Where We Be
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| Santa Cristina -- Dolomites, Italy |
We drove to nearby Santa Cristina (all of seven
minutes away by car) and rode up the Monte
Pana chair lifts. This was a peaceful ride in an
open-air ski lift in two parts. We all liked the
less-visited feel of this part of the valley. The
two-stage lifts took us up to Mont Sëura, and
from there we hiked along a scenic, flattish trail
towards the impressive Sassolungo massif.
There was no obvious loop hike here, so we
simply hiked as far as we wanted before turning
around. There were horses and cows aplenty on
and near the trail, and gorgeous scenery, and
clanging cow bells, and Sassolungo itself still in
shadow in the early morning light. I'd guess we
hiked about a mile or two before turning around.
We descended the two chair lifts and visited
what's billed as the world’s largest hand-carved
nativity scene -- located right in the heart of
Santa Cristina. Afterwards, we walked over to a
woodworking store where Alan purchased a
very cool "Tyrolian rock climber" woodcarving.
Then we dined at a restaurant in Santa Cristina
called L’ Fudle, where we splurged out in style.
minutes away by car) and rode up the Monte
Pana chair lifts. This was a peaceful ride in an
open-air ski lift in two parts. We all liked the
less-visited feel of this part of the valley. The
two-stage lifts took us up to Mont Sëura, and
from there we hiked along a scenic, flattish trail
towards the impressive Sassolungo massif.
There was no obvious loop hike here, so we
simply hiked as far as we wanted before turning
around. There were horses and cows aplenty on
and near the trail, and gorgeous scenery, and
clanging cow bells, and Sassolungo itself still in
shadow in the early morning light. I'd guess we
hiked about a mile or two before turning around.
We descended the two chair lifts and visited
what's billed as the world’s largest hand-carved
nativity scene -- located right in the heart of
Santa Cristina. Afterwards, we walked over to a
woodworking store where Alan purchased a
very cool "Tyrolian rock climber" woodcarving.
Then we dined at a restaurant in Santa Cristina
called L’ Fudle, where we splurged out in style.
| If you're looking for a less-visited but still beautiful hike in Val Gardena, give Santa Cristina's Monte Pana lifts a try |
| Our feast begins with steak tartare, followed by a "mixed canederli plate" of local Tyrolean dumplings served four different ways |
| Alan, being Alan, wants to go ever higher and farther, but we gently remind him today is supposed to be an easy hiking day |
| At the summit, we're greeted by more horses and cows than people |
| You'll also get great views of Santa Cristina and its church -- the oldest church in the valley |
| Right from the beginning -- even from the chair lift -- you get good views of the Sassolungo Massif |
| It's a peaceful, sun-filled ride to the top |
| Ahead of us is the Sassolungo Massif -- the only obvious place to go |
| It's warm so we quickly shed layers |
| Behind us we can see the chair lift with its beautiful mountain backdrop |
| Jagged peaks in the distance add to the beauty of the scene |
| The trail winds gently upwards, and we follow wherever it takes us |
| So we turn around and climb to one more high viewpoint, where we can look down on other hikers coming up the same trail we did |
| This is an especially beautiful spot |
| We linger for awhile, enjoying the views |
| Troy takes a truly wide-angle panoramic view |
| Below you can see the chairlift -- our starting point. On the other side of the wooden post is a carving of Christ, hung with jewelry |
| We head down towards the chair lift |
| Back at our starting point -- but wait! There's a refugio! |
| Streudel and chocolate cake with whipped cream for breakfast? Sure, why not! Troy's look says it all. |
| We take the lifts back down |
| In Santa Cristina proper, we can't pass up seeing the largest hand-carved nativity scene in the world |
| The workmanship is impressive, and it's no surprise to learn that Val Gardena is world-famous for its woodcarving |
| We visit nearby Demetz Art Studio, where Alan purchases this hand-carved Tyrolean rock climber |
| The artisan lets us watch him in action as he carves his current piece |
| We celebrate a fun hike and Alan's recent acquisition at L'Fudle Restaurant on Santa Cristina's main street |
| Cars pass by occasionally, but the street is mostly quiet |
| A mural on a distant building wall (see the adjacent picture) speaks to the importance of art here |
| Robin's carbonara dish is excellent (and rich), and my canederli plate lets us try something new |
