Colfosco church with the Sella mountains in the background
The whole family was invited by our friends Dick and Helen to go skiing in Utah, but my knee operation set a stop to those plans, and we had to change to an area with a shorter flying time (less risk for deep vein thrombosis after my surgery). Instead we decided to go to the Dolomites.
The Dolomites are a limestone mountain range in northeastern Italy. The mountains are very steep and have a reddish colour that stands out clearly at sunrise and sunset. I have nurtured a plan to photograph the Dolomites in Northeast Italy for some time, but I wanted primarily to go there in spring or early summer, when the wildflowers were covering the meadows.
As I couldn’t ski with my new knee and Jennifer didn’t get much ski training in the Philippines, the Dolomites now seemed to offer something for the whole family. We took gondolas up to different mountain plateaus to meet the children and their ski instructors for lunch and we enjoyed the wonderful food and the beautiful scenery.
The children had in Marco and Valentina two wonderful ski instructors that became our friends, guiding not only our skiers but also our choice of restaurants and evening activities.
We stayed at the little village of San Cassiano, where you can find both a three-star, a two-star and one-star Guide Michelin restaurants. As the children now ski so fast, we couldn’t follow them and the photos you see are mainly of the fabulous landscape of the Dolomites especially around the Alta Badia area, with its steep colourful mountains contrasting against the white snow. We are definitely to go back there in the wild flower season.
I took walks along the mountain range above the hotel (as well as I could with a newly operated knee) and caught the gondola up to several mountain tops. The gondolas and lifts stopped working before sunset, so I had to get a snow scooter (Skidoo) with a driver to take me down in the evening. I captured Passo Gardena (towards Val Gardena) in early morning sun with the help of a taxi driver waiting for me, and Marco spent nearly two hours with me at Passo Falzarego (towards Cortina) waiting for the perfect light around sunset before all of us went up into the hills with skidoo for a rustic dinner in the mountains. The kids then went downhill with sledges the 500 metres altitude difference to the outskirts of Cortina.
It is certainly the most beautiful skiing area I have seen and the kids loved the variety of the slopes and all of us enjoyed the good food.
The view behind our hotel (Fanes) at San Cassiano
Further up the slopes above Fanes hotel overlooking the valley
Climbing up the hills I saw more lovely views. This is a morning shot
And an afternoon view
Looking towards Passo Falzarego, the pass that leads from Alta Badia and San Cassiano, where we were staying, towards Cortina.
The late afternoon light shining on the mountain range
San Cassiano church on a Sunday morning after the worshippes have disbursed
This is the Alta Badia valley from the top of Piz Sorega opposite the mountains, where I walked to catch the earlier images above the hotel.
View in the opposite direction
Looking northwest towards Puez Odle from Piz Sorega
And looking east towards Passo Falzarego
And this is a close up of the moutains behind Passo Falzarego at sunset.
Another evening view from the top of the Piz Sorega lift at sunset
Moritzino restaurant at the top of Piz La Ila. Wonderful food and we went back three times to this great restaurant. Valentina, Eric, Jennifer and Mikee
Ready to go skiing after a lunch at Moritzino. Jennifer and I could hardly walk to the gondola after the exquisite lunch!
Saluting
View from near Morizino restaurant
View from Moritzino towards the valley with Corvara
View from near Moritzino towards the Corvara valley
Mikee learning from the video that Valentina had taken of her skiing
…and Eric with Valentina instructing him after a good lunch at Moritzino
View from Morizino looking down into the Alta Badia valley
Looking westwards from the top of Passo Gardena. Mid morning
Looking north from above Passo Gardena. The snow was difficult to walk in with my knee and I probably overdid it a little. But nothing that a glass of wine couldn't cure!
Capella di San Maurizio at Passo Gardena
Colfosco church with the Sella mountains in the background
100 metres above Passo Gardena at 2,220 m is Jimmy's. The children guided by Valentina had skied and we had taken the gondola up to Jimmy's. It was sunny but windy and cold.
View towards the north from Jimmy's
The children saluting their father, while skiing down from Jimmy's
Valentina in the lead with Eric and Mikee
Down from Passo Gardena
The children left us behind
View from Jimmy's towards the Sella massive. I had to walk in deep snow to catch the image
…and Jennifer was so angry at me for risking my knee that she refused to talk to or even look at me, when I came back
The Sella massive
With Marco as my driver I went up to Passo Falzarego and this is a late afternoon view looking down the valley towards the Alta Badia valley
Sunset at Falzarego looking east and south
Sunset at Falzarego
Sunset at Falzarego
The last sunrays at Falzarego
The golden colours of the last minutes of sunshine on the mountain tops
