It’s been a warm and muggy roman summer, and I couldn’t resist waiting for summer vacancies.
It all happened last minute, one day I was on Facebook and I saw a sponsored hotel in the mountains and I said “why not?”
I have never been in the mountains during summer; I thought there were long hiking on dirt road paths and really not much to do for us.
But in a certain way I needed this, what I wanted was writing on a terrace looking at the mountain.
The weather was pernicious, the news forecasted lightning every day, Giacomo was busy with his project, but Luna and I left anyway.
I chose a Family Hotel; I wanted all the comforts for those dreary days, what did Luna could have done while I was writing?
We arrived in Andalo and I soonly discovered to be in a town dedicated to families with children. The kindness was extreme, they are very welcoming and the things to do are infinite.
I was impressed, we left our luggage in our room and took the train around the lake of Andalo, and then Luna wanted to ride a horse and some of the dozen of games for kids, near the sport arena.
The next morning we decided to do a trip with the animation of the hotel and we went with the ovovia on the Adventure Park. Only Luna has to do it, but since I’ve never had this experience, I’ve done it too.
It was good; we made team, with the plus of facing the difficulties together in different levels.
Then we had lunch in the cabin, trip in the farmhouse from a downhill steep path with green lawns where we did a quick stop and took some pictures with a home on a hill which we called Heidi’s house. There were also goats.
Going down with the ovovia we had an amazing view of Molveno Lake, this year rewarded as the best lake of Italy.
The weather for all the vacancy was sunny and 30 degrees.
So the temperature was fantastic… we really could take advantage of night activities.
We didn’t need all the goose down we brought, a simple k way and a pashmina were more than sufficient.
In the evenings once a week there is a carnival, the shops are open, in some places you can dance, in some others there are street artists and kids are having fun.
The next day we took Andalo’s train and we made a loop until the “Val di Non”, right where there are the famous Melinda apples. We arrived to the Belfort Castle, a ruin of a suggestive castle, without the roof but with a lot of history.
Near there we had a course about beekeeping, the same morning. We got to meet bees closely; we saw inside the hive and talked not only about honey but also about propolis, royal jelly, beeswax and kids made a candle to bring home.
We tasted honey and see differences.
The gentleness and the willingness of the people who live here is really pleasant.
I went out with 6 jars of honey for the family and also for my gramps.
Luna texted them to tell them we bought them honey with propolis not to make them sick this winter. What a kindness!
To her it was the best gift we could do, and maybe she’s right.
Maybe because my big passion, after Décor, it’s training and I’m a very curious person, but everything to me is useful and sometimes significant. So every time I can I do courses or I read a book to know better. During this vacancy a lot of practice.
In the afternoon we came in a Malga (a local farmhouse) to see how they milk a cow, also milked by kids and how they make cheese from fresh to seasoned.
Beautiful to see these lawns delimited from mountains where cows and goats are still free.
Seeing cows that came back for milking that it’s done twice a day and then they are free to go again up in the valley.
Loris explained everything to us and it was a good landlord. And finally we tasted the local cheese produced on the spot… well… what I can say is: try them.
Sir Fabrizio is another super nice local person, he picked us up with a pick up to go on dirt tracks and brought us through a wood to see a place with a view from the valley. It seemed the infinity… Trentino seeing from up there, with the Adige that flows under, the growing of grapes from which they make Muller Thurgau, one of my favorite summer wines.
Then we went down and we had dinner at the Meriz refuge, even here the kindness is king and also the style.
If you pass by take a ride. If you are a couple it’s nice the path of love.
Luna and I took a lot of pictures.
We came back to the hotel late night, tired but happy.
The next morning we went to a fauna park of the area, where animals like bears, wolves, lynx, owls and other lived in captivity… indeed for the bear we waited two hours to see it but in the end we took a walk under us and it came back to sleep in its den.
The lunch every day in new and typical places, and someone recommended dumplings sausages and chanterelles, so good and delicate at the same time.
Well if you’re planning to go to the sea, don’t spend some days in the mountains before, as I did… some weight is guaranteed. But there will be a way to get back in shape when we’ll be home after the holidays. No stress!!!
Indulge our mood, focus our energy for what we like and stimulate our taste buds with new flavors of other lands.
What I found here at the Piz Galin Hotel is a familiar environment with a good kitchen made of local products. One of my must is fresh raspberry juice; to me that I’m love this fruit, but also blueberry juice.
At breakfast, they made homemade marmalade, butter and fresh yogurt, honey and seeds…
For the rest I tasted Trentino lard, which I’ve never tasted before, I knew only the famous one of Colonnata and various cheese of all kind, also flower cheese, it’s called like that (I couldn’t resist!)
Another must of this hotel, the central position and animation.
Laura the girl, who organized trips, took care of Luna and I firsthand, since they were all families and we were without car and we had some difficulties rather than who had the car.
But if you have a problem Laura solves it… even bring out the bear from the den!
We got to know so many people and Luna made experiences she will always remember.
Nature has a calm and regenerate power, for all.
Yesterday afternoon I’ve been in the room two hours and finally I’ve wrote an article.
Before leaving I prepared for you the Board about unicorns and I promised myself to write, write and write…
I didn’t keep the promise, but I come back home happy with lots of beautiful things in my heart and one more travel for me and my daughter.
Going on vacancy alone for some days with your children is an experience.
To them, that having just a parent they do less whims and show less needs.
To us that are everything for them.
Kids help and try to get busy when they are in these situations.
We’re alone, no one will help mom, so the only thing we could do is helping each other.
For the rest is an experience together, without drag dads to milk cows or to see hives if they’re busy for work but cropping some quality time together.
I’m in train and I’m coming back to Rome, at home, and I’m writing this article.
We can’t wait to hug Giacomo and tell him even better the hundreds stories that happened to us and our experiences, but the first thing I’ll do is thank him for being free to spend some time for us, mom and daughter, and him to be free to work and to carry on the projects during the week before leaving for the sea.
Balance is not ever easy, but if you’re willing to work together, everyone will benefit from it.
I’m left, waving my green mountains and promising I’ll be back soon, but at this point I hope to see white mountains… we’ll see. I’ll keep you updated.
In the meantime you can follow my adventures and my days in my Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/viviana_grunert/
See you in the next trip with the next adventure.
Viviana Grunert
