At least the cheese didn't taste like Dinki

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Geo: 46.2415, 11.1918

Best hostel breakfast ever! Prosciutto pate, cheese (not Dinki), muesli, yogurt, buns, some fennel flavoured multi-grain bread, nutella, and jam. Ate the fennel bread with jam - a mistake. Probably should've eaten it with the cheese and pate. Stole some pate and cheese for lunch. I am Chinese, damnit!!! Took a bus to Castelrotto .. lady tried to shortchange me of 10 euros. I almost forgot to check ... bastards!!! Of course, I steal food from hostel breakfasts, so who am I to judge?

Church in Castelrotto - Baroque interior, so it was a little different from what I've been seeing .... yay!!!! (sarcastically) Or is it neo-classical? Can't remember. Went to the TI to ask about the free bus shuttle to Alpe di Siusi. GIrl told me that it wasn't free. Later, another lady told me that it was free. Alright ... I forgive the first girl since she was cute. It doesn't take much for me, does it?

Took the cable car up to Alpe di Siusi (some alpine meadow). Lots of hikes to do at the top (town called Compatsch). Very chilly ... I needed pants and a long sleeve shirt. Should've worn shoes instead of sandals. It is quite beautiful there, but I can't say that it is more so than Alberta.

Did a short hike (more of a walk along a road with some grassy and gravelly sections in the middle). Calves were killing me ... almost cramping up. Horse shit everywhere (from the tourist carriages). I have never seen so much of it in my life before!

Back to Bolzano ... relaxed in the room. I must say that though it is clean and new, I prefer the hostels I stayed in at San Sebastian and Nice because of the people there. It's nice to chill with people you hit it off with.

Used the internet then had dinner - tried some local German/Italian cuisine. Started with canederli (giant dough ball) with speck ham in a broth. Could've doubled the size of the dish by adding another ball for 1 euro more but that would've been way too much dough. Like a Pilsbury dough boy orgy.

Main course - mixed salad with grilled tacchino (pork, maybe?). Carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage, and some unknown but familiar greens. With olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Very similar to the salad I had in Arles but the waitress was not cute, French, or Spanish speaking. D'oh! Still, it was a very good salad. Bread was mediocre.

I walked some more and had some hazelnut gelato. Not the best quality, but still excellent. They seem to like old school music here ... heard "The Look" by Roxette and lots of other "oldies".

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Photos

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A climbing wall on a church .... there has to be something sacrilegious about this.

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The beautiful scenery of the Alpe di Siusi.

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d

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Big ass rock. There's only one Rock that is bigger ....

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Do you smell what he's cooking? By knowing that phrase, I have just definitively proved that I am a red-neck loser. Though in actuality, my neck is more of a tanned yellow right now ...

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View from the hostel. All for only 19 euros/night!