Dave & Meredith’s Travel Blog

I think that “The Dolomites” sounds like it could have been the title for a bad Hanna-Barbera cartoon from the 1970s.  The Dolomites are a band of crime-fighting heroes.  There’s a strong man, a hot woman, a not-so-ambiguously gay teenage boy, and some mascotty-type animal that speaks gibberish, but all the Dolomites can understand what he is saying.  Especially at the end of the episode when he has the punch line to another crime well fought, and The Dolomites stand around and laugh at the mascotty-type animal while the bad guy sulks in a corner.

Anyway.  The Dolomites are actually beautiful mountains in northern Italy in an area that used to be part of Austria.  It’s very different here than in the rest of Italy - the architecture and people are more Teutonic, and most of the people who live here speak German.  We stopped eating pasta and pizza and started eating knödel and strudel. 

My friend Petra who lives in Munich drove down here to spend a few days relaxing with us.  We based ourselves in a town called Meran or Merano (all the towns have two names - one’s in German and one’s in Italian).

One of the most consistent things we read in our guidebooks about the Dolomites is how sunny it is for most of the year.  I’m not sure who we were supposed to speak with to order up some sun, but it rained pretty much the whole time we were there.  Therefore, we don’t have too many pictures, unfortunately.  But it was beautiful when we caught a few views of mountains through the clouds, trust us.

- Meredith

The doctor in Merano took my plaster cast off for good!  It’s been replaced by an air cast that I only wear during the day with a sneaker.  I’ll need to wear it for four weeks.  But, I’m quite happy hobbling around, and I’ve already ditched my crutches for most walking situations.

BTW, my left calf is noticeably smaller than my right calf after only 2 and a half weeks!  Don’t you think that’s amazing?  Too bad I didn’t have my stomach in a cast all this time. 

I’m going to see my doctor in Boston next week when I’m home to talk about next steps.  We’ll see what she says about whether I’ll be ready to go riding horses and camping in Mongolia in a week and a half.

Thanks for all your comments and emails with well wishes!  I’m feeling better and better every day.

- Meredith

Here is the view from our apartment in Merano:

- Meredith

Venice has been praised and put down by so many people.  I think it’s the kind of place you have to experience yourself and make up your own mind.

The Cons

It’s touristy, expensive, and it’s hard to find a good meal at a remotely reasonable price.

The Pros

It’s beautiful, over-the-top, and fun to explore on foot or boat.  If you accept that you’re going to spend a lot of money here and submit to a little bit of cheesiness, it’s quite a romantic setting.

Venice doesn’t feel like other places in Italy.  As cities go, I personally preferred Rome over Venice, but I’d certainly like to come back to Venice and see more (hopefully on foot next time!).  Our guidebooks say that Venice’s biggest attraction is the city itself.  I agree with that.  As a city built on water, it’s so different than any other place I’ve been, that it’s a little bit exotic.  It’s cool that our hotel is right on the water, and I can hear gondoliers passing by while I’m in the room.  But it’s not totally exotic, because there are too many tourists, and too many shops and restaurants that feed on the tourist drug.

Venice must have been very exotic through the 18th century or so, but I suspect that as the city’s power declined, tourism grew, water levels rose, and property became more and more expensive to maintain, visitors today experience a less authentic Venice than in the past.  Still, it’s quite beautiful.  Here are some pics of the city:

 St. Mark’s Basilica

 Rush Hour on the Grand Canal

 Rush Hour on a Smaller Canal 

 Rush Hour on the Rialto Bridge

 The Rialto Bridge at Dusk

Palazzos and Gondolas lining the Grand Canal 

 Gondolas Jousting

Yesterday, we visited the islands of Murano (of glass fame) and Burano (of lace and colorful house fame).  This was one of my favorite days on this part of the trip.  It felt a little more relaxed, a little less touristy, a little less over the top, and a little more authentic.  When you come here, don’t miss these islands.  Here are some pics from the islands:

 A Glassworker on Murano Heating a Vase in a Furnace

 Canal in Burano

 A Few of Burano’s Colorful Houses

 Reflection of Burano Houses in the Canal

Speaking of canals, about 1 in 10 gondolas that pass by our hotel are carrying tourists that want their gondolier to sing “O Sole Mio” because it’s the only Italian song they know.  Unfortunately, “O Sole Mio” is a song from Naples, not Venice.  I’m sure the gondoliers are used to it (and well paid, and should be because they are seriously working it out there), but when you come here, don’t ask your gondolier to sing “O Sole Mio.”  I think you’d be doing a favor to yourself, as well as to the girl who is stuck in the hotel room all day putting her foot up and listening to gondolas go by.  Not that I don’t like the song “O Sole Mio.”  It’s just more appropriate that you ask an accordionist to play it when you’re in Sorrento or Naples, that’s all.  We took a gondola ride on our last morning in Venice (I know you’re supposed to ride in the evening but we sort of ran out of time).  Here’s a pic our gondolier took of us:

And here’s a pic Dave took of us in a mirror the gondoliers use to see what other boats may be coming around the corner:

- Meredith