June 21:

The rains seem to have left us for the time being. Even having said that, we stayed in until about 3:30. 

When we're in, most of the time, Linda is painting. Here is what she has produced so far.

Her latest and her others. She's doing good.












A few days ago we had read a flyer that seemed to be saying that there was some type of Porsche rally in town at 4:00 this afternoon. We assumed the cars would arrive in the town square and so we headed over there, sat at our regular cafe, ordered coffee and an apple strudel and waited. Unlike the day before, there were lots of apples in the pastry. We should have shared one but, we didn't. At about quarter after four, the cars arrived. We thought they might just drive through, so I jumped up to take pictures. Linda counted about 25 and they stopped along the main street and drivers and passengers got out and came over to our cafe where a table of drinks and sweets had been laid out for them.

From the decals on the hoods and doors it looked like all of these people were members of a club in Denmark. Maybe they were touring Europe. But, of course, Porsches being what they are, most had no room for luggage. There were a few older models, one from the 70's and it had a pretend backseat that could have held a couple of small bags.

I didn't talk to any of the participants because I don't know much about Porsches, just like to look, and heaven knows what language these people spoke. Each had a male driver and a female passenger.


And, then there was this good looking chick standing by this one.

This is the cafe where they all congregated.












After checking out each and every one of the cars - some with automatic transmissions (imagine) - we walked around town a little and then headed back to our resort.

We had scheduled two hours at our spa. They brought us robes and slippers and we put on our bathing suits and took the elevator down to the first floor (in Italy and much of Europe, floor number 1 is actually the second floor. The ground floor is number zero. Floor in Italy is "piano". I don't know why, it just is).

The lovely Francescia, who gave us our massages, checked us in and we started with a shower, then a steam bath, shower, rest period, sauna, shower, rest period, whirlpool, shower, rest period, salt room. They had a bucket of ice cold water in one of the shower stalls. Linda tried a little of it, but I stayed away. This whole thing took about 1 1/2 hrs and it wears you out. We came back to the room and rested. 

That was our "exhausting" day.

June 20:

Today dawned bright and sunny (first day of summer) and we were off to see more mountains northeast of here. Linda's painting teacher, Janis, had told us that whenever they were in this area, they stayed at Kastel Ruth or something like that. We decided to investigate.

We headed down the road, over one range and down into a valley. Along the way we stopped for coffee just past a town called Cles. 












We wanted to sit with a view of the lake that we had just passed, but had to settle for a view of a small valley and a bike on the veranda.













In this valley were many, many orchards but we didn't know what they were growing. Asking our waitress - the answer turned out to be apples. Mele in Italian.


A little farther down the road we found a veggie stand, just like you would find in the States.












A bottle of wine (everyone sells wine), an onion, and two apples were purchased.

Finally over to an interstate-like road for 40 kms.

Based on where we thought we were and the terrain and the signs, we believed we were approaching the famous Brenner Pass. Its obvious this was a natural north south highway over the years.








We drove past our target town because there was no exit for it, got off and doubled back and found Castelrotto or Kastel Ruth (Italian or German). We quickly learn that this area is German speaking. We are close to the Austrian border and our history tells us that the Austrians have been around for a long time. 

We find a lift almost immediately and up we go.















Its time for lunch and we walk right over to a restaurant and sit outside, surrounded by goats.



One of them had a bell around his neck and for awhile, he sat under our table. But, mainly they were muchers and were trying to look cute so we would feed them.



This one looked like he was ashamed of himself for doing something bad.






Here are some nomes guarding the restaurant. We've seen them in other places here in the mountains.



We were hungry, because we didn't have a breakfast. I spotted weinerschnitzel on the menu and had to have it. Linda went for what was probably a Austrian style minestrone soup. 

Good food with another spectacular view.














Along with the goats, cows with bells were around too. This one ignored us. Too busy eating.






We had been told there was another restaurant about 20 minutes down a path through the woods. A good place to have a coffee and some dessert (dolci).




My tree hugging wife wanted to "read" the trees and landscape: tall pines, moss on the rocks, and views of the valley below. So, it took us a little longer than forecast. I participated.





After about 30 minutes we arrived at our destination.


















A coffee and a shared cake and we were off, back to the lift and down to town.

There was another lift outside of town that went higher. This one was enclosed. Not a chair lift, but enclosed with an automatic sliding door. All of these lifts take about 20 minutes to go one way.


























At the top, we see another lift about a 20 minute walk away that would take us even higher. We decide that we're so close we should keep going.







Along the way were a few isolated houses that looked like a hermit's abode. This is called the boonies.



The neighbors are not close. This is for people who want to be alone with their animals.

We walk down the gravel trail only to learn that the lift is about to close and can't take us up today. Then we start wondering if the main lift that we need to catch to get to the car will be closing too. Not so, we still have over an hour. 

Back down to the car and head home. Linda remembered a nice looking restaurant near Tonale and wanted to stop there for dinner. Just before we reached it, we passed this guy.




The nice looking restaurant turned out to be one that caters to buses. And the dining room was arranged with long rows of tables. Not what we were looking for.


But, outside, across the road was this large frame of a great scene.




A little farther down the road we found a small, mom and pop restaurant that took good care of us. Linda ordered deer and veggies and I had a local ravoli dish. You might have noticed that the Owens' have ditched their non-gluten, no dairy diet. Heh, we're in Italy. Next week we go back to the regular food.

This was outside the restaurant.




It was still light when we arrived back at the resort about 9:30.

Good day. Actually, all of them are good. As our younger daughter might say "best day ever".

June 19:

Today was Father's Day and Linda said I could do anything I wanted. It was rainy so we stayed in. Oh yeah, each of us got a massage from a masseuse here at the resort. Very nice. Good present. Sorry, no pictures.

June 18:

Finally the summer season has opened - sort of. That means that one of the three ski lifts near us is operating. The other two will open next week after we leave. There is one down the road about an hour - I should say up the road - where you can take a lift up to a glacier. But it doesn't open until next week either. So sad.



This lift, just a few feet from our front door, is for skiers and golfers. It takes you from our 4,000 feet up to 5,000 feet.

Actually, we realize later that you can drive up to the golf course in your car if you like.

Once we got to the end of the lift, we walked over to a restaurant named Capanna Valbione. A bar and restaurant. 








After looking around a little, we had our morning coffee and looked out on this pond and the mountains. 




With no snow at this level, we just saw golfers and tourist like ourselves.




I could have just sat there all day watching the clouds and light on the mountains change.




























A little past the pond we find the entrance to the golf course.

We start walking around the edge of the course. Its a slight grade and we follow the family that we saw at the beginning for a few holes. Everyone is pushing/pulling a golf cart, no sign of any motorized golf carts.




This sign shows the change in elevation of about 10 meters for the first hole. It gets higher as you walk to the next few holes. This isn't Florida or Holland. It looks to us like the course is actually 9 holes that you repeat to make a full 18.




There are some houses and a water fountain at the beginning of our walk.

The thing to notice here are the stones on the top of the chimney to hold down the top from being blown away. Linda found whole roofs in Mexico held down this way.





I'm not actually going to drink that water, but it is potable and we see people filling their water bottles from these fountains.  And, a German Shepard helped himself.

We forgot our selflie stick but were still able to take a self-portrait.
The path starts almost level, but then changes to a little more of a grade.

We end up at the tees for holes #4 and #13 and sit on a bench and watch two parties tee off. They are hitting their balls down into a valley at least 500 feet below. Its remarkable. I don't hang out at golf courses, but I've never seen anything like this before. This must be an exhausting course to play, especially this hole. You have to climb up a trail, hit your ball, and then walk back down into the valley to the green.

Along the way back, we have this kind of view. Pretty nice, huh?

Back at our starting point at the pond, we decide to eat lunch: a goulash for Linda and a roasted piece of beef for me. They had two different beef steaks on the menu. The other one was horse. I passed. I've had it before, but it was tough and I just don't like the idea of it.

Here is the map of the slopes around us.

The highest is 2730 meters (8900 feet).  As a reference, Pike's Peak is just over 14,000 feet. These mountains must attract a lot of skiers in the winter.

As we finish our lunch the drizzle starts. This is the way the afternoon rains start almost everyday. We take the lift back down. There is a windshield you can pull down and we use it to stay dry.












The rest of the day was spent inside and dry except for a short walk to the bank after dinner to get some money.

June 17:

As you have probably figured out by now, there is not a lot to do here in Ponte di Legno. After a week, we have probably found most of what there is to do. However, next week, the summer season starts and we may be able to find more activities.

Linda got me out of bed to go for a walk. She wanted to get our walk in before the rains came. We get rain almost every afternoon. 

We headed down a trail we walked a few days before, but came back on the other side of the creek.

This is the walking trail with a dynamite view. Its mostly level with a fast flowing stream on the left. We walk about a mile and then turn left and cross over the stream to return on the other side.

There we find some path clearing and we sit down to watch a guy with a miniature front loader move some boulders. Its what every boy would want.











A little further down the trail and we find these statutes carved out of the local wood. Gnomes, fairies, an eagle, a bear, and other animals.

Check out the guy on the bench in the background.














We don't have the slightest idea why these figures are here, but they enhance a picnic area and I'm sure children like them.

When we first look at this tree, it looked like water was coming out of it instead of maple syrup. Once we got closer, we can see the water coming out of a pipe instead of the tree, probably directly from the stream. We see these water fountains all over town.











As we near the resort, we pass these residences. It makes us think of homes we have seen in Switzerland. We should not be surprised since we are very close to the Swiss Alps.



Note the grass on the roof. This is the only one we have seen.







Lunch was leftovers. We spent most of the afternoon in the apartment waiting until 4:00 when the grocery store opens. We walked over and bought some meat and got rained on. After returning, we treated ourselves to a drink and snacks.

That was our uneventful day. Tomorrow, we expect to ride a lift to a golf course.