Italy

Italy ’98

SFO -> EWR

EWR -> MXP

MXP -> VCE

VCE -> Cortina

Cortina d'Ampezzo

Hotel Royal

breakfast

stadia

around town

Carnival

Mangia!

Tavernetta

Faloria

Refugio d' Faloria

Freccia Nel Cielo

Lagazuoi

Monte Cristallo

Socrepes

Socrepes skiing

Venezia

We arrive at the summit of Monte Cristallo. It's a great day to be at altitude. We're happy to be here, ready to enjoy the brisk air and the hot sunlight.

The trail downwards is inviting. While we're waiting for the others to arrive - we got separated in the queueing system for getting our crowd onto the chair lift - we walk around the summit.

It's not too crowded; travelling off-season is the best thing about our vacations. It must be unpleasant here in the mobs.

We see two ladies employing an impromptu tanning parlor.

Heading towards the mountain house, the refugio, we pass a woman and her dog doing the same. Nobody seems to be in a rush here. It's not too many steps until we're on the outer deck, where the sunning and preening is going on at many tables. There's good music in the air; arias without end. There are even a few rare cell phones.

While everyone is queued up, ordering food, I take a stroll around the perimiter of the summit, snapping pictures as I go. I would up making three panoramae:

 

 

As I get hungry I head inside to see how the rest of the clan have fared. My food arrived, so I dig in, but only after taking a picture. Another satisfying meal; more energy for skiing.

As we get ready to leave for the day I remember to take a picture of the "ground floor" Ristorante Rio Gere, the dining spot at the bottom of the hill. In the afternoon it's quite the crowded party spot. Ski boots are off, hot food and cold alcohol are being consumed while the stories of the day's adventures get better and better.

My last image of the day was taken as we were trudging through the snow in our ski boots, our skis balanced precariously on our sholders. I came across this smoker, puffing away, a modern counterpoint to the natural beauty and balance I saw all around us.

1998/02/26.