Manshausen Island: Skip Iceland, This is the Best Place to See the Northern Lights

“Exactly HOW good are they?”  I shouted out the window from bed, as I lazily rolled from side to side, fighting off post-dinner lethargy.  “Do you see any purple? Are they extra squiggly?”

If you’ve seen them before, you know that the northern lights seem to have two extremes: 1) a light green hue in the sky - faint, but visible to the human eye, and 2) ABSOLUTE UNEXPECTED CHAOS; when the lights start to dance and vertical lines emerge from the black of night in such a way that purples and pinks surface in waves. In this stage, virtually anything can happen - and no two experiences are ever the same.

You know you’ve reached peak Northern Lights snobbery when you become arbiter of which lights are worth leaving the cabin for.  But after freezing my fingers off photographing impeccable auroras the prior night, a light hint of green beams reflecting across the channel just wasn’t enough to justify emerging from the balminess of the indoors.

Luckily, Manshausen Island is one of the only places in the world where you don’t have to choose between comfort and auroras.  The island, situated 100 km above the Arctic Circle, contains only four cabins (soon to be seven, as new ones are in development) jutting out into the Grøtøya strait, each with floor to ceiling glass windows, from which you can take in the lights (or sunrise/sunset). 

Manshausen is run by a lovely young couple: Astrid and Jesper, who moved to the island together as their own personal adventure only last year.  These forces of humans are as important to the island as the land itself.  She cooks, organizes, handles guests – you name it. He – a former mountain guide – does the other half of the duties.  Partners in the truest sense, they have unmistakably made Manshausen their home and have become one with the place. And it’s contagious: while there, you feel as though you should too.  

During the day, you are encouraged to do your own exploring or take part in one of the activities available: kayaking, hiking on the adjacent island, fishing for some arctic catch, or even just walking around the Manshausen Island itself can keep you busy for an afternoon. There are many fun finds on the island itself: the resident sheep population, seashells, and sunrises/sunsets which you'll remember for a lifetime.  After a day of adventuring, you can either cook for yourself in your own cabin, or opt into an incredible meal with only the best ingredients sourced from the surrounding islands. 

The supreme immersion and belonging to everything local is exactly what I imagine the founder Børge Ousland had in mind when he came up with the idea to open Manshausen in the far reaches of northern Norway. 

A highly esteemed polar explorer, Børge spent years looking for a way to share the immense beauty of arctic landscapes which he had come to love with normal folk.  Quite the quest, coming from a guy who said his marital vows at the North Pole.

The search for such a place turned out to be an adventure in itself.  Børge didn’t find Manshausen overnight.  It took years of travel, a bit of luck, a chance meeting with the eventual architect, and some convincing – as any new venture usually does.  But throughout, Børge’s paramount aspiration was to create a place where humans and nature could exist in harmony. 

Minutes after an Arctic seal surfaced in the water right underneath our cabin, I watched one of the largest sea eagles imaginable soar overhead.  I looked out at the Lofoten Islands in the distance, and inhaled the Barents Sea. Did Børge succeed? You decide.

The Top Brown Cafes of Amsterdam

The ‘Brown Cafe’ in the Netherlands is similar to the Dutch word Gezellig*:  both are described as being somewhat translatable, but certainly not with just a single word or two, and both will likely be experienced by pretty much every visitor to Amsterdam:*convivial, cozy, and fun.

The brown cafe is often said to be the Dutch equivalent of a pub in England.  However that might be both better and more narrowly refined to being more like a local pub in Ireland where the local beer and spirits (as well as coffee and tea) are poured, people congregate to chat or catch up on news during the day, to eat, and to drink (and sometimes sing) through the evenings…. and they stay open much later than any English pub I’ve visited.

The name may possibly be derived from their interiors – most often wood paneled bars and walls, with lower ceilings (that are still sometimes stained from the days when smoking cigarettes inside was ok), and the overall cozy, worn but warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Some are noted for their food, and others are decidedly not…. Menus will often heavily feature borrelhapjes, which translates literally as “drink snacks” (get the bitterballen!) and sometimes broodjes – or small sandwiches on rolls, as well as brown bread with Dutch cheeses, spreads and meats.

The Top Brown Cafes of Amsterdam: This is 100% manageable as a 'café crawl', or perhaps just visit them a couple at a time and use them as ‘places of refuge’ when out visiting the sights (and dodging the trams, bicycles, and tourists you'll encounter...). 

There is a downloadable map of all listed venues below.

Café ‘t Small Really quaint with a very traditional interior, and a great outdoor terrace perched on a canal for warmer weather visits (it hosts their illuminated Christmas trees in early winter).

Cafe t'Small

Café de Wetering a fantastic option for a cold or wet day. It is filled with original (not staged) charm and is an excellent place of refuge from the crowds of the Rijksmuseum & museum quarter and a great authentic destination for those out to see the Heineken Experience. It also has a fireplace which makes it even more inviting on those days with a chill in the air.

Cafe de Wettering

Cafe Chris has a pool table (which is rare given the usual space concerns) and is apparently the oldest beer bar in Amsterdam (1624!) so therefore it has to be on this list.

Café de Eland On the busy corner of Prinsengracht and Elandsgracht this is a great example of a traditional brown café where originally drinks were served in front and the family who owned it lived upstairs in the back.  The outdoor seating offers prime people watching opportunity – and ask about the illuminated moth above the bar.

Cafe de Eland

De Blaffande Vis  This is a great locals / neighborhood brown café not necessarily known for its location - but it will be busy on any day with even a glimmer of sun.  It is lighter than most (tall ceilings, off-white walls, and massive windows) and serves high quality Dutch meals, usually just 4 or 5 options on a chalk board menu, at good prices.

Proeflokkal Arendsnest   The Eagles Nest tasting room…  perhaps not a true brown café, but they serve only Dutch craft beer, and up to 50 of them available on draft at any time, and there is a great atmosphere – so it makes the list!

Arendsnest  -- "The Eagle's Nest"

Café de Tuin - often hits lists of the best bitterballen in Amsterdam… it makes this list because it is off the beaten tourist path, is not on a canal (center of the Jordaan on a street with some great dining options), and is a great neighbourhood-y example.

Cafe de Tuin

Café de Sluyswacht  - a rare standalone building in Amsterdam and as a result it is one of the more crooked buildings too – apparently leaning more than the tower of Pisa…  instagrammers: get yourself here.

Café de Sluyswacht

Café Heuvel  is one of the older brown cafes still operating today.  A good location between the Vondelpark and city center on a corner of a canal.  Fairly small inside but with good use of bar seats and perimeter tables you should be ok, the outdoor seating expands capacity on nicer days.

Outside Cafe Heuvel

Café de Prins   is across from a canal, in a converted canal house, and near the Anne Frank house, and this is one of the brown cafes known for its food.   As a result it can get busy but they do take reservations.

Cafe Thijssen has a great location on the corner of Brouwersgracht, offers good borrelhapjes snacks, a rotating menu of soups, and just has a very good intangible vibe to it.

Cafe Thijssen

The top brown cafes of Amsterdam. Visit to take a break when on your feet all day, experience Amsterdam as a local, and have a local drink and chat.

Notes:

*gezellig: defining the undefinable with wikipedia... 

• The beer glass will not be filled to the brim. It will likely be hand washed in a small sink, filled, and have foam at the top that the bartender will flick away with a little spatula-esque implement. This is how it is done - don't question it.
• Most take cards / contactless – but have some cash on hand just in case (or ask first)
• The borrelhapje at the top of the Dutch bar snack pyramid is the bitterballen…  which is not bitter at all and is basically a deep fried ball of gravy or roux and while traditionally they have meat in them, there are now spinach, beet, and various other mixed veggie options available all over Amsterdam catering to the plant-based diet aficionados that still like a dirty snack form time to time…  The other core hapje offerings are the brown bread with assorted dips, the Dutch cheese platter – often augmented with ossenworst sausage, kroketten, and  frickandel

72 hours in Chamonix: An Easy Guide to Maximize Adventure

In planning for my short last-minute getaway to Chamonix, I scoured the web hoping that somebody else had written something suited for somebody spending a few off-season days in the area, not a week holiday during peak ski season, which obviously brings it’s own separate set of attractions.

I looked and looked and I struggled.  So I did the best I could with the information I could find and ended up winging the hiking and activities (with helpful advice from a few friends) once I had arrived. 

Chamonix in off season or shoulder season

Here’s what I had hoped to have found ahead of my trip - in my opinion, these are the best of the best, if you only have a short amount of time:

GETTING TO CHAMONIX:

Fly into Geneva International Airport.  Flying in here versus elsewhere will greatly reduce your commute time and maximize the amount of time you have in the mountains. Once you land, find the booth for Mountain Drop Offs right outside of arrivals. You can, and should, pre-arrange with them as they are popular and fill up fast (many hotels will also coordinate with them for you, which is encouraged). Who knows, you may even make an adventure buddy on your trip, as it is typically a shared transfer with other like-minded folks heading on holiday. They’ll drop you off at the front door step of your hotel, and are only slightly pricier than bus options.

WHERE TO SLEEP & RELAX:

Stay at Hotel Mont-Blanc Chamonix, a perfectly located classically cozy resort in the heart of town.  As an over 100-year old establishment, it feels rooted in the culture and town itself, yet they don’t miss a beat on modern/contemporary touches and service.  

Hotel Mont Blanc - Chamonix

To start, Hotel Mont Blanc coordinated with Mountain Drop Offs for me, without any hesitation, which was greatly appreciated to alleviate some of the pain of travel logistics, so I could focus on doing what I wanted to do most: just get there and play.

And the good service, convenience and proximity to literally everything only continued from there.  Anything I wanted the entire stay was in walking distance: shops, restaurants, lifts, hikes, and even a little store for a late night wine run. 

Amenities are aplenty: spa, reading room with historic/adventure-inspired books, pool-with-a-view (does it get any better than this?), full bar and restaurant, room service (get the chicken caesar and a splurge bottle of wine, you won’t regret it). I almost hesitate to recommend the hotel because it’s so good that it’s hard to leave.

Chamonix Hotel Mont Blanc Bar

From my fourth floor suite, I opened not one but two sets of doors every morning to almost-too-good-to-Instagram (for fear that it would never do justice) views of the surrounding Alps, so close it felt like I could reach out to touch them. 'Tis the charm of Chamonix - the ability to appreciate comfort and coziness, from the elegance of classic accommodations, whilst also feeling like you are truly in the heart of the mountains themselves, not just a bystander.

A few more good tips from the Telegraph if you’re looking for other options or if Mont Blanc is fully booked

THE ADVENTURE (WHAT YOU CAME FOR):

I had two full days for adventure, and the first was looking questionable weather-wise. Accordingly, I wanted to find something that I could do in potentially half of a day, if weather interfered, and another activity which would allow me to be outside all day in what I anticipated would be good weather. 

THE HALF DAY: LAC BLANC

Wake up early and either walk or shuttle to the Flegere lift.  It took me about 25 minutes to walk from town; it’s a straight forward walk down one main road and you’re taking in views the whole time - it’s a nice way to extend your hiking time given that you’re slightly “cheating” by taking the lift to avoid two hours of uninteresting slogging uphill.  Follow signs to Lac Blanc or even better, plug it into your Google Maps. The trail is obvious and you’d have to try pretty hard to get off path. Once at the top, you’ve got about 1.5 hours of hiking until you arrive at Lac Blanc. Bring layers, as you’re warm while moving but assumedly will want to hang out for awhile once at the lake and if at all near late fall/winter, it will feel very alpine. Walk around the lake and be sure to get low for a few photos; if it’s not very windy, the reflections of the Alps on the lake will make for some awesome snaps.  There’s a rifugio hut up there though it was closed when I visited. Rumor has it they have hot chocolate to die for; next time.

Walking back down should take a little over an hour. Keep your eyes open for animals (we saw some deer), trekkers on just one leg of the full Mont Blanc circuit (they usually have fun stories), and a few smaller ponds which also offer some pretty brilliant reflections. 

And for the record, “low season” in late October, though not the typical or necessarily expected time for planning a visit, is the BEST time to go.  Why?  You’ll not only get cooler temperatures and fewer crowds, but ALL THE FALL COLORS. I mean, can you EVEN with these oranges contrasted against the jagged peaks?   

All in all, the half day hike went as planned and I was gone from my hotel from about 7am to 2pm, just as the rain and weather started to roll in. A perfect morning or afternoon hike which still leaves time to explore the town and buy some touristy things.

THE FULL DAY: AIGUILLE DU MIDI

I stupidly made the decision to idle around sipping a few too many coffees in the morning and got to the Aiguille du Midi lift with mushroom quiche in hand around 10:30am.  Considering the lift had already been open a couple of hours, this was a rookie move for me.  About 100 - 150 people were in line waiting for tickets, and it took around an hour for me to get to the front.  I almost ditched the line a few times, and likely would have if my only objective was to get to the top of the lift, look out, and come down, but I had bigger aspirations in mind. 

I had read that there are two stops on the lift up: the first being Plan de l’Aiguille, the second being Aiguille du Midi. You buy tickets for both at the same booth at the bottom, but must indicate if you plan on only going halfway up, or all the way to the top. The Aiguille du Midi is where most climbers start their ascent of Mont Blanc, but ironically is also a huge tourist trap. Sitting at 3842m, you are able to walk through a series of buildings, pipes, and windows to take in the full range of mountains around you, all whilst learning about some of the background of the mountaineers who have called these peaks their home away from home.  

Being used to suffering for my views, taking a cable car up into the very peaks felt like cheating to the point where I felt uncomfortable staying there for too long.  With that said, it’s worth the views, as well as a quick and comfortable taste of true frigid alpine air - something which makes you quickly come to appreciate the accomplishments made by mountaineers not only by virtue of the feats undertaken, but the weather conditions sustained throughout. 

After about an hour on cable car and exploring Aiguille du Midi, I hopped back on the lift and headed down to Plan de l’Aiguille, where my day’s adventure would begin. From here, you could grab a quick coffee/bite and then head out in any direction for a day’s worth of hiking/running/adventuring all throughout the peaks. 

Bar Plan de l'Aiguille Chamonix

After a late start and some idling up at Midi, I had a few more hours in my afternoon before sunset and the final cable cars headed back down the mountain so I took off hiking/running. My goal was to traverse a few areas around Plan de l’Aiguille and finally head towards the Montenvers cable car at 1913m which I would finally take back down to town. From Plan de l’Aiguille, the trails were obvious: just follow the signs to Montenvers and Mer de la Glace and you won’t get lost. 

Hiking would take about 2.5 hours to arrive at Montenvers, and not a single view along the way would disappoint, with the final peak and glacier views capping off a perfect afternoon adventure.

WHERE TO EAT:

THE FAST, CHEAP, & EASY: COOL CATS

Two words: Hot. Dog.  With more hot dog toppings than you can imagine to choose from, this is an absolute must.  Head straight from your hike and take your pick.  You can sit in, out, or take it to go, and they have some cheap and easy beer/wine options as an accompaniment. You cannot go wrong, and I had to struggle to even meet their credit card minimum, I spent so little. Luckily they had cookies.

Cool Cats Chamonix

THE CLASSY, LOCAL, & REQUIRES A SHOWER: LE CAP HORN

Cap Horn is known for local fancier meat & pasta fares, but also for its extensive sushi selection. I opted for a fancy goat cheese walnut salad (because, greens) and a spicy mayo shrimp sushi, with a couple of local wines to pair, and couldn’t have been more content.  Good for date night, or for heading solo or with the family; just be sure to call ahead, as it fills up fast!

Le Cap Horn Chamonix

I would absolutely head to Chamonix in the late Fall again, and encourage you, too, to think about visiting in what the crazy people call the “off” season there.  You can make your own judgments, but to me: there’s nothing “off” about it.

Merano is not Murano: Sud Tirol, Alto Adige and the Dolomites

Merano is not Murano.  That seems obvious when reading it, but when told that we are staying in a centuries old hotel that once was a hunting lodge in that location, the immediate reaction was – ‘huh, that is really interesting…’  So I initially thought Murano…canals, gondolas, glassblowing, etc., all of which could not be further from the truth….even if you do fly in to the same airport (Venice)!

As a result of this phonetic mixup, Merano was more than a pleasant surprise – a spa town with restorative waters that people have been visiting since the 1930s.  It is surrounded by impressive peaks and is super quaint but yet cosmopolitan at the same time, Mediterranean influenced but with an alpine feel…  a half Italian, half German gateway to the Dolomites.

In every shop, restaurant, or café one is greeted with “Bitte, Prego” as this area with its interesting history (Italian, Austro-Hungarian… World War challenges and annexation only fully resolved as recently as 1972.. check Wikipedia If interested)  is today almost 50/50 German and Italian speaking.  We did not hear any other languages while there (leaving behind the well-documented tourist masses that flock to the other ‘Merano’ near Venice) – and enjoyed what feels like an undiscovered, un-touristy corner of the world.

Merano along the river

We’ve come to the conclusion that this region has to be ranked in the list of top unsung destinations in Europe- especially in the non-winter sports months… unknown by all except for the maybe the German and Italian regular visitors who, it seem, very much prefer to keep it that way…

And high above the town sits Castel Fragsburg, the aforementioned former hunting lodge now five star resort that has been sympathetically and thoughtfully restored by the Ortner family. It is almost impossibly located – perched on the side of a South Tyrolean peak among the regions ubiquitous grape vines and apple trees, with views that honestly have to be seen to be believed.

This small area of Sud Tirol or Südtirol or Trentino-Alto Adige has a microclimate (more mild in the summers, cooler in the summer with 300 days of sun per year) that has lured visitors for over 350 years for various pursuits.  Castel Fragsburg is unique in that it has the feel of one of the top grand European hotels, but yet it has just 20 suites. It initially appears that it may be over the top luxury when you first drive through their entryway, but then the property reveals a mountain lodge feel, which is complemented by a nod to its past with faultless décor, the staff’s traditional regional clothing, and the fact that the Ortner family has instilled a level of service that blends impeccable hospitality with being welcomed as friends.

South Tyrol / Sud Tirol:  where apple orchards meet vineyards

On top of this all it has a Michelin starred restaurant, with full 180 degree views of the mountains across and valley below which can be enjoyed from a terrace literally clinging to the edge of the property during the warmer summer months.  A truly fun menu is a reference point for the abundant produce of the region.  It allows you to explore the best of Italian, Austrian andGermanic influences on the local diet, and is complemented by a wine list that highlights the again fantastic but yet somewhat underappreciated (by the rest of the world) wines of the area…  we’d suggest a local Nosiola from the Trentino DOC!

Castel Fragsburg Restaurant Terrace

I cannot think of another location where we have dined with such a spectacular setting.  The quality and presentation of the food distracts from the amazing views and the fact you feel like you are suspended above the scenery, while the ever-changing light on the surrounding mountains and valley below distracts from the food and wine in front of you…. and then eventually you succumb to the additional distraction of your suite.

Summer Dining - Castel Fragsburg

Castel Fragsbug Suite

Castel Fragsburg is a perfect place for a vacation/holiday. A property where one could stay and rest (and dine) comfortably for weeks at a time without leaving, or alternatively it is perfectly located as a jumping off point to explore the forests, lakes, waterfalls (one of which is just an easy 15 minute walk from the hotel) and the mountains of the Dolomites and Tyrol Schistose Alps with epic day hikes and adventures available within easy striking distance.

One day hike falling in to that category that we might categorize as a ‘must do’ is the often Instagrammed but has to be seen in real-life Seceda, or Seceda-2500m depending on what your search preference is.  Just an hour from Merano and short on time we took the Ortisei to Seceda cable car up and then quickly separated ourselves from the groups beginning their day hikes in this area of the Dolomites.  The geology here is very unique – striated pyramids jutting up from green alpine fields and cliffs plunging off on one side.  In the other direction: panoramic views complemented by the often changing and variable weather conditions that only add to the dramatic setting. 

Day Hiking Seceda 2500m

It continues to amaze us that such spectacular settings are so accessible as day hikes, and that there is such an abundance of hiking opportunities seemingly from every picturesque town that you stumble upon (we’d highly recommend a visit just to see the quaint  Ortisei / Urtijëi and the Val Gardena).  

We are on a mission to explore this area more broadly and further lift the veil on this fantastic region. Each return trip home results in a feeling that we need to go back again soon… and we will!

The Best of the Dolomites: An Unpredictable Weekend Packed with Adventure

After an early morning flight to Venice, and complete chaos at the Avis rental desk, we were on the road headed to northern Italy – which, yes, you can reach in an easy couple hour’s drive from Venice.  Our windshield wipers were working overtime the entire drive, and we kept refreshing our trifecta of weather apps, in hopes that they would reveal that mother nature would have some change of heart for the day.  Not exactly the best start to our Italian Dolomites hiking trip, we thought.  But onward we pressed.  Finally: a weather window appeared on our Storm weather app: 7pm that night. “Fine,” we reasoned. We would hang out in Misurina, 15 minutes away from the hike we had planned our trip around: the Tre Cime di Lavarado.  I’ve never complained about lingering in small town Italy for 6 hours, eating pizza and sipping on Italian wines.... first world problems, right? A sunset hike instead; no problem!

We idled in a parking lot for an hour, trying to decide which restaurant would best suit our long term idle afternoon itinerary.  In reality, the unspoken truth is that we were stalling, convincing ourselves that waiting 6-7 hours for a possibly messy and potentially even dangerous hike would indeed be the best decision.  Finally, as we were about to enter a restaurant to begin our wait, the weather app refreshed again: there would be storms all through the evening, and the thunder and lightning were not going to cease any time soon.  A quick glance at each other and we already knew Tre Cime was not in the cards.

We admitted defeat.  But only for today.  Tomorrow would be a new day.

With our hiking plans demolished, we turned our sights towards the other main attraction of the region: great accommodations, and food & wine to rival any across the globe.  When planning our hiking-focused trip, we had used hikes at Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Lago di Braies (Pragser Wildsee), and Seceda in Ortisei, Italy to triangulate our agenda, and help us locate a perfect hotel which would allow us to quickly reach each of our favorite sites.  Our objective was to find excellent accommodations which would not only serve as a good launching pad for each hike, but also provide a tranquil and enjoyable experience after long days on our feet.

Hotel Petrus Adventure Map

But first: despite the rain out preventing us from doing the big Tre Cime hike, we were determined to still hit at least one of our planned destinations the first day.  We would pass the turn for Pragser Wildsee area on our way to our hotel, so we decided to make the quick 20 minute detour over to see if we could at least catch a few views of the oft-Instagrammed Lago di Braies.  The clouds looked like they were clearing ever so slightly in that direction, so we made an attempt.  After all, aren’t some of the best Instagrammed photos a little moody, foggy, and sometimes rainy in all the right kind of emo ways? We had to at least try.  If for no other reason than to prove to ourselves that our driving all over Italy all day chasing views and weather windows was not for naught.

Fortunately, our efforts were rewarded.  Our day was slightly salvaged by the fact that we were actually able to catch a weather window in which we could see the majority of the mountains around the famous lake, as well as capture a few moody rainy photos – overall, not a total loss, and enough to scratch our nature itch for the day.  We considered it a win.

A quick hour drive after the rain-out fiasco and the rebound at Lago di Braies, we arrived at Hotel Petrus – perfectly located and central for all of our weekend objectives. 

Before even entering the hotel, we were greeted on the entrance carpet by Lila, the family’s impossibly cute oversized dog.  Lila the dog even has her own page on the Hotel Petrus website, which we think says all you need to know about the love and care the Petrus family has for its staff – dogs included.

After a brief cuddle session with Lila (I never can resist), Petrus’ welcoming staff showed us around their property and invited us to ease our residual rain-out disappointment with a visit to their spa.  The hotel’s many calming spaces soothed our rainy day blues – and provided an oasis for relaxation as we rearranged our next few days’ itinerary.

HOTEL PETRUS: THE EPITOME OF FAMILY CHARM

Hotel Petrus is entirely charming. The Aichners manage to make it feel like an extension of their home, while providing modern, top-grade facilities in a quiet and compelling mountainside location.  They treated us like family throughout our stay. It is not often that one finds a perfect fusion of luxury hotel blended with bed & breakfast familiarity, and so we found it to be quite strikingly special and unique.  All year round, Hotel Petrus is extremely welcoming of not only couples like ourselves, but of families who are looking for a farm-like, mountain-themed experience. They offer hiking routes of varying difficulty, horse riding / lessons at their very own stables, and the opportunity to spend some time playing with the goats on the Petrus farm.

Upon checking in, we arrived to our lodge-like room to find a selection of vegetables presented to us from that very same Petrus farm.  The radishes were the spiciest we had ever tasted, and it was a perfect way to whet our appetite in advance of our dinner reservation later that evening.

Hotel Petrus Welcome Veggies

As we munched away, we perused the Petrus materials and checked out the backpack they make available to guests in the room, whilst taking in views of the slopes of the Kronplatz (the most modern ski area in the South Tyrol region – queue a return visit in winter!) as the weather began to cooperate (we hoped).

Hotel Petrus Balcony View

And soon thereafter, we headed downstairs to dinner.

Hotel Petrus’ restaurant was awarded a toques by Gault & Millau in 2016 and deservedly so. And here again the staff at Hotel Petrus manage to achieve that unique feel of both luxury and home.  Our meal provided a sampling of the best of local South Tyrolean cuisine with the taste and presentation of an award winning restaurant. And their wine (something that has strongly attracted us to this region) did not disappoint.  If you choose to partake, get the house red.  We found it to be so good that we brought two bottles back home!

TRE CIME DI LAVARADO: WORTH AN ALPINE START

4am: the first alarm sounds.  Dawn Patrol, indeed.

We snoozed until 4:10am, and by 4:15am we were quietly exiting our room and headed for the entrance… After a brief panic and snafu at the realization we hadn’t a clue how to get our car out of the garage before regular hours (thank you to whoever answered our panicked 4:40am call and gave us instructions!), we were off.

It turned out to be a blue bird morning just as we had hoped for, and the alpine start was entirely worth it. We parked in a near empty parking lot, and set off seeing just one other person on the trail to Tre Cime and the Locatelli Refugio.  We couldn’t help but stop every 30 seconds to take photos, as the light was constantly changing on the peaks as the sun rose over the horizon and spilled varying hues of orange and pink over the traditionally white and gray Dolomiti.  And then the full daylight set in, and the peaks returned to their normal hues and the cows were out in volumes to start their grazing.

Tre Cime Hike

We were a bit ambitious with the hike, veering off the intended path towards another section of the park, often walking in silence as we continued off on side trails, eager to see what was around each bend.

Halfway through the hike, one reaches the Rifugio Locatelli high up in the mountains.  We arrived just as the climbers who had stayed overnight were emerging from their rooms, gulping down coffee by the buckets, and heading out to start their own days’ aspirational hikes and climbs.  We highly recommend a stopover at the Rifugio for a truly unique experience in sharing in mountain and climbing culture at its finest.  No frills (or WiFi) are needed up there and it’s not hard to appreciate the simplicity of it all.  Being mountain lovers ourselves, it was a stark reminder of how little we need to be truly happy: a cup of joe, an incredible adventure, and good people to share it with is really all that’s necessary.

Rifugio Locatelli - Tre Cime,  Dolomites

Upon returning to Hotel Petrus, we did not need to say more than 3 words before the staff knew exactly what we needed after an early morning of mountain adventuring.  We had missed breakfast in our quest to see as much as possible while in the Dolomites, so our bellies were aching for something nutritious and delicious upon our late return to the hotel.  Within minutes, we were seated outside in the garden with the very best local cheeses and meats (speck is the local specialty) and a couple of beers - perfection.

Stomachs pleased and feeling rejuvinated, we packed up our stuff and headed out of the region, in a state of absolute bliss and with happy hearts.  Our stay at Hotel Petrus as well as the accompanying Tre Cime views had us feeling full of everything South Tyrol had to offer, and left us with only one remaining desire: to come back as soon as possible.