Blogs from Urtijei, Val Gardena, Trentino Alto Adige, Italy, Europe

Europe » Italy » Trentino Alto Adige » Val Gardena » Urtijei September 10th 2015

Another case of Murphy's Law. We got a bus to St Cristina but got off too early and had to walk some way to the stop where we should have been. While there, there was a gratis bus to the Col Raiser gondola as well as a Summer Bus going up the valley. We, in our wisdom figured we would walk up to the station and just as we got there both buses arrived. Of course! The gondola cost us E25 one way since we were now out of our 3 day Pass. It was a much longer cable way that we had anticipated and we were soon up to 2100m and right into the head of a mountain basin with amazing scenery all around. We had all day to do this hike so we took ... read more

Ortesei - Resciesa - Seceda

Europe » Italy » Trentino Alto Adige » Val Gardena » Urtijei September 8th 2015

The rather awful depiction of Christs crucifixion carved in wood

wanderweg

We have a consecutive 3 day pass on the seilbahns (cable ways) and figure we had better make use of it over the 3 days. This morning we got the funicular from Ortisei to Resciesa which is almost directly behind the apartment. At 10am it is very popular and is running pretty most continuously to keep up with the numbers of people ascending. We took the loop track to the west which circles a broad sloping grass and alpine plant area going up to 2300m. On the western end of the ridge is a tiny chapel followed by a climb up to a large wooden cross of Christ's crucifixion. The region is know for it's wood carving and this is a huge realistic carving of Christ hanging on the cross in a most sobering fashion. Not ... read more

Relaxing on loungers near Seceda cable station

Alpe di Siusi, Ortisei, Val Gardena

Europe » Italy » Trentino Alto Adige » Val Gardena » Urtijei September 7th 2015

Walking in the Alpe di Siusi

wanderweg

Our goal today was to walk in the Alpe di Siusi above Ortisei. We walked down to the village and went by the gondola (holds 15 people a car) straight up the steep mountain face from 1236m to 2005m. From the valley you would have no idea what a beautiful panorama awaits when you step out of the gondola. The Alpe di Siusi is the largest cultivated plateau in Central Europe and is 50 square kilometres in size. It fills a slightly dipping plateau with a drop off to the valley on one side and soaring jagged mountains on the other sides. It is green, farmed and has many walking tracks in all directions. I have never seen so many walkers in one place at one time but they were spread out so it didn't feel ... read more

The landscape on the plateau further to the west

Ortisei, Val Gardena

Europe » Italy » Trentino Alto Adige » Val Gardena » Urtijei September 6th 2015

Beautiful flowers line the bridge over the river in Ortisei

wanderweg

Today was an orientation day. We are in a new area and have no idea what is where. We had a good read of the brochures then headed off downhill to check out the town. It is a very attractive town with neat streets and buildings. The shopping area is like so many tourist areas - full of sports gear, cafes and souvenirs. Food shops seem to focus on strudel, cheese, salami and prosciutto. We picked up a typical TTAT's lunch (bagel, banana, turkey slices and apple) and headed off on the walk up the valley to St Cristina. The majority of the walk was on an old railway that had been built during 1915 to transport supplies to the Austrian troops. Further up the valley it opens up to a broad panorama of high, vertical ... read more

The walkway to St Cristina on an old railway

A photo of the railway construction during the winter of 1915

Travelling from Annone Veneto to Ortisei in the Val Gardena

Europe » Italy » Trentino Alto Adige » Val Gardena » Urtijei September 5th 2015

View over the town of Ortesei from the apartment

wanderweg

We were up early this morning to get Daphne onto a train to Geneva at 7.30 which meant leaving Annone Veneto at 7.00am. We have enjoyed having Daphne as company and hope to meet with her again sometime in the future. It was also farewell to our Italian cousins for who knows how long. As always, we have been superbly cared for over the past week and will remember the pleasure of attending the wedding, getting ourselves around the Veneto region and having to communicate in gibberish Italian, for better or worse. We got there and fully appreciate the hospitality shown to us. Our destination in the morning was to Cortina d'Ampezzo where we were to meet Graham and Claudia for a catchup. The area had had thunderstorms so their trip to Tre Cima was put ... read more

The peak of Sassolungo from the apartment

Brief history of Italy

Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI establis...more history

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