Yesterday and today was stunning beyond compare so bear with me on this one.
I hiked up to the Vajolet towers with a plan to watch the sunset over the Dolomites, sleep beneath the foreboding cliffs in a rifugio, and wake to watch the sunrise again. What I was met with in the moments these photos capture, and those in between, was purely romantic.
I met a Dutch couple traveling for 5 days from rifugio to rifugio who had never hiked before but wanted a challenge.
I ate the most delicious focaccia bread upon reaching the summit from a local bakery back in town. Then, satisfied, enjoyed a hot chocolate while in sheer awe.
I sat and read a book in the common room amongst strangers playing games, conversing in languages I couldn’t identify, and laughing in tones I could.
I talked to the owner, Valeria, who has lived up there for 28 years and bought the place after working her way up. She only goes into the town every 10 days or so. The hike is easy for her!
I walked to the true summit of Santner for a higher view and stumbled upon a second rifugio. Inside I met a couple who WAS FROM AUSTIN. We marveled at how small the world is and shared a delicious dessert.
After fear that clouds would stay, they broke, and I witnessed a beautiful sunset over the western edge (Santer is a near sheer cliff drop off) of the Dolomites and the Vajolet Towers.
I woke up at 4:30 in a shared bunk room and stood in the frigid cold and wind to see the sun come back around a mere few hours after leaving. Then enjoyed a coffee and breakfast with brief friends.
The most romantic part of it all? The cliff I was on in photo 8 is the same cliff I was unknowingly staring at from my B&B on Friday. You can see the hill in the far distance of the photo. Nothing was planned on this trip until the day before so little did I know that my journey through the Dolomites would end upon the same cliff I was mesmerized with days prior.
So there I stood on the western edge of the Rosengarten of the Dolomites and there I knew that every step has a purpose, every choice will be OK, and every journey puts you right where you need to be.
Life, baby. It gets ya.
