Welcome to Colle Santa Lucia

Colle Santa Lucia (Santa Lucia Hill) is the first of two base of operations for our ‘escape the heat’ trip into the mountains.

This Italian municipality of just 338 permanent inhabitants is located in the Fodom Valley, one of five valleys in the territory of Ladinia. It is a quiet and peaceful place … away from the hub-bub of the popular locations of the Dolomiti. That it sits at an elevation ranging from 4,200 to 4,900 feet (1,300-1,500m) guarantees comfy temps. Scenic and cool = perfect in our book.

Our home away from home for the next nine nights is the family-operated Cesa dele Angele, a boutique property in a building that dates back to the 17th century. The name comes from a previous family that lived in the building — Angela and her three unmarried daughters … hence “Le Angele.”

We were greeted by Raffaella, the owner, who apologized profusely for the construction work across the road — repairing the retaining wall that is in danger of collapsing. The work meant that we’d have to park in the square — a two-minute walk … if that. No worries. We did so after unloading the bags at the door.

Raffaella escorted us down to BEC (deer), the second floor apartment … below the street level … and overlooking a beautiful, green-clad valley with mountains across the way. Beautiful setting … even under skies portending rain.

After settling in, we decided to drive back about a mile to the slightly larger hamlet of Selva di Cadore to grab a bite to eat and supply our kitchen with the necessities to self-cater some of our meals. We didn’t get far. The sprinkling rain and the increasing chill had us returning to the apartment for rain gear. A smart move, as it turns out. It was raining cats and dogs as we pulled out of the parking lot.

From the limited dining venues in the immediate area, we decided to go to Chiosco Bar da Silver — a tiny roadside kiosk on our way to Selva di Cadore. On a clear day, it probably has an amazing view. This evening, the scenery was hidden behind a heavy sheet of rain. That did not stop us, however, from enjoying our drinks and grilled würstel (frankfurter) sandwiches and crispy fries.

Continuing on to Selva di Cadore, we made short work of our shopping at Margherita Conad … after stopping at Val Fiorentina first for a delicious gelato. Then back to the apartment.

An admittedly soggy start to our escape in the mountains. But not a single word of complaint from us. We’re loving the cooler temps … even if the rain storm added an additional chill factor.

We’re both tired from our travel day and plan to turn in early tonight … in a bedroom where we don’t have to rely on the A/C to get relief from the heat. Such a relief!Read more