BAC Italy 2011

June 15 - Cortina d’Ampezzo

View from our Room

Lake Misurina

The skies were blue when we got up this morning. Because it was our 48th wedding anniversary, I wanted to celebrate the day with Ann. I skipped the optional ride and we did a tour together in the car. We followed the designated bicycle loop that went as far as Dobbiaco. This was very clode to the Austrian border. We turned around and made several stops for photos. The route from Dobbiaco back to Cortina was the same one I did a few years ago on the BAC Trans Alps trip. The scenary was spectacular - craggy peaks of the Dolomites and small mountain lakes.

We took a turn on the road to Tre Cime which is an epic out-and-back for cyclists. It starts with a 16% climb for about 1 km and levels out until you reach a toll booth. We turned around there because of the high price of passing through. We had a good view though.

For lunch we stopped at a restaurant/pizzeria on Lake Misurina . When we went in, we were two of the very few inside. When we left, it was full. We split a tuna salad and a vegetarian pizza that had fresh tomatoes on top.

We wandered around Cortina and took some down time until dinner time. We joined most of the group at Cinque Torri , a decent trattoria. We decided to eat Tirolean cuisine. Ann had vegetable soup and canederli – large dumplings with spinach in a butter sauce with parmesan. I had ravioli stuffed with beets (the menu said red turnips) and grilled sausage with fried potatoes. After dinner, we stopped for gelato.