Northern Italy and the Dolomites

A's best friend from high school married an Italian guy. They live in a village just outside of Trento in the foothills of the Dolomites. They have a couple of girls that are about the same age as E & F and they come back to the States every summer so all the kids know each other pretty well. Visiting them was the impetus for the whole trip. We have been invited over and over to come visit but they are always here in the summer and a week seems like to short a time to visit them on every other spring break. But this year we had two weeks so - trip on!

So these pictures are kind of in reverse order, but you all probably don't really care.

The ski jumps where the Nordic World Championships will be held next year.


Heading up the cable car.

Looking down from the cable car. That twisty line is the road we drove up.

Heading to the top.

Looking back the way we came.

Some SkyRunner celeb poster at the restaurant on top.

Chilling and eating lunch.

Local beer.

Hanging with our friend at the coffee bar.

Looking back down. The little cluster in the middle is a group of people including ski patrol and a sled. Injuries up here can not be good.


The tunnel below goes under the ski run.

Hardcore biking in the snowy Dolomites. (I was jealous.)



An Ape (ah-pay) "screaming" up the mountain.

Biker.

Down in the valley.

Towns clinging to the mountain sides.


Market in Bolzano.


House on a "hill" overlooking Bolzano.

Main square in Bolzano.



Near our friend's in-laws house. The "new" town is to the right - 300 years old. The "old" town is to the left - 500 years old.

Mountain view from our friend's place.


Castle above our friend's town - Pergine


I ran up to the castle. It's a hotel now.

More Venice

Here are some more pictures of Venice, again, in no particular order. Enjoy!