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Published: July 12th 2012
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TRAVEL BLOG
Cortina d’Ampezzo
5th July to 12th July 2012.
Thursday 5
th July 2012
Time to check out and head to Cortina. When Gaye goes to check out and pay, the Manager gives her a bottle of Merlot. So Tom goes up to say goodbye and thank you. The Manager’s wife turns up and he tells her that we stayed for 12 nights – very much not the norm here, as it is a major stopping site for Germans and other northerners on their way to and from Italy.
The scenery is fantastic driving from Dobbiaco to Cortina. And WOW when we arrive at Cortina.
Friday 6
th July 2012.
Into town with the idea of going to a town 30kms away for a look, dinner and the blues music – but NO as there are no buses back. The taxi would cost about €100 for the night – so that’s a no go.
Pizza from across the road for dinner and fruit and yoghurt for sweets – oh and red wine - what a life – but someone has to do it.
<strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal;">Saturday 7
th July 2012.
Up at 6am as a long day is planned.
We walk into town along the track – two parts are so steep that Gaye hangs onto the back of Tom’s backpack and he hauls her along up the hills.
On the 8.30am bus for Passo di Falzarego, which is where the cable car goes from 2105m to 2762m ASL in one run to the top ‘Lagazuoi’.
The bus trip up was on a narrow windy road and it is incredible that there are no accidents as motor bikes come towards us around tight corners, and some of the car drivers are mad. Our bus stops to let oncoming bus pass us – and the bike riders or car drivers take over us.!!
We arrived at the stop and there are bicycle riders and motor bikes everywhere. Tom gets clammy hands when he sees where we are going in the cable car.
Well, up we go to look around. At the top was a WW1 memorial as there was heavy fighting here between the Austrians and the Italians. There are tunnels we can go into to look at where they
hid and fired from during the war.
It is impossible to imagine what they went through up here, especially in winter with 5 metres of snow and -20º temperature.
So back down we go and we have seen the most fantastic scenery. Bus back to Cortina.
We have dinner and then back into town on scooter for a 9pm concert. The first group was the local men’s harmony choir – they were OK sort of. The second group were from Verona and where called ‘Carole Chorus Verona’. There were 50 singers, plus 1 on guitar, 1 on electric piano and 1 on drums. They were so good and full of life – on par with the Lucca concert. At the end of the concert, we chat with the Director of the choir and with the lady from the choir, who was the stage announcer and also a singer, and we buy some CD’s.
So home we go on scooter at 11.30pm.
Sunday 8
th July 2012.
Up again at 6am and on scooter to another cable car – ‘The Cielo’, just on the outskirts of town.
It is the annual celebrations today
called ‘Tofana Day’ and at 9am, the cable car opens and then at 11am they hold Mass and there is a local band – all being held at the very top.
So we go up in three stages of 700 metres each, to a total height of 3100 metres – ‘Tofana’ and into the clouds. We have to step over a low ‘NO GO’ sign and rope barrier along with everyone else as we walk along the ridge of the mountain.
Climbing further to the top – well the scenery is indescribable.
We go back to the refuge and listen to music and the Mass.
Then the band, who are dressed in traditional costume go to the peak where we just were and play the music. We could hear them but not see them as the clouds had come in. This is the greatest scenery we have ever seen.
We have champagne and lunch while we are there – had to help celebrate the festival.
We go back down in the cable car to the 2
nd level and have a look around. There are ski runs there but not much else.
We
then go back down in the cable car to the 1
st level. There are lots of people and there is a bike park – some serious MTB to be had.
Then down to the bottom and home on scooter and its 2pm. We have a power nap as tonight there is another show on – a Soul & Blues band in town.
Into town to a little bar called ‘Open Space’. The jazz band was good especially the guy on the sax/trumpet.
Some very interesting people were there!!! Home at midnight.
Monday 9
th July 2012.
In the afternoon we went for a walk about 1km, then up a steep road for another 3km. That’s it for Gaye while Tom keeps going a bit further and then we go home. Bloody hell – it’s the steepest country.
Tuesday 10
th July 2012.
A massive storm and lots of thunder last night.
Up and on the 1
st of 3 buses at 8.30am to go to San Nicolo for most of the day.
We arrive back at Cortina bus stop about 4.30pm and head out on scooter to bicycle shop –
what a find. Their son spent 3 months in 2006 at Port Macquarie working as a tyre changer there – small world.
When we got home, the tarp was wet which meant there had to have been heavy rain while we were away.
Wednesday 11
th July 2012.
Another stormy night last night.
About 3pm we walk into town to find out about the buses for tomorrow and walk home on a different route. We walked past the museum and they had a display of trains and the railway from before WW1 and some historic photos of the town. Very interesting. In the winter of 1951, they had 4-5 metres of snow – railway carriages were buried in snow.
In 1956 the winter Olympics were held here in Cortina – so there is a link with Melbourne, as it held the summer 1956 Olympics.
At the end of the day Gaye has the next 4 weeks planned for our final leg of our journey and the first 3 weeks at home planned, boy I’m lucky as I would not know what to do.
Thursday 12
th July 2012.
On the
8.30am bus to Lake Misurina. Another scenic bus ride through the Passo Tre Croci (1809 metres). We go up on the chair lift to the refuge of Col de Varda (2106 metres). Coffee and cake time, then down again. We have a leisurely walk around the lake with quite a few other people.
To do most of the walks around this area, you need to be very fit.
Back to Cortina and then home for a late lunch.
Start to pack up as we are off early to Lucerne, Switzerland to have a few days with Martin, who was a classmate when Gaye did classes in Bologna.
Into town for a typical dinner. The restaurant was recommended by one of the campsite workers, who is a chef during the winter season.
Great food, great wine. We chat to the Japanese man at the table next to us, who is walking/trekking for 3 months.
Good bye to Italy for this year. :-(
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