Tirol Mountains, Italy

Check out more photos in yesterday’s blog which got messed up because of Internet failure.

After breakfast and some helpful tips from the hotel manager, Alex, we took a gondola up to Alpe Cermis, where we caught part of the International Women's Rollerski World Championship race.

With the foothills of Tyrol behind us, we decided to head into higher elevations and embark on a tour of the Dolomites. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking.

The drive required careful navigation, as we crossed three snow-covered mountain passes with countless hairpin turns. The stick shift stayed mostly in second gear, occasionally in third. The roads were full of cyclists and mountain bikers—clearly, the Dolomites are a paradise for them.

After a quick stop for cappuccino and a speck lunch, we tackled one more mountain pass before descending into a lower valley, where we found Hotel Ingram for the night. Their four-course dinner menu looks very promising.

It was a prefect 79th birthday 🎂!Read more