The Dolomites

In mid-May Steve’s Parents arrived for a two week visit. We allowed them one night of jet-lagged sleep and then took them up north a few hours into the heart of the Dolomite mountains, the Italian alps, which begin just a few yards behind our house in Grizzo. The Dolomites are a unique and beautiful mountain range. The mountains look so different than other mountains in the alps and anywhere else in the world because they are made from a unique sedimentary rock, similar to Limestone, called Dolomite. The mountains are mostly sheer cliffs that appear white, gray, and pink and rise up from lush green meadows. We stayed up near the Alpe Di Siusi, near Castelrotto, in Siusi. It was a charming little village situated on the side of the mountain going up to the Alpe Di Suisi, Europe’s largest alpine meadow. We spent half a day hiking (or trekking as Europeans say) through the meadow. We had a beautiful day with sunny blue skies and puffy white clouds. The meadow was just starting to green up after a long winter and the wildflowers were just beginning to peek out. We took an easy hike up to a hotel, which was closed since we were visiting during their off season, the time just between ski season and summertime. When we got there, the kids enjoyed their hiking reward, some time playing at the hotel’s park. 

So, I need to explain this last picture. When Steve and I were dating, we spent a few nights camping in Yosemite. We had hiked up to the base of Yosemite falls. We were sitting on the rocks, enjoying the view when a European man asked us to take his picture with the falls in the background. So, Steve takes the camera and the man turns away from us, standing with his profile to the camera, with one hand on his hip and the other pointing at the falls. Steve goes, “Um, ready?” and the man replies yes so he snapped the picture. He never looked at the camera and smiled, just stood there in profile, pointing. We waited until he was a safe distance away before bursting into hysterical laugher. But every now and then, even 13.5 years later, we recreate the photo. I have no idea where in Europe he was from but after spending some time living over here, my guess is Holland. The Dutch are by far the oddest group of Europeans.