The Columbia hotel is beautifully fitted out, and the staff were the standout exception in all of Italy, courteous and helpful.
Thursday 16 Sept
With the Panda on tap, you have the ability to just pick a place and go. That's what we did.
The road takes us further past the Passo Falzarego, where I toasted the snow, but we've had good weather and it's nearly all gone now.
San Cassiano and Corvara in Badia are serious ski towns, nestled in the valleys of the Dolomiti. The Austrian influence is still everywhere, the buildings and hotels look the same, new buildings are in keeping with the old style, everything around is green.
The numerous ski slopes are now grassy swathes cut through the trees down the mountain sides, while the lifts stretch up the middle of them like black paint flicked up from a brush. As you drive by the chairs seem to be toys or animated cartoons moving up the slopes. The lifts run even though there is no snow, probably for sightseers.
We stop for a gekko. Cow bells donk incessantly. Sheryl commented it must drive them mad. Maybe that's the reason!
The road back through Arabba is amazing, you crest the hill and its a lock-left, lock-right, choose second gear and ride the brakes all the way down. I am concentrating really hard here, because all this time I've been driving, I keep reminding myself that I should be on the right hand side, it's OK, keep going. It's not a battle, just always in your thoughts.
More Austrian style, everywhere.
After the loop back is almost complete, we decide a bit more last minute exploring is in order. On the path back to Cortina, after negotiating the downhill armco-ed switchback curves with the Panda squeezed between a tourist bus or two we jump off the 'highway' onto a service road.
Until we had climbed it, some of the single lane path in first gear, we hadn't realised it's there to service some of the rifugi perched on the cliff tops. Once we got the gist we pulled up before the road got too rough and wandered around.
Walk tracks criss-cross the service road, on the way up. These hikers are completely crazy, up and down these mountains, out and exposed for weeks at a time.
La Toilette gets a last mention here, because it's something we noticed again and again while walking around. The sides (about 3 metres off -into a sort of clearing- usually) of the hiking / walk tracks here are 'festooned' with bits of white paper bunting, some of them alone, some concealing brown grizzly bears. Watch your step, hikers and others.
Apart from "something should be done about La Toilette..." - that's enough said.
Friday 17th
We are leaving here tomorrow, and it's sad because it's been a real discovery of this part of Italy, and its a stark contrast from the south, and may I say, more amenable to a pleasant holiday.
No car today after 10, we cant return it tomorrow for logistics, (Train / Bus reasons) so we are back to shank's pony for getting around. We have had a hotel day, late breakfast after a sleep-in, do the banking/ packing/emails etc.
The clouds have settled over the mountains, they've been pushed though a sort of a grey blanket from underneath, and we can only see to the treeline. That's how it was all day today.
Saturday 18th
No breakfast, it's too early, pay the bill, out the door.
It's raining and cold.
Taxi's here. 10 E for a trip to the station, OUCH!!!
Bus driver waits till the last two minutes to turn up and start the bus, and we jam the luggage in and we scramble on. We are on our way to Innsbruck! Addio.
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