Arrivederci Castelrotto/Südtirol

I had only an idea of what to expect when I arrived in the German speaking Italian town of Castelrotto 12 days ago. My plan was to day hike this region of the Dolomites using only the map that had been sent to me from the Castelrotto tourism office. With the exception of last Sunday I achieved that goal. The fact that Peter and Steph joined me for 8 days was a huge motivator, too.
Boxer had a few takeaways from his stay: 1) on trails that allow bikes “peddle assist” (e-bikes) out numbered mtb’s.👇 2) the hiking/walking attire was a level above…hiking shorts and boots v shorts and trail shoes. 3) automobiles were as fashionable as the attire…not a older model to be seen and few pickups, especially given that this is/was a farming area. (No Subi’s either) 4) cigarettes are just as popular as the rest of Europe. 5) shops, banks and service businesses close everyday from noon to 3PM.
Boxer did enjoy the food…the cabbage salads, the soups (inside of rolls,) the single sized (unsliced) pizza, the dumplings (filled with speck and cheese dappled with butter) and especially the hot raspberries with vanilla ice cream.
Boxer made the train in Bolzano headed to Milan. The first half of the three hour journey was in a valley not more than two miles wide. With vineyards from high on the hills down to the valley floor. The rest of the trip to Milan was similar to the Willamette Valley. After a train change Boxer was heading west to Geneva and a brief passage through the Swiss Alps, unfortunately the pictures from the train were not great. Shortly after the route drops down to Lake Geneva to circumnavigate to Geneva.Read more