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Published: November 9th 2008
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The morning following our trip to Venice was glorious - sunny, not a cloud in the sky and close to 70 degrees. Rudi (Rudi is Maria’s first cousin’s Italian husband) declared that it was a perfect day to head to the mountains. I thought I had time for a quick run before we left, but in my typical state of oblivion I failed to realize that the plan was to leave pronto so we could get lunch in the small ski village of Arraba Reba. Many businesses close in Italy from 12-3 and there was concern no restaurants would be open. Luckily my run was short and I only set us back about 30 minutes. Running in Pergine is a bit of challenge compared to Sweden. From our house there are multiple paved walking/biking paths in every direction, but in Italy the sidewalks are sparse, narrow, and end abruptly. Frustrated that morning, I had cut my run short and fortunately this prevented the rest of the clan from leaving me behind.
Rudi informed us it was about 1.5 hours to our destination and that we would have to hustle. This statement meant little to me until we got about 10
High on a Hill Was a Lonely Goat Herd
...well, in front of a "hill". And they're sheep. minutes from Pergine and realized that I had to try and keep up with an Italian driving in the equivalent of the Rocky Mountains. I was following Rudi who had Signe, Anna, Emma, and Elizabeth with him. I was chasing him with our rented 6-speed diesel Opel station wagon with Mary riding shotgun and Jorgen and Maria in the backseat. After the first couple sharp turns we knew Signe, who gets car sick, was in trouble. We didn’t have a cell phone to call Rudi so we waited for the inevitable. About 5 minutes later he pulled over and we were able to put Signe in the front seat of our car and give her some Dramamine. Rudi took off again and I have to admit the driving was exhilarating. I felt like James Bond (btw the upcoming James Bond movie was filmed at Lake Garda near Mary and Rudi’s place) downshifting and gunning the engine while making sharp, uphill hairpin turns. Maria was white-knuckling it sitting on the passenger side looking down the steep drop-offs and as she wasn’t feeling too well either, did not appreciate it when I called her the name of one of the famous "Bond
The Shepards...
...and their sheep. Girls"...for those of you who are fans, it's his sidekick from Goldfinger.
We eventually made it up to Arraba Reba after quick stops to watch some ski jumping and sheep grazing. The ski jumping was a great spot by Rudi (an avid skier). We had never seen jumping live-and-in-person and they were jumping on what appeared to be rollers or artificial turf. Jorgen was very fascinated with ski jumping and wanted to give it a try. Mary explained to us that Rudi completed his military obligation by serving as a ski patrol in the area. The sheep grazing was picturesque, but the best part was when we stopped and Signe innocently asked, ‘Is this where Rudi did his training?’. She apparently was under the impression that he trained as a shepard of sheep rather than lost skiers.
I thought the lunch at Arraba Reba was fabulous. Jorgen and I had a pizza, Emma had tortellini, Maria had dumpling soup and pasta with mushrooms, and Signe had pasta with meat sauce - all very Italian! Rudi had chosen this location because there is a cable car open during the summer that takes you to a high point to observe
the scenery, but unfortunately the cable car had closed the week prior to our visit. After snapping some pictures outside the restaurant we got to drive down the mountain for a little while, which was almost as much fun as driving up. We stopped for some more beautiful pictures and then for some ice cream in Corvara. Being an absent-minded professor, I forgot the camera at the ice cream shoppe and gave Maria a heart attack. Luckily, the waiter had picked it up and graciously handed it to her when we frantically returned half an hour later.
Our last stop was at passo Sella with a great view of the Marmolada glacier. The kids were more interested in the goats and chickens than the breathtaking views. We got some more great photos and then headed back to Pergine. We complimented Rudi on how beautiful is country is, but teased him that now we knew why Mary had come to Italy. It was a great day seeing the beauty that lies practically in their backyard.
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Melissa Niles
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I FOUND YOU GUYS!!
Remember me? I'm Melissa Niles from back in St.Paul. Emma, Kate, Cece, and I. I finally found you!