Training Log Archive: Charlie

Travel day, too tired to get out before breakfast, so just eating, packing up, heading to the airport, etc.

C • Buon Viaggio! 2

Tour along the Adige in Verona, taking pictures, mostly of the bridges. It has been really hot here, but quite pleasant at 5 am. By 7 it starts to get a bit steamy. No such worries for orienteers next week. Nice and cool in the Dolomites.

A pretty fine walking around day. Designated as a free day, so I went around the city and toured three of the major churches. Pretty good deal if you like this sort of thing 5€ for 4 churches including the audio guide. I had seen the Duomo Wednesday, so went to Santa Anastasia, San Fermo and San Zeno. Some very old frescoes and architecture, but mostly just a chance to explore the town. After San Z I found a park that rises onto the old city walls. Pretty fine. In between I had lunch with four of the group that I had encountered in Piazza delle Erbe. Lunch was at AMO, pretty fine. Eating a lot here. After the walk through the park, back to the hotel to rest up for the main event.

And the main event, La Traviata in the Arena in Verona. This was way cooler than I had imagined, quite a spectacle, in perfect weather. It was pretty long, and didn’t get back to the hotel until about 1, but really an unforgettable experience. All the time we had spent studying the plot and the libretto was nicely repaid.

A quick excursion after breakfast and before meeting up for the day with the group. I wanted to track down a restaurant that I had gone to with my friend Tullio in 2017, but didn’t know the name, or really where it was. Tullio provided the name of the street, Via Sotto Riva, so I went out to reconnoiter, and armed with that info it wasn’t so hard. Boccondivino is the name, and according to Tullio it is the oldest restaurant in Verona.

Museum day. We all had one day Verona passes, 25€ good for admission to any attraction in the city. First stop was the Castelvecchio, big castle of the Scaligero family, with huge art galleries inside. We were there a couple of hours, then up the street to Piazza delle Erbe and the tower of the Lamberti family. 368 steps and a very nice view of the city. Then into the museum next door, another very extensive collection. At that point we broke up, and six of us went to Boccondivino, which turned out to be quite fine. I had polipetti in a valpolicella sauce with olives, and a good portion of the cheese and fruit plate Lorrie had ordered. This place also had the best bread I have run into on this trip. We lost one more after lunch and then headed back toward Piazza delle Erbe and the crypts of the Scaligero family. The Scaligero family ran the show in town in the 1300s until they got chased out by someone else in 1387. anyway, that didn’t take long. Then we hoofed it up toward the Duomo, and an exhibition of paleocristian archeological remains underneath. From there, not far to the Ponte Pietra, the old stone bridge which crosses the Adige from the Duomo to near the old Roman teatro. At that point the older ladies were tired, and it was really too much to walk them back. Lucky enough to find a bus stop within 100 meters, that after a few stops dropped us off a block from the hotel. Pretty excellent.

Another group hike, this time out and back from Tre Croci to the beautiful mountain lake Sorapis, blue green and icy cold from the snow melting into it. Once again we started with 8, and after about an hour and a half three were ready to go back. A fourth didn’t know she was ready to return, but after a little explanation she understood. The rest of us continued on, just as the trail became a lot steeper, rockier and generally difficult, with even a section of via ferrata with cables secured to the rock with pitons. But generally beautiful views, a few snowfields to traverse. A fine time for all, I think.

Tre Cime di Laredo hike. Start and finish were the same place at Rifugio di Auronzo, but I started the watch quite a bit late. This was a group of varying ability (but game). 8 of us made it as far as Locatelli, where the Rifugio was closed! Bummer. Didn’t have enough water as I gave half of mine to a friend who hadn’t brought any, and nothing to eat. Anyway, at that point the slower 4 turned back and the rest of us kept up the circle, a bit longer and steeper, a bit narrower, a bit icier, but we moved along at a more reasonable pace. Then, since the others had not yet made it back I went out to find them, and they were fine.

By the time I was back the lunch service at the Rifugio was over, alas, but the hike was great, wonderful views, some snow, some ice, a beautiful little lake, all well above tree line, ranging from 7,500 to 8,000 feet, with one brief dip down to the lake at 7,000. And everybody had a good time, which of course was the point.

Oh, and it started raining about 15 minutes after we got back, although not much. So that was a win.

C • Hiking the Dolomites 3

Having missed lunch, went off with my friend Lorrie for dinner before anyone else was ready, to the restaurant il Ponte down the street. We got two first plates and split them, both excellent. One was casunziei all’Ampezza, which meant nothing to me, but turned out to be a kind of ravioli stuffed with red turnip, very nicely prepared and presented, absolutely delicious. The other was strigoli, a type of rolled pasta, with arugula pesto and cherry tomatoes. Delicious, with a little smear of balsamico on the plate. So pretty great, and we stopped at the pasticceria on the way back for some sacher torte for me and cheesecake for her.

I’ve been keeping up with this, sometimes in the morning, sometime late like this. Seems necessary and effective.