The Hills Are Alive...

I woke up a couple of times last night to heavy rain.  The forecast was thunderstorms and 100% chance of rain.  I wasn't going to complain...we have been so fortunate, with only a shower here or there, and nothing that has interfered with our riding or hiking.  So...when I woke up this morning and looked out the window, I had to rub my eyes and take a second look.  There was blue sky, and plenty of it.  We came down to breakfast and greeted our host, pointing outside to the sunshine.  He smiled.  "At Cant del Gal, anything is possible," he said.  We sat down to another excellent breakfast of küchen, tarts, croissants, fruit, yogurt, granola, ham, and morning cappuccinos.

We were elated about the weather and started driving towards Passa Rolle.  I think I have already mentioned this, but it does not matter how many pictures Patty or I take.  Nor does it matter if the pictures are taken in good light, with great composition and perspective.  Unless you are here, you cannot begin to comprehend the beauty of this place.  It is overwhelming. We stopped at San Martino to take some pictures and Shirleen asked an elderly couple if they would like her to take their picture.  "I do not need a picture," he said, "I have the mountains in my heart". So...I am posting these pictures, dear reader, and hoping that wherever it is that you dream of going...you find yourself in the midst of its beauty.

We finally saw some dairy cows.  We have wondered where they are, but it seems the farmers bring them to the mountains where there are structures called malgas to house them during the summer.  Oftentimes, because the milk cannot be transported down the mountain daily, it is used to make cheese and stored at the malga.  We stopped at Malga Rolle for lunch and Pete and Shirleen treated us to something Italians delight in...a picnic lunch.  They bought some smoked ricotta and a local cheese called Dolomiti and we sat at a picnic table with bread, cheese, tomatoes, wine and beer and had a delightful lunch.  At one point a couple from Lombardy came over with their dog Azia, a husky-shepherd mix, and we chatted about where we were from, dogs, and bicycling.  

I have a confession to make.  Pete took some pictures of Patty and me on the bikes at the top of Passa Rolle.  They were great pictures, but just to be clear, we did not ride up the pass...it was a total photo op.  We did see plenty of cyclists, and it cemented something in my mind.  In a day or so we will be in Brixen and if the weather cooperates at all, we will ride to the top of Brenner Pass to the Austrian border, before pedaling down on the Alto Adige.

We stopped at several other towns along the Pale San Martino and ended the day at the Rifugio Passo Fedaia Marmolada.  Keep in mind that we have had a full day of sunshine with temperatures on the pass so mild that we were comfortable in short sleeves.  The Dolomiti with a background of blue sky is about as beautiful a scene as one can imagine.  We decided to have afternoon drinks and then head out on a short hike before dinner, when we heard the rumble of thunder. We scrambled to get a hike in, but rain was falling, and by the time we sat down to dinner around 7, it was pouring along with lightning and thunder.  And I say...with all humility...perhaps here, on the Passa Fedaia, anything is possible.