Skiing Italy’s Milky Way – Part 1

March 29, 2016 pierrev 2 Comments

(Sestriere, Italy)

We will be spending six days on the slopes of Italy’s Via Lattea (literally, the Milky Way), a huge ski area connecting 6 resorts in Italy and France that hosted the skiing events of the 2006 Winter Olympics. Our base is the purpose-built resort of Sestriere, located at the eastern end of the Milky Way. The Sestriere/Borgata ski area is right above the resort; from the resort itself, you can also take a gondola to the top of the Sauze d’Oulx and Sansicario ski areas.

Continuing west from Sansicario are the Cesana Torinese and Claviere resorts in Italy and finally the Montgenèvre resort in France. This is a huge interconnected ski area, all for a fraction of the cost of skiing at one of the major resorts in western Canada or the U.S.A. Our challenge was to conquer the area and, conditions permitting, complete at least one international ski circuit.

Commemorating the 2006 Winter Olympics in Sestriere...still some fog! — Commemorating the 2006 Winter Olympics in Sestriere…still some fog!

Our first day was spent primarily in the Borgata area. The weather conditions could best be described as “snowy and foggy”: there was lots of powder on the slopes, but it was difficult to see much more than a few feet ahead. Even more difficult was skiing with improperly fitted bindings! I always bring my own ski boots to Europe, to prevent blisters and other discomforts, but I usually rent my skis for the week in the resort. Unfortunately, as my boots kept sliding out of my bindings, I had to return to the rental shop after only a few minutes on the slopes. The owner was very apologetic and recognized his staff’s error immediately. It was a bit of a frustrating start but, on the other hand, skiing was extremely easy once the problem had been fixed!

Some of the apres-ski scene in the later afternoon at Sestriere

The visibility was a little better on the lower slopes, where the fog was not quite as heavy, and I enjoyed a hearty lunch of polenta e salsiccia at a mountain restaurant. I find ordinary polenta somewhat bland, but this dish combined polenta with a tasty tomato sauce and some local sausage. The afternoon’s skiing was better, even though (or perhaps because) it continued to snow heavily, and we all looked forward to waking up the next day to deep fields of powder and brilliant Southern Alps sun.

Our second day of skiing took us to the Sauze d’Oulx ski region. Alas, neither the snow nor the fog had lifted: as a result, we struggled with visibility near the top of the resort but enjoyed some epic powder runs (on-piste!) at slightly lower elevations in the morning. This was my kind of skiing: snow flying with every turn but a complete absence of any scraping or skidding. These definitely were not eastern Canadian ski conditions! While we went off-piste a little bit, the conditions really were excellent on the pistes themselves and it wasn’t truly necessary to leave them. As with many resorts, the Via Lattea slopes are less busy on weekdays…especially when the sun isn’t shining.

The fog starts to clear at the end of the day, above Sestriere — The fog starts to clear for the posse at the end of the day

Well, we did leave the officially open pistes once more in the late afternoon when the sun finally appeared. As we were riding a lift to the top of the Sauze d’Oulx area, an allegedly closed piste emerged from the fog and demanded that we give it a try. Try it we did…and we immediately declared Piste #25 (“Canale Colo”) the current holder of the Traumpiste (“dream run”) title. There was joyous whooping and hollering as we attacked the deep, soft and virtually untracked snow. It was an exhilarating late-day surprise and we resolved to return later in the week. Surely the newly-emergent sun would return the next day, so we could enjoy these fabulous conditions from top to bottom with spectacular views as well?

Looking towards Sestriere - our hotel is at the top left of the village — Looking towards Sestriere – our “cruise ship” hotel is at the top left of the village

Stay tuned to find out what happens on our journey to Sansicario…and beyond!

Posts from the road

From Vernazza to Sestriere

March 26, 2016 pierrev Leave a comment

(Sestriere, Italy)

My last dinner in Vernazza was an adventure. I went to a local restaurant called Antica Osteria il Baretto that specialized in traditional cuisine. However, the traditional specialties here are seafood (particularly acciughe, or anchovies) and pesto. Those of you who know me will appreciate that a garlic-laden sauce such as pesto is not something I typically enjoy. While I will eat shrimp, fish and chips, and perhaps lobster or crab, I really don’t eat much seafood at all.

View of Vernazza, near the start of the trail to Corniglia

However, I was determined to eat local and decided to order a fritto mista (mixed fry) of local seafood. This consisted of deep fried squid, anchovies, and some kind of miniature octopus. The sum total of my previous experience with those foods was having a couple of pieces of calamari on one occasion. Before I could reconsider my choice, the plate was on my table. Armed only with a large wedge of lemon, I dived in.

My bold adventure in Cinque Terre cuisine: fritto mista

I felt like “Mikey” from those old TV commercials for Life Cereal. As it turned out, the anchovies were not the harsh and salty ones to which North Americans have become accustomed. They were actually quite mild and went well with the lemon. I completely cleaned the plate, save for a couple of anchovy tails and a lemon rind.

Being somewhat proud of my achievement, I decided to try the Sciacchetrà dessert wine that had tasted so good in my gelato a couple of days before. It was served with some biscotti (for dipping!) and was an absolutely delicious way to end my adventurous meal. If you enjoy white port, you will almost certainly enjoy Sciacchetrà.

Grape harvesting "monorail" on the terraces high above Vernazza — Grape harvesting “monorail” on the terraces high above Vernazza

Evenings are quiet in the Cinque Terre, in the off-season at least, as relatively few tourists actually stay in the towns. In order to capture the tranquility of this time of year, I took some photographs from the harbour as the sun went down: there is one at the top of this post.

The next morning, I went to the local bakery and loaded up on pastries and focaccia. It was going to be a long journey from Vernazza to Sestriere: I would change trains in both La Spezia and Torino before transferring to a bus in Oulx.

Another view of the Cinque Terre coast, from the hiking trail between Monterosso al Mare and Vernazza

I was expecting some drama on this odyssey, as my train into the Cinque Terre had been more than 2 hours late. However, the train journeys ended up being uneventful and on time. There was some mild excitement in Oulx as the bus ticket had to be bought from a coffee shop and there was no information on which bus was actually going to Sestriere…but it all worked out in the end and I enjoyed being the only passenger.

This is the first picture I took in Sestriere: it is from the balcony of my hotel room

In Sestriere, I am staying in the Palace Residence 2: I liken it to going on a week-long cruise on a very large ship. There is entertainment every night, a bunch of social activity organizers, reserved tables for meals…the only thing differentiating it from a cruise is the fact that I will be skiing during the day instead of taking shore excursions.

This is also the point where I met up with my ski posse for the next week. We’re all very happy to be skiing again in Italy and are all looking forward to some extensive slope time over the next six days. Let’s hope the weather cooperates!

Posts from the road

The non-tower parts of Pisa (and a quick visit to Lucca)

March 22, 2016 pierrev 2 Comments

(Lucca, Italy)

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is not the only reason to visit Pisa. I quite liked the city: it is about the same size as Kingston and has the same “old college town” vibe. It is located in the Tuscany region of Italy and many parts of the old town are reminiscent of Florence.

The Leaning Tower is located at the Campo dei Miracoli (“Field of Miracles”) at the northern end of downtown Pisa. Amazingly, the Leaning Tower is not the only leaning building here: the Baptistery building also leans visibly, although the tilt is much less than that of the Tower.

The (only slightly leaning) Baptistery on the Campo dei Miracoli, Pisa

The third major building in the Campo dei Miracoli is the Duomo. Admission to the Duomo was included with my ticket to the Tower, so I went inside and took a look around. It is filled with art but it also has a massive and intricate pulpit. Although it was not apparent to me, it is said that the Duomo also leans slightly.

After leaving the throngs of tourists at the Campo dei Miracoli behind, I headed back to the true downtown core of Pisa. Along the way, I admit that I temporarily abandoned my pure Italian diet and had a “Panino Kebab” for lunch. However, I redeemed myself by stopping at La Bottega del Gelato on the Piazza Garibaldi.

The Duomo with the Leaning Tower in the background

This was the best gelato I’ve had so far in Italy. I chose a cone with cioccolato and liquirizia (chocolate and licorice) flavours and enjoyed it on the sunny (but not too hot) piazza. A three-piece acoustic band, playing in the style of Django Reinhardt, provided the musical entertainment. It was one of those “classic” travel moments that you often read about but rarely actually experience: slowly enjoying a gourmet gelato in a Tuscan piazza to the accompaniment of unobtrusive local musicians. Time slowed down for me and everything seemed to be absolutely perfect.

La Bottega del Gelato - awesome gelato in Pisa — La Bottega del Gelato – awesome gelato in Pisa

After I finally finished the cone (and briefly contemplated getting another one), I wandered over to the site of a vinyl record shop. As with many shops in Italy, it was closed from 1:00 until 4:00 p.m. I decided not to wait until it reopened; instead, I went to the train station and played “transport lotto”: I would visit another local town, based entirely on where the next train from Pisa was going. The winner? Lucca, just a few miles to the northeast.

Street musicians on the Piazza Garibaldi, just opposite La Bottega del Gelato

Lucca is another Tuscan town that shows up in a number of travel guides. There are no “bucket list” sights here but the old town is completely surrounded by an immense fortified wall. This wall probably explains why the historic old town is so intact: Lucca was never attacked despite being within striking distance of both Pisa and Florence.

One of the streets just off the Campo dei Miracoli in Pisa, Italy

The key Lucca experience is to walk around the old town on the wall. It is somewhat like the Great Wall of China that way, except that walking on Lucca’s wall appears to be much easier: once you are on top of the wall, it is essentially flat all the way around. Lucca’s old town is quaint but difficult to photograph: the streets are very narrow and most of the buildings have several storeys.

Walking on top of the wall around the old city of Lucca, Italy

After walking most of the wall, I cut through town on the main shopping street. Stores were opening up after the mid-day break and it might have been a good place to do some non-touristic shopping…had I needed anything. However, I am traveling light on this trip and any shopping will have to be last-minute.

Stay tuned for my last night in the Cinque Terre and my journey to ski country!

Posts from the road

Climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

March 19, 2016 pierrev Leave a comment

(Pisa, Italy)

I decided to take a break from the arduous climbing in the Cinque Terre to go to the big city…and do some more arduous climbing!

Pisa is not very far from the Cinque Terre. Although Pisa is a beautiful city and has an extremely old university…it is best known for an engineering misadventure. I had to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa for myself, to see what all the fuss was about. I had also heard that you could go to the very top of the tower. Wouldn’t that be something?

Rather than be tied down to a specific time (you can buy a ticket for a specific time slot in advance), I decided that I would just show up. March is the off-season, so I decided to let fate have its way. If it was meant to be, then I would do it. Even in the off-season, Pisa gets thousands of visitors a day and they cannot all climb the tower. To balance supply and demand, there is a relatively steep fee. Having come this far, I decided that the fee was worth it. How many other people would reach the same conclusion?

The belfry (upper) and main (lower) observation levels of the Leaning Tower of Pisa

It was 11:30 a.m. by the time I got to the Tower site. I asked if there might be any tickets left for the rest of the day, expecting that I would be assigned a time slot of something like 4:45 p.m. However, much to my surprise, I was told that I could go up at 11:45 a.m.! I had no time to think about it – the time was now!

The Baptistery and the Duomo, as seen from the Leaning Tower of Pisa

My first impression was: is this for real? It is *really* leaning and it is also very tall (around 57 metres). It is tall enough that the “lean” is about 15 feet! The lean became apparent during construction: the culprit was soft land on one side that was insufficient to hold the tower’s weight. As there were also a number of delays (construction was in three stages and took almost 200 years), new architects became involved and you can see that the 4th tier from the ground was intended to correct the tilt.

Looking down on the people in the Campo dei Miracoli, from the "low" side of the Leaning Tower of Pisa — Looking down on the people in the Campo dei Miracoli, from the “low” side of the Leaning Tower of Pisa

After an airport-style security check, I was climbing the tower. The first thing that became apparent is that the entire tower is crooked…including the stairs. They are made from marble and are rather slippery. They also have been “grooved” from the many people who have climbed the tower over the years. It was quite disorienting to climb it: I caught myself laughing a couple of times because it was such an unusual sensation.

Looking down the main stairs inside the Leaning Tower of Pisa

When I reached the main observation level after climbing about 300 steps, I was a little concerned about the fact that there was no solid wall or barricade. There is only a (presumably strong) wire fence, which is great for views but also reinforces that you are about 50 metres above the ground and that the floor is significantly tilting. The deck is also only a few feet wide. The “up” side wasn’t too bad but the “down” side felt very unnatural and, yes, rather scary.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a prime location for "selfies"...this one is on the "higher" side of the tower — The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a prime location for “selfies”…this one is on the “higher” side of the tower

The views were striking but there was more: the stairway to the belfry was also open. These stairs were even narrower. The belfry level has better views but is even scarier, as the “deck” is actually terraced and each “step” is probably only about a foot wide. Scariest of all was the “down” side of the belfry level. I walked around twice, with very careful steps, and retreated to the relatively secure main level. I stress “relative”.

After a few more circuits around the observation level, I was craving level ground and descended quickly to the linear and perpendicular world. It’s incredible how disorienting even a slight tilt can be. I’m so glad that I climbed the tower and experienced an iconic structure in such a direct way…but I also emerged with a newfound respect for engineering and proper planning!

Posts from the road

Hike from Vernazza to Corniglia

March 15, 2016 pierrev Leave a comment

(Vernazza, Italy)

On the same day that I punished myself by walking from Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare…and back again…I decided to make the trek from Vernazza to Corniglia. In retrospect, the logic is not clear. However, the best I can do is say that if Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare was the most difficult section, I probably thought the next most difficult section would seem like a piece of cake.

Wrong. The sun was still very warm overhead and the first segment out of Vernazza ended up being nasty. It might have been slightly more gradual, but I’m sure that it went higher up. To summarize: it was a hot, endless climb that made me think a reward of gelato was not going to cut it this time.

Cactus extravaganza between Vernazza and Corniglia

To be fair, I didn’t make it easy on myself. As with the day’s previous hikes, I ended up doing the trail faster than the “standard time”. However, I also thought that if I stopped for too long, my legs would stiffen up and I wouldn’t be able to get moving again. I decided to press on…forgetting that this would merely delay the stiffening to another time.

Clementine tree (left) and my first lemon tree (right), just outside Corniglia

The terrain was definitely different from the Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare section. I was treated to an impressive display of cactus, followed by a variety of citrus trees. I’ve never seen lemon trees before: I certainly made up for it on this segment! I commemorated the occasion by taking a photograph of a lemon tree and a clementine tree standing beside each other.

Approaching the village of Corniglia, just beyond the lemon trees

Although it was little more than an hour after departure that I reached Corniglia, it seemed like much more. I wasn’t expecting much: my guidebook drew an analogy betweeb Cinque Terre and the Beatles…and suggested that “Corniglia is Ringo”. However, I thought it was a charming little place with crazily winding and narrow streets and an abundance of gelato.

It was hard to decide on a reward but I ultimately remembered my fascination with the lemon trees. When I saw one of the gelaterias also offering a “granita of local lemons”, I was sold. The granita was like a slushee but with a proper fresh lemon flavour. It was delicious and I was seriously tempted to buy another one.

My local lemon granita and the place it came from (Corniglia, Italy)

I also needed to get back to Vernazza for dinner…but there was no way I was going to walk back. That’s just crazy talk! While Corniglia has a train station, it is located below the village. How much below? Well, Corniglia is the only Cinque Terre town that is not located right on the water. So there are *365* stair steps leading down to the train station…plus an inclined street or two. At least I had the sense to take the train from Corniglia rather than to Corniglia…I would have had to climb those 365 steps before even starting my hike. I passed some very sad looking people on the way down.

How cozy is Corniglia? This, looking straight ahead, is the main street!

As a base for the Cinque Terre, Corniglia loses points for its poor transit connections (although you can take an inexpensive shuttle bus from the main square to the train station). But it is still appealing, especially if you really want to get away from it all.

Looking away from downtown Corniglia to the suburbs

After all of that walking, a dinner treat was in order. I went to Trattoria da Sandro and had a vegetable-filled ravioli in a walnut sauce. I had never had walnut sauce before, let alone on pasta, but it was very good. Given the calories burned during the day, having apple cake for dessert just seemed like the right thing to do.

Coming soon: the ultimate vertigo experience!

Posts from the road

Hike from Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare

March 12, 2016 pierrev

(Vernazza, Italy)

“Go Big or Go Home” is a phrase that has come into vogue recently. Perhaps the Zeitgeist was affecting my decision-making, as I decided to tackle the most challenging of the Cinque Terre trails first. I set off from Vernazza for the neghbouring village of Monterosso al Mare, knowing only that it should take about 90 minutes and that it was very difficult. If it was only 90 minutes, how difficult could it be? I often walk for hours when I am traveling.

First glimpse of Monterosso al Mare from the coastal trail

Answer: Those 90 minutes could be very difficult indeed. While both villages are on the water, there are very large cliffs in between…thus necessitating the “Haute Route”. This means ascending very very steep slopes in a very very short distance. The trail is narrow and rocky with all kinds of dangers. It’s fun but you really have to be on your guard.

I crossed this ancient stone bridge shortly before arriving in Monterosso al Mare

As I hiked in 2014 from the entrance of Machu Picchu to the Sun Gate in the very same shoes, I can attest that this was much more challenging (even without the Andean altitude playing a role). The sun also plays a factor: while there was absolutely no danger of rain to make things more slippery, the heat made the endless steep stairs (most of the hilly portions are on uneven stone “stairs”) even more difficult. It reached a high of maybe 16’C today; I cannot imagine how anybody could tackle this hike in the summer when temperatures are regularly in excess of 30’C and the trail would be much more crowded.

This is one of the easiest parts of the trail!

And yet…seeing the next Cinque Terre town for the first time is kind of like seeing Machu Picchu for the first time. You’ve worked very hard to get to that point and you are finally rewarded. By the time you can see the next town, you are also (probably) going mostly downhill and the heat doesn’t play as much of a role. Another older catchphrase comes to mind: No pain, no gain!

Monterosso al Mare is larger than Vernazza and there is actually some vehicle traffic. While not quite as “quaint”, it was nice to spend some time here to recover from my hike. I took the opportunity to grab a quick lunch at a “Focacceria”…like a take-out pizza place, but for focaccia. I tried one with olives and cherry tomato slices at Il Massimo della Focaccia. I also stopped by the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista (Church of St. John the Baptist), which employs the same black-and-white-striped trim that you’ll see in Florence.

One of the beaches at Monterosso al Mare

I then made a questionable decision – rather than take the train (as most people would do), I elected to hike back to Vernazza. I thought that it might be easier on the way back. Well, it might be…if the sun had not been directly overhead. I also knew that there were gelaterias in Vernazza; I could reward myself when I returned.

Inside the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista

Well, it was probably even worse on the way back because the initial steps were, impossibly, even steeper than those out of Vernazza. The views were still great and it was thrlling to see Vernazza emerge after about an hour. However, I was vulnerable when I finally reached the village. I opted for three different flavours of gelato: pine nut, lemon and “Crema Cinque Terre”. This last flavour had “Sciacchetrà” (a local dessert wine), whole hazelnuts and chocolate. The other flavours were good but this one was spectacular.

You’d think that this would have been enough hiking. But no! Stay tuned for more!

Posts from the road

Arrival in the Cinque Terre of Italy!

March 10, 2016 pierrev Leave a comment

(Vernazza, Italy)

It wasn’t easy…but I am finally in Italy’s renowned Cinque Terre region!

Allow me to explain. I first had to take a train from Kingston to Dorval, Quebec. From there, a shuttle bus to Montreal’s international airport. I then flew from Montreal to Paris: this was the easy part, as the favourable winds made it only a 6 hour flight. However, as it was an overnight flight, this also left very little time for sleeping. After going through customs and security (again) in Paris, I waited for my next flight from Paris to Genoa, Italy. This was a smaller plane so I had to walk out onto the tarmac to board the plane…with nasty winds and rain swirling around.

Vernazza, as viewed from the beginning of the trail to Corniglia (you can see Monterosso al Mare in the background)

The flight to Genoa was fine (early again!) and then I caught a shuttle bus from the airport to the train station. There, I caught a train for Levanto. It was about 20 minutes late, but I had a buffer before catching my final “local” train to Vernazza (located only 8 minutes away from Levanto by train). I boarded the train and waited. And waited. The train never left and we were eventually told to go to a different platform. But there was no staff to say which one and…well, it was a fiasco. To make a very long story short, I arrived in Vernazza 2 1/2 hours after my scheduled time. Quite a delay for an 8 minute train ride! Having not really slept on the overnight flight, I was rather ill-tempered by this point and decided it would not be a good time to write my blog. I’m writing this blog the next day, after a long and satisfying day of hiking (details coming soon).

Vernazza's "business district" in the evening — Vernazza’s “business district” in the evening

And what about this Cinque Terre place? Picture an ancient Italian village full of colourful houses stacked almost one on top of another, located on the Mediterranean coast, surrounded by cliffs, off-limits to cars, free of retail/hotel/restaurant chains, free of hotels generally, served only by rail (and boats during the summer), blessed with amazing hiking, and proud of its food specialties. That’s Vernazza…and, that also describes (more or less) every one of the 5 Cinque Terre villages. The others are Monterosso al Mare, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore…and they are all linked by coastal hiking trails!

I am willing to bet that this is the only "Stalin Gelateria" in the world (Vernazza, Italy) — This is probably the only “Stalin Gelateria” in the world (Vernazza, Italy)

I’m fortunate to be visiting Cinque Terre during the off-season. Everybody who is here now really *wants* to be here…which means that they are here to hike the trails. There are beaches but it is too cold for them right now. Well, maybe not for Canadians!

Vernazza's harbour in the evening — Vernazza’s harbour in the evening

My next couple of posts will cover my hiking adventures. Today’s post just has some pictures from Vernazza: this is a village of about 500 people (more live here in the summer) and it will be my home for three nights. As there are no hotels, accommodation here is essentially just in camere (“rooms”) rented out by local residents. It’s similar to a B&B, without the breakfast. I’m very happy with my room and location.

My "home" on the right: Camere Fontanavecchhia — My “home” on the right: Camere Fontanavecchhia

My first meal in Vernazza was pizza. I enjoyed it but it’s not a specialty of this particular province (Liguria). Tonight’s meal will hopefully be a little more regional.

Stay tuned for the next few weeks – I am going to be sharing a lot from my first European trip since late 2014!

Posts from Base Camp

Spend your money on experiences, not things?

March 2, 2016 pierrev Leave a comment

(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

The crunch is on. I’ll be posting my next blog entry from Europe!

It is almost time for my ski trip to Sestriere, Italy. I first wrote about this last September, when the “Via Lattea” ski region was selected as my ski posse’s 2016 destination. Since then, I’ve also figured out where I’m going to spend some time in Europe before going skiing. I’m going to keep that location a secret until I arrive…but I hope to have some spectacular images and experiences to share with you soon. It is another one of my personal bucket list destinations!

Site of the 1956 Olympic Downhill in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy (2014) — A piste used during the 1956 Olympics in Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy (2014)…hopefully we will also be able to ski the 2006 Olympic pistes in Sestriere this year!

While the flights and the accommodations were booked some time ago, I didn’t get around to figuring out my ground transportation until this past weekend. I’m glad I did: while my secret bucket list destination is not terribly far from Sestriere “as the crow flies”, it turns out to be a 7 hour odyssey requiring three different trains, a bus…and maybe an onerous alpine slog with ski equipment and luggage! Fortunately, I should be able to stock up on some fresh and delicious food before my first train leaves in the morning.

One of the scariest (but most rewarding) ski lifts at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy: Forcella Staunies — One of the scariest (but most rewarding) ski lifts at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy: Forcella Staunies

I like to plan my transportation in advance; I can always take care of the other stuff upon arrival. However, despite superhuman research efforts, I simply cannot figure out where the bus stop is located in Sestriere. I just hope that, after a day in transit, I don’t have to walk *too* far uphill to get to my hotel.

Looking down from the Lagazuoi Gondola Station, near Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy (2014) — Looking down from the Lagazuoi Gondola Station, near Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy (2014)…sometimes it’s better not to look down at what you just did

As I’m quite busy with packing and other things that need to be done before traveling, I’ve decided to keep today’s post relatively short. However, I thought it would be a good time to finally share an interesting article that I stumbled across last year. It’s called “The Science of Why You Should Spend Your Money on Experiences, Not Things“.

Fair warning! Just above the stunning Pomedes piste in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy — Fair warning! Just above the stunning Pomedes piste in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

As anyone who has seen my aging car can attest, I have never felt pressured to have the latest and greatest automobile. This article suggests that investing in travel experiences, rather than upgrading my car every year or ten, isn’t such a bad idea after all!

Looking out over the village of Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy — Looking out over the village of Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

Today’s photographs are some previously unpublished images from my most recent Italian ski adventure: a glorious week in Cortina d’Ampezzo two years ago. The original posts from Cortina can be found here, here and here. I can’t wait to hit the slopes again!

Pierre Vanderhout's Travel Blog

Monthly Archives: March 2016

Skiing Italy’s Milky Way – Part 1

Like this:

From Vernazza to Sestriere

Like this:

The non-tower parts of Pisa (and a quick visit to Lucca)

Like this:

Climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

Like this:

Hike from Vernazza to Corniglia

Like this:

Hike from Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare

Like this:

Arrival in the Cinque Terre of Italy!

Like this:

Spend your money on experiences, not things?

Like this:

The Odyssey Continues…

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

The Odyssey Continues…