Dolomites: memories of a summer in Alta Badia
Memory is the greatest ‘weapon’ any person has.
Remembering means bringing happy feelings from the past into the present.
Sensing flavours and aromas experienced during delightful occasions.
Pleasant events, electrifying experiences, moments of the day that brought you joy and smiles.
Seeing horizons, skies and lakes, even inside your own room, and making them immortal in your memory.
This is why memory is the simplest way to feel happy.
Some of my favourite memories are of my experiences in the mountains in summer.
Getting up early. Hot coffee with the Dolomites acting as inspiration, looking out at the expanses of green that show you the path you should take.
Beginning your hike, the cool breeze and the smells of strudels, Kaiserschmarren and crispy fritters, following the sun that rises to give us another day of relaxation and carefree amusement.
The day begins.
I remember.
I remember the fragrance of freshly baked bread. Bread that we baked ourselves! During a class in baking the way it used to be done. Hungry and happy after hiking, setting to work, kneading the dough, creating!
The aroma of the wheat, feeling the flour milled from grains that are part of my tradition. Letting it sift through my fingers.
Making a nice pairing of bread with a hard cheese from Alta Badia. Biting into it and meeting the eyes of the person next to me and the children, who are smiling with satisfaction and pleasure. Flavours that, in that moment, make any other food seem beside the point.
Pure wonder.
I remember.
I remember taking walks with Michael, an excellent guide. The owner of the Sporthotel Panorama. A man who doesn’t merely accompany you but is a companion who can tell stories of the area and great anecdotes that bring alive the local personalities, the traditions of long ago, the secrets of exploring the land for those who really love nature.
Hearing these stories of the mountains is, indeed, something important. Passing along knowledge of the properties of plants and herbs, gathering some that we can use and trying them in the kitchen for teas and delicious treats. Thus discovering a new way to add a bit of wonder to my life.
Remembering means bringing happy feelings from the past into the present.
Sensing flavours and aromas experienced during delightful occasions.
Pleasant events, electrifying experiences, moments of the day that brought you joy and smiles.
Seeing horizons, skies and lakes, even inside your own room, and making them immortal in your memory.
This is why memory is the simplest way to feel happy.
Some of my favourite memories are of my experiences in the mountains in summer.
Getting up early. Hot coffee with the Dolomites acting as inspiration, looking out at the expanses of green that show you the path you should take.
Beginning your hike, the cool breeze and the smells of strudels, Kaiserschmarren and crispy fritters, following the sun that rises to give us another day of relaxation and carefree amusement.
The day begins.
I remember.
I remember the fragrance of freshly baked bread. Bread that we baked ourselves! During a class in baking the way it used to be done. Hungry and happy after hiking, setting to work, kneading the dough, creating!
The aroma of the wheat, feeling the flour milled from grains that are part of my tradition. Letting it sift through my fingers.
Making a nice pairing of bread with a hard cheese from Alta Badia. Biting into it and meeting the eyes of the person next to me and the children, who are smiling with satisfaction and pleasure. Flavours that, in that moment, make any other food seem beside the point.
Pure wonder.
I remember.
I remember taking walks with Michael, an excellent guide. The owner of the Sporthotel Panorama. A man who doesn’t merely accompany you but is a companion who can tell stories of the area and great anecdotes that bring alive the local personalities, the traditions of long ago, the secrets of exploring the land for those who really love nature.
Hearing these stories of the mountains is, indeed, something important. Passing along knowledge of the properties of plants and herbs, gathering some that we can use and trying them in the kitchen for teas and delicious treats. Thus discovering a new way to add a bit of wonder to my life.