Italy

Italian Riviera Sampling

Looking at Riomaggiore from the marina HIghlights Time of Visit:  September – October 2023 Duration of Visit: Nine Days  Cinque Terre Description Cinque Terre is one of the well known destinations in Italy.  “Cinque” translates to five and “terre” translates to lands.  In reality, these are five villages or communities that are located within the …

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Tuscany Sampling

The city of Florence viewed from Michelangelo Plaza. The large structure in the middle is the Duomo. Highlights Time of Visit:  September 2023 Duration of Visit:  Nine nights Florence Florence is the capital of Tuscany.  Surprisingly, the sites to see are all within walking distance.  The place to start is at the tourist office not …

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Monte Specie

The alpine meadow at Prato Piazza Monte Specie is one of those underrated hikes that seldom appear in any Google searches for epic hikes in the Dolomiti.  That is unfortunate and fortunate at the same time.  It is unfortunate because it provides jaw dropping views and is not too difficult to get to. It is …

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Epic Dolomiti hikes

Morning fog at the start of the Tre Cime hike Spectacular would be the one word to describe the Dolomiti.  The Dolomiti (Dolomites in English) is a beautiful region that occupies a good chunk of northern Italy.  Collectively, it refers to several mountain ranges and valleys that span over the provinces of Belluno, Bolzano (South …

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CatinAccio Mountains

Catinaccio is a mountain near Carezza, Trentino, Italy.  It does not come up on Google search for scenic hikes. It is both a shame and a blessing as the hike offers sweeping vistas of the mountain ranges and valleys on one side and the towering mountain peaks on the other side.  This blog talks about …

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Getting Around Venice

This short blog is about how to get around Venice using public transportation, especially from the airport.  Here we describe how to purchase a public transportation ticket and how it works.  The information in this blog is based on our August 2023 trip. No Rideshares in Venice We were surprised to find out when we …

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Rifugio Lagazuoi

Rifugio Lagazuoi is a mountain hut located above Passo Falzarego.  Paso Falzarego is about a 30 minute drive from Colfosco and slightly less time from Cortina d’Ampezzo.  The rifugio is not the destination, rather it is the starting point to walk over to Monte Lagazuoi Piccolo.  The mountain top provides 360 degree views of the …

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Lake Sorapis

Lake Sorapis is an alpine lake tucked in the mountains that bear the same name.  The lake can only be reached by foot with a significant elevation gain.  According to AllTrails, the hike to the lake and back is about 7.6 miles long with a total elevation gain of 1,916 feet.  Lake Sorapis is a …

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Tre Cime

If you Google “Dolomites”, chances are an image of Tre Cime di Lavaredo would pop up.  Tre Cime di Lavaredo or Tre Cime for short loosely translated means “three tops” or “three peaks”.  It is one of the more popular hiking destinations in the Dolomites. We visited and hiked around the Tre Cime area in …

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seceda

The Seceda is the highest vantage point in Val Gardena, in the autonomous province of Bolzano (South Tyrol), Northern Italy.  It provides a 360 degree view of mountains as well as the valley below.  On a clear day, you can even see Grossglockner, the highest mountain in Austria. Seceda is famous for images of sawtooth …

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