Perugia to Padova having been covered in my Fiat 500  the day before, my partner and I woke up in Padova, on the morning of Monday the 2nd of October, 2017, rested and bursting with anticipation as we were headed to the mountains – the Dolomites, le montagne dolomiti in Italian. We had a quick breakfast at the Hotel and were on the road by 8am. There was only a 200km ride between Padova and Prags, where we would lay our heads down for the night but we wanted to ensure an unhurried joy ride up the mountains and ample time to stop at the passes that we had planned to traverse.

We drove due north from Hotel Garibaldi, Padova via Borgoricco to Castelfranco Veneto and picked up the SP (Strada Provinciale) 667, a provincial strada – road, till Cornuda, in the province of Treviso where we took the SR (Strada Regionale) 348, a regional road that spans the provinces of Treviso and Feltre in the Veneto region of Italy. The scenery was unremarkable thus far, suburban homes and industrial zones, aesthetic relief was provided by the occasional pretty church and ornate cemetery. We had driven 40kms, when the foothills of the Dolomites started teasing at the horizon, the thrill was on. With the mountain climb imminent we made a quick pit stop at Le Rive Autoristogrill, our conditioning prompting us to top up the petrol as a precaution against any infrequency of gas stations later.

Now driving on the SP 1 the river Piave our companion, we crossed the river at Villapiana, turning right at Busche to follow the SR 36 onto the SP 12 and eventually to the SR 203 crossing the pretty Lago di Alleghe on our left, past Caprile, where we took the winding SP 20 to Selva di Cadore. From Selva di Cadore which is at an elevation of 1350 mts. we took the SP 638 up to the Giau Pass at 2236 mts. The distance only about 10kms, but an enthralling visual feast.

The drive took us past pine forests interspersed with green meadows, the regal grey Dolomite peaks starting to dominate the skyline. As we drove higher the proof of autumn was upon us and soon there were clumps of trees that had decided to precede their verdant neighbours in donning their fall attire, much to our delight.

Driving through tunnels the landscape became more barren the green giving way to the brown and the brown eventually to the majestic grey swathed in white cloud at Giau Pass.

You can see the Refugio Fedare (refugio is a mountain hut/refuge) in the photo above, you can walk up to it for a snack, meal or a stay. Walking enthusiasts can head further up to Refugio Nuvolao, the oldest refuge in the Dolomites, located atop the flat Nuvola peak, stay overnight and continue ahead for the various treks or mountain climbs available in the Dolomites, booking accommodation in advance at the refuges is a must. This aside about more strenuous pursuits is for your benefit, it was not on our agenda. We were out to enjoy the solemn beauty of the Dolomites from the comfort of our beloved Cinquecento and we stopped admired and drove on, on the SP 638 till Pocol from where we headed west on the SR 48 towards Passo Falzarego.

From Pian di Falzarego we took the SP 24 north towards the Badia Valley in the autonomous Italian province of Trentino. The landscape turning rather otherworldly, grey and white boulders, strewn across the now  flat mountain top.

The SP 24 becomes the SP 37 when you cross the border between Veneto and Trentino – South Tyrol and as you enter the Badia Valley you are treated to a heavenly display of colour, the lush green meadows, the trees green-yellow-red, the brown wooden chalets, and the  more basic wood and stone baita, proudly embellished with flower boxes, with red, yellow, white, lilac or purple flowers dancing in the wind. It is a view that runs on loop in my mind’s eye!

Hunger pangs caught up with us at about 2.40pm, we were too late to find a restaurant as in Italy they generally stop lunch service at 3pm and in Trentino, the Austrian culture coming into play they usually stop even earlier. While driving through the beautiful commune of La Villa in Badia, we spotted the Bar Pizzeria Ariston and turned into its parking. We ordered a Capricciosa, a pizza topped with Artichokes, Mushrooms, Pepperoni and Ham, its range of colours and flavours mirroring those from nature we had just witnessed. We sat out and gazed at the beautiful flower lined building opposite us and the rolling green hills beyond it, with the Dolomites towering above and savoured our delicious pizza.

Lunch over, refreshed and sustained we drove on. Next stop was at the nearby Despar Supermarket in La Villa, the next few days we were going to be in a self catering apartment, we had just another 45kms to go before we reached our temporary home so it made sense to stock up on wine, meat, fruit and vegetables. We already knew from the reviews that we had read of the apartment, that in all likelihood our hosts would be providing milk bread and eggs for the duration of our stay.

The ensuing drive, now on the SR 244, through the stunning valley left us spellbound my hand cramping from all the photos that I was taking along the route. Pretty little villages winked at us from the surroundings their proud church spires rising above as if in competition with the mountains in their backdrop. At Floronzo we turned right heading east on the SS (Strata Statale) 49.

By 4.45pm our trusted Tomtom had brought us easily to the doorstep of Apartments Jagerhof, in the municipality of Prags in the province of South Tyrol in Trentino. Booked in advance via Booking.com this was going to be home for the next three nights

A beautiful Apartment on the Second Floor of the building with a fully equipped kitchen, including dishwasher and a washing machine just outside the entrance to the apartment to be shared with the one other apartment on the floor.

The next two days are devoted to this region of South Tyrol, join us for a walk around Lake Braies, Lago di Braies (in Italian), Pragser Wildsee in German and a pilgrimage to the Tre Cime – Three Peaks, where we meet a young local who kindly recounts the history of this autonomous region of Italy, which I will share with you.