Dolomiti Superski

Getting to our destination this year proofed difficult. The Brenner highway was closed as trucks stood crosswise and the Brenner state road was closed due to danger of avalanches on the Italian side. After hours without improvement, we started a 500 km detour as further alternatives were closed. At midnight, we stopped at Hotel Posthof, Millstätter See for the night. After breakfast, we started in direction of our destination. Trees blocking the street and snow adding further to our delay. In the afternoon, we finally arrived at our apartment on the road between Arabba and Falzarego Pass. 

Brenner Highway Jam

somewhere near Hochkönig

View from Hotel Posthof on Lake Millstätt

Home for a week on the top floor

As I had injured my foot 3 weeks ago, I was a bit doubtful about my ability to ski and enjoy it. After some hours in Steinach am Brenner and a day in Arabba, those doubts vanished. Skiing was way easier than walking around with the bandage. 

Sellaronda

One of the biggest ski tours with lifts and slopes is the Sellaronda leading through 4 skiing areas: Arabba-Marmolada, Val di Fassa, Val Gardena and Alta Badia. The tour goes both ways - clockwise (orange) and counterclockwise (green). One day, we did the tour twice as we reached the start point for the first time 2.5-3h after starting in the morning. The first round was faster than the second as slopes were still well prepared and there were nearly no queues at the lifts. There was still a place in Val Gardena where you have to cross the street and carry your skis upstairs that was quite tearing. In Corvara, the old chairlift has been replaced by gondolas to connect Colfosco to Corvara. Unfortunately, they did not optimize the logistics (way between lifts - there would have been a good chance). In Arabba, the valley arrival was now less chaotic as a chairlift connected both sides of the valley. 

On the last day, we did the green Sellaronda as the finale of the skiing vacation. Although I think I prefer the orange one.

http://www.sellaronda.info

Around the Sella Mountain range (twice)

On the top of Corvara

Orange Sellaronda this way please

Sella Mountains

Cortina d‘Ampezzo

On Wednesday, we drove the 28 km to Cortina and parked at the cable car to the Tofana. Three cable cars led up the mountain - the last one only for a panoramic view of the mountain range was closed. We enjoyed the several slopes “solo per esperti” (only for experts). 

If you park at that parking lot, it is free of charge if you validate your parking ticket with your Skipass. The machine is in the middle of the lot. 

http://www.freccianelcielo.com 

Freccia nel Cielo - Arrow in the Sky

from Col Drusciè to Ra Valles

to the Tofana summit

German expert

Slope Forcella Rossa (actually black not red)

Parocchia dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo Apostoli

Falzarego - Cinque Torri (Super8 Tour)

The next day, we did not drive as much and already stopped at Falzarego pass from where the cable car went up to the Lagazuoi mountain. That area has been the border in the First World War and there were several memorials. After a round of the Lagazuoi slope we crossed the road and took the slope to the Cinque Torri. We completed the first ring of the Super8 tour and crossed back to the Falzarego-Lagazuoi mountain. From there, we took the 8.5km Armentarola slope and had lunch at the new restaurant in the valley. After a look at the cute alpacas who were not the least bit interested in the onlookers, we continued, passed the ice waterfalls and worked our way on the flat end to the ski bus stop. Others took the horse carriage (2.5€ for like 300-500 m) but still the rest was on your own skis. The standard rate for the taxi is 6€ to Falzarego Pass - best take it from the first sign that will save you a lot of exercise. The normal ski bus only passes every 90 min if you are lucky.

http://lagazuoi5torri.dolomiti.org

View to the top of Lagazuoi

View down to Falzarego Pass

On the Super8 in sunshine

Alpacas outside of Peru

Ready after lunch

Ice Falls

Super8 Tour

Dolomites at sunset

Marmolada

Another day, another tour. We started again from Arabba and went in direction of the Marmolada - the highest mountain of the Dolomites. After we went the long way down in the valley, it took three cable cars to reach the top - on the summit the clouds obscured the mountain view. Also this mountain played a role in the wars and an exposition explains more about that time. We finished the day in Arabba.

http://www.marmolada.com/de/localita-de/marmolada-de.html

Leaving Arabba

View on the Marmolada

3 cable cars

from the valley

first middle stop

seeing less and less

View from Marmolada slope 

After a great week in the Dolomites, we crossed the Brenner Highway without problems.

WU Ball in Vienna

Train ride through Winter Wonderland

First travel of the year brought me to Vienna for the Ball of the WirtschaftsUniversität.
AIESEC Alumni Austria organized a program for us.

State Opera

We met Friday evening for dinner at Inigo in the first district and afterwards I stayed in the biggest room of a Motel One ever.

Motel One

Saturday morning we had 2h of dance training at Tanzschule Wagner - the instructor taught us 3 out of 6 parts of the Quadrille and the Viennese Waltz.

Tanzschule Wagner

We had lunch at the Griechenbeisl and of course I went for the world famous Viennese Schnitzel and it was delicious.

Wiener Schnitzel - Yummy

Beer window

It was a very windy and cold afternoon and I had hurt my ankle earlier in the week, so I skipped most of the guided tour. Instead I enjoyed a nice raspberry cake and a hot tea at Café Oberlaa.

Hofburg - where we danced later on

The rest of the afternoon was spent getting ready for the evening: hair, make-up and dress.

Hair style: done!

We are ready!

Finally after 8 pm we left for the Hofburg and the Ball. After nine, the student couples paraded in for the opening dance.

Parade

Made it to the Hofburg

Ball Room

We went to the Zeremoniensaal where our tables were reserved. Our band was playing all kinds of music to dance 💃 with. So we did Viennese Waltz, Slow Fox and many more.

Zeremoniensaal

After midnight, we went to the bigger ball room, waited and saw the artistic show - my feet took that part no well at all. Finally after half an hour, we could really enter the dance floor for the quadrille. We signed up and the master of ceremonies announced the different steps to take as a dry-run and then we did it with music. We did 4 different parts and the last time every round faster in kind of battle with the orchestra.

Dancing the Quadrille

We repeated this a bit later in our own room and wandered the place in search of good photo locations. And then took quite a bit to do them. We lasted until 4 o'clock when they started to get rid off us.

Heidi and I on the grand staircase 

The next morning or better to say lunch time, we met all survivors at Café Landtmann for brunch.

Matka Canyon

When you have seen everything in Skopje head out with Bus 60 from Transport Center (or any intermediate stop) to Matka Canyon. The bus ride takes 50 min and costs 40 MKD - make sure to o buy a multi rides card beforehand as the bus drivers do not sell tickets anymore. Information on lines, stops and schedule on JSP OTG App. 

I took the 8:45 from the city and at the last stop (Matka) I was one of the two remaining passengers. This solitude lasted for a long time. I followed the way uphill and passed the visitor center (closed on Mondays) and at the small parking lot turned left and then the way narrowed to allow only pedestrians. I continued on it to the top of the dam wall and there had the first glimpse at the Matka Lake. 10 min from the bus stop, there are a hotel, restaurant, toilets and boat rides at the lake. 

Ready for a boat trip?

Hotel & restaurant

St. Andrew Church (1389)

I followed the path for 6 km going up and down, turning to and away from the water and explore the Matka Canyon. Beware at some points the iron rail is broken and the path is not secured all the time. Be surefooted. 

Matka Lake

 After more than an hour walking with only passing another small group the natural quietness was broken by a boat engine and surely I saw from the high path a boat approaching with tourist. I thought the boat rides might not work in winter, but soon more followed. 20 min later I reached the dead-end of the path across from the Vrelo Underwater Cave. 

One of the boat drivers called out to me and asked if I wanted to see the cave. I then went back a bit and went down a steep slide (probably a small creek in summer) and there he picked me up and brought me to other river side. I climbed up to the cave and went inside with the other tourists. It was nicely lit and is the deepest in Europe. Every year, dive teams try to explore the underwater part. So far, none has reached the bottom. The last exploration went down to 900 m.

View from the dead-end to the Vrelo Cave

Vrelo Cave

Stalactit Pine Cone

I returned with the boat and thanked the nice boat drivers for the ride. 

Boat trip back

I made it back in time to the bus stop. In the meantime several tourist buses, taxi and private cars had arrived. I was already contemplating how to best hitch a ride with one of them as the public bus arrived 10 min late. So have faith.