Our train from Venice arrived in Bolzano and we were greeted by Donatella, ready to begin our weekend in the Dolomites. On the way to Pozza we stopped by a beautiful blue mountain lake, with snow capped mountains behind, it was very scenic.
Pozza was as I had remembered from my last trip. Last time I was here, they had a green painted square on the ground, which was their village green. This has since been transformed into a mini park/green space which I think is very nice and gives the village a nice central space.
We stayed with Lucia, Stefano and their family in their house which overlooks the village square and has a nice view of the mountains surrounding the village.
On Saturday we visited Val San Nicolo (apparently where my grandpa proposed, although there is some debate on the exact location 🙂 ), as well as taking a quick trip to Passa Pordoi. Here’s what Val San Nicolo looks like –
On Sunday, we attended a small family BBQ (only about 45 people) at Franco’s house in Predazzo (south of Pozza). The weather was beautiful, with a slight breeze. The food was delicious, especially some of the desert (I got a recipe for a very simple slice) and the family were very friendly. We spent most of the time talking to Giulia (one of our cousins), she was practicing her English for an exam she had the following week at University.
Monday, we visited Buffare and Lucia & Stefano’s Refugio – Baita Cuz (A Refugio is a mountain hut/building, which serves refreshments/meals, has toilet facilities and sometimes sleeping accommodation (like Baita Cuz). These huts are used by hikers in summer and skiers/snowboarders in winter). A short walk from the refugio, took us to a panoramic point which looked out over Val San Nicolo –
We then walked up the mountain from Baita Cuz and got this fabulous view over the surrounding valleys –
Unfortunately, we all got very sunburnt on our arms, neck, back and face that day. Later that night we all looked very red, especially Donatella. To be fair, we didn’t actually use any sunscreen :-).
Tomorrow we’re getting the train from Bolzano to Florence to continue our Italian holiday.
Thanks to all the family in Pozza (and Val Di Fassa) for making our stay enjoyable and wonderful (Freya says a special thanks to Alice and Gianluca for fabulous nights on the town 🙂 ). We hope to see you all again soon and come and visit us in Australia sometime.
Grazie mille, Ciao
Ahh, the views from Zedron, Punto Panoramico, Baita Cuz and up Val de San Nicolo towards Monzoni. Magnificio!! Looks even better with a splash of snow around the mountain tops.