Whitby Kids

The summer weather is really going great in England this year - Kevin and Margaret went up to Captain Cook's World - Whitby, Yorkshire, to spend time with their 2 grandkids, Emms and Jack.

Jack jumping above, and Emms on the run below Whitby's "Endeavour" cruising past

Emms just looks a little "cool"

and all is "okay" with Jack

Spring in the Dolomites

Up early for breakfast, then those who had decided to do the tour with Carlo and Stephanie today - loaded onto our machine again. Some didn't come, as it was going to be another "windy" route with heights involved, just like the last half of yesterday.

Carlo wound his way around and soon we were in amongst that wonderful snow. Our first stop was the "Fort Tre Sassi - Great War Museum" up high in the Dolomites. This War Museum is located inside the Tre Sassi Fort, a war fortification built in 1897 by the Austro-Hungarian army with the purpose to defend the Valpora Pass and the Val Balda valley, in expectation of a possible invasion from the Italian Army.

In 1915 as the war between Austro-Hungary and Italy begun, the fort had to be evacuated as its roof was destroyed by the bombing of 210 projectiles.

Being useless as a Fort, the Austrians left the building but kept its rooms illuminated during the night, deceiving the Italian Army which kept on wasting ammunitions shooting on an empty target, so they could gain time to build other fortresses!!. Stephanie had organised for this Museum to be opened for us (early in the season) by the son, maybe grandson of the creator of this War Museum - he was dressed in "Austrian army uniform" .

Anyway they kept swapping borders and after the Austrian recovery in 1917, the town of Cortina was occupied again by the Tyrolians, but following Italy's victory in World War 1, Ampezzo was finally given to Italy. After the war the city was renamed "Cortina d'Ampezzo" (graveyard of Ampezzo), charming!!.

Our Austrian Soldier - stands absolute above the site of the now invisible war villages of the Ampezzo Valley. We wandered further around these giants Loads of biking and hiking about to start - and of course these huts are necessary for these crazies! Carlo then starts to truck us around more "big dipper" roads on to Marmolada Marmolada (below) is the highest mountain (10,968 ft) of the Dolomites. Before World War 1, the border between Austria and Italy ran over Marmolada, so it formed part of the front line during that conflict. Austrian soldiers were quartered in deep tunnels bored into the northern face's glacier, and Italian soldiers were quartered on the south face's rocky precipices.

We stop at a Cafe at the bottom - south of the lifts for a hot chocolate and apple struedel - thick, I mean very thick and tres rich!

tough to walk up hill after that "snack"

Our next choice is - do we want to travel up in a "hanging basket" (Stephanie's description) to the only Glacier in the Dolomites.

Yep, we do!

Never seen a lift like this before - but it worked - and it was a hanging, sometimes swinging basket

Stephanie in her "hanging basket" above

She said it was the clearest day she had ever had in the Dolomites in Spring.

They were still skiing

Our "swinger" made it to the top, with a very quick departure from its occupants!

The scenery just started to extend further

We are reasonably high up now

And so is our handsome relaxing Italian skier in orange - but being italian - some things never change???

Ah - the start of the glacier up there

and it was rather warm as well

Not sure if Bob had worn skis before - a Toowoomba - Queensland boy.

Could have spent all day up here

Just incredible really

and the scenery goes on

and on

and on

Time to reboard a basket to descend back down Marmolada

Mid afternoon we stopped - somewhere - don't know the name- and the Brig and I had a delicious Austrian style meatball soup - amongst the scenery below.

Then back to Cortina d'Ampezzo and its great Co-Op for this evening's snack dinner, and a couple of Christmas ornaments!

Most of the others went to the Pizza Cafe instead, but we were making the most of our pre "dog box" Venice room!

Of course our NIKON 90 man, Huberto, took this absolutely wonderful photo that same evening - just superb.

The Italian Dolomites

The Dolomites was the major reason we chose this particular tour, not many of these "package" numbers include this incredible mountain range.

*****

We will be staying at Cortina d'Ampezzo - for the next two nights in the Ampezzan alpine valley - the heart of the Dolomites.

A tad of history, because of WW11, the Winter Olympics -1944 in Cortina were cancelled, but they did run here in 1956.

*****

Our trip from Verona really improved once we left those Italian motorways, and all their tunnels!!!

the scenery became outstanding

with some of us trying to take as many photos as possible through the windows of Carlo's big machine

Cortina d'Ampezzo below Carlo parked the Bus in Corso Italia - just near our hotel, Hotel Ancora

and our "wild rider" statue with largish "boobs" at the entry to Ancora Hotel!

The Ancora's lovely european hall heater below Yes, we have 2 rooms, plus 2 bathrooms here, as do our neighbours, Rob and Robin, in fact they have 2 jacuzzi bathrooms.

Why would this comfort, or lack of, be mentioned - because of our next stop - Venice.

This tour was certainly not the most expensive, however, our creative guide, Stephanie, has mentioned on more than one occasion, the hotel in Venice and it's "maybe lack of comfort for some" - could depend on what they have had previously!!

Our huge balcony and 2 room suite, just about guaranteed us the "dog box" in Venice.

The view from the balcony was wonderful - now it's time for a wander before our dinner at Ancora's restaurant.

and yes, Cortina has a parish Church - the San Filippo and Giacomo - built in 1775

The church's incredible bell tower - 71 mts high, built in 1851

built of dolomite stone - which of course some of the local mountaineers enjoy during a certain annual festival below - wanted to show the Tower's variability - definitely not my photo!!.

Such a very pleasant town - with probably the best "Co-Op" La Cooperativa di Cortina, founded in 1893, that we had been privileged to see so far. The translation, a great 3 story local gift to the town and us touristers for shopping - for anything!

The photo below was taken by our Nikon 90 man - Huberto

A really super meal - then off to the Ancora's open fireplace

for some(certainly not moi) to stretch their "vocal" chords, - the Aussies and the Americans all singing their favourites

*****

Wonderful fun music, and poems, from this group - so much fun!