Sunday 11 January 2015

Dobbiaco/Toblach

All day yesterday was devoted to train travel; east through smoggy Italy and then up into the alps after a left-hand turn at Verona. [Looked for two gentlemen, but to no avail.]

Another train to the top of the alps, then another cute-as train east across the top to Dobbiaco. Surprisingly, quite a bit of secondary industry along this line, but soon we emerged into more classic alpine meadows and towering alps. Green meadows; white alps. 

Not much snow about, but we are assured that downhill skiing is OK. Cross country skiing is all but non-existent. It's certainly fortuitous that skiing was not our sole purpose for coming!

DJ and I took a stroll up the hill behind the town and came across a huge ski jump, grassy AS, and not a hint of snow. Here's DJ pretending to take a huge jump!

 

 The thing I'm loving about this region is the combination of German and Italian cultures. Signs are written in both languages and both can be heard spoken in and around the towns.  Many towns have a German, as well as an Italian name. Dobbiaco is also known as Toblach. I have had a few (simple) conversations in German with some of the locals and am surprised at how much is buried deep within. 

A further observation of note is the absence of people around both Dobbiaco and its twin resort Cortina - the swankier ski resort 20-odd km away higher in the alps. Perhaps this is a special holiday time. The next two weeks, for some reason are "off season" and lift tickets and ski hire are cheaper. Another possible clue is that the cemetery is lit up with candles burning in the dead of night.   WHAT is going on?


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