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The Dolomites are sometimes called the "Italian Alps." They are connected to the Alps, but they are a bit different. They are named after a certain kind of sedemantary rock with it's own coloring that tends to glow at sunset. (Ask me some time about the rock.) These first pictures are of the mountains around the little hotel where I staid at sunset. They were taken out of the dining room window! By the way, click on any image to see it full sized. |
There are two regions in the Dolomites: Trentino
and Alto Adige ("Adige" is pronounced AH-dee-jay). Alto Adige
is the most northern and borders Switzerland and Austria. The people traditionally
speak their own language, a derivative of German, and stubbornly refuse
to be subsumed into Itanlian culture. Outside of the main town, Bolzano/Bozen
(which is mostly Italian speaking) they speak mostly German these days.
Also, the town has two spellings, one Italian one German. Absolutely everything
has to have both. God forbid we officially settle one one name and favor
Italian or German. Anyway, their buildings are certainly German rather than
Italian heritage. Sorry I didn't get a picture of the towns. I'll put one
up on the next trip. They are spectacular, little Swiss villas on narrow
streets nestled between spectacular peaks. 
Anyway, I found a beautiful high mountain pass, way
up as high as I could go, and decided to stay at the hotel nestled right
in the pass. The pass was called Grödner Joch (Paso di Gardena) and
it is pictured at the right. Rooms were 75,000 Lire for a private and 25,000
Lire ($14 US) for a dormitory. Guess which one I went for! On the laft is
a picture of the nice lady who took care of me. I never got her name, but
her son was "Walter." I hiked 
clear up to the top of the mountains surrounding the pass
and had a spectacular view of the entire area. It was Sunday, so I celebrated
Mass at the very top. Yes, you Dominicans heard right. Never say never.
I can't say "presided" because "presided" over whom?
But I also can't say it was a "private" mass bacause I could see
the whole world from there, and I prayed together with the whole of creation....
I and the mountains and the valley and the people of Alto Adige and the
people of the world praised God together on that mountain. Well, you get
the point.
In the morning,
I had to get back to Bologna to pick up another Dominican, Peter Hunter.
Here is a shot I took going down the moutain as the sun came up. We are
going back up to the mountains on Tuesday, so stay tuned for more...