Two posts about the Dolomites and now four posts about Austria… will the posts about this road trip ever end?! I promise, I’ll wrap it up here… I think I’m spending as much time writing as I did enjoying the trip!
An unfortunate haze covers a beautiful city
You may have gathered (HERE) that we instantly fell in love with Salzburg and extended our trip by an extra day/night to see more. We started day one with a visit to a castle, Hohenwerfen Fortress and so I thought starting our second day with a visit to it’s sister castle, Festung Hohensalzburg would be appropriate.
Castle tower
Inside the main gates
From the main courtyard
Festung Hohensalzburg (literally, High Salzburg Fortress) sits atop the Festungberg Mountain, commanding a view of all Salzburg – a useful feature during the middle ages. Today, the opposite is even better – a view of the beautiful castle is ever-present as you walk through the city below. I described a history of it’s sister castle (HERE) – the purpose for this castle was the same. The original fortification began in 1077 under Archbishop Gebhard von Helfenstein as one of three fortifications during the Investiture Controversy. Today, it remains as one of the largest medieval castles in all of Europe.
The day was hazy, which was unfortunate given our high position over the city. I was hoping to capture some amazing panoramas of the city – but the haze wanted to get in my way. Still, the castle tour was amazing. We started with a ride up the funicular and then wound our way through the various museums built into the original fortress.
A ride up the funicular
Beautiful views blocked by fog
Wouldn’t want to pick a fight with this crew
I like my lady wearing a bit more “contemporary” undergarments
Don’t be a jackass in the 15th century – or else you’d be sporting this
Guys – just go ahead and shiver. Yeah, this punishment is for THAT
The chapel
Julia found her knight in shining armor
Leaving the main castle
“My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard…no, really. Where’s my milkshake?”
Castle tower
View from below
Next up, a classic Sound of Music attraction – Schloss Leopoldskron. The movie was filmed in Salzburg in 1965 and Schloss Leopoldskron, an amazing estate just outside the city – served as the backdrop for some of the most infamous scenes. Surprisingly, the city’s fascination with the movie consumed me and I did an ample amount of research about the film. It turns out, many tour operators pass off the estate as the Von Trapp Family home featured in the movie. Couple points of order (during which, we’ll take a brief detour). The movie, The Sound of Music staring Julie Andrews (America’s earlier version of Julia Roberts) was based on the 1959 musical, The Von Trapp Family Singers. The musical was based on the real life Von Trapp family, a family that lived in Austria in the early 1900’s. OK – this brings us back to Schloss Leopoldskron, which is often falsely presented as the Von Trapp home. The real family did not live there (they lived in a more modest estate in another neighborhood). This was not their home in the movie (there’s only one brief front exterior scene of the Von Trapp home, and that was yet another estate). They did not film inside (the interior shots were done in Hollywood). So, why on earth would anyone come here? Well, it’s easy for tours to pass off as the home because it’s a wonderful sight to behold and who really remembers anyway?! The tie to the movie you ask… remember when the kids paddle home in the canoe to meet The Captain’s girlfriend (and fall in the lake, getting soaked in the process)? Well, that scene was filmed here (and the subsequent scene with the pink lemonade). In any event, it made for a nice walk along the side of the castle and down into another town. Plus, we still had a lot of sausage and pretzels to work off!
We followed a beautiful road that wrapped us around the castle
Julia kept wanting to “pet” the ducks – Villa in the back
Schloss Leopoldskron – castle in the background
A stroll with one of my favorite ladies
As we walked back, we navigated through town and then walked along the river. Our new mission – successfully make it to Augustinerkloster und Brau – a beer house and oh, so much more! But we passed an outdoor food market… the best kind of market. I had to stop and get a German sandwich.
Rooftop view along the route back to the city
Soft pretzels – I happen to be a sucker
I love me some vendor food – this place made a mean sandwich
Eventually, we made it to Augustinerbier. The monastery, now turned beer hall is furnished with a large dining area (picture your mall’s food court, but exclusively German food… and no samples on toothpicks), several great halls for drinking, a beer garden and more. The brewery was founded in 1621 by Augustinian monks called from Bavaria. To this day, they follow the Purity Law of Brewing, set in 1516. Your journey begins by picking a mug (the size of your choosing) and then washing it in a communal sink. Next, you present your mug to be filled and go find your seat. Many of the tables are reserved, so move fast! We were among the first through the doors at 3:00pm on a Wednesday and the place was packed within 20 minutes. Many of the tables are reserved for individuals and companies – just like box seats at a stadium.
The most amazing beer house I’ve ever been to outside of Munich
I think this says, “Come in and enjoy some beer”
Food court before the crowds arrived
Choose your mug
Give it a good rinse (that’s not me, by the way)
Guess who’s is who’s. You’re correct… mine is on the left. Jen has a wooden leg
“Not, ‘cin-cin’ Mom… here you say, ‘prost’!”
Julia on the loose!
Look at the placards on the wall – choice seats go for big bucks
One of the smaller drinking halls
We were bummed it was too cold for the garden – maybe next time
After a couple brews (and apple juices for Julia) we had another Sound of Music destination – Mirabellgarten. These immaculate gardens are beautifully maintained and offer the perfect line of sight to the castle on the hill. They are also great for singing “do-ray-me-fa-so-la-te-do” and running beneath a tunnel of foliage. I even helped a group of college girls photograph a replica of the moment when the Von Trapp family jumps on the entry steps. They could only jump about 4″ off the ground. It was not easy to photograph.
Beautifully maintained garden
Perfect juxtaposition with the castle – sad about the haze
Julia wanted to ride the “horse”
Early for flowers – but in a nice bloom
Julia ran around like a kid in a candy store
I had all of three seconds to capture this shot
The Von Trapps ran under this archway in the movie
A nice fountain
Many beautiful statues
As the sun fell behind my new favorite castle, we headed back toward the hotel to eat dinner. We finally found Das Stadtwirtshaus, a restaurant near our hotel that we were unsuccessful in finding the day before. The 24 hour wait was worth it – everything about the restaurant was exactly what we wanted. Truly authentic and delicious. Unfortunately, a full week in some of the most amazing places we’d ever seen and my camera’s memory card was full, so you’ll have to imagine this meal along with us.
The next day we woke up early and enjoyed a nice breakfast in our hotel. Afterward, we piled into the car and began the six hour ride home. Our three-day trip that turned into a two-country-week-long-tour was finally over. And so are the stories about this particular family adventure. Thanks for reading!
Apparently I’m the only person in the world to forget that, “The Sound of Music” took place in Salzburg, Austria. I base this observation on the countless number of tour operators and tourists we observed visiting and posing at key movie locations. However, thanks to a quick iTunes movie download in the hotel, we were quickly singing our doe-ray-me’s along with the rest of the cheese balls.
Not only was this classic movie set and shot here, but a fairly famous musician was also born and raised in the city. Perhaps you’ve heard of him… Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Salzburg is an amazing city filled with a rich history and jaw-dropping beauty. We left northern Italy for Austria on a whim two days prior. We continued riding that whim and drove further into Austria to see Salzburg on the suggestion of family. Since our expectations of the city were nonexistent, they were easy to surpass – but I would think this city could have easily leapt the most lofty of them all.
Julia taking in the sights
Since our first day in Salzburg was framed with an incredible visit to Hohenwerfen Castle (HERE), we didn’t arrive in the actual city until mid-afternoon. Having spent more than the anticipated amount of time at the castle, we had a lot of ground to make up. We walked down Linzer Gasse until we crossed over Staatsbrücke Brücke (State Bridge), one of the oldest in the city. The original bridge was built in 1090 and now the 10th incantation of this passage stands with a plaque commemorating the slave labour from Eastern Europe used to reconstruct it during WWII.
View from the Staatsbrücke Brücke
Landestheatre (Provincial Theatre)
We spent quite a bit of time walking through the Altstadt (Old Town), taking in the marvel of the city. My carefully planned itinerary seemed to constantly evolve as we made turn after turn based on our curiosity, rather than our plan of attack. We strolled past the birthplace of Mozart, but declined to pay the €35 admission (for all of us) to see some old violins. Sorry, Wolfgang… I’m still a fan.
Street view – Google, I’m available for free-lance
St. Blaise’s Church at the end of the shops
Mozart’s first “crib”… literally, he was born here
We next discovered the Pferdeschwemme (Horse Pond) – one of two remaining in the city where horses would go to get cleaned. In the middle stands a statue, Der Rossebändiger (horse whisperer), which is a bit of an inside joke unique to the city. Not sure I got the joke, but we did enjoy the spectacle.
The Horse Pond with the “funny” statue in the middle
The pond is carved directly into the face of a mountain
A better view of the horse’s entrance
At this point in our voyage we were at a critical crossroads. We could head northwest to the Augustinerkloster und Bräu (Monastery and Beer… a beer garden) for a brew and dinner. This would consume the remainder of our first of only two days. Or we could head southeast and continue further into the city. I wanted it all, but knew we had to chose. So we made the right choice – stay another night and do it all! We postponed the Beer Garden for the next day.
We were happy with our choice to stay another day
We walked along Hofstallgasee, passing by some incredible sights – and always with an eye upward at Festung Hohensalsburg (the Castle that sits overlooking the city).
Festung Hohensalsburg above the city
Kollegienkirche (Collegiate Church)
A nice horse and buggy through the city would be fun
And the castle again
This path led us directly to St. Peter’s Abbey, one of the oldest monasteries in the German area. The abbey was formed in 696 by Saint Rupert. During medieval times, the monastery was known for its educational prowess. Adjacent to the monestary were catacombs that were carved into the face of the mountain, just next to the cemetery. St. Peter’s Cemetery was created at the time of Late Antiquity and therefore, older than the Abbey itself. The dead have been buried here for 1,300 years.
Welcome!
Inside the courtyard
The Abbey at Saint Peter’s
“Hey guys, let’s go!”
“I’m not waiting for you suckers, I’m off!”
“Are you coming?!”
The cemetery
Always time to stop…
…and smell the roses
Catacomb Chapel built directly into the face of the mountain
Private burial sites
“I love this place!”
After leaving the awe-inspiring Abbey, we stopped to watch a life-sized chess match in action in the Domplatz (plaza outside the Dom). One of the other spectators was nibbling on a giant pretzel and we had to get in on that action!
Check… and… mate!
Num-num-num!
Next up was the Dom of Salzburg, or Salzburg Cathedral. Today’s baroque style cathedral was finished in 1628 and replaces the original cathedral built on the site in 774. I’m sorry to admit, but most European cathedrals, while beautiful – do not particularly hold my attention. However, the Dom was different. My father-in law (Dominic) may say it’s because of the name – but I think perhaps the artwork and painting intrigued me a bit more. We barely got out before closing, and somehow I became the valet as 30 people exited through the surprisingly heavy door I was holding. Good thing I had eaten that pretzel for strength!
The Salzburg Dom
Allegoric figures representing an Angel, Devil, Wisdom and the Church
Jen lights a candle
Inside one of the domes
I promise – this door is as heavy as it looks
The day was winding down, and Julia needed to eat. OK… I needed to eat. We walked back toward the hotel and searched for a restaurant the concierge recommended, Das Stadtwirtshaus. Our German hadn’t improved since we first arrived in Austria and we couldn’t find the place. Instead, we found Altstadtheuriger-Bruderhof – a modern place that blended classic German cuisine with a contemporary style. The result was delightful. And Julia couldn’t have had any more fun!
“We’re eating weinerschnitzel?! Hahaha!”
“Daddy, you’re so funny…you said schnitzel!”
“BWHAHAHAHAHA!”
“Oh, did you want to sit here?!”
Clear beef soup with root vegetable and liver dumpling
Wienerschnitzel served with parsley potatoes
Baked breast of corn chicken
served with a creamy and lime flavored cucumbers and parsley potatoes
At the end of the day, we still hadn’t visited the castle overlooking the city, had a beer at the beer garden or seen any of the classic Sound of Music sights. Glad we had planned to stay an extra day – we would be busy waking up the hills with the sound of our music tomorrow!
I did it! I saw my first castle. It was wonderful – so tender and caring. And it lasted all morning! A first I’ll never forget!
Hohenwerfen Fortress
When we drove into Austria, the hardest part after visiting Innsbruck (read about it HERE) was choosing which castle to visit. We had already planned on visiting Salzburg next, so I carefully chose among the four major castles near the city. I settled on Hohenwerfen Fortress about 40 km southeast of Salzburg. The plan was simple – leave Innsbruck early and drive straight to the castle. We would spend an hour or so at Hohenwerfen Fortress and then head to our hotel in Salzburg. My plan was solid – but I underestimated how much fun we’d have at the castle, and we ended up staying nearly four hours.
The original fortification was started nearly 1,000 years ago and has withstood an interesting history full of war, civil unrest, fire and constant expansion and re-construction. The castle sits high atop a 155m rock in the town of Werfen, Austria.
The castle commands a view of the entire valley *stock photo
A watch guard’s view from one of the towers
The original fortress was commissioned in 1075 by Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg (along with it’s “sister” castle Fortress Hohensalzburg, which we saw two days later). It was built as a stronghold during the Investiture Controversy, a beef between Kings and Popes that somehow lasted nearly 50 years. What were they were fighting over, you ask? The right to appoint church officials, such as Bishops and Abbots. I didn’t understand why this was such an important issue for the monarchies, but after reading a bit on the battle – I was not surprised to learn it boiled down to one of the three major “fighting follies” (as defined by me… term is patent pending). It always boils down to money (to include lands), ego (to include power and legacy) or a woman (self explanatory). Back then, the title of Bishop came with a substantial amount of wealth and land. And since a title was simply a commodity that could be appointed by a king… the monarchy could sell the title and make a tidy little profit. So, in this case – it was about money (although, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a woman in there somewhere).
In one corner, we had King Henry IV – a German King since the age of 6. And in the other corner, we had Pope Gregory VII (I’m pulling for him… his name makes him seem trustworthy. And probably good looking). The Pope essentially claimed that since the Roman church was founded by none other than God, it’s power to appoint Bishops lay solely with the Pope himself. King Henry (now a man) disagreed and vocalized it in a public letter to the Pope, essentially starting a 50 year battle-royale, beginning in 1075. And so the Archbishop of Salzburg (an ally of my man, Gregory) built three major castles as protection against the German king. The ending you ask? Well… everyone should know, you don’t mess with a Gregory! The Papacy gained the right of appointment.
Lower courtyard *stock photo
Even though this castle had a long and bloody past, our visit was rather tranquil and quite pleasant. At the base of the great rock (upon which the castle is perched) we had the option of riding a funicular (cable car) or walking up a path. Since it was early in the day and the weather was perfect, we opted to walk. Julia also enjoyed stretching her legs after being in the car for two hours.
“Look mom, I’m a hiker!”
Julia was definitely happier walking…
…and exploring!
View of the valley from the path
Entering through the gates
The castle’s main fortification walls
There was a house inside the gates that was inhabited – groundskeeper?
Admission to the castle (€11 per person) included quite a bit. A walking tour with audio guide, an impressive falconry display of flight, an illuminating exhibition on the construction of the castle, an interactive history of weaponry and a museum on the history of falconry. You can see why we were there for four hours!
Julia particularly enjoyed the audio guide
The falconry show was about to begin
Our timing through the castle gates was perfect. Just minutes after we bought our tickets, the flight show commenced, featuring many different types of falcons and other birds of prey. It was purely breathtaking.
The Falconer explains the presentation
She shows us the first Falcon
One of the falcons in flight
Naturally, the birds loved taking to the air
The Falcons got right in the crowd
My favorite part was the majestical eagle. The falconer had some fun with the crowds. He would prompt these great birds to fly just a few feet over our heads. It was a great way to start the castle tour.
The eagle – our favorite
He’s headed right for us
RIGHT FOR US!!!
Next, we moved on to the guided castle tour, which was in German. Fortunately, we got electronic audio guides that we used. The tour guide herself was trilingual so she was able to field all our questions. It took some time to navigate through the chapel, prisons, torture chambers, royal quarters, bell tower and more.
We’re about to go in!
Love the turrets
View of the monarchies chambers and courtyard
Birds in flight – another demonstration had commenced
The castle’s chapel, reconstructed in the 16th century
Bob here, simulates an archer at his post
This stone weighed 1/2 ton – no problem for me!
A device in the torture chamber
Our group crammed into the torture chamber
A scene along the tour
The loo – it opened straight down the side of the outer wall
400 year old wood floors in the bell tower
Jen and Julia climbing to the top of the bell tower
The bell would sound to wake everyone up
Julia tried to ring it
We spent some additional time walking around the various parts of the castle, including the main courtyard, and museums of weaponry and falconry. We also grabbed a light lunch at the restaurant in the original dining hall of the castle.
Julia in the courtyard
Playing on one of the unicorns (FYI – I nailed 4/5 rings from 12′ out)
Bell tower (reconstructed in 1826 after a fire)
Julia in the dining hall before her lunch
I was more than happy that my first real castle didn’t disappoint! Next, we headed off to Salzburg… a lot more on that wonderful trip to come!
Strange… not only do they not say, “g’day mate” in Austria – they speak German! Oh well, what’re you gonna do?!
Innsbruck, Austria
After we spent four wonderful days in the Dolomiti mountains (which you can read about HERE and HERE), we planned an impromptu trip to Austria. The Dolomites span across the northern end of the Italy, just south of Austria. A quick google search confirmed that we could arrive in Innsbruck in under three hours and the opportunity was too good to pass up. Once we explained our plan to visit Innsbruck to Claudia’s cousin, Angelo – he suggested we also stop by Salzburg. Well, what’s another couple hours drive and another day or two? After all, we didn’t think we’d be back in Austria anytime soon.
I spent our last night in Canale D’ Agordo (Italy) booking an Innsbruck hotel, researching tourist attractions and planning our itinerary. I was up early, with breakfast in my belly and our luggage in the car by 8:30am. We got on the road at 11:30am.
The GPS took us on small streets winding through the mountains, as opposed to the faster Autostrada – and that was perfectly fine with us. The drive into Austria was probably the most pleasurable drive I’ve ever undertaken. While I loved chauffeuring my wife and baby, I must admit that I did envision instead riding my motorcycle; and sadly missed my poor Harley, sitting all by it’s lonesome in Maryland.
View from the road departing the Dolomites
A two-lane tunnel shooting through the mountain
Jen and I were awe-struck by the mountainous scenery; but also impressed by one noticeable phenomenon. Once we crossed over the border into Austria, there seemed to be a castle or fortress at every turn. I was nearly giddy – I’ve been on a caste-hunt since I moved to Italy. And now I was as excited as a boy on prom night, knowing my first castle was just around the corner.
We were greeted by a castle almost immediately upon entering Austria
Older fortresses lined the newer road
We arrived in Innsbruck around mid-day and checked into our hotel. We set out to walk and enjoy some of the sights the city had to offer. Our hotel was centrally located (thank you, booking.com), so we wound slowly through the old city toward the funicular (cable car up the mountain). Innsbruck has astonishing mountains surrounding the entire city, and we intended on elevating ourselves high enough to command a view of the entire city.
The Old City in Innsbruck
Great architecture
A pretty church peeking out
Along the way, we saw signs for the city zoo – an attraction I had read was enjoyable for families. Since it was on the way, we decided to let Julia have some fun of her own. What we didn’t realize was the trek was going to be quite challenging by foot.
Talk about your uphill climb!
We were tempted to stop here, but we pushed on
We continued to climb for over an hour on steep vertical streets until we finally arrived at the zoo. We eagerly entered, excited to take a break from the climb up the mountain. Oooohhh… so sorry! Since the zoo was literally built into the side of a mountain – the zoo itself wound upward still. I guess that explains why the mountain goats had one of the most impressive exhibits (and one of my favorites).
Alpenzoo – we made it!
Majestic wolf – he had just finished dancing with Kevin Costner
Large brown bear who got within feet of us
Julia wanted to play with a bear of her own
There was a petting zoo for Julia, who always loves getting a chance to pet the cute farm animals.
“Stop watching moooo eat!!!”
Adorable lil guys!
“Uhh, mom – these guys are a little scary”
Stopping for a quick drink
“Momma, guarda (look)!”
As we wound our way through the zoo’s path, we spotted various bird sanctuaries just off to the side. Everyone had the option to enter and get face to face with various birds (without any glass or cages). I opted to go in each one, but Jen has a small fear of birds so she didn’t go in any of these exhibits. However, strangely enough – the path eventually led us directly into one of these sanctuaries. There was no going around it, so Jen would have to confront her fear. Well, how bad could it be?
As we were walking through (a distance of maybe 20 yards from beginning to end) we first noticed the bird’s lunch – recently digested and lying about four feet from where we were walking. It did not help Jen discover a newfound confidence in these winged mammals.
Lunch?! Ummmm, are we next?!
Next, we came face to face with the great bird itself, taking a drink after it’s lunch.
“Oh, he doesn’t look so bad”
“Well, he’s coming closer”
“Umm, and closer!” (at this point – he was hissing)
Here is Jen, gripped by fear and making a dash for the door
This guy was clearly not happy we had come into his world. He perched atop a nearby rock and hissed until we both cleared from his home. I couldn’t help but laugh at Jen’s gripping fear coming full surface. That is, until I had to walk past him myself. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I hugged the right side of the wall. Next, we came to another one of these death cages. Only, this one was marked by heavy chains!!! What is this?! Some kind of torture zoo?! What type of carnivorous bird was in this exhibit?!
What lies behind the chains?!
Nothing but a bunch of these cute, little guys. WHEW!
After we finished at the zoo, we walked the short way to the funicular. The ride up was fun and the view was truly worth it. We stopped to get a bite for Julia – something that proved to be either a mistake or a wonderful turn of events (depending on how we decided to look at it), as we missed the final cable car by mere minutes. We started the long walk down, a bit nervous about how long the walk might take.
The funicular station
Jen and Julia at the base of the station
View over Innsbruck
The beautiful mountains surround the city
We thought it wise to follow a sign to the zoo, quite some distance below. I knew I could easily get us home from the zoo and so following the sign (as opposed to the actual road) seemed smart at the time. We had no idea this particular route would add a significant amount of time… but also give us a memory of Innsbruck we’d always cherish.
A sign we saw later, noting the path
We didn’t seem to notice as the road narrowed, and then the pavement disappeared. We were too taken with the beauty of nature and the view of the city in the twilight.
City view as the sun sets
A portion of the funicular
When the path started making sharp turns and the branches and rocks started bouncing Julia’s stroller more than a lowrider with hydraulics – we realized we made a mistake. As it turns out, our Italian is far better than our German. The signs we saw pointing toward the zoo were for mountain bikers – we had begun a trajectory that wound us deep into the woods, on a steep descent. There was just enough daylight to keep Jen from worrying too badly and so we made light of the situation. I pointed out the positives – it was certainly a much more direct route down the mountain… and when else would we have an opportunity to hike through the hills in Innsbruck?
The path here was still fairly simple
It got a bit trickier – I took over the stroller
At one point, we found a vast clearing in the woods used as a small campground. I reassured Jen that if we couldn’t find our way out of the woods, we had a wonderful place to camp. She reminded me that we didn’t have any camping gear – I refrained from joking that our love would protect us.
A clearing along the way
Charming old bridge we passed by (but not over)
Back on a solid path, nearly at the bottom
It was dark by the end of the journey
We crossed one final bridge to get back to the city
At long last, we made it the base of the mountain just as the sun had set. We rejoiced at our good fortune and decided a celebration was in order. Since Julia was already fast asleep, we grabbed a bottle of wine and had a little party for two in our hotel room.
The main clock tower, back in town
Innsbruck is simply wonderful and we would love to have been able to spend more time there. But I had already planned the next day, andHohenwerfen Fortress (my first castle) was calling my name.
You may have recently read HERE about our trip to the Dolomiti (Dolomite Mountains) to visit Franco and Claudia over Easter weekend. What I wasn’t able to fit into that post, was all the imagery we captured of the most spectacular mountain range we have ever seen.
Hilltop view – I had to trespass to get this shot
Mountain view from “Claudia’s” bridge in Canale D’ Agordo
We extended our trip in Canale D’ Agordo (Claudia’s hometown) by a day, because the three days we planned was barely enough to just scratch the surface in this region of Italy. Claudia wanted to show us not only her town of Canale D’ Agordo, but also the surrounding towns. We would like to now share them with you.
The day after Easter, we went to neighboring Gares, Claudia’s actual hometown. While she was born in Canale D’ Agordo, she grew up in Gares – a small town with barely a couple hundred residents. The only doctor in the region was in Canale and so she was delivered there, in her mother’s home. The very next day, her mother bundled her up tight and walked the some 10k back to Gares through a snowstorm to bring her home.
Sheer mountain range in Gares
Claudia’s cousin’s restaurant sits at the bottom of the valley
Today, her cousin owns a wonderful restaurant, at the foothills of a large mountain range. Not only was it a treat to eat some of the regional cuisine, it was wonderful to spend time with her family and see this incredible valley.
An incredibly charming restaurant
Special VIP reservations
Franco demonstrating the high-tech weight, functioning as a door lock
When you live in the mountains, this is your futbol field
The “field” at the base of the mountain
After lunch we walked all through Gares, a voyage that only took a couple minutes by foot.
Julia sporting a fun hat for the mountains
The main street bend in Gares
Part of the house next to Claudia’s original home
I crack up when I see these little guys driving around
Poles mark the roads atop all the snow
Since we had extended our trip by a day, the next day we went with Franco and Claudia to see some of the other nearby towns. First, we went to Agordo – also in the same Province of Belluno. This town; at a lower elevation, displayed a striking contrast to the previous towns, which were still covered in snow. Green grass had already flourished in the center of town, showcasing a completely different juxtaposition with the mountainous backdrop than the previous towns, still primarily all white.
View from the center of Agordo
Main church
Franco and Claudia walk with Julia
Julia can’t get enough of the fountains
The chiesa (church) in Agordo is of significant importance to the region – and proudly displays it’s high stature by featuring two bell towers (as opposed to the standard one).
Two bell towers
A prominent family of Agordo, Familia di Grotta (the Grotta family) owned a large villa in the center of town. They adorned the outside wall of the villa with the Mutt di Grotta (the Mutes of Grotta) – different “mute” stone statues that represented various traits (poetry, agriculture, astronomy, etc.).
Mutt di Grotta
Perhaps this guy represented philosphy?
We took a quick detour to visit one of the Luxottica factories, just outside of town. Haven’t heard of Luxottica? Well, have you ever walked into a LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut or Pearle Vision? No? OK – perhaps you’ve put on a pair of Oakley, Ray-Ban or Revo sunglasses? These are all brands owned by the company. And even if you haven’t worn one of their brands, you’re sure to have worn a pair of glasses by Coach, Chanel, D&G, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany or Versace (to name a few). They don’t own these brands, but they do make their glasses with exclusive licensing agreements. The company moved it’s headquarters to Milano, but their factories all still remain in the Belluno region and is the main employer in the area.
The Luxottica factory
I’d fight hard for a corner office to get this view
Amazing how the landscape changes in the various towns
After touring Agordo we drove to Alleghe, a beautiful lake town with a very unique history. The town of Alleghe, which surrounds the lake and runs all the way to the foothills of the mountains is actually much younger than many of the nearby towns. The town was re-built “brand new” in 1771 (young by most measures here) after a severe landslide buried the original town under today’s vast lake. The original town remains buried forever under water. When the lake’s water level falls low enough – you can see the original church’s steeple peeking from atop the waterline.
We love seeing the Italian flag – reminds us we’re really here
View right from the lake
Jen and Julia soaking up the scenery
We were glad that we stayed the extra day to enjoy all the additional sights – we hope you did too.
This year we took full advantage of living in Italy and went to the Pope’s Church for Easter! Only, it wasn’t in Vatican City and it wasn’t the current Pope. But it was still his church! If I may explain…
Jen and Julia in front of the church in Canale D’ Agordo
If you’ve read a few posts (or know us), you’ll know that we’ve been fortunate enough to live in Jen’s parent’s condo while in Italy. Even more fortunate is that Jen’s Zio (Uncle) Franco and Zia (Aunt) Claudia live above us. This means we’re eaten countless meals upstairs (she’s a wonderful cook), have built in baby sitters, tour guides and translators… basically we have a third set of parents and new besties.
Franco and Claudia both have interesting life stories. We’ll save his for another post.
Claudia was born and raised in Canale D’ Agordo – a town in the Dolomite Mountains, one of the most spectacular places on earth. The Dolomites are a large mountain range in northeast Italy. In 2009 the Dolomiti were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This means that the mountains are a site with significant importance (and beauty) and are therefore, protected. Interestingly enough, I have just now learned that Italy is home to more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any country in the world. After living here a short time, I cannot say that I am surprised.
Canale is in a valley surrounded by two mountains
Beautiful scenery at every turn
A statue stands near the center of town
The pedestrian bridge leading into town
We’ve been coming to Italy for many years with Jen’s family and I have always wanted to see the Dolomites. I have a strong love for the mountains, most likely due to my love of skiing. I have always been excited to see the Dolomites because they were bound to be at least a little more special than Sugarloaf or Wisp Mountains. They did not disappoint!
Canali D’ Agordo in the foreground of the Dolomiti mountains
Each year, Franco and Claudia spend several weeks together in each of their respective hometowns. Luckily for us – she invited us to join them for part of their trip, over the Easter weekend. This was great because we had no idea what we were going to do for Easter. We were also excited because her town, Canale D’ Agordo was the home to Pope Giovanni Paolo I (Pope John Paul I). Let that sink in for a moment… her small town of roughly 1,000 people was the hometown of the Pope. That’s like saying, “yeah… the President used to live right next to me… here’s his house” Only, he’s not just the leader of a single nation, but rather the spiritual leader of the world.
Pope Giovanni Paolo I – a hometown hero
Pope Giovanni Paolo I has an interesting history. He has the unusual honor of being the shortest reining Pope in history – just 33 days as Sovereign of Vatican City. He is also the most recent Italian-born Pope. It is widely whispered, even today – that his death was not due to natural causes (if you’re a fan of conspiracy theories, you can click HERE to read a few). This cloud of mystery and short reign does nothing to dispel the love and connection that people of Canale and Italy feel for Giovanni Paolo I, The Smiling Pope. In fact, the very next Pope adopted the name of Giovanni Paolo II, to honor and respect his predecessor.
Albino Luciano (as was his given name) was ordained a priest in 1935 and served for a time as the parish priest for the town church (also, one of the main churches in the region), Parraocchia di Canale D’ Agordo, the church you see pictured below.
Parraocchia di Canale D’ Agordo – a 550+ year old church
Jen and Julia in front by the town fountain
We arrived in Canale on Saturday – just in time for a wonderful lunch at Claudia’s home (the home where she was raised). Then she left us to walk around town as she went to help clean the church for Easter’s big service. We walked around the wonderful town, and bumped into about 30 of her cousins along the way.
Julia ridin in style with one of Claudia’s cousins
Julia strikes a pose
On Easter Sunday, we attended a wonderful service (where we understood everything that was said in Italian) in the Pope’s Church, Parracchia di Canale.We walked the short 200 yards back to our beautiful hotel, where the Easter Bunny had left Julia a surprise.
Our hotel on the right
We had her Easter basket ready for her
“What’s that up there?! Is that for ME?!”
“A soccer ball?! Well, I’ll just take this.”
“Don’t worry, I got THIS pops”
“I told you I got this!”
She loved her soccer ball, until she saw her chocolate chick
Which she loved so much, it’s head fell off!
“Here, Nonno Franco – take a bite. Please, it’s my pleasure”
Afterward we went to the town square, where they had set up an outdoor festival. We danced, we ate and we drank.
The festival in the main piazza (town square)
Coin tossing competition – you try to toss your coin into an egg
The winner is the person that sticks the most coins in the eggs
Julia “chill-axing” at the festival
Later in the day, we went to one of Claudia’s cousin’s (another cousin) restaurants and enjoyed some more delicious food.
We started with some antipasti
We each ended with a wonderful dessert
Even Julia got dessert out of a cup featuring her new favorite cartoon (Barbarapappa)
I know its really, “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” but it’s not his home in the middle of Verona that draws thousands of visitors each day; so I took a little creative liberty with the title. More on our visit to this popular tourist destination in a moment. Let’s back up and set the stage…
Soaking up the view
Verona is a beautiful city in the Veneto region of Italy, in the Northeast Italy. The capital of Veneto is Venezia (Venice) – the world famous city built on canals. While Venice is usually one of the most well-known destinations in this part of the country, it should not overshadow Verona – a charming and breathtaking city unto itself. Since Jen’s parents bought their home in Como a few years ago, Verona has been on our “bucket list” of desired destinations.
Jen’s mom came for a visit in late February and during a break in the cold weather, we decided touring a new city was a great idea. Since Verona is only two hours away by car and we had been wanting to go, it was an easy selection. The night before we prepared for a full day’s voyage – plenty of diapers and cheerios… and even a few things for the baby.
We set out early and drove straight toward the center of town. As we approached the city, we neared a roundabout that was created around one of the original stone gates from the old city – dating back over a thousand years. Crossing through the roundabout and straight toward the city, a much more modern street lined with homes and street level shops guided us right into the “newer” main gate of the city, under which we drove the car.
The main city gate
We drove through this gate to enter and exit
This particular gate (pictured above) was built in the 16th century to protect the city from invaders. Verona’s central location lent to wonderful trading routes and heightened the importance of the city throughout Europe (even before Roman times). It was this critical location that also put it right in the path of invaders and so the walls were built to fortify the city.
We arrived in the city at my favorite time of day – just in time for pranzo (lunch). We had gone to our trusty advisor, Trip Advisor before departing and already picked a place to eat. You can read about our wonderful/delicious/frightening/not-delicious-for-me dining experience at Ristorante Greppia HERE.
Ristorante Greppia
Julia was full and happy after lunch
On our way to the restaurant we walked directly into the Arena – an amazing Roman ampitheatre, third in size behind Rome’s Colosseum and the arena at Capua (not sure what that is… I’ll have to check it out). The ampithere was used for gladiator games, among other things – and is surprisingly still intact. In fact, it’s still used today in the summer for fairs, theatre and operas.
Verona’s Arena
After lunch we took a stroll through town, toward one of the main piazza (town square), Piazza delle Erbe. Here are some of the shots of the market, surrounded by the Roman architecture as well as Julia having fun near fountain.
Markets in Piazza delle Erbe
“Dad, give me some cash to go shopping”
Spices, pasta and cured meats
Julia was happy as could be
Torre (tower) dei Lamberti – 1463
We found ourself on, Via Mazzini – one of the main shopping streets and filled with high end goods.
Gucci, Prada and Dolce Gabbana – Oh My!
As we wound our way through the streets of Verona, we crossed over Ponte Pietro – one of the main bridges exiting the city, spanning the river that borders the northern end of the city . We found ourselves at the Duomo (the city’s main church), where a funeral was presiding. It was obviously someone of great wealth and importance – there were hundreds of people in attendance and a beautiful hearse (is that an oxymoron) by none other than the Italian race car, Maserati at the ready.
Ponte (bridge) Pietro
The Duomo
This is the way I want to go out!
We stopped for a coffee (it was now the “coffee hour” of 4:00 and our internal coffee clock alarms were sounding). Diane enjoyed a tea – a luxury she doesn’t usually get around less forgiving coffee drinkers in the family (tea takes a lot longer to sip than an espresso). After fueling up, we had one last mission to accomplish – a visit to Casa di Giulietta (Juliet’s house) from the world famous Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet. Of course, in actuality – it’s spelled Giulietta.* Turns out that three of Shakespeare’s plays were set in Verona – the beauty of the city must have intrigued him. Or else he got a really good deal on hotel rooms. Probably used Priceline.
Giulietta’s Balcony – “Romeo o’ Romeo”
Giulietta’s house (which is of course not really her house since she is a fictional character) is contained in a small courtyard, accessed through a dark tunnel. A few funny traditions have developed at home. Firstly, it is a must that you sign the wall of the tunnel as you enter the courtyard. Next, young lovers can memorialize their love by engraving their names on a padlock and attaching it to the gate in the back of the courtyard. The romantics can write love letters and stick them in the crevices of the adjacent wall or attach them with chewing gum. And for some reason (I’m assuming love or lust related) you can get in line and touch the bosoms of the female statue in the courtyard.
Tunnel leading to the courtyard
Young lovers inscribe their names on the wall
Julia memorializing her love for her parents
Of course our favorite part of the visit was that our very own Giulietta (which literally means, Little Julia) was a celebrity in her own right. The courtyard was packed with tourists from Taiwan and China that absolutely loved her and crowded around her to take her picture or pose with her. Several of them wanted to kiss her on the check for a photo. And since our little comedian/actress loves an audience – she was happy to oblige her adoring fans!
Paparazzi – smile!
“Nice to meet you, ladies”
The girls in Piazza Bra
Giulietta found her real Romeo
We walked a bit more, stopped for a wonderful gelato (ice cream) and another coffee and headed home. I would say that Romeo wasn’t the only one to have a great time in Verona. In fact, given how his love affair ended – I’d say we had a much better time in Verona than good ‘ol Romeo!
*Ironic side note – Jen debated spelling our daughters name the Italian way – G-I-U-L-I-A and I protested that I don’t want her to grow up with people constantly misspelling her name and we agreed on the more common J-U-L-I-A. Of course, now everyone spells it wrong (assuming it’s Giulia). We both find it funny and think it’s cute the alternate way while we’re living in Italy.
