Tag Archives: Val Gardenia

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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Looking for a winter wonderland

25 Dec
Remember the scene in the movie “White Christmas” where they get off the train in Vermont and there’s no snow? That’s what it was like to arrive in Ortisei two days ago. Normally Ortisei should be a hotbed of skiing, snowshoeing and sleigh rides. Apparently much of the Alpine region from Switzerland to the Italian Dolomites is like this: cold and dry.
From our room we have a fabulous view to snowy peaks, but the surrounding valley is a dry winterscape.
From our room we have a fabulous view to snowy peaks, but the surrounding valley is a dry winterscape.
We have been to Ortisei three times in the summer and despite the lack of snow we still find it charming. Up high (2100 meters or so) we did manage to find a snowy trail for our Christmas Eve hike. People are here to ski and in the high areas they do so. While having lunch at the rifugio we met a group of Americans planning to ski the Sella-Ronda on Christmas Day. Three of them were Portlanders! Click on any picture for a slide show. 

 

Buon Natale tutti! 

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Good morning, Ortisei!

1 Aug
Good Day Rome is on-the-road this week. We head back to Rome this evening, but I wanted to share a few pictures from the last couple of days. We are traveling with our Seattle-based niece, nephew and their children.  Hoping Grandma Deb, who is cycling across the U.S. this summer, has a chance to see these pics of her grandchildren and their time in the mountains.
Sunrise on the Sella Group and the Sassolungo, towering over Ortisei, Italy, as seen from our terrace.
Sunrise on the Sella Group and the Sassolungo, towering over Ortisei, Italy, as seen from our terrace.
Across the Val Gardena, viewed from our apartment, the tiny village of Bulla. Every trip I say we need to go there. I find it enchanting. Maybe next time....
Across the Val Gardena, viewed from our apartment, the tiny village of Bulla. Every trip I say we need to go there. I find it enchanting. Maybe next time….
High above the Val Gardena, William, Elizabeth and John head down the trail. It was a chilly 13 Centrigrade.
High above the Val Gardena, William, Elizabeth and John head down the trail. It was a chilly 13 Centigrade.
Ric in front of the rifugio at Raciesa, high above the Val Gardena. Lovely stop for

Ric in front of the rifugio at Rasciesa, high above the Val Gardena. Lovely stop for “elevensies” of coffee, hot chocolate and berry crostada. Yes, it was cold enough for hot chocolate.

Elizabeth cannot resist the flower displays. The Val Gardena is well-named.

Elizabeth cannot resist the flower displays. The Val Gardena is well-named.

Horses and cows cross paths with hikers at Raciesa. We encountered a herd of about a dozen horses looking for handouts and petting. William said it was the highlight of the hike for him.
Horses and cows cross paths with hikers at Rasciesa. We encountered a herd of about a dozen horses looking for handouts and petting. William said it was the highlight of the hike for him.
Caught Elizabeth in a candid moment, bundled up against a chilly breeze at the high altitude. In the valley we did not need jackets.
Caught Elizabeth in a candid moment, bundled up against a chilly breeze at the high altitude. In the valley we did not need jackets.
Susan, Elizabeth, John and William riding the funicolare to Raciesa, Val Gardena.
Susan, Elizabeth, John and William riding the funicolare to Rasciesa, Val Gardena.
The horses were very friendly. No doubt looking for apples and carrots. John, Elizabeth and William (hidden) offer some pets.
The horses were very friendly. No doubt looking for apples and carrots. John, Elizabeth and William (hidden) offer some pets.
Ciao tutti! If you haven't been here, you should put it on your list!
Ciao tutti! If you haven’t been here, you should put it on your list!

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Year in Review

1 Jan

The older we get the faster time seems to move. (It’s an actual phenomenon that has been scientifically proven: the older you are the faster time seems to pass.) Only yesterday it seems we were dying of the heat in Rome, taking refuge in the mighty Dolomites enjoying brisk mountain air and alpine meadows. But that was July. Looking back over our time in Rome – now 19 months and counting – we have experienced so much, and yet my list of to-dos in Rome (not to mention all of Italy)  has more things on it that we have not accomplished than ones we have managed to check off. There’s a wonder around every corner and we shall never get to all of them. Roma: Una vita non basta!

New Year's Eve Vespers with Papa F! We were right on the aisle. Ric snapped this pic with his phone.

New Year’s Eve Vespers with Papa F! We were right on the aisle. Ric snapped this pic with his phone.

We managed to see a bit more of Italy this year, visiting some old favorites as well as new territory.

  • March saw us in Sicily for our 28th anniversary, where we were constantly cold, but where we ate magnificent food and saw our first-ever Greek ruins. Stunning! Must go back in warmer weather.
  • In May we ventured to the heel of the boot, Puglia, with my brother and sister-in-law. More great food, a fantastically different Italy, and lots of kilometers covered. Can’t count the bottles of wine consumed. Rick & Jane, we had so much fun with you those 10 days in Rome and Puglia! And we “discovered” Abruzzo on our way back to Rome. Wow!
  • In fact we were so enchanted with Abruzzo we went back for a weekend in July. Not many North Americans (or non-Italians) go to Abruzzo as it is not chock-a-block with must-sees, but it is an amazing place to escape the city, practice one’s Italian, and relax.
  • Later in July was our week in the Val Gardena. If only we could figure out a way to live there all summer.
  • Like most Italians, we got away for Ferragosto but only as far as Orvieto for a couple of nights.  It’s always nice to get on a train, and only an hour away is this charming Etruscan hill town.
  • Our youngest son came to visit in September and we made our 4th trip to Venice in less than three years. Three days there flew by and in wonderment Derek observed we still had not seen everything we intended to. Venice has a lot to offer and so many people try to “do” it in 2 nights and one day. We’re going back for the 5th time in April with friends who have never been.
  • The Cinque Terre calls to us each autumn and we made our third trip there in October. Hoping we can squeeze in a weekend there again in 2014.
  • After the Marine Corps 238th Birthday Ball in early November, we made a trek to Ravello just as the town was closing for the season. This is a must-go-back location sometime during the concert season.
Kids, don't try this at home. Our neighbor across the street shot off Roman Candles from his oh-so-tiny balcony on NYE. Note the Santa figure climbing a ladder hanging from the balcony. And this goes on all over the city!

Kids, don’t try this at home. Our neighbor across the street shot off Roman Candles from his oh-so-tiny balcony on NYE. Note the Santa figure climbing a ladder hanging from the balcony. And this goes on all over the city!

Other highlights in 2013:

  • I turned sixty. Can’t believe it, but my mother is there in the mirror every morning, so I guess it’s true.
  • We had a blind date with Nigel and Carol, new friends from England that we met through the Rick Steves’ Helpline and this blog. Hoping to see them again in February!
  • Made Thanksgiving dinner for 11 Italians. We had so much fun doing this! I only hope they will let us do it again next year.
  • Seeing our youngest son (not very young anymore, but still il mio bambino al cuore) after 16 months away.
  • Getting fit(ter) in the gym. I’ve lost about 45 pounds since moving to Rome and had to buy a whole new wardrobe last summer and again this winter.
  • Becoming more comfortable speaking Italian. I am “advanced intermediate” (B2/C1 for those that understand the scale) according to my teacher. I should be fluent by the time I am 85.
  • Seeing Tom and Karen, our in-laws, when they visited Rome after their cruise.
  • Visits by Michael Horne for gastronomic exploration of Rome. (Thanks for the intro to Vino Roma!)
  • New Years’ Eve Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica with Papa Francesco. He was right there, not 2 meters from me during the processional and recessional. The energy in St. Peter’s was palpable, the love for this man overwhelming.

As I wrap up this post, we are aboard a train that departed at 07:20 New Year’s Day, leaving

St. Peter's, NYE 2013. I read today that shortly after we left Papa Francesco came out in his Popemobile to see the Nativity in the square. Purtroppo we had left the scene!

St. Peter’s, NYE 2013. I read today that shortly after we left Papa Francesco came out in his Popemobile to see the Nativity in the square. Purtroppo we had left the scene!

Italy for the first time in 19+ months. The sun is just coming up, outlining the Apennine Mountains in gold. We are headed to Switzerland where, magari, we will do Winterwandern (alpine snow hiking) to wear off the cheese fondue we plan to eat. We have many trips planned this year including a return to Venice, the Dolomites, Florence, Lake Como, and Abruzzo. We have guests coming, too: Kim, John and Aubrey in April; John, Susan, William and Elizabeth (aka JSWE) in July; the Omaha Bartons in August; a return by Derek in September; Rick and Jane in November; and hopefully Helen, Eddie and Debbie will make it over too. Anyone else? Would love to see you!

Buon Anno 2014! 

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Familiar yet foreign

30 Jul

30 July 2013.

I love to experience new places. I love planning the route, finding lodging, determining what-to-do and what-to-see, and of course I love

View across the Alpe di Siusi from the Mont Seuc lift area. This is the view that made me fall in love with the area.

View across the Alpe di Siusi from the Mont Seuc lift area. This is the view that made me fall in love with the area.

the going and doing. (Ric likes the going and doing. Lucky for me he plays along with my excessive need to plan.)  We even enjoy getting a little lost as there is no better way to really experience a new place. But there is something about going back to a place we’ve been before that is also compelling.

When you enter a town you’ve visited before, familiarity envelopes you like a hug from a friend. We found this to be so true in Oregon where we visited Cannon Beach twice each year.  Knowing the restaurants and the best place for coffee and Danish at 7:00AM when you come off a beach walk at dawn; knowing how the tides affect the beach and when is the best time to explore the tide pools: These things made for a relaxing mini-vacation every time we went to CB.

If you follow this blog you know we get out and see a lot of new places, but we also like the repeats. We hardly need a map in Venice after three trips there, but we always find new things to do there, like our Winter Break in Venice.

Ortisei river view

Colorful little Ortisei sits alongside a mountain stream.

In the spirit of embracing an area we’ve visited before but expanding our knowledge and enjoyment, we returned to the Val Gardena and the little town of Ortisei. (See last year’s trip to the Val Gardena here.)

Leaving the Alpe di Siusi after two nights, we transferred to Ortisei. Although the two are but a few kilometers apart as the crow flies, it took us about three hours to make our way because the biggest part of the journey is descending from the Alpe di Siusi to the valley, about 600 meters, just about 2000 feet.  There are no direct routes, especially without a car.  From our hotel at Saltria we took a bus to the lift, made our way via the gondola lift down from Compatsch to Siusi, then another bus to Ortisei with some waiting required. In fact, last year we took a different gondola up to the Alpe from Ortisei and hiked to Saltria faster than we were able to go down via this year’s three-part public transportation journey necessitated by luggage.

A walking path runs between the 3 villages of the Val Gardena.

A walking path runs between the 3 villages of the Val Gardena.

This time we knew where to get off the bus so we could enjoy the beautiful ride from Siusi to Ortisei. This time we knew exactly where to find our hotel, Hotel Garni Walter, up a steep street just across the river. No orientation, no navigation required. We were warmly greeted by Sylvia and Georg who remembered us from last year. The familiarity with little Ortisei meant we could get to new adventures quickly: Three days of hiking high above the Val Gardena. There is something for every ability level here: easy walks on wide paths, moderately challenging gains (and losses) in altitude, bike trails around jagged peaks, as well as technically challenging routes that require endurance and some mountaineering skills. They are accessed by various lifts such as a funicular to Raciesa, a two-part gondola to Seceda, and various other lifts up-and-down the valley.

We were thrilled to find ourselves virtually alone at Raciesa  one morning at 8:45, having caught the first funicular up

Ric, high above the Val Gardena. In the distance, across the valley, is the Alpe di Diusi, the meadow we hiked earlier in the week.

Ric, high above the Val Gardena. In the distance, across the valley, is the Alpe di Siusi, the meadow we hiked earlier in the week.

the mountain. After a quick shot of espresso taken with a fabulous view, we set off toward Rifugio Raciesa and a loop hike, on a wide and well-groomed path. (For the record and those who want to go: trails 35 & 10.) After the rifugio the trail changed to a rocky climb, and looking back we started to see more people on the initial approach to the rifugio. We clamored up to Santa Croce and were rewarded with numbingly beautiful views, not too many people. But as we started back down, trail 35 started to look like an expressway at rush hour. In pairs and groups, people were thronging to Rifugio Reciesa. Descending through high-alpine meadow, we congratulated ourselves on starting early, but fought our way back along the trail against the incoming swarm on the easy part of the trail. People with trekking equipment were outnumbered by grandparents and moms pushing strollers. The hordes are easily escaped by taking a challenging route and there was a fine lunch to be had at a rifugio, served German-style with a nice cold Radler, a beer and lemonade concoction we have come to enjoy.

By late morning, there was quite a crowd at this refugio. Past this point the trail got steeper and fewer marched on.

By late morning, there was quite a crowd at this refugio. Past this point the trail got steeper and fewer marched on.

Another day we went to Seceda, one of the highest cableway terminations at 2518 meters (just under 8300 feet). A magnificent cloud free and chilly morning quickly warmed as the sun rose. This hike was challenging in that we encountered narrow trails, inset with concrete forms, meant to not only define the trail but to protect the meadow. A misstep would mean rolling down a steep meadow for 600-1000 feet. Other trails were rocky and slippery: not the super-highway of the prior day. (And no baby strollers!) Still the beauty was awe-inspiring as we made our way to Rifugio Firenze (trail 1) and on to the lift at Col Raiser (trail 4). Again herds of cows, tiny mountain barns, a distant church, and rifugi dotted the landscape backed by majestic rock formations and mountain peaks. Luckily we choose this direction as it was mostly downhill. Folks hiking toward us, having ascended at Col Raiser, were quite out-of-breath from the almost constant uphill trudge of 2 ½ hours. Lunch at Rifugio Odles (milk fresh daily from their own cows!) was restorative, including another lovely Radler.

Mountain rifugio in the Dolomites

Site of another mountain lunch: tagliatelle with fresh mushrooms and a grilled vegetable platter. Try to find that on the trail in Oregon.

Our final day we succumbed to the lure of the Alpe di Siusi again, taking a lift that is practically in the back yard of our hotel. We’ve had quite a work out for four days, so opted for a less-demanding route with slightly less elevation. As we encountered cows, horses, and a number of people making hay in the morning sun, Ric commented that we were, in actuality, hiking in farmland. However this “farmland” sits about a mile high, and is ringed with mountains, a far cry from the fields of North Dakota.

I started out talking about going back to familiar places, that although familiar you can find new adventures. Clearly we enjoyed our return to the Alpe di Siusi and the Val Gardena, and we know we will be back again.  When you hike in most places – at least those we have hiked and we are especially familiar with the Pacific Northwest and to some degree Hawaii – you start at one place and end at another, seeing only the path in front of you and the vistas as you pass them. Here we encountered a different phenomenon. Because of the broad vistas across the meadows, often we could see where we had been hours ago, or even days ago. At Col Raiser we could see back to

Ric said we were hiking in "farm country."

Ric said we were hiking in “farm country.”

where we had started 3 hours prior. From our hike through “farm country” we could see a rifugio far across the Alpe that we’d visited 4 days ago. This ability to see the landscape was almost as though we were looking at a map. And yet what seemed so vast was really a speck on the map of this great region, the Trento-Alto Adige, in this beautiful Italy.

Laying right across the path, ambivalent to the parade of hikers passing by.

Laying right across the path, ambivalent to the parade of hikers passing by.

View of the Dolomites

From a tiny rifugio with goats and bunnies, we had a fine view down the meadow.

As we hiked down the meadow, we saw this group hiking out above us. Glad we were going another direction!

As we hiked down the meadow, we saw this group hiking out above us. Glad we were going another direction!

Luckily we walked down the mountain. Our ultimate destination is in sight at the end of the green area, a hotel on top of a cliff, but far below where we started the hike. We could see the starting point from the end, after 2+ hours of hiking.

Luckily we walked down the mountain. Our ultimate destination is in sight at the end of the green area, a hotel on top of a cliff, but far below where we started the hike. We could see the starting point from the end, after 2+ hours of hiking.

Across the delicate meadow "they" laid these concrete forms as a path, protecting the meadow from trampling and preserving the path. In some places the drop off below this "trail" was quite steep. One misstep and you'd roll for hundreds of feet.

Across the delicate meadow “they” laid these concrete forms as a path, protecting the meadow from trampling and preserving the path. In some places the drop off below this “trail” was quite steep. One misstep and you’d roll for hundreds of feet.

View from Seceda, about 8500 feet high.

View from Seceda, about 8300 feet high.

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