Some Local Trento Stuff...

Some people ask me, "What do you do day-to-day while Miles is at work?" Well, I decided to volunteer my English-teaching services to university students. I put up a notice at the University Language Center and got 3 people that way, 2 people who's notices I saw on the message board looking for an English teacher and 2 via word of mouth. Most are students looking to study abroad and need extra practice for the English exam required for foreign study. I just love it! It's wonderful meeting these motivated young people and I learn a little more about Italy, too.

So this, plus having Miles' colleagues over for dinner, wandering around this fun city, having visitors from abroad (and taking care of our home needs) keeps me out of trouble.

Two weekends ago, we spent time seeing some local Trento sites. On June 19, we got a Trento Card for Euro 10 and good for 24 hours which entitles you to see all the museums, go bike riding, take a cable car ride up the mountain, etc. Boy, did we get our money's worth!

We hopped on the rental bikes and took a nice hour ride along the river. After returning the bikes, we took the cable car up the mountain and looked at the view. Unfortunately, it started raining, so we couldn't do too much walking. Back down we went and walked to the Castello del Buonconsiglio, a 14th century castle where the bishop lived.

Castello del Buonconsiglio, about 10 minutes from our apartment

We just loved it. We walked all around and took a special tour of the Eagle Tower which has frescos inside depicting the 4 seasons. No pictures were allowed here, unfortunately.

Beautiful Renaissance architecture

Interior ceiling with paintings of philosophers

View of the gardens from the tower

This was also the first weekend of the Feste Vigiliane, an annual June celebration honoring the patron saint of Trento, St. Vigiliane. The festival is 7 days, split over 2 long weekends. There were many activities including Medieval parades with costumed revelers, music, food/craft stalls and performances of many kinds. The first weekend was rainy and here's a picture of some drenched musicians:

Medieval drummers

On June 20, we used the remaining time with our Trento Card to hit 5 museums: one with many centuries of religious paintings, one with an underground Roman city, a science museum, a modern art museum and a gallery in a tower. Not only were the exhibits very interesting, but the buildings they are housed in are works of art themselves. There are many 300-400-year-old buildings here that have been beautifully restored to house museums. Just walking around inside and seeing frescos is so enchanting.

The next weekend was very sunny and we first took the cable car again and walked around some hill top villages.

View of Trento from the top of the cable car

After returning to the river, we walked up to a WWI memorial which is really a mausoleum for a WWI soldier.

Mausoleo Ceasare Battisti

The next day was sunnier still and we took a train to Lago di Levico, about 40 minutes east of Trento. We enjoyed walking around the lake and seeing all the families on a summer day. There's not much to do here except...relax. Ahhh...

Lago di Levico

One fearless swimmer cooling off

It's ALL about mountains...DOLOMITES!

For those loyal followers of our blog, you might remember how much we love mountains. You saw the volcanoes of Japan, the amazing drama of New Zealand and the magnificent Alps of Switzerland. One might think we've seen enough, but we have now seen yet another incredible mountain region here in Italy: the Dolomites.

Our long-time San Mateo friends, Marcos and Maxine Eisenberg came to visit us in Trento during their vacation to Italy. We rented a car and drove north-east along windy roads and within an hour or so of Trento, we were "in" the Dolomites.

Preview of what you're going to see a lot of: MOUNTAINS!

The Dolomite region is quite large and we only saw a portion of it. The small towns really have a tyrolean feel given their proximity to Austria. The food is a combination of Austrian and Italian, too and quite delicious.

Our first stop was in the small town of Nova Levante to go to the tourist office. I couldn't resist this picture of pretty pasta.

Lotsa pasta

We next stopped at Carezza al Lago and took a hike around the lake. We were lucky to hit the peak month to see this turquoise-blue beauty. The lake is the fullest in June and in Oct., it shrinks down to a mere pond.

Carezza al Lago

As we drove along, the mountains got taller and sharper. Many looked like great obelisks.

It seemed like everytime we turned a corner, the mountains were right THERE in your face. We were fascinated.

We had to get up-close-and-personal with these giants, so we took a cable car at the Pordoi Pass up to the top to get a different perspective.

This is where we were headed, to that black spot on the top of the rock--it was an extremely steeep ride

View from the top of the cable car. You can barely see the cable car station below.

Here are some of the views from the top. We really felt on top of the world and as you can see, lots of snow (about 2200 m./6600 ft.)

This reminded me of a mesa in Arizona

Brrr...

The entire region is dotted with numerous ski resorts. Of course in the summer, the slopes are beautiful green meadows with lots of hiking opportunities. We stayed in a charming ski village called Arabba.

Arabba

Our hotel

The next day we took a hike near our hotel into the lower hills which are basically the ski slopes. (You need to be a super rock climber to go above the tree line.)

Avalanche barricades

Top of the ski lift

Summer ski slope--there are many of these little huts on the ski slopes--rest places?

Us, Marcos and Maxine on our hike

The same day, we got in the car and drove along a very windy rode (switchbacks) further east to the charming town of Cortina d'Empezzo where the 1956 winter Olympics were held. The setting of this town is so incredible, you have to see it to believe it. It is completely surrounded by mountains which seem to just appear out of nowhere.

Cortina d'Empezzo

(It must be noted that Miles got very jealous to see literally 100s of motorcyclists riding the curvy, windy roads. It is a well-known area for cycles as well as bicycle riders. As some of you know, he loves motor cycles and I know he was day-dreaming about getting on a cycle. I would have love to join him!)

Here are a couple of shots along the road on our way back to Trento.

A view along the road leaving Arabba



Doesn't that look like a fake backdrop?

On our last day, as we drove back towards Trento, we stopped at Alpine Suisa (Swiss Alpine). You take a small gondola up to the top of a mountain and there before you is the highest and largest alpine meadow area in the Dolomites. There were loads of wild flowers. It is a spectacular area to hike around in dozens of directions. We could have easily spent the whole day there, but unfortunately only had a couple of hours.

Alpine Suisa

Llama at the petting zoo in Alpine Suisa

There were many times that I had a "Julie Andrews moment" of her spinning around the top of the mountain in "The Sound of Music". Here's one of those moments.

"The hills are alive..."

Regretfully, we had to finally leave this incredible mountain range. We had such a terrific time with Marcos and Max! After dropping them in Bolonzo for their train ride to Innsbruck, we headed south back to Trento and passed a wonderful castle set on a cliff near Salorno. Wow.

Castello di Monreale

Bolzano and Riva de Garda

Only an hour train ride north of Trento is the town of Bolzano. Because of its proximity to Austria (it was actually part of the Austrian empire up till 100 years ago), there is a distinct Austrian flavor to the town. Not only is German the preferred language, the buildings/towers have a much more Tyrolean architecture. It actually reminded me a lot of Zurich.

Bolzano folk costumes--they don't look very Italian!

In the old town square we came upon yet another celebration. This one was honoring the 196-year anniversary of the establishment of the carabinieri (Italian police/military). Lots of uniforms and speeches.

Carabinieri

Our first stop was to the Archeological Museum to see Otzi, the Iceman. In 1991, hikers came upon a frozen human corpse in a glacier that was later discovered to have been over 5000 years old. Scientists were able to remove the body and many items of clothing/gear found nearby. Extensive forensics determined lots of facts about Otzi: age (45), weight (130 lbs.), what he had eaten, his traveling lifestyle, etc. Of course some things were still questions: was he a hunter? a shepherd? He was killed by an arrow. Why? You can see the corpse (a skeleton covered in leather-like skin) in a temperature-controlled viewing room and many of the items he wore. They even have his arrows and quiver. Amazing! Sorry, no pictures were allowed.

We then bought a picnic lunch of bread, salami and cheese and took a funicular up to the top of the nearby mountain. At the top of the funicular, there's a small train that travels across the ridge with amazing views of small villages/valleys to a trail that we took to see the Pyramids (mud-like geological formations). The views of the Dolomite mountains were spectacular!

Along the trail--a cute house with garden gnomes

View of the Dolomites

Pyramids

View of charming village on the hills near the Dolomites

The next day we took a 2-hour bus ride to Lago di Garda. We visited the northern shore and I think we were lucky to get there early in the season. There were lots of people, but I'm sure it gets even busier in July and August.

Our first stop was to Torbole which is famous for windsurfing. Evidently, the wind in this area is extra-strong and a real challenge for sailors of all kinds.

Windsurfers

Torbole waterfront

Sunbathers

We then walked to the next "town"--Riva de Garda--about 20 minutes away. This is a pretty resort area with elegant hotels, tour boats and a town square with (what else?) a medieval clock tower. We had to climb to the top and this was the wonderful view:

One direction from the clock tower...

...and the other direction

Riva di Garda