Puez-Odle Altopiano

 
This is an incredible hike, just continuous non-stop jaw-dropping scenery from start to end.  It was my absolute favorite day of an amazing trip.  This loop hike is located in Naturpark Puez-Geisler, which is part of the Dolomites World Heritage Site.  It starts and ends in the ski town of Selva di Val Gardena.  We parked in a pay lot along the main street, then walked uphill along Streda Dantercepies for about half a mile before reaching the base station for the Dantercepies cable car.  There was no queue, so once we secured our one-way tickets, we stepped into a small cable car for the speedy ride up.  There is an elbow in the line, but we stayed in the cable car through the mittelstation, all the way to the end of the line. 

Monte Lagazuoi, Dolomites

We drove through stunning scenery between Innsbruck and Santa Fosca, the tiny village where we stayed in the Dolomites.  The most impressive section stretched between Valparola Pass and Falzarego Pass; both are included in the List of Highest Paved Roads in Europe.  It took forever to drive through here, and not just because the roads were twisty and choked with bicyclers.  We kept having to stop to gawk and take pictures. This area is relatively close to Santa Fosca, and we knew we wanted to return for a hike.  There is a cable car that whisks passengers from the elevation of 6,900 feet at Falzarego Pass ass up to an elevation of 9,000 feet near the summit of Monte Lagazuoi.  Many visitors ride the cable car both up and down, taking the short stroll to the rifugio to enjoy the views accompanied by strudel and espresso.  Hiking both up and down is also obviously an option, and we definitely wanted hike.  However, we also didn't want to burn Frankie's legs out too much the day before hiking the Puez-Odle Altopiano, so we elected to ride up, and hike back down.

Montefollonico to Montepulciano, Italy

We embrace slow travel, so for this trip to Italy we spent almost two weeks in Tuscany, then a few days in Rome.  While in Tuscany, we stayed in the tiny hilltop village of Montefollonico, a charming walled medieval enclave located short 15-minute drives from both Pienza and Montepulciano, two of the most storied towns in the area.  We prefer to rent apartments rather than stay in hotels, and in Montefollonico, our two bedroom rental featured an incredible 12th-century tower, complete with parapets and arrow slits.  The views from the terrace atop the tower were spectacular!

Sentiero Rosso, Parco il Tondo, Italy

We've been in Montefollonico nine days already, but have spent those days exploring nearby hilltop villages and the historical rival-cities of Firenze and Siena.  As spectacular as those adventures were, I've craving a simple day around town: less driving and more hiking.  When Erwin wasn't up yet by the time Frankie and I finished breakfast, we headed out on foot, planning to stop at the playground, then pop into the little grocery store on our way back to the apartment.  A pair of adorable and super charming Italian boys were at the playground.  The older brother kept trying to get Frankie to play with them, but my shy little guy was overwhelmed by the language barrier and the 7-year old's friendly exuberance, and kept running back to me.  I chatted with the kids a bit, but when their Dad kept interceding to tell them to give Frankie some space, I decided we should clear out.  The kids were so sweet, I didn't want to provide the attractive nuisance that would get them in trouble.