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 

flowers and candlelight: Rosa Rosae, magical inn in Veneto countryside | places to ♥ #2

an old mill, careffully restored and tastefully furnished. a building with the typical features of venetian rural tradition on the outside, a magical inn on the inside. I had dinner with my family at Rosa Rosae last weekend, and beautiful things have to be shared.

spring weekend in Veneto: welcome to La Scuola b&b, a charming school - themed guesthouse

cherry blossoms, lambretta, some time just for us, and a charming, romantic retreat on the hills of our beloved region: these were the ingredients of our last weekend on the road. how could I ask for more? 

the road to Lusiana, passing through Bassano del Grappa, Marostica and the cherry tree road | watercolor map

2016 first ride. January, Sunday 17th

foliage ride and hot chocolate picnic. November, Sunday 1st

 when it doesn't get all foggy, wet and grey, autumn can spoil you with days like this one. 

analogue walk in Belluno. October, Saturday 11th

if you've enjoyed the little guide of Belluno, here's some other film photos i took the same day, after a cool lambretta ride, during our explorative walk with Valentina.

wish you a great week  
♥

graffiti | Belluno | fujicolor 200

how we celebrated the Redentore in Venice on a sail boat: the video!

do you remeber when i told you about the weekend we spent sailing in Venice?

it has been an amazing experience we had the chance to to thanks to Antlos, a brand new start up that was filming a web series in the Mediterranean sea and asked us to play a little part in it.

Belluno | a little guide

i felt it was about time to write some more practical posts about this little corner of Italy where we live in. i didn't want them to be too dry and schematic, i want them to have the same amount of inspirational stuff and charm that a regular post of this blog has. we asked a friend to be our local guide for one day and we had fun playing the tourists, listening, taking pictures and sketching.

the result is this little guide to Belluno, completely i diari della lambretta style: there are insiders tips, illustrations, film photos and some reasons to fall in love with the town. enjoy!

ponte della vittoria {victory bridge} and a look to the city centre | fujicolor 200

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.

harvest time in the Prosecco hills

homemade cableway to carry the grapes | Combai | VSCOcam 

even if you don't work in the wine sector, when you live in a wine region, harvest time affects you.
you run late cause you've been stuck behind a tractor while driving to work. everyone at your local bar is talking about sugar levels, acidity, weather. you see people dressed up like scarecrows on their way to the vineyard. and the grape is shimmering, it tries to catch your eye in any way, all puffed up and proud.

July, Saturday 18th. Venice seen from a sail boat

it was going to be just a regular weekend for us. but then the phone rang, and i was asked if Marco and i were up to a field trip to Venice. why not?

Venezia seen from the water | Punta della Dogana | kodak ektar 100

July, Friday 17th. a dance with the honey bees

Andrea Paternoster, beekeper, and the honey bees of Borgoluce apiary

their flight is a dance, their voice is vibrant, they are hard workers, skilled in the art of good taste, they are gourmand and love flowers, they are team players, they are the best example of girl power, they vouch for an intact natural environment.

I spent a morning with the honeybees.

alpine botanical garden in Cansiglio. July, Sunday 12th

donkeys on our way back from the Cansiglio alpine botanical garden

how many amazing things we did in July! it confirms itself as my favorite month. i cannot wait to tell you everything about our Sicilia road trip, but we're not quite there yet. {i shared a little preview on Steller yesterday though}

during hot summer days i amore even more grateful than usual that we live so close to the mountains. just a quick lambretta ride and we can step into the enchanting Cansiglio forest, the closest green getaway. 

June, Sunday 7th. brent de l'art, multi coloured wild canyon

when the heat is unbearable, we are grateful to live so close to the mountains, so we can jump on the lambretta and ride to a cooler place, like brent de l'art in Trichiana.

Sunday, April 12th. discovering silk farming in Vittorio Veneto

the silkworm museum - Museo del Baco da Seta in Vittorio Veneto

Monday, June 1st. the handmade amusement park in the forest

osteria ai pioppi by lambretta | vscocam

sometimes the most incredible places are the closest  to home. for us, this is definitively one of the cases.

the biggest slide of the park | vscocam

Venetian stories: Marisa and her glass beads

Marisa workshop in sestiere San Marco 

© Italian Stories

Venice is small. it has the size of a town. but, behind any door, an entire world could open up for you, like stepping in Marisa's workshop, in sestiere San Marco. 
quirky wallpaper, old books, pictures, necklaces, china porcelain cups filled with glass beads, coral branches made of glass beads, velvet slippers embroidered with glass beads. glass beads everywhere! a small, colorful world. and Marisa sits in the middle of it, her desk well lighted by an old fashion chandelier and a lamp, her hands weaving, embroidering, stitching fast, among hundreds of small variously shaped and colored beads. 

Venezia neighborhoods | San Marco in analogue

from the family photo album - San Marco square

1. my granpa and his father in the 40s | 2. my mum, my aunt, uncle and me, 1989

 3. me feeding pigeons (it is not allowed anymore), 1993 | 4. me and my sister feeding pigeons again (you can easlily understand why it is not allowed anymore), 1996 | 5. marco chasing pigeons, 1985 

Venezia, an introduction

there is a novel, called the Invisible Cities, by Italo Calvino, where the venetian explorer Marco Polo has a long conversation with the emperor Kublai Khan, telling him tales about cities and exploring the imagination. then, you'll find this dialogue:

"Sire {Marco Polo to Kublai Khan}, now I have told you about all the cities I know."
"There is still one of which you never speak"
Marco Polo bowed his head.
"Venezia" the Khan said.
Marco smiled. "What else do you believe I have been talking to you about?"