Last Hike in Italy!

Today is our last full day in Italy...

Time went fast the past couple of months. But boy did we get in a lot of travelling! I thought I'd write one last blog post from Italy...more posts are sure to come later because we have a backlog of great photos and stories to share. But for now I thought I'd share a few of photos from our last hike in Italy.

This past weekend we escaped Duino (and the student reunion at Kristen's school) by heading back up to our friends' place in the Dolomites, Alla Casetta. We did two great hikes, one in the central Dolomites and one in Val di Canzoi just around the corner from Alla Casetta in the southern Dolomites. The photos that follow are from the latter hike.

Our last Italian hike (for now) was a special one. Our friend Christian has been talking up this particular hike ever since we first met him, but until yesterday we hadn't given it a try...probably because he always describes it as a hike that will make you cry. Throw in the fact that Christian tends to underestimate the difficulty of hikes and we were a little scared about this one. But since it was our last day we figured we should do it. Here's what awaits you at the top of the very steep 1000 m climb...

It was well worth the effort to get up to the Piani Eterni!! At just below 2000 m this enormous mountain meadow is surrounded by high peaks on all sides. We didn't do any of the extra excursions up to the summits to see even more fantastic views of the Dolomites because of the weather and the snow in the passes ...yeah that's it...not because we were too exhausted from the hike up or anything. What a fantastic hike to do for our last hike in Italy! Thanks Christian!

We spent a long time up in the Piani Eterni just soaking in the Dolomites for the last time...but there's no reason to be sad because we'll return for sure. The hiking and snowshoeing and skiing possibilities are endless here. And living up to their reputation the mountains really are the most beautiful we've ever seen. For me personally, I used to dream about skiing in the Dolomites when I was a teenager...I feel very lucky to have been able to spend so much time here.

So our last days in Italy were wonderful thanks to our mountain refuge of Alla Casetta, and our friends Christian and Amy. We enjoyed one final meal all together at our favorite spaghetteria alongside the Torrente Caorame before heading out to start our own new adventure in Portland, Oregon. Kristen and I really hope to see our friends there (even though we'll be back to the Dolomites again for sure).

Europe, American style

We are quickly approaching the end of our life as Europeans.  Next Tuesday, we move back to the US.  We are pretty sure we won't live in Europe again, but we are sure we will visit.  Just in case we can't make it back too many times, we've spent the last two weeks doing some traveling.  Quick visits to cities for just a day or two each.  While we know this is no way to really see a city, it sure was fun!  Here's where we've been:

Milan, Italy

This was a very quick, one-day visit for "business." Which meant dealing with Italian bureaucracy so Tom could drive when we get back to the US.  Ask him to tell you the story over a beer one day--it's a good one!
Milan was big, polluted, and crowded.  It was probably my least favorite Italian city, but it was still fun to see.  Tom even got to feed a bird!

Dusseldorf, Germany

After we finished packing our boxes, we headed off for two days in Dusseldorf to visit with my cousin.  A city on the Rhine, it reminded us a bit of Portland.  In addition to visiting the city, we explored a park where Neandertal ruins (if that's the right word for them) were found.  We had time to sit outside and enjoy some Radlers while playing games before watching the Germany-Ghana soccer match.  

Maastricht, The Netherlands

It was a quick drive from Dusseldorf to Maastrict for one more visit with our friends and old neighbors before we move back.  We met their newest addition (10-week-old Matej), and tried to learn some Dutch from 2-year-old Isabel.  I think we convinced them that they must visit us in the US next year.  We'll miss the bike-friendly streets and the delicious waffles, but most of all our friends!

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

After all those trips to Maastricht, we decided we must get to Amsterdam even if it was only for one day.  We loved it!  The canals, the picturesque streets, the Van Gogh museum, the beer, the flowers. . . this is a city we will visit again.

Vienna, Austria

Two extra days, and so many places we could have visited!  Vienna was the final decision.  Vienna is another big, busy place with the Danube running through it.  It helped us put Trieste into perspective as an Austro-Hungarian city, rather than an Italian one.  The grand palaces and baroque buildings on every corner were pretty impressive.  So were the coffee houses and the museums--this time Klimt's work was the highlight.  It felt like a place where one should listen to classical music, but since we didn't have time for that we settled for visiting the well-manicured gardens and Mozart monument instead.  

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ljubljana is on the way from Vienna back to Duino, so we stopped for a stroll and dinner.  Tom always liked the idea of visiting multiple European capitals in one day.  We didn't quite get three, but two is pretty good!  And he was able to get a couple more jars of honey to bring back to the US.  A good stop on the way to Duino.

Plitvice Photos

With our upcoming move back to the US next month time is winding down for us to share photos of our experiences here in Italy. Here are some of my photos from our trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia last month...enjoy!

Gecko della Casa

We had a new house guest the other day...a baby gecko wandered into our apartment.  I wonder how Mojo Gecko is doing in NJ??

15 Days x 15 Words

May went by in the rush that all teachers know consumes the end of any school year.  IB exams, closing ceremonies, getting the students out of the residence and final staff meetings kept me busy from May 1 to 26.  By then, my parents had arrived for one last visit while we could share our language skills and (very small) car before we move back to the US.
Since then, we have been busy.  I will keep this short but didn't want to skip sharing some highlights from the past weeks.  It was 15 busy days, and here are the highlights in 15 words or less. . .

May 27:  After a stop at the Croatian seaside, we drove to this B&B at Plitvice Lakes.

May 28:  Took a beautiful, crowded boat ride and hike around the lakes with tons of tourists.

May 29:  6:00 wake up call for solitude at the lakes, followed by spit-roasted pork for dinner.

May 30:  Back in Duino, Mom and Dad enjoyed a HUGE fish plate while waiting for laundry.

May 31:  On to Ravenna for some art and culture.  The mosaics make the trip worthwhile.

June 1:  Bologna:  stop two on the "not on a tourbus" tour of Italy.  For the food.

June 2:  We have become fans of Prosecco from Valdobbiadene, so a tasting here was fantastic.

June 3:  The Dolomites hike was "the hardest" Mom remembered--either from the hailstorm or elevation gain. . .

June 4: All enjoyed homemade pizza and an extra-large bottle of prosecco with our favorite B&B superhosts.

June 5:  Even world travelers do laundry, and local gelato in Duino makes it much easier!

June 6:  Back on the road--this time for a reunion with German relatives after 20 years.

June 7:  A day with family included a trip to visit the world's largest cuckoo clock.

June 8:  Melted during a walk on the Rhine and dined with extended family (while speaking German).

June 9:  Tom and I ran off to Heidelberg where we were tourists for the day.

June 10: Auf Wiedersehen, Deutchland!  Städte, Essen und Familie - wir haben alles geliebt!

Here are just a few pictures, because I know Tom will post more.

Plitvice (without crowds)

Gayle and Jeff enjoyed the view

488 steps to the top of the tower in Bologna

The World's Largest Cuckoo Clock
(less impressive than I expected)

Heidelberg Castle

When in Germany, eat bratwurst!

Heidelberg, viewed from the castle

Now we are busy packing in the heat in Italy with frequent breaks to eat pizza and jump into the sea--two of the things we will miss terribly once we move.