riding the Falzarego pass in the Dolomites

a cloudy sunday
a couple in need of fresh air and freedom
a vintage lambretta
a pass in the Dolomites, between Agordo and Cortina d'Ampezzo

early autumn alpine weekend in Cortina d'Ampezzo

the pink hues of a Dolomites sunset

we started the new season in our own way, by taking a couple of days by ourselves, to go to the most beautiful town of the Dolomites, our dear Cortina d'Ampezzo. 

in spite of being quite close to our home, less than 90 kilometers, even when we visit for a day or just an afternoon (it happens), the chilly air and the stunning alpine landscape don't fail to make me feel happier, somehow clearer and recharged. it's mountain magic, nature magic. 

we visited some old spots and tried new ones, starting with a lovely glamping experience at the international camping Olympia, where we rented the cosiest wooden tent.

the blue hour  in Cortina, outside our wooden tent at camping Olympia 

ENI village in Borca di Cadore. October, Saturday 10th

i've been wanting to visit the ENI village for a long time. it opens to the public just on special occasions, and i was thrilled to finally see a guided tour organized by Progetto Borca on a day we could attend. 

we rode to Borca di Cadore {near Cortina d'Ampezzo, in the amazing Dolomites} by lambretta.

given the cold and gloomy day, it was kind of risky, but in the end we were able to make a lambretta field trip out of it. 

we enjoy visiting places like this one, that we consider the most special and interesting, even more when we visit them by scooter.

la Regina, Cortina d'Ampezzo. August, Sunday 19th

The weekend didn't start in a good way, on Saturday morning I found out that the film I used to photograph our day-trips to Passo Rolle and Carso (our friend Miss P took us to the best osmize near Trieste) turned out completely grey. I was really exited to blog about these beautiful location and to see how the photos look like. I keep telling myself that it's a good excuse to come back for another visit but... we'll see.



However, that wasn't a good reason to stay home on Sunday. It was so hot that the decision to move towards the mountain was unavoidable.

When we go somewhere in Cadore, we always make a stop in the wonderful Pasticceria Fiori in San Vito di Cadore. They are so kind! The pastries are delicious and if you want something sweet and refreshing, ask for the Ski Wasser, a non-alcoholic cocktail made of raspberry syrup, lemon juice, soda and ice (the alcoholic version has gin in it).

After the break, we continued towards Cortina. It was hotter than we expected, so the long road was unconfortable, but we made it in time for lunch.
There are a lot of good restaurants were you can taste the local cousine, we choose the Baita Piè Tofana, near the ski slopes. It's funny how different is this place in summer. Even without the magic of the snow, it's still wonderful. 

In spite of all the cheesy eighties movies, the overpriced bar and restaurants, the snobbish tourists, don't forget that Cortina is called the Dolomites Queen for a reason. And the most amazing thing here is the one that you don't have to pay for. Just take a look around, you'll fall in love with that views, lanscapes, blue skies, smell of wood and musk.

From August 11th to September 15th, contemporary art, too, is at home in Cortina, with Dolomiti Contemporanee, a  project that brings contemporary art to the Dolomites. (more info here)
The exhibition "Play by the rules / giocando secondo (con) le regole" is held inside the Ethnographic Museum and plays with the connections beetween tradition and modernity. This exhibition is just a small piece of 2012 DC's puzzle,the biggest part of the project  is held in Taibon, inside a disused glasses factory.