Italy/Alps Trip Route 2012

Mont Blanc/Italian Alps

Mont Blanc

  

Of course we saved the best (& biggest) for last.  The grand finale of our trip was a visit to Chamonix, France which is home to the massive Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps at 15,772 ft.   We took a cable car up to Auguille du Midi which is over 12,000 ft elevation.  We were fortunate to have great weather so enjoyed clear views of Mont Blanc and surrounding peaks including the Matterhorn in the far distance.  Also watched climbers and skiers work their way down the steep terrain.  Spent a full day on the mountain and it was amazing!  A great ending to an unforgettable trip!

We are back in Italy now and headed out for our last Italian dinner before we fly home tomorrow.  It has been an amazing adventure touring Italy and the Alps with my good friend Lori.  But now its time to say "Arrivederci"to Europe...

  

On Top of the Alps

We couldn't pass on the chance to see the alps from the air.  We booked a private charter on a Cessna high wing plane.  Our flight began in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland to view prominent peaks including the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau ranging from 13,000 ft to 13,642 ft elevation.  Then the pilot headed south to the Matterhorn which is located on the Swiss/Italian border in the Pennine Alps and rises 14,692 ft elevation.  The pilot approached the pyramid shaped peak and then circled it up close which was really cool!  Our final destination was Mont Blanc which lies on the Italian/French border in the Savoy Alps and is the highest peak in the alps rising 15,772 ft elevation.  It looks alot like Mt McKinley in Alaska towering over all the surrounding peaks and valleys below.  The flight lasted about 1.5 hrs and we were fortunate to have clear weather and a great pilot to give us an up close and personal tour of the snow- capped alps!!!

Jungfrau

Matterhorn

Mont Blanc

Jungfrau Region

We left Italy on Tues and drove into Switzerland traveling over St Gotthard Pass.  We arrived in Lauterbrunnen which is the known as the valley of the waterfalls.  It looks similar to Yosemite Valley with waterfalls cascading over the cliffsides of surrounding mountains, just beautiful.  We had a great view from our balcony looking up at Staubbach Falls and the Lauterbrunnen valley surrounded by snow capped mountains.  We rode a cable car lift up the western side of valley to the Schilthorn which is around 9700 ft elevation and provides 360 degree views of the Jungrau region and mountain peaks.  Stopped off at a little high alpine village called Murren on the way down.  Then we explored eastern rim visiting another alpine village, Wengen and then took gondola up to Mannlichen.  Great panoramic views, but we had low cloud cover so visibility was limited.  This area is amazing with beautiful scenery in every direction.  Will definitely have to return...

Lake Como

We spent a few days on Lake Como in Northern Italy visiting Varenna and Bellagio.  The lake is surrounded by mountains rising as high as 8500 ft elevation.  We toured Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello, both incredible!  

 

The Dolomiti

After leaving Venice, we drove along the Grande Strada delle Dolomiti which begins in Belluno and travels thru The Dolomite Mountains.  We visited Cortina d’ Ampezzo then traveled over Passo Pordoi and Passo Sella both offering breathtaking views.  We stayed in a little village called Selva Val Gardena which is framed by the peaks of the Sella Group.  We headed out early the next morning to catch sunrise and then did a short hike in the Alpe di Siusi, Europe’s largest high alpine meadow, located between Val di Fassa and Val Gardena.  

Venice at Night

Thought I’d share just a few final images from Venice.  The most magical time is when the sun goes down, the twilight skies appear and more importantly the crowds thin out. The lights in the piazza and colors reflecting in the canals are truly enchanting...

Venice Islands

We have explored many islands around Venice including Murano, Burano and San Giorgio.  Murano is world renowned for its glass making industry.  We had a chance to watch glass blowing up close and visited several of the glass galleries.  Burano is a charming little fishing village famous for its lace making and brightly colored houses.  San Giorgio is directly across from Piazza San Marco on the main island.  We went to top of bell tower to get a nice view overlooking the lagoon.

 

Venice

Venice (Venezia) is an enchanting city.  It is located on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges.  The main form of transportation is by Vaporetto (water buses) which run  up and down the Grand Canal.  We've covered a lot of areas including Piazza San Marco, San Polo, Rialto, Zattere and Accademia.  We visited the Rialto Market one morning and watched all the merchants sell fresh fish, fruits and vegetables to the locals.  We did a tour of Basillica de San Marco while the interior was lit up and the walls, ceilings and domes are completely covered in mosaics.  We're right around the corner from Piazza San Marco which has been extremely convenient and allowed us to enjoy it after the crowds thin out.