beloved bel

On our last full day in the Valley Ahrntal, we decided to visit one more lake, and head to Bolzano (or Bozen in German) which is the capital of South Tyrol. This lake K chose was called Lago di Braies and we decided to drive as close to the lake as possible to minimise walking hehe.  It was about an hour's drive away and so back to that one motorway leading out of Ahrntal Valley. On our way towards the snow capped mountains A small lake we passed by on our way and there was a hotel right in front of this lake with a superb view A church near Lago di Braies It was pretty crowded when we arrived with almost no parking spaces.  Again we saw the young and the old, families with young kids with many all geared up for a hike. Breathtaking Two happy faces As it was raining the night before, the low clouds definitely added to the dramatic effect There was a footpath around the lake and so we followed it and walked for about 30min each way. ...

When I heard there is a cable car up to Speikboden I got all excited and asked the hotel reception if it's worth going (sounds like a doh! question I know) and of course she said "yes, especially on a sunny and clear day like this".  We started our day to the base of the cable car station.  The great thing about staying in Ahrntal Valley is that there is only one major road which passes by all the small villages.  Almost everyday we put in Sand-in-Taufers because that direction leads us out of the valley, and it is a bigger village with shops and supermarkets. On our way After 15min, we were 2,000m above sea level During winter, the entire South Tyrol region becomes a ski paradise and this cable car brings winter sports enthusiasts up the mountain, more than 2,000m above sea level.  During summer, people go up to hike because there are also many hiking/ cycling routes.  The ride up took 15 minutes and soon the people, cars, and cows on the groun...

Now that the whole world has awaken to and accepted (to various degrees) the Brexit news, we were spending those peaceful five days in north Italy, called South Tyrol (or Sud Tirol).  We had booked this trip back in February without thinking much of the EU Referendum but turns out the timing was pretty good!  We have not heard of this place before and what happened was - we were looking to book our first getaway for the year, and K suggested checking out Voyage Prive, a (free) members only package deal offers.  We saw this wellness resort in South Tyrol, Italy and the deal included flights from London Gatwick, plus meals were provided.  We briefly googled the place and K being the avid lover of mountains and lakes, proposed booking this package.  I couldn't vote against all the beautiful pictures we saw online and so that was how it was decided. Looking back, I'm so glad we went to this gem of a place and I am pretty convinced we are moving to South Ty...