Wednesday 24th of August

I was ready to be picked up just after ten am and soon we were on our way north to San Martino di Castrozza on the Passo Rolle.  We'd attempted this journey last time I was here two years ago but it was the first big snow of the year that weekend and we got so far and then turned around and headed back.  The car I was in did have winter tyres on but there comes a point on most passes where beyond which you need to at least be carrying snow chains and we didn't have them.  So we headed back down the valley and took an aperitvo in a bar.  My first Spritz.

The plan was to park up and walk up to the Laghi (lakes) which can be seen next to each other in the north west

A little bit of marketing on one of the hairpin walls on the Passo Rolle

San Martino was clearly a winter town but it was doing pretty well at hosting quite a lot of people this August.  We had no issues getting up there and parking before setting off walking up the ski slopes.

About 20% of the lifts were open.  Would like to try the one up Cima Rosetta 2700m+

The steady slog up the hill commenced.  Further down here is a tunnel for the traffic under the ski slope 

One of the steeper slopes in the background - maybe 50% gradient?

We didn't see many people on the way up, just a few we passed who were coming down 

Once up there it was obviously a busy place - 100+ people around the lake and in the cafe

We were starving once up there so waited for a place in the restaurant.  I ordered the same as the locals - polenta and salscicca.  It looked good like the burger at the football match but immediately on closer inspection I could see I wasn't going to like the meat.  The texture I didn't like, too much fat clearly visible.  So I ate the polenta and the meat eaten by the others.  A nice nice espresso made up for the burger.  I also thought it was pretty expensive at €9.50 for burger and polenta but not a lot of competition up here...

Once back outside the dog was chomping at the bit to go for a swim so once of its lead it headed straight for the water.  And then again further around the lake and finally back at the beach side.  It really has no fear for it.  The difficult part is getting it back out of the water when it wants to stay there.  It just stands and waits far enough out that you can't get it.

Zara fetching sticks from the lake 

One of the easier ski slopes I would imagine.  Not that easy to walk up though 

Would have been much easier to ski down

What a great place for a kart track!  In winter, on ice/snow I bet it's amazing

Overall I guess we did about 7km walking but that included over 400m of ascent.  I left the GPS recording on the decent and it logged 450m in 2.5km which I make to be about 18% gradient.

The journey back was split in two so we could have a break as Chiara was feeling sick in the back of the car.  I guess the heat (even thought it has aircon) and the sun and all the corners mixed in with the polenta/burger.... not a good combination.  We ended up at precisely the same cafe bar that I'd been to two years previously when it was below zero and 20-30cm of snow had already fallen.  I'll have a Spritz please!  And good to see the tradition here of getting some crisps to munch on when a couple of you order drinks sat at a table - rather than the UK approach making you go to the bar yourself and pay extra for a bag of crisps.

A bike ride then following day a run and now a short but steep walk - I was knackered!  Pasta and veggie tart for dinner, excellent.  Tomorrow I think another lazy day is in order.  The heat is still going to be around for a few more days yet.