August 2007 - The Dolomites & Castelrotto

From Bolzano, we took a bus northeast to the Alpi di Suise, the largest high-altitude Alpine meadow in Europe, located within the heart of the Dolomites, the jagged limestone mountain range just south of the Alps spanning the regions of Trentino-Alto Adige (Sudtirol) and the Veneto in northeast Italy.

This was our first view of the characteristic sharp peaks of the Dolomites jutting out of the green earth into crisp blue sky. They're quite dramatic . . .

and majestic . . .

and seem to guard the quaint little alpine villages scattered between and among them, including Castelrotto, where we stayed for the week while we enjoyed the summer alpine activities.

The imposing peaks tower over the village.

You cannot escape them . . .

or take your eyes off them.

And no matter where we went, they were always there ready to serve as the subject . . .

or the perfect backdrop for our pictures.or the perfect backdrop for our pictures.

Here we (and the Dolomites) are at a local restaurant having what seemed to be the region's official dish, weinerschnitzel and spetzle.

Looking back at the village with the peaks to our back, it appears amazingly small, almost like a miniature model of the quintessential alpine village.

The traditional alpine architecture in Castelrotto and throughout this Austrian-influenced region is vastly different from anything we'd seen throughout Italy.

Having acquainted ourselves with Castelrotto, it was time to explore the expansive alpine meadow and partake in the multitude of outdoor activities. Paragliding anyone?!?!