Dolomites

The winding roads into the Dolomites led us past chalets with colorful flower boxes and rolling green hills punctured by jagged peaks. I vacillated between navigating for my husband and taking photos, but we were able to safely arrive at our refuge the Rifugio Frara at Passo Gardena.  

Read more on the Dolomites from Rick Steves

The Dolomites graciously welcomed us with a vibrant double rainbow appearing in the view from our room! 

Are you looking for the pot of gold?  Wrong country, but the Dolomites are a priceless treasure of the alps. Passo Gardena has a 360 degree view of formidable formations made of dolomite limestone, hence the name.  This UNESCO World Heritage Centre is known for it's skiing during the winter and hiking in the summer.

Our hotel restaurant had it all with a spectacular view! We had multiple meals there.  Below are photos from our day of hiking. All these adventures were just outside our door with options to take gondolas or even mountain bike. The trails are designated for hiking or mountain biking so you don't have to worry about being hit by a bike, or if you are biking, you don't have to slow down for hikers.  It's a win-win!

As is typical of the alps, we found ourselves at a lovely restaurant with more amazing views and enjoyed some lemon spritzes.  This is something that we should adopt in the states.  Hiking that leads to restaurants!

We took a break for lunch and then headed up the trail behind our hotel.  This trail led us to a lookout where every direction was worth a photo, so I made a video!

What an extraordinary experience to spend the day among these dramatic scenes.  As the day closed, we witnessed "Enrosadira" a phenomenon where the mountains turn a reddish pink hue at sunrise or sunset. It was magical.

Our last morning, I woke up in time to catch the sun peeking over the mountains. What a lovely farewell from the Dolomites. Arrivederci, bella Dolomiti!