Since the moment my wife Jennifer laid eyes on her baby sister, Jessica, they formed a strong bond that has only developed over time. Sure, Jennifer usually acts more like her mother than her sister and yes, there have been a few lively battles resulting in a couple “boo-boos”, but they are as close as any two sisters I have ever known.
Jen and her younger sister, Jessica overtop Lake Como
That’s why we were thrilled when we learned of a last-minute vacation Jessica planned with her boyfriend, Matt. We were doubly excited because not only were we going to spend time with Jessica, but we were finally going to be able to meet Matt. Living in Italy comes with its obvious benefits, but we do miss out on a lot at home and so we are thrilled any time “home” comes to us.
I picked Matt and Jessica up at the airport and after completing a brief pit stop at home, whisked them to downtown Como. Como is a great first stop for anyone trying to avoid succumbing to jet lag. We walked around the city and rode the finiculare up to one of our favorite spots – Brunate. There, we soaked up the views of the lake and ate a scrumptious lunch at one of our favorite little spots, Bella Vista (Beautiful View).
A picture of Lake Como as we walked aroundFamily photo in front of the lakeMatt and Jess take a picture in front of Lake ComoJulia guides Matt and Jess onto the finiculare headed down from Brunate
We decided that we wanted the next day to be all about authenticity (OK, perhaps I steered the tour in that direction) and so we ascended through the hills of Menaggio, one of our favorite lake towns. I had read about a little rifugio, which literally translated means, refuge or shelter. If you’re talking about a visit to a rifugio for lunch, you’re referring to a place that is far up in the hills, buried deep beneath the trees and usually only known to locals. You need to be prepared to eat in a converted home or even a glorified shack and you certainly shouldn’t expect quality roads (sometimes you have to abandon your car and hoof it). But if you’re willing to brave all that, you will find that they are… fabulous! Apart from really getting a feel of “authentic Italy”, the views and food are almost always worth the journey. La Baita was one of our favorite restaurant experiences in a long time (read my full review with extra photos on TripAdvisor, entitled “Authentic and Delicious”). We enjoyed bresaola (cured meat), homemade pasta served family style and plenty of mouth water roasts. We were so full that we felt like simply rolling back down the hill into town. Of course, by the time we descended into the town of Menaggio, we had all found enough space in our bellies for some gelato.
La Baita – a wonderful rifugio that we will definitely be visiting againWe started with bresaola as our antipastaWe had three different pastas, served family style. We each had our own favoriteThe view from the terrace out backMatt and Jessica take a picture on the terraceMatt shows Julia how to take a great pictureWe strolled around Menaggio, which is one of our favorite lake townsWhat do you call a photo-bomb by a toddler?Julia and I walk the small beachHanging out with the guysPosing with mom by the lake
The following day was Matt’s birthday and so the lovebirds took a boat to Bellagio and spent the entire day exploring the “jewel of Lake Como” on their own. They even went out to a romantic dinner in Lake Como, a place known for their Bistecca alla Fiorentina (nothing says romance like splitting two(+) pounds of perfectly cooked beef). Something about an overtired toddler crashing their dinner didn’t seem appealing to anyone, so we hung back and let them go at it alone. Matt realized that while they were in Bellagio, he had left his camera; so he and I picked up the following morning. I’m sure he’s one of a few people who can boast back to back visits to Bellagio with the second visit lasting less than five minutes. Since the morning was spent traveling to Bellagio and back (it’s an hour each way by car on slow and winding roads) we all decided that a leisurely afternoon BBQ was just what the doctor ordered! We closed the day with drinks in Como, always a surefire hit.
Matt and Jessica before their “date night”Matt and I pulled over for a “selfie” on the way to get his camera. Bellagio is the peninsula behind usMatt and I grilled when we got homeWe cooked some chicken (with American dry rub I smuggled back from my last trip home)Costine (ribs)I asked Julia to watch over the meat for us while we grabbed a drinkGrilled vegetablesInsalata di pomodoro (tomato salad)The table is set and ready for a partyThe gals…
The guys
Drinks in Como after our BBQ
We still had plenty more to do with Matt and Jessica, including a trip to the antique market of Milan and a tour of Bergamo – but each of those are deserving of their own post. Sadly, our time with them felt short, as they left us to visit Rome and Venice on their own; but we were thrilled that we got the chance to meet Matt and glad to see Jessica back in her favorite home away from home… Italia!
When you are young, the world is your oyster. You can do anything… be anything. Many kids have grand plans to become a cowboy or a princess or even travel through space and time. Most kid’s plans become a little bit more grounded in “this” world as they get a little older. But that doesn’t mean they can’t still be grand. I specifically remember sitting in my seventh grade Spanish class, penning a list of activities that I absolutely had to do in my lifetime. This list included activities such as climbing Mount Everest, sky diving and hang-gliding, running with the bulls in Pamplona and skiing the Swiss Alps. I think even then, I knew that I would be lucky to complete more than a handful of the activities. The one activity that persisted most in my mind was skiing the Swiss Alps. All throughout high school and college, my friends and I spoke of the day we would make this dream a reality. But after a decade and a half of dreaming, I started to believe that was all it would ever be. Sometimes the real world (jobs, kids, schedules, finances) just get in the way.
The Matterhorn serves as the iconic image of Zermatt
That’s why I was giddy when our friends Matt and Lindsey told us they would be visiting us for New Years. Matt and I devised a plan to go skiing for a couple days while they were here. Matt was tasked with the job of picking a mountain, a job which he took very seriously. With the precision of a surgeon, he dissected the various pros and cons of Europe’s best mountains before narrowing it down to two famous ski locations; Chamonix, France (with Mont Blanc) and Zermatt, Switzerland (with the Matterhorn). We went back and forth for over a week, analyzing the choice ad nauseam. Our analytical brains lead us toward Chamonix for practical reasons such as cost, proximity to Como and hotel availability. I wrote Matt a final email confirming that it was the correct choice “even though skiing the Swiss Alps would have been cool.” Matt surprised me by writing back and telling me that he booked the hotel in Zermatt because my email only confirmed that the emotional part of his brain beat out the analytical part – a decision that I was happy with!
We were all set to depart after lunch on New Years Day. I carefully wound the car along the windy and snowy roads, zigzagging our way through the Swiss Alps before coming upon Zermatt. It was at this point in time Matt decided to inform me that we would have to park the car in a nearby town and take a train in to Zermatt. You see, Zermatt is a town like no other. The streets are made of snow and no outside vehicles are allowed. The town is truly a winter wonderland; high-end shops and expensive restaurants frame the main streets, while charming gingerbread houses line the side streets. We found our hotel, Hotel Blauherd set in a part of town reserved for hotels that fit in perfectly with my vision of an ideal ski town.
Our hotel, Hotel Blauherd
“Our” street with a view of the Matterhorn
A street in the Altstadt (Old Town)
Horse drawn carriages are a classic Zermatt image
Upon checking in, we set out to eat dinner and discovered something along the way. Zermatt is EXPENSIVE! We knew this going in, but I don’t think any of us were quite prepared for just how expensive it really is. For example – we found a place that looked great and so we glanced at the menu. One item in particular stood out – a lamb burger for Fr39 ($43). I’m sorry, but if it has “burger” in the title – I have a hard time paying over $40. Eventually, a problem more pressing than cost presented itself. Availability was the buzz word that became our stumbling block. Every single restaurant was at maximum capacity and we were turned away half a dozen times. We finally found a place that would seat us, a Mexican restaurant that only had one remaining table. Mexican food in a ski town in Europe may seem like a strange choice, but Jen and I were actually excited because it had been over a year since we’d dipped our last nacho. The service was awful, but the food was pretty darn good! And yes, even the Mexican food was outrageously priced ($45 for a single portion of fajitas seemed a bit steep to me).
Zermatt!
The streets of Zermatt are a winter wonderland
Zermatt at night
A view of some of the hotels at town at night
The next morning I was up early and dressed in my ski gear. Matt, Lindsey and I had agreed to hit the mountain just after they opened the lifts. I ate breakfast. I looked at the trail map. I “read” German ski magazines. And I sweated. Then I sweated some more (ski gear is hot when you wear it inside). Finally, Matt and Lindsey came down to breakfast. Then I waited some more. And some more. Eventually, we made our way to the mountain. It turns out a later departure wasn’t such a bad thing after all. Skiing Zermatt is tough work and our legs were wiped out by the end of our day. The skiing was indisputably the best any of us had ever experienced. After a brief lunch at the top of the mountain, the skies cleared up (we had been shrouded in a dense white cloud prior to lunch) and the Matterhorn appeared before us. I was left speechless. We quickly hoped back on our planks to enjoy the rest of our day.
Lindsey, Matt and I pose for a picture before our first run
On the way up in the gondola
Matterhorn “selfie”
“Let’s go skiing!”
We walked out of lunch to this view – the Matterhorn had been completely covered previously
Happy couple
Happy guy!
Jen doesn’t ski much and the elevation would have been too high for Julia, so they stayed in the town. While we enjoying ourselves on the mountain, Jen and Julia were having fun walking around Zermatt. They poked in shops, took in a nice lunch and played in a snow covered playground.
Jen and Julia catch snowflakes
They found a park…
…and played in the snow
As the sun was setting on the mountain’s final runs, we made our way to Zermatt’s most famous après-ski place, Hennu Stall. Après-ski (literally, after skiing) is the act of getting drinks and socializing after a day spent skiing. Europe’s mountains host some of the best après-ski destinations in the world and Zermatt is no exception. We all promised Jen that we wouldn’t be too late for dinner, but we found ourselves among the last patrons left on the mountain. It is important that you don’t stay too late or drink too much at après-ski, regardless of whether or not you have a wife waiting at the base of the mountain. Once the sun sets, the temperature plummets and you still need to have enough wits about you to ski the remaining way down the mountain. We barely escaped before both the temperature and the booze created a problem for us.
Hennu Stall – Zermatt’s best après-ski
Nothing better than a beer after a great day skiing
We were among the last group “parked” in the “lot”
The view of Zermatt from the deck of Hennu Stall
When we regrouped at the hotel, we all got ready for a nice dinner in town. Our group of five strolled along the streets with a very specific plan. We wanted to find a restaurant where we could enjoy something Zermatt is well known for – their fondue! We were worried that max-occupancy would once again be the theme of the night, but Matt became the hero of the group at our first stop. His ability to speak German got us the last table in a charming little restaurant. We eagerly dove into our pot of fondue and reveled in cheesy delight. The fondue set the stage perfectly for the rest of a wonderful meal and Matt and Lindsey surprised us by treating us to this memorable Zermatt meal.
Jen and Julia before our dinner
Our group in front of the restaurant, Zermatterstübli
On the second day, Jen rented a sled for Julia and they spent the day taking turns riding and pulling. For some strange reason Julia seemed to be more interested in pushing and pulling her sled than riding in it. Jen kept commenting to her that she was the only kid in the town pulling her own sled, as opposed to riding in it. It certainly slowed down their progress, which was just fine because we were busy shredding up the mountain on a glorious, clear day.
Julia sleds throughout the streets of Zermatt
Although she was more interested in pulling than sledding
Even up the hills!
A riding on the sled “selfie”
Matt and I stop for a photo before our second day of skiing – Matterhorn in the background
Matt found some deep powder – but not the best way to discover it
“Matterhorn… what, what?!”
Take it up a notch… Matterhorn, goggle-eyed, ski-lift “selfie”
A picture from the highest point of the mountain on our final run – the most amazing run of my life
Jen pulls Julia to the top to sled down the hill
“Here we go!”
I tried to take Julia, but she only wanted to push
She finally let me take her for a spin!
Julia tries to ski, “like daddy”
Lindsey hurt her hand and so of course Julia needed medical attention too
We closed on our final runs of the day and eventually made our way back the car. All of us could not believe how amazing our little vacation had been – the town was perfect and the skiing was amazing. On the car ride home, we talked about our favorite runs until Jen was sick of hearing about them. As we pulled back into Como, I smiled to myself. I had done it. I checked a major item off my bucket list. I skied the Swiss Alps! Now having been refueled, recharged, reenergized and reminded of that once forgotten list… I’ve decided I need to check a few more of those “completed” boxes! Who knows what’s next… I’m definitely thinking “the running of the bulls”- Olé!!
I have a love-hate relationship with running. I love the feeling of finishing a five or six mile run. I hate the agony I get in my calves the next day. I love pushing myself to run a distance further than I’ve ever run before. I hate pushing myself through that first mile after foolishly taking four months off during the winter. Currently, I’m learning to find a proper balance in my on-again off-again relationship with running. Since living abroad, I’ve discovered a renewed commitment to running. I am lucky enough to have some of the most amazing routes in my own backyard – a benefit that definitely keeps me on the trail a little longer.
“Please, come join me along my run”
Julia loves to join me on an occasional run
We have been really lucky with some wonderful weather this fall. Just this morning, I went for a jog in shorts and a lightweight jacket. I understand it’s a lot colder at home, so I would like to invite you to “come for a run with me”. I have several routes that I take on a regular basis depending on how long, how far, or how much of a vertical climb I want. Or sometimes, I’ll just go out and try to find something new.
Running along the trail
“I want to go for a run with you guys!”
“Here I go!”
One of my favorite routes (and probably the one that I take most consistently) is a 5K loop (3.1 miles) around the neighborhood. I have taken many of the friends and family that have visited with me on this very same run. And now you can join me! I’ll map the distances, using mapmyrun so that you know how far we’ve gone.
Let’s get started…
WE TURN RIGHT OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, HEADED DOWN STRADA PROVINCIALE – WATCH OUT FOR CARS DURING RUSH HOUR
.15 miles
SOON WE’LL COME UPON A BEAUTIFUL COLLECTION OF ITALIAN CYPRUS TREES
.27 miles
SUBSEQUENT TO THE TREES WE’LL SEE THIS FIELD, WHICH MEANS YOU WON’T HAVE A PLEASANT AROMA FOR THE NEXT 1/10 OF A MILE
.29 miles
WE PASS A LAVATOIO (WASH BASIN) THAT IS AT LEAST 120 YEARS OLD – THIS WAS ONCE USED TO CLEAN THE CLOTHES OF THE PEOPLE NEARBY
.33 miles
AT THE TOP OF THE HILL WE COME SMACK INTO THE DANGER ZONE! THE DOUBLE ROTONDA(ROUNDABOUT) – BE CAREFUL HERE!
.47 miles
THIS IS ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PARTS OF THE RUN, WHERE THE VIEW SPANS FOREVER AND AN ANCIENT VILLA REACHES FOR THE CLOUDS
.75 miles
WE START A MILD DESCENT
.84 miles
QUICK! LOOK LEFT – THERE IS A BRIEF OPENING WITH A STUNNING VIEW
.87 miles
.87 miles
.87 miles
KEEP ON MOVING, BUT BE SURE TO HUG THE FENCE LINE TO YOUR RIGHT. CARS ARE LIABLE TO FLY BY
.90 miles
.91 miles
GET READY TO ROUND THE BEND – WATCH OUT FOR CARS AND BICYCLES
.93 miles
.99 miles
CONGRATULATIONS – WE JUST FINISHED OUR FIRST MILE! PEEK TO YOUR LEFT FOR A UNIQUE VIEW OF THE VILLA
1.02 miles
DON’T FORGET TO LOOK LEFT INTO THIS OPEN FIELD AND BEYOND TO THE MOUNTAINS…
1.13 miles
1.15 miles
1.15 miles
NEXT, LOOK AHEAD AS THE VILLA MATERIALIZES IN FRONT OF YOU
1.15 miles
1.16 miles
I OFTEN WONDER HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF TRAINS THIS LITTLE HOUSE HAS SEEN PASS BY
1.18 miles
CROSSING OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS – BE CAREFUL
1.19 miles
YOU’RE JUST AS LIKELY TO PASS A TRACTOR AS YOU WOULD BE TO PASS A CAR
1.25 miles
1.27 miles
1.27 miles
I LOVE THIS GROUP OF UNIQUE TREES ON THE PROPERTY
1.27 miles
NEXT, WE WILL START OUR ASCENT UP AN ANCIENT ROAD
1.32 miles
1.41 miles
A GLANCE BACK OVER OUR SHOULDER LETS US KNOW WHERE WE’VE RUN
1.44 miles
1.44 miles
1.44 miles
HERE, WE CAN CHECK OUT THE LOCAL EVENTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY
1.47 miles
LOOK TO YOUR LEFT TO SEE ONE OF THE MANY CHURCHES IN THE AREA
1.48 miles
WE HAVE AN IMPORTANT DECISION TO MAKE HERE… I DON’T SUPPOSE MY LEGS WILL CARRY US THE 40 KM (24 MILES) TO MILANO, SO WE’D BETTER GO LEFT
1.58 miles
THE ROAD CROSSING IS A LITTLE DICEY HERE – LOTS OF BLIND SPOTS. I ALWAYS HUSSLE PAST THE CRYPT TO OUR RIGHT
1.61 miles
1.65 miles
HERE, WE PASS A BAR THAT IS “ALWAYS” OPEN
1.65 miles
THE BAR – FEEL FREE TO STOP FOR AN ESPRESSO IF YOU FORGOT TO HAVE YOURS BEFORE OUR RUN
1.65 miles
WE WILL NEXT PASS A SECTION OF TOWN THAT EXPERIENCED IT’S HEYDAY 50 YEARS AGO… 100 YEARS AGO… 200 YEARS AGO?!
1.75 miles
1.77 miles
1.78 miles
BE CAREFUL – THE ROAD IS VERY NARROW – TOO TIGHT FOR TWO CARS TO PASS AT ONCE. IT’S NOT UNCOMMON TO GET PINNED AGAINST THE RIGHT WALL
1.79 miles
LOOK TO YOUR RIGHT – QUITE A VIEW OF THE VALLEY. TO OUR PREVIOUS GUESTS… DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE BENNET (OUR GROCERY STORE)?
1.83 miles
WE HAVE TO MAKE A SHARP LEFT OFF THE MAIN ROAD AS WE APPROACH ANOTHER FAVORITE STRETCH OF THE RUN
1.90 miles
1.92 miles
THIS TWO LANE ROAD BECOMES EXTREMELY NARROW – I PREFERRED WHEN IT USED TO BE MUCH MORE RUGGED. THEY RECENTLY PAVED IT… WELL HALF OF IT
2.05 miles
2.08 miles
2.11 miles
2.11 miles
2.11 miles
CONTINUE ALONG THIS REMOTE ROAD
2.19 miles
WE PASS A CORNFIELD ON OUR RIGHT – THIS WAS JUST HARVESTED THREE DAYS AGO – I THINK THEY USE IT AS CATTLE FEED
2.25 miles
WE APPROACH AN INTERESTING PART OF THE RUN… ANOTHER SECTION OF HOUSING WHOSE HISTORY ENDED LONG AGO. I OFTEN WONDER WHEN A NEW STORY WILL BE WRITTEN FOR THESE ANCIENT PROPERTIES
2.38 miles
2.40 miles
2.41 miles
WE PASS THROUGH OUR FINAL STRETCH OF OLD, VACANT PROPERTIES
2.47 miles
NOW WE WILL TURN ON TO VIA KENNEDY, WHICH ALWAYS CRACKS ME UP
2.53 miles
NOW THAT WE’RE BACK IN TOWN, IF YOU GLANCE OVER YOUR RIGHT SHOULDER, YOU WILL SEE OUR FAVORITE FRUIT STAND – YOU CAN SEE THAT ZUCCHE (SQUASH AND PUMPKINS) ARE THE SEASONAL VEGETABLE
2.70 miles
OK – DIG DEEP. WE’VE GOT AN UPHILL CLIMB, BUT WE’RE IN THE FINAL STRETCH. WE’RE GOING TO RUN RIGHT THROUGH THE CENTER OF TOWN
2.83 miles
LOOKING LEFT, YOU’LL SEE MY FAVORITE STREET IN OUR TOWN OF ALZATE BRIANZA
2.89 miles
THIS IS IT… NEARLY HOME. A SLIGHT DOWNHILL DESCENT HELPS US – TIME TO PICK UP THE PACE… MY BROTHER-IN-LAW CALLED THIS MY FINAL “KICK”
2.91 miles
WE’VE ARRIVED AT THE ROTONDA BY OUR HOME – FULL SPRINT NOW WITH WHATEVER IS LEFT IN THE TANK
3.03 miles
TURN RIGHT DOWN OUR STREET…
3.05 miles
WE DID IT!! WE’VE ARRIVED HOME JUST IN TIME FOR LUNCH. PASTA IT IS – HEY WE EARNED IT!
3.10 miles – nicely done
IF YOU’D LIKE TO REWARD YOURSELF WITH A NICE DRINK LATER IN THE EVENING, HEAD BACK INTO TOWN TO THE AB CAFE
The best “happy hour” in town
Don’t forget, gang – there’s always time to stop and smell the roses
I hope you enjoyed coming with me on my run today! I certainly appreciated the company!
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)
No, we didn’t oversell it in the title. This meal was
LEGEN…wait for it…DARY!
Like Odysseus who fought heroically in the Trojan war and embarked on a long journey rife with cyclops, lotus-eaters, sea monsters and hostile giants; we too fought our own heroic battle of hunger and embarked on a journey rife with wrong turns, communication challenges, unpaved roads and hostile baby cries. In the end however, it worked out better for us than Odysseus.
We decided to visit the neighboring town of Lecco and grab a bite to eat. When I quickly opened my browser and selected a restaurant from Trip Advisor based solely on someones comment “good food, family friendly” – we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We plotted our course in the GPS and set out to eat at Osteria Belvedere Montalbano, a thirty minute-minute drive.
Lecco – a lake town on the east “leg” of Lake Como
A panoramic of the lake that I stitched together – the view on our way to the restaurant
Thirty-five minutes later, we pulled up. To a house. This couldn’t be right. We tried again. Twenty minutes later we ended up in the woods. Hmmm??? Twenty five minutes later we pulled up again. To another house. How many Via (Street) Montalbano’s could there be?! Jen dug a little deeper and translated a few google posts. She discovered that the restaurant is in fact, in the woods. So we were right when we were in the woods??? We tried that route again and hit a dirt path that looked to be traveled only by horses. As frustrated as you are reading this, you can imagine our displeasure. We’d had enough… time to throw in the towel.
As we were heading back down the hill we saw a final beacon of hope. We stopped two bikers and asked about this seemingly nonexistent place. They smiled and said, “turn around and follow us – but the road is pretty treacherous, so take it slow and be careful.” We spent another 15 minutes creeping up that very same dirt path; full of rocks and branches and no leeway on either side. Finally, we arrived and thanked our very kind guides.
Our “guides”
“Follow us, but go slowly”… uhhh yeah, no problem guys!
This was actually the nicer part of the road
Getting a little dicier – hood shown for perspective
“SERIOUSLY?!”
We pulled into the clearing in the woods and soaked up the view of the beautiful lake. The restaurant, a converted home – looked unassuming and inviting. But we were still a bit nervous as we walked up and were instantly relieved when we walked in and found that we had made it to the right place.
Osteria Belvedere Montalbano
As we seated ourselves, we knew we would be in for a treat. Our waiter Fabio, who also doubled as the cook – greeted us warmly and asked if we would like a half bottle or full bottle of wine. We responded that we’d like the half-bottle. He brought a full bottle.
Our host, Fabio
A delicious house wine
He also told us about the menu, which was not your typical explanation of specials and meal descriptions. It was him telling us what we would be eating. We didn’t quite understand, so we nodded politely and got ready to dig in. He started with a pasta dish, conscrigno tagliolini fungi bresaola e` tartufo (air cured beef over thin pasta noodles with mushrooms and truffles).
Primo (first course)
Before we were finished with the first dish, he brought caramelle al ragu` di cinghiale (wild boar ragu with a caramel drizzle).
More pasta as primi
Next was freshly-made raviolini di grano saraceno (hand-made ravioli made with buckwheat).
Third pasta dish
We couldn’t eat another bite. We begged him to stop… but then he described the next dish and we caved. We told him that we had to try it, but we needed to split one portion of the controfiletto con radicchio e gorgonzola (filet over radiccio with a gorgonzola sauce).
Secondo – meat dish
Then we moved onto dessert (delicious gelato) and coffee.
We were the last to leave (from the lunch crowd) and sauntered back to the car with a natural high that lasted all the way home. The road home was a lot more fun… but not nearly as much fun we expect it will be on our way back soon!
The indoor lighting
We were joined by a visitor for part of our meal
The only sign we saw for the restaurant… after we had eaten
I would also be remiss not to mention that when I walked up to pay, I discovered I didn’t have too much cash for this meal that would have to cost a fortune. I was quietly praying they accepted credit cards…until I got the bill. 30 euros for everything! I’d say Osteria Montalbano is the best deal in Lecco – if you can find it!!
