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Training cats

2 Jul
2 July 2016. Cats are considered untrainable, for the most part. They use the litterbox, but beyond that, it is pretty difficult to train a cat, unless you live in Italy and can take your cat on the train! Yes, Janie and LibbyJean are on vacation in the Dolomites. A few days ago we loaded them on a Trenitalia Frecciargento bound for Bolzano, where Taxi Ivan Moroder met us for the trip to Ortisei. In years past, Ric and I have taken the pullman (bus) service, which is very nice; However, with the cats along plus luggage and supplies for a month, we popped for a transfer service. It was so nice we may never take the bus again.
Janie showed a lot curiosity on the train.

Janie showed a lot curiosity on the train.

Libby hyperventilated much of the time. They don't find the train as relaxing as we do.

Libby hyperventilated much of the time. They don’t find the train as relaxing as we do.

I cannot say the cats enjoyed the train; they tolerated it. You can take a cat on a train without paying, but the cat has to go in the luggage storage area, which is very limited and they would be subject to constant disruption including people poking fingers in their crates. So we bought four standard-class seats at the super-economy rate of €29.00 per occupant. The capotreno never batted an eyelash at two seats occupied by cats. We let them take turns sitting (crated) on the table so they could see us and look out the window, which seemed to entertain Janie, who at 20 is ever-adaptable, in particular. Libby is not fond of strangers nor strange situations and even hissed at a little girl who got too close to her kennel. 
The long trip was worth it and the girls seem to have taken to the new digs, with a sunny terrace overlooking the village. 
A terrace with a view, even for cats. We see them peeking out between the slats on the railing.

A terrace with a view, even for cats. We see them peeking out between the slats on the railing.

Sunrise on the iconic Sassolungo as seen from our terrace.

Sunrise on the iconic Sassolungo as seen from our terrace.

Our terrace overlooks the lovely village of Ortisei.

Our terrace overlooks the lovely village of Ortisei.

We have an incredible apartment at Residence Astoria (#5 if you want to take a peek) with views over the valley and up Mont Seuc. We can see the round red cable cars rising from the valley to the top of Mont Seuc and if we peer around the corner of the terrace we can see the Sassalungo. Last summer we enjoyed our two weeks in Ortisei so much we decided to go for four weeks this year and take the cats along. We really do miss the girls incredibly when we are gone, and while during our significant travels there has been a parade of fabulous cat sitters (you know who you are!), we decided to close up the city apartment like so many Romans do when they go on summer holiday. Lots of apartments allow dogs but not cats. Then we met Justine and Siegfried who said yes to cats, but no dogs as they have their own cat. We signed up on the spot. 
My favorite hiking companion neare teh chapel at Rasciesa.

My favorite hiking companion near the chapel at Rasciesa.

Me on the Rasciesa hike.

On the Rasciesa hike.

We have already put in two days of hiking but are taking it easy adjusting versus last year when we pushed it the first day. See my entry for July 6, 2015, in this too-long post about hiking last year. This year we took one of our favorite hikes on Day 1, the Rasciesa Ridge, but it still tired us out. We walk a lot in Rome and everywhere we travel and would expect to have greater endurance; However, when we consider that Rome is sea level and flat, while Rasciesa is at about 2100 meters/6900 feet, no wonder we felt the exertion. 
Day 2, today, saw us on a forested path overlooking the valley. We got some kilometers in and managed to return to town moments before a huge thunderstorm hit. The weather is really everything we hoped it would be. The high today was about 21 Celcius/70 Fahrenheit. In Rome it was 34 C/93 F. I needed a sweater to go to dinner last night. It’s a nice temperature range for outdoor activity. 
Colorful bicycles are all over the village of Selva, celebrating the Sellaronda.

Colorful bicycles are all over the village of Selva, celebrating the Sellaronda.

Noah's Arc fountain in Selva, just down teh valley from Ortisei.

Noah’s Arc fountain in Selva, just up the valley from Ortisei.

We will suffer through August in Rome, taking walks at 06:00 and hiding in the apartment during the hottest hours as much as possible. The beauty of Rome in August is that so many people leave the city that traffic is greatly diminished making sleeping more peaceful and the streets less chaotic. 
I am not sure how much I will blog this month. I am hoping to read more and study Italian when I am not out busting my butt on the trails. We shall see. So for now, we wish you all a great summer, and Happy Independence Day to our compatriots in the U.S! 
How to know when you are in the part of Italy that was formerly Austria. There's nothing like a beer at elevensies!

How to know when you are in the part of Italy that was formerly Austria. There’s nothing like a beer at elevensies!

 

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An apple a day

19 Jul
19 July 2015. If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, does it count if it’s in your strudel? In the Alto Adige/Südtirol, strudel is as prevalent as Starbucks in Seattle. We have eaten many portions and many types over the course of several trips. This time I documented our not-quite-daily habit. Thank God we were hiking!
It never ceases to amaze me that no matter where we go, we get coffee in a ceramic cup and our food on plates with real flatware, served by nice people who do not expect a tip. Even at the ruins of a castle, in a tiny little village high above the valley, where the cafe was the size of a closet, the lady served our espresso in tiny ceramic cups with stainless spoons that we carried out to a picnic table. And we could have had grappa if we had wanted! Compare that to the typical U.S. coffee-house or what passes for a restaurant in a national park: Styrofoam cups, paper plates, forks that break when you try to use them, self-service, and the expectation of a 20% gratuity.
July 8: Rainy day strudel in Selva. Our first strudel of the trip, while taking shelter in the town. Big apple chunks and a pie-pastry-like crust.
July 8: Rainy day strudel in Selva. Our first strudel of the trip, while taking shelter in the town. Fabulous apple-pie flavor and a light, crust.
July 8: God help us, a two-strudel day! Anna, our landlady, invited us over in the afternoon for strudel hausgemacht. How could we say no?
July 8: God help us, a two-strudel day! Anna, our landlady, invited us over in the afternoon for strudel hausgemacht. How could we say no?
July 9: High-Mountain strudel at Passo Sella. We had a long hike, punctuated by a stop for healthy yogurt, so we indulged in a cinnamon-flavored, raisin-packed variety with a more cake-like crust.
July 9: High-Mountain strudel at Passo Sella. We had a long hike, punctuated by a stop for healthy yogurt, so we indulged in a cinnamon-flavored, raisin-packed variety with a more cake-like crust.
Not a bad view for strudel tasting at Passo Sella.
Not a bad view for strudel tasting at Passo Sella.
July 10: Today, yogurt with fresh berries replaces strudel at 2153 meters above sea level. Berries tasted fresh-picked.
July 10: Today, yogurt with fresh berries replaces strudel at  Rifugio Emilio Comici, 2153 meters above sea level. Berries tasted fresh-picked.
The Rifugio Emilio Comici is perhaps the most amazing mountain "refuge" we've seen.
The Rifugio Emilio Comici is perhaps the most amazing mountain “refuge” we’ve seen.
July 11: Rifugio Rasciesa is always a favorite stop for a snack or for lunch. Big fruit, light crust. Asked for panna but they forgot. :-(
July 11: Rifugio Rasciesa is always a favorite stop for a snack or for lunch. Big fruit, light crust. Asked for panna but they forgot. 😦
July 14: Rifugio Malga Brogules sits beneath the Seceda Plateau, and still the rifugio is at 2045 meters above sea level. And still they serve home-baked strudel, of a more cake-like variety.
July 14: Rifugio Malga Brogules sits beneath the Seceda Plateau, at 2045 meters above sea level. And still they serve home-baked strudel, of a more cake-like variety.
Little Rifugio Malga Brogules, beneath the Seceda Plateau.
Little Rifugio Malga Brogules, beneath the Seceda Plateau.
July 16: Best-in-Trip Award goes to the strudel at Hotel Saltria in the Alpe di Siusi. A mountainous piece served with lots of panna, flaky crust, heaps of fruit, raisins and pine nuts. Although we hiked 2 hours to get here, it ruined the possibility of lunch for the day.
July 16: Best-in-Trip Award goes to the strudel at Hotel Saltria in the Alpe di Siusi. A mountainous piece served with lots of panna, flaky crust, heaps of fruit, raisins and pine nuts. Although we hiked 2 hours to get here, it ruined the possibility of lunch for the day.
Our view while gorging on strudel at Hotel Saltria.
Our view while gorging on strudel at Hotel Saltria.
July 18: Last strudel of the trip, eaten overlooking the same scene we cast our eyes on Christmas Day, Hotel Icaro in the Alpe di Siusi. Surrounded by a cake batter, the fruit was flavorful and the strudel loaded with pine nuts as well. Panna of course1
July 18: Last strudel of the trip, eaten overlooking the same scene we cast our eyes on Christmas Day, Hotel Icaro in the Alpe di Siusi. Surrounded by a cake batter, the fruit was flavorful and the strudel loaded with pine nuts as well. Panna of course!
Looking across the Alpe di Siusi from the terrace at Hotel Icaro. A bit of a change from our Christmas Day scene, below.
Looking across the Alpe di Siusi from the terrace at Hotel Icaro. A bit of a change from our Christmas Day scene, below.
Taken from Hotel Icaro terrace on Dec 25, 2015. We only had cappuccino this time.
Taken from Hotel Icaro terrace on Dec 25, 2015. We only had cappuccino this time.

 

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Hot!

7 Jul
As I write this it is 82F/27C in Ortisei, in the Val Gardena, Italy. It’s not supposed to be that hot here! We came to cool off, expecting 70F/21C or so.
I told Ric, "Try not to show how much I am sweating." On the trail to Saltria.
I told Ric, “Try not to show how much I am sweating.” On the trail to Saltria.
I know! I know! Roma is worse at 91F/32C, and poor Portland, OR is expecting a wilting 92F/33C and is enduring the longest streak of 90+ days in history.  Even worse, the Alpe di Siusi, elevation >6,000 feet, hit 97F/36C for the second day in a row, the hottest temp ever recorded there, I was told by a local. Compare that to Abu Dhabi, which shows the same exact temperature. (Practically cool, isn’t it Francesco?)
Heat haze building already at 09:00, looking across to the Alpe di Siusi from our pre-hike cappucino stop.
Heat haze building already at 09:00, looking across to the Alpe di Siusi from our pre-hike cappuccino stop.
We can only hope this is an anomaly for Portland and the Val Gardena, that climate change isn’t going to ruin the summers.
In 2012 when we “discovered” the Val Gardena and the Alpe di Siusi for ourselves, we started out one morning at a brisk 44F/7C. Heaven compared to Roma, which was having the hottest summer in over 200 years. Our 2013 trip required starting each day with at least a sweater to ward off the chill, while in 2014 that sweater was topped with a windbreaker and I gave thought to buying a fleece.
Ric on the trail Monday, walking down from Rasciesa, a quad-straining descent of 863 meters/2827 feet.
Ric on the trail Monday, walking down from Rasciesa, a quad-straining descent of 863 meters/2827 feet.
Not so 2015. Still we are hiking, slathering on the sunscreen, gulping water, hugging tree-lined trails where possible. The nights are better, thank God, as air conditioning just does not exist in most lodgings, at least not in our price-range. In the next few days, Portland and Ortisei will cool off while Roma and the Alpe remain hot and Abu Dhabi returns to insufferable.
On a more positive note, this is a big first for us in 31 years of traveling together: we are staying two full weeks in the same place! We’ve been on longer trips, moving around, but never two weeks in exactly the same town/apartment. Truly a vacation. Yeah yeah yeah, I can hear  you now: “You’re retired; you need a job to be on vacation; blah blah blah.” All I can tell you is it is great and we have time. I do have to look at my pill minder to remind me of the day of the week.
We happened upon this carving in the middle of the forest, unsigned, a gift from a local woodcarver.
We happened upon this carving in the middle of the forest, unsigned, a gift from a local woodcarver.
More posts to follow! Aufwiedersehn/Arrivederci/Assudëi from the land of many languages, German, Italian and Ladin. More on that in the future.

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The Whos down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot

27 Dec
When Dr. Seuss wrote “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” I think he must have had Ortisei in mind. It sits in a steep valley beneath snowy peaks reminding one of the “Whos down in Whoville.” As we descended yesterday from the highest lift station we could just make out the
From up here (in a gondola) Ortisei seems like little Whoville down in the valley.
From up here (in a gondola) Ortisei seems like little Whoville down in the valley.
village far below, and imagined the Grinch careening down the steep slopes to return the Christmas treasures. Instead we saw skiers launching off the mountain and enjoying a run of several kilometers albeit on mostly artificial snow. Ortisei calls itself Il Paese di Natale, and celebrates for 25 days, right up to Epiphany on January 6. They like Christmas a lot.
We spent a lovely Christmas Day in the Alpe di Siusi (if we are Facebook Friends you have already seen a few pictures from that hike), and on Santo Stefano (Dec. 26) we followed a local alpine guide from the Catores group on a hike to the Church of San Giacomo, which turned out to be a pretty good workout of 2 ½ hours roundtrip. I am pleased to say we old timers were not the slowest ones on the uphill stretch.
Dating to the 11th century, far above Ortisei. My Swedish ancestors were still practicing Norsk Mythology at that time, I think.
Dating to the 11th century, far above Ortisei. My Swedish ancestors were still practicing Norsk Mythology at that time, I think.
Fresco on San Giacomo, 15th century! There is also a quaint cemetery with a view to "die" for.
Fresco on San Giacomo, 15th century! There is also a quaint cemetery with a view to “die” for.
We also spent part of the evening in Ortisei to see the activity during the passeggiata and the fairy tale-like village transformed by holiday lights.
The Mercatino di Natale bustles even the night after Christmas.
What some countries call Boxing Day is Santo Stefano in Italy. The crowds are festive!
There are welcome warming fires scattered about.
La piccola chiesa in Ortisei, simply adorned.
There are 4 ice trees. illuminated from within. These are placed in the rushing river that runs through Ortisei.
Luckily we are able to be active (as was the point of this trip) to compensate for the amazing food we are consuming at Hotel Albion.
We are staying at what is for us one of the nicest places we have ever stayed. I would compare it to Salishan Lodge on the Oregon Coast in terms of elegance, although the Albion has a decidedly ski-sport bent versus the golf club sophistication at Salishan.  On a normal trip we stay in B&Bs, apartments and small hotels with a goal of spending no more than EURO 100.00 per night. Usually we are successful at that budget number on an average basis, and sometimes we get breakfast included. In planning this holiday trip, a gift to ourselves in lieu of stuff, we wanted to be a little pampered and stay somewhere special and memorable. I agonized over several choices in Ortisei, and while this one is expensive, it is half the price of the high-end properties here!
Like many European resort hotels, the meals are included in a half-pension plan.  Breakfast and dinner are included and are beyond ample. Breakfast offers almost every kind of fruit, a make-your-own juice bar, several choices of breads, pastries, eggs, sausages, assorted salume from speck to cotto, mortadella and salami, yogurt, muesli, jams, a honey bar (6 options!), a dozen types of cheese, and I would venture at least that many types of butter, flavored and not. This is the Tyrol and the northern influence on cooking brings butter to the forefront. Dinners are five courses including an amazing over-the-top salad buffet and an ever-changing menu of primi and secondi. We’ve enjoyed fish, shellfish, venison, quail, veal and duck as well as beautiful vegetarian dishes. I could go on but I won’t.
The clientele are from all over, although I am certain we are the only Americans on the property and probably the only native English speakers. Christmas morning we enjoyed hearing greetings of Joyeux Noel, Fröhliche Weinachten, and Buon Natale.
There is a shuttle to take us on demand to the lifts or to the village center. There is a spa including outdoor heated pool, which we have not had time to try. The only thing missing was snow, until today (Saturday) when it started during our hike and continued for about 8 hours.
Finally snow to compliment the lights, Hotel Albion.
Steam rises from the infinity pool while snow falls.
Our table at Hotel Albion, overlooking tiny Ortisei.
We took a woodsy walk in lightly falling snow on Saturday. Finally fresh snow!
Ric said I needed to be seen in something not pink. See? I have a blue fleece too.
This is our fourth Christmas in Italy, starting with our 2011 vacation here and now three years as residents. Family and friends, we miss you very much, especially at this time of year. We have traded greetings with many of you and have kept up on Facebook , which has been fun.  We keep ourselves entertained, but truly look forward to your visits here next year and to our planned extended visit to the U.S. in August. (Here we come, Seattle, Portland, and Durango!)
Here you see the plateau we hiked on Dec 24, Rasciesa. The view is from another peak, Seceda. The little black square is the rifugio where we ate lunch. See prior post.
Until the next time I think of something to say, Auguri e Buone Feste from both of us! May you have a blessed Anno Nuovo.

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