Seven days into our trip, my photographer’s soul filled to overflowing. On that day we reached our furthest destination: a small mountain town called Ortisei (OR-tuh-say), in the far northeast corner of Italy.
Italy’s northern border runs through the Alps, and the Italian side of the range is called the Dolomites, the picturesque craggy peaks named for the type of stone found in them. A beautiful valley, called Val Gardena, runs through these mountains, with a string of Bavarian-style villages running its length. Each village has some sort of transport that runs people up and down the mountains: skiers in the winter, hikers in the summer. These may be simple ski lifts, sophisticated gondolas, or a funicular (cog railway).
Ortisei is the largest of the Val Gardena towns, and we spent four glorious days here. One of our nephews, the only relative to have visited here, calls this town his favorite place on earth so far. If you are a photographer, this has to be on your bucket list. See if you don’t agree.
The view out our hotel room 
The cable car with town of Ortisei below 
View from the top 
Yes, I really took this picture. 
A centuries-old trail 
A mountain hut serving breakfast to hikers. Never saw the sunrise that morning because of fog.