The Dolomites in northern Italy are part of the Alps and offer a uniquely different experience than elsewhere in Italy.
The region was actually ceded to Italy after WWI and it has retained much of its Bavarian flavor. Bicultural and bilingual, this area is strongly Germanic and offers visitors an unusual blend of cultures. In fact, I heard almost no
Italian spoken in the peaceful village of Alpe di Siusi where I stayed.
My mountain adventure turned out to be completely different from what I expected. But I am learning to adjust my thoughts and plans as I go in order to be more spontaneous and enjoy everything more. I didn’t realize the numerous lifts would be closed in October, so I spent one day hiking the alpine meadow at the base of the majestic and unusual limestone mountains.
I climbed to the summit of Mount Sciliar, which turned out to be one of the bigger challenges I have ever tackled. The 2700 meter hike was more strenuous than I expected and brought me clarity and a spiritual epiphany that I did not anticipate. Trust…Proverbs 3…His time, not my time... Trusting gives an unbelievable freedom and takes away the fear.
Reaching the summit of the mountain was exhilarating. I was able to spend a few hours with a fun German couple I met on the trail. I really wanted to take a different descent down the mountain, but I listened to their wise counsel instead of attempting a descent that may have gotten me into some trouble. Katrina and Monfred, thank you for letting me spend the afternoon with you!
And once atop the summit, this solo American woman, “Miss Ohio,” was even included in a schnapps toast with a kind group of Germans celebrating our accomplishment. Wow, what a great adventure!
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