Visiting the Dolomites in Italy

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I have been to Italy probably more than ten times now (due to Sara my girlfriend) but this country never stops to amaze me. This time it was the Dolomites, which I had heard a lot from before and always wanted to go. After spending New Year's eve (2011) in Genoa, we went back to Milano and jumped on a bus to Trentino Alto Adige region (actually the Val di Fiemme where we went is in Trentino).

We stayed in Varena, a small pictureque village above the town of the valley, Cavalese. The Hotel alla Rocca was very nice. On the first day the snow was not that much around the village but during the first night it snowed and the landscape changed completely. The whole valley is breathtaking, with the mountains coming over you.

We stayed 4 nights there and I loved it. The hotel was very organised and it was arranging free tours during the day, trekking in the mountains. So for 2 consecutive days we went walking to Passo San Pellegrino and Passo Pampeago, with ciaspole (snow shoes) provided from the hotel. For me the experience of walking in the snow in that landscape was like being an explorer in Antarctica or something. And the food always in these malghe (restaurants) up the mountains...well just thinking about it makes me drool again! On another day we went walking to Passo Lavaze, where many do cross country skiing.

The other thing I loved about Val di Fieme is the tradition they have about presepe, representations of nativity scenes. We went to this village, Tesero (again on a free evening trip with the hotel) which has a tradition in making presepe. I mean the whole village had about 80 presepe and you would just walk around and see them in people's houses windows. Anyone could use whatever to make them - wax, cookies, limestone, wood - you just let your imagination go wild.

Well, Val di Fieme and Dolomites, I am sure I will be coming back!

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