Despite our best efforts...no, strike that...despite a moderate to low amount of effort, we slept in a little later than we had planned. What can I say, it just feels good to let the rising sun slowly warm the bed and lull me awake. After a simple breakfast of a fresh roll and some fruit, with cheese and cold cuts from the market, we finally made it out the door around 11am. Super late, but that's what today was for: lounging. Yesterday, we rock scrambled along the tallest mountain in the region, so today we designated the afternoon for relaxing in Alleghe along the lake.
The walking trail begins just down the street from us, and it meanders through woods, fields, and the outskirts of several tiny villages on its way to Alleghe. The trail was even, mostly downhill and with a very gentle gradient--it would have made for a killer bike ride. Despite a clear blue sky, the shade of the woods made it feel chilly, but only so much that our walking kept us warm enough to be comfortable. We talked, joked, took pictures, and soaked in the beauty along the entirety of the trail. The route offered several options for detours and adding impressive mileage and elevation, but our goal was simply to make it to Alleghe for a delightful lunch. The four-ish mile walk alongside the river took us a little over two hours, with us stopping to read signs, take videos, ride a swing set, and admire a herd of sheep.
At around 1:15 we caught our first glimpse of the lake, at the base of an enormous mountain--the prototypical jagged Dolomite peaks tickling the wispy clouds that hugged their sides. It was a beautiful sight to behold, but then again, what isn't up here? We stopped to eat at the first place we found, the Hotel Europe Sport or something like that, overlooking the lake a mere 100 meters away. Some bread with olive oil and some house made hollow spaghetti with buffalo mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. All I can say is, BEST pasta ever. On s beatific terrace looking out over the lake and surrounding mountains, the dining experience could not have been more enjoyable.
Our appetites and souls satisfied, we walked a short ways to the lake's edge, where a woman was renting paddle boats for 10 euro an hour. This was the moment we had been waiting for: lounge time. Without hesitation, we handed her our cash, hopped in the boat, and paddled our way out to the middle of the lake. We were both literally giggling with disbelief at how incredible this situation was. Beauty and serenity on a level rarely experienced. Once we snapped a few photos, we took our respective patches of astro turf covered front and back of the boat, and read our books under the gaze of the mountains high above, gently swaying back and forth on the water. A good 45 minutes later and we were fighting off our urge to fall into a nap. Alas it was time to head back to shore. We would have stayed out there longer, but the afternoon clouds were starting to block the sun more and more, bringing the chill factor up to a level that made us want to quit while we were ahead.
Once on land, we walked along the shoreline, just taking it all in. We stopped at a gelato truck and enjoyed some wonderful strawberry and vanilla gelato--yes, Dad, gelato--before ambling up to the city center to buy bus tickets home. It was a good two ours with the transfer and bus waits, but it was pleasant walking into occasional shops in Alleghe and Caprile on our way back. The bus systems are quite punctual, and it's a marvel to watch the drivers negotiate the tiny twisting village streets.
Once in the nearest village to our BnB, we decided to hit the local pizzeria before heading home. A margherita for Maddie, and a vegetable one of me. It wasn't quite on par with La Corte in Venice, but it was still excellent pizza. A short, pleasant walk back to the apartment and we were settling in for the night, after what turned out to be a long, balanced day of activity and relaxation, just what we wanted.
If the good weather holds, tomorrow will be a long hike to the agriturismo (farm) to try some local food products, followed by a hike to the top of Passo Ombretta, nestled beneath the face of Marmolada. These plans are subject to change, but that's okay because we're just so content to do whatever right now!
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