the close ups of the Sella as you head
into the Val Gardena. Almost every kilometer is a scenic wonder. But, be advised: the
driving is not for the faint of heart. You’re taking hairpin turns while either accelerating
uphill or breaking in a steep downhill, with oncoming traffic going twice as fast as you
are, avoiding bicyclists on your right, and occasionally coming to a sudden full stop to
allow passing tour buses. At times, it seemed like a parade as one car would take the
lead and all the others would fall in behind (this would not be our last parade of the
day). Nevertheless, we would relate this among the finest drives we've taken, anywhere.
It, of course, helped that the weather was excellent, with nice blue skies punctuated by
the occasional puffy cloud. We wished we could try out some of the lifts we saw along
the way (e.g., Laguzuoi) but, alas, not enough time.
We arrived back in Selva around dinner time, and we were pretty hungry. We decided to
try Sal Fëur, in the heart of town. We had a nice table on the outdoor patio with a decent
mountain view. Notable dishes: bruschetta with mushroom and pesto, radicchio strudel
with gorgonzola and pumpkin sauce (yes, sounds odd, but it was good), pasta with
garlic and chili, and a better than average Greek salad. Thumbs up!
We passed on dessert in favor of gelato (lamponi caldi, specifically) on the way home.
The proprietor of the shop mentioned something about “soon the music comes with the
costumes.” We wondered what that was about. On the way home, we saw musicians in
full, traditional Ladin costumes carrying their instruments up the main road, in the
direction of our apartment. Lo and behold, they were assembling for a parade, the
starting point for which was right across the street from Residence Carin. The parade
soon started (9pm), and as it passed, we and hundreds others fell in behind and
marched the length of the town. We bailed out on the show at the end, but it was
certainly an interesting way to end the day.
Today's photos
Parade video (coming)
Next: Day 7-One little victory
All of our trip photos
Home
The title for today’s report didn't materialize until the very end of the day...so stay tuned.
We have another intensive day of hiking planned for tomorrow, so today was to be more
restful (on the legs). We left the valley bound for Lago di Braies and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
It took us about an hour and a half to reach Lago di Braies via the “Michelin
recommended” route. The lake, which is bounded by mountains on most sides, was a
vibrant green today (apparently, it changes color). We enjoyed a leisurely stroll around it
and spent a brief moment looking in on the old hotel—encountering the largest
Newfoundland dog any of us have ever seen. It’s an outstandingly picturesque small
lake, although it probably would have been more pleasant with fewer than several
thousand people there.
It was only another 45 minutes to Cortina, and we found the very large car park at the old
train station rather easily. All three of us were very thirsty, so we stopped at quite literally
the first café/bar we encountered and took the last available outdoor table. After
refreshing ourselves, we wandered through the old town, admired the old church
campanile, and did a little window shopping on the Corso Italia. After about an hour, we
were ready to head home—via the Great Dolomite Road.
First of all, the Great Dolomite Road is everything it’s cracked up to be, quite literally—
from the first views as you drive out of Cortina to the close ups of the Sella as you head
into the Val Gardena. Almost every kilometer is a scenic wonder. But, be advised: the
driving is not for the faint of heart. You’re taking hairpin turns while either accelerating
uphill or breaking in a steep downhill, with oncoming traffic going twice as fast as you
are, avoiding bicyclists on your right, and occasionally coming to a sudden full stop to
allow passing tour buses. At times, it seemed like a parade as one car would take the
lead and all the others would fall in behind (this would not be our last parade of the
day). Nevertheless, we would relate this among the finest drives we've taken, anywhere.
It, of course, helped that the weather was excellent, with nice blue skies punctuated by
the occasional puffy cloud. We wished we could try out some of the lifts we saw along
the way (e.g., Laguzuoi) but, alas, not enough time.
We arrived back in Selva around dinner time, and we were pretty hungry. We decided to
try Sal Fëur, in the heart of town. We had a nice table on the outdoor patio with a decent
mountain view. Notable dishes: bruschetta with mushroom and pesto, radicchio strudel
with gorgonzola and pumpkin sauce (yes, sounds odd, but it was good), pasta with
garlic and chili, and a better than average Greek salad. Thumbs up!
We passed on dessert in favor of gelato (lamponi caldi, specifically) on the way home.
The proprietor of the shop mentioned something about “soon the music comes with the
costumes.” We wondered what that was about. On the way home, we saw musicians in
full, traditional Ladin costumes carrying their instruments up the main road, in the
direction of our apartment. Lo and behold, they were assembling for a parade, the
starting point for which was right across the street from Residence Carin. The parade
soon started (9pm), and as it passed, we and hundreds others fell in behind and
marched the length of the town. We bailed out on the show at the end, but it was
certainly an interesting way to end the day.
Today's photos
Parade video (coming)
Next: Day 7-One little victory
All of our trip photos
Home
Climb Every Mountain:
Our long-awaited trip to the
Dolomites...and Munich
Our long-awaited trip to the
Dolomites...and Munich
Overview: Plenty of options, but where to stay?
Overview: Hiking in the Val Gardena
Day 1: Stau!
Day 2: This is why we wanted to visit!
Day 3: Sprechen zie...speck?
Day 4: Bolzano, Merano and a date with Ötzi
Day 5: The flying telephone booths
Day 6: I love a parade
Day 7: One little victory
Days 8-9: Munich
Wrap up: Weather, packing; useful resources
Wrap up: Food, language and final thoughts
Home
Overview: Hiking in the Val Gardena
Day 1: Stau!
Day 2: This is why we wanted to visit!
Day 3: Sprechen zie...speck?
Day 4: Bolzano, Merano and a date with Ötzi
Day 5: The flying telephone booths
Day 6: I love a parade
Day 7: One little victory
Days 8-9: Munich
Wrap up: Weather, packing; useful resources
Wrap up: Food, language and final thoughts
Home