Where We Be
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| Val di Funes -- Dolomites, Italy |
We shared our two-week trip to the Dolomites
with our good friends Alan & Troy, who we met
up with at Venice Airport. They had just spent a
few days in Venice while we were finishing up
our time in Chamonix and Verona. We all piled
into our rental car and headed north to our first
destination -- Val di Funes in the Dolomites.
Why Val di Funes? Because, to be honest, I'd
done a 2,000-piece jigsaw puzzle of the Val di
Funes and its gorgeous church some ten years
ago and had never forgotten how beautiful it
looked. As it turned out, Val di Funes has stayed
beautiful, and we thoroughly enjoyed our five
days of hiking and exploring in the area.
Our "master plan" was to spend five days at an
Airbnb in the mountains above Val di Funes,
five days at an Airbnb in the nearby town of
Ortisei in Val Gardena, and three days at a hotel
in San Martino di Castrozza in the southern part
of the Dolomites. All lodgings were booked in
advance, so all we had to do was show up and
start enjoying the mountain scenery all around
us. Come share in our adventure as we get out
into nature, do some hiking and sightseeing,
and see what the Dolomites have to offer.
with our good friends Alan & Troy, who we met
up with at Venice Airport. They had just spent a
few days in Venice while we were finishing up
our time in Chamonix and Verona. We all piled
into our rental car and headed north to our first
destination -- Val di Funes in the Dolomites.
Why Val di Funes? Because, to be honest, I'd
done a 2,000-piece jigsaw puzzle of the Val di
Funes and its gorgeous church some ten years
ago and had never forgotten how beautiful it
looked. As it turned out, Val di Funes has stayed
beautiful, and we thoroughly enjoyed our five
days of hiking and exploring in the area.
Our "master plan" was to spend five days at an
Airbnb in the mountains above Val di Funes,
five days at an Airbnb in the nearby town of
Ortisei in Val Gardena, and three days at a hotel
in San Martino di Castrozza in the southern part
of the Dolomites. All lodgings were booked in
advance, so all we had to do was show up and
start enjoying the mountain scenery all around
us. Come share in our adventure as we get out
into nature, do some hiking and sightseeing,
and see what the Dolomites have to offer.
| The first and only trip we've ever planned based on a jigsaw puzzle! |
| This is "Mascheshof Funes" at Flitzweg 8 -- our home base up in the mountains |
| We had a blast hanging out each afternoon on the "plateau lawn" with expansive views |
| It was very quiet and peaceful up here, with swooping swallows for company and chimes that would ring softly whenever the wind blew |
| It was a true mountain getaway -- but only a 7-minute drive from town |
| "The Four Amigos" outside the chapel |
| This tiny chapel is located in a gorgeous setting |
| Back in San Pietro, we enjoyed stunning views closer to home |
| The "alpine chalet" style of architecture made us think of Austria or Switzerland -- which makes sense since this region once belonged to Austria, and the Austrian / Tyrolean influence is still strong today |
| We even had newborn birds up in the rafters to keep us company |
| Then it was home to our "home away from home" -- our Airbnb in the mountains above San Pietro |
| We stayed in an Airbnb above San Pietro. Here's a view of the village as we drove down the winding road to get there. |
| But at the end of every hike, a delicous meal awaited us -- like these pizzas at Viel Nois restaurant, one of the few restaurants in San Pietro |
| We finished up with decadent desserts -- true works of art! |
| Afterwards, we enjoyed a fine meal at the Salty Dog Fish Restaurant in Santa Magdalena |
| This was a lovely hike, full of delightful scenery |
| On a different day, we got up close and personal with the Chiesa di Santa Magdalena |
| We retraced our steps, grateful for such a fine day of hiking |
| My closest approximation to the jigsaw puzzle image of the church in Santa Magdalena |
| Sharing the trip with Alan & Troy added a whole new dimension to the experience |
| Wayside shrine outside the church |
| We also paid a visit to Santa Magdalena's other popular tourist sight -- the Chiesetta di San Giovanni (Chapel of St. John) |
| Our hike to get to this view began in the village of San Pietro, which sits in the same valley (Val di Funes) |
| Along the way, we passed flower-filled homes and alpine farms. Farmers were busy cutting and gathering hay in high alpine pastures all across the valley. |
| The "Sunnseitenweg" hike is a 5-mile loop hike that begins in San Pietro and ends in Santa Magdalena where the more famous church is located |
| The church is dubbed "The Cathedral in the Valley" for its size relative to other churches in the area |
| Troy strikes a contemplative pose |
| Picturesque piile of wood stacked nearby |
| Not everything went as planned. A supposedly easy 7-minute walk from our Airbnb to a local waterfall turned out to be quite the trek. |
