• Italy: Ciao Bella
    On our way to Colfosco in the central Dolomiti region.
    The one stop we made was at the ubiquitous big letters — Dolomiti, Italy.Photo point on Passo Campolongo; the Sassongher massif (R) and the Puez Group (L) looms behind.Mui's entrecôte with gravy; crispy onions, and roasted potatoes — Hotel Jägerhof, Colfosco.Welcome to Chalet Cogolara ... we're on the top floor in the building on the right — Colfosco, ItalyTofano Apartment @ Chalet Cogolara — Colfosco, Italy.Tofano Apartment @ Chalet Cogolara — Colfosco, Italy.Tofano Apartment @ Chalet Cogolara — Colfosco, Italy.Second bedroom ... perfect for Mui's daytime naps ... Tofano Apartment @ Chalet Cogolara — Colfosco.Balcony ... looking south (L) and north; Tofano Apartment @ Chalet Cogolara — Colfosco, Italy.View down to Colfosco and the ski runs and mountains in the distance — Tofano Apartment.View from the balcony down to Colfosco and the mountains — Tofano apartment @ the chalet.Glimpse of Sassongher (L) looking north from the balcony — Tofano apartment @ the chalet.

    Colfosco: Our New Digs @ Chalet Cogolara

    July 10 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    The route we followed from Pieve to our new digs was all new.

    Having decided to see if we could check-in early, we didn’t dally along the way … we knew we’d be driving along the same twisty-turny, two-way mountain roads again. One photo stop at the ubiquitous big letters for Corvara was it.

    As we were driving through Corvara and Colfosco we began wondering if we had made a mistake with this booking. Both towns were very crowded; the streets a hub-bub of activity. Of course, as late as we were to planning our Dolomiti ‘escape the heat’ trip, choices for accommodations that fit our budget were limited, so nothing to do but grin and bear it.

    Turns out that Chalet Cogolara, an apart-hotel, is on the outskirts of Colfosco, far from the madding crowd … but still convenient to grocery shopping, several trails, and such. Built in 1970, the property was renovated into apartments around 2018-2019. It is operated alongside Lüch da Rönn, a historic farmstead. The first mention of the high-elevation farm dates back to 1273. Today, the farm is dedicated to breeding sheep.

    We were greeted by Manuela, who apologized that our apartment wasn’t ready. No apology necessary … we were three hours ahead of schedule. She suggested we have lunch and return around 2:00p … and made a couple of recommendations for our meal. We settled on the restaurant at Hotel Jägerhof down the road a bit and enjoyed a nice lunch on the terrace where an umbrella provided plenty of shade from the bright, hot sun.

    Our apartment was ready when we returned around 2:00p. Before taking us up to our top floor apartment for the next 7 nights, Manuela gave us a tour of the facilities, including the garage, the ski/bike room where she pointed out a locker for our use, the laundry room, and more. Then up to our luxurious apartment … named Tofana for some of the peaks visible from the balcony.

    Once we got the lay of the land and unpacked, Mui drove back to Colfosco to supplement our groceries. I took advantage of the balcony — now in the shade — to read for a while. A delightful light meal — wine and snacks with a view down toward Colfosco and the mountains behind — wrapped up our moving day.    Read more