What begins with the idea "We know someone here" becomes a journey to friends. Too many friends. So let's start in the Dolomites with the first dear acquaintance.
We've been in contact for years and feel connected. There's just one thing that kicks my "I want to see for myself first" impulse: the statement "We really do have the best pizza far and wide". Is that true? We'll have to find out, of course.
Manuela and her husband run a mountain restaurant. We are allowed to park our Felix in their car park and become part of the family for a few days. Of course we eat pizza, several times in fact. Why? Because it's simply divine, every single one. Normally, a pizza leaves you feeling full and satisfied. Here, another feeling is added: regret. It's a shame that there's not enough room in your stomach for another pizza.
We have a good time, finally play SkipBo with the children again, chat with Manuela (who usually always has something to do) during the room lesson and on "Gastronome Sunday", i.e. Monday, we even move into our mobile office in the guest room. On Tuesday, we work in our Felix and watch the hustle and bustle from the car park. When we sit in the restaurant, we can listen to Ladin, the local language here. Of course, we don't understand anything, but we can see a kind of cosiness and friendliness in the faces of the guests from near and far.
When we have an hour together in the afternoon, we hike through the woods. The fog rolls in, the sun barely comes through. And we are enchanted by the magic of the place. This is probably a special place of power, because for around 200 years there has been a special spring here called Valdander, which works wonders.
The name "Valdander" is derived from Val d'Anter and means cave valley. For centuries, the poor and sick have come here to bathe in the rocky grotto where a spring rises and to live in the surrounding caves. Originally, the water was transported by oxen to the Colmesan farm. After the farm burned down, the first bathing complex with bathhouse, inn and chapel was built in 1820. The complex is now a listed building.
We didn't take a bath, but we drank a few sips of the holy water. And of course we felt much better from then on. The rest of the hike was more refreshing, the conversations freer, body, mind and soul in harmony and we were dog-tired in the evening.
These Dolomites really are a wonderful and at the same time powerful region. Is it the purity of the air, the beauty of the mountains (have we already mentioned that we are mountain lovers?) or the tangible power of nature that has created these mountain formations? We don't know, of course, but we feel a beneficial effect.
So this time it is not at all difficult for us to openly advertise this region and especially the Cristlá. (And yes, attentive readers will have realised that this is a rare occurrence). So if you are in the vicinity of Bolzano, Bressanone or Brunico (do all towns have to start with B?), we recommend a winding drive through this dream region. And a break at Yvo and Manuela's could be a real treat.
Cristlá in 39030 San Martino in Badia BZ, Italy https://maps.app.goo.gl/7NMTKg68ABGMUgca6
Sources: https://www.valdander.com/historisches.php // https://umwelt.provinz.bz.it/wasser/mineralwasserquellen.asp?news_action=4&news_article_id=551630
Merci for "travelling with us
Here you can find our future lectures:
Date: 24 November 2024 4 pm (doors open at 3 pm)
Location: Germany, Landgasthof zum Mühlenteich 15345 Eggersdorf near Berlin
Registration: https://forms.gle/5XFgSz31NKzmCzmT8
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